It's on to the defensive secondary. The Minnesota Vikings have fielded many great defenses in their 59 years. The defensive lines have routinely received most of the credit for the greatness. The credit is deserved. Those defensive lines were often populated with Hall of Famers. It wasn't four excellent players on the line and seven slappies in the back. Those defensive lines were backed by some pretty good secondaries. Here are my favorite Vikings cornerbacks.
Favorite Vikings Cornerback Duos
1. Antoine Winfield-Cedric Griffin
Antoine Winfield is one of my favorite Vikings. He was so damn much fun to watch play the game. Every one of his tackles should be recorded and used as a tutorial at every level of football. It'd be a long tutorial as he made a lot of tackles. If his tackling became the norm there'd be a great reduction in head trauma. Cedric Griffen always seemed to be on the verge of becoming one of the better cornerbacks in the league. He never quite got there but he was a very good football player.
2. Nate Wright-Bobby Bryant
This is the cornerback duo of my youth so they have a special place in my memories. I always felt like Nate Wright received more national attention but Bobby Bryant is the one with Pro Bowl appearances. Bryant is one of the most underrated players in franchise history. He should be in the Vikings' Ring of Honor. Wright might be best remembered for being shoved to the ground by Drew Pearson in the 1975 playoffs. It was the worst officiating decision in the history of football. It may even be the worst decision the world has ever seen.
3. Carl Lee-Najee Mustafaa
I think of Carl Lee as the first great cover corner in Vikings franchise history. From 1988-90, he was one of the best corners in the league. Najaa Mustafaa was a terrific #2 corner. As with Cedric Griffin, I always felt like Mustafaa was on the verge of breaking out. He never quite got there.
4. Xavier Rhodes-Terence Newman
From 2016-18, Xavier Rhodes was one of the best cover corners in the league. During those years, he was at his best against the best. He routinely shut down the best receivers. Julio Jones, Mike Evans, Odell Beckham, etc. They were eliminated from the game. Terence Newman was a football player that I wish that the Vikings had about a decade earlier. He came to Minnesota at the age of 37. He played at a Pro Bowl level for three seasons. He was also a coach on the field.
5. Xavier Rhodes-Trae Waynes
I had to include this pair. I don't think that their potential as a duo was ever fully realized. Terence Newman kept Trae Waynes on the bench for a couple years. As Waynes started to emerge as a very good cornerback Rhodes started to fade. Rhodes and Waynes were probably the most talented duo the Vikings have ever had. It's disappointing that their best years weren't the same years.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Earsell Mackbee-Ed Sharockman
John Swain-Willie Teal
Carl Lee-Issaic Holt
Carl Lee-Audray McMillian
DeWayne Washington-Corey Fuller
Jimmy Hitchcock-Corey Fuller
When DeWayne Washington was selected in the 1994 NFL Draft it was the first time that the Vikings had ever selected a corner in the first round. Xavier Rhodes was the second in 2013. Under Mike Zimmer, the Vikings have finally put serious draft capital in the cornerback position. Waynes, Mike Hughes, and Jeff Gladney have been first round picks over the past six years. The Vikings drafted two corners in the first round in their first 53 years. In the last six years they have drafted three corners in the first round. There's a shift in priorities.
In my hopeful opinion, the Vikings are about to enter an exciting time at the cornerback position. This offseason brought massive change at the position. The top three cornerbacks from 2019 departed in free agency. With five career starts, Mike Hughes is the most experienced corner on the team. Behind him are several very talented youngsters, including 2020 first round pick Jeff Gladney. It's an exciting time. Maybe a cornerback duo of Hughes and Gladney will soon be one of my favorites.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Monday, June 29, 2020
Remembering Joe Delaney
On this day in 1983 I learned that pro football players are human. That was when Kansas City Chiefs running back Joe Delaney dashed into water to save three boys from drowning. Saving the boys was more important than the fact that he couldn't swim. He acted when others didn't. Football players are often considered heroes. On this day in 1983 I learned what heroes really do.
In remembering Joe Delaney, I turn to Frank DeFord and the article he wrote for Sports Illustrated in 1983.
Last Sunday, Oct. 30, Joe Delaney's team, the Kansas City Chiefs, played the Denver Broncos. And in Shreveport, down the road from Haughton, where Joe was reared, the Louisiana State Fair was in its last day. The signs said: IT'S YOUR FAIR—SO BE THERE, and for sure a goodly number of folks came out.
Had he lived, Delaney last Sunday would have celebrated his 25th birthday while playing against the Broncos. But on June 29, 1983 he died, a gentleman and a hero, in Monroe, at Chenault Park, around two in the afternoon.
There was a huge hole there, carved out of the earth some time ago. The hole had filled with water, and three boys waded in. They didn't know it, but a short way out the bottom dropped off precipitously, and suddenly the boys were in over their heads and thrashing and screaming. There were all sorts of people around, but only Joe dashed to the pond. There was a little boy there. "Can you swim?" he asked Joe.
"I can't swim good," Joe said, "but I've got to save those kids. If I don't come up, get somebody." And he rushed into the water.
One boy fought his way back to the shallow part. The other two didn't. Neither did Joe Delaney, 24. He was hauled out a few minutes later, dead. He gave his own life trying to save three others.
God rest his soul.
Shortly thereafter, back in Haughton, JoAnn Delaney woke up from a nap. She'd had a terrible pain come over her, so she had lain down; but now, miraculously, she felt whole again. Later she found out the pain had come as Joe had approached Chenault Park in his baby blue Cougar and had departed when he'd died.
JoAnn was Joe's twin.
When they were born in Henderson, Texas on Oct. 30, 1958, JoAnn's birth was uneventful, but Joe turned blue and almost died. He had some kind of bubble over his face, his mother, Eunice, says, which made it hard for him to start breathing. The midwife was familiar with this problem. She called it a "veil," and when the crisis had passed and the baby had filled his lungs with air, she told Eunice, "Any child born with the veil will die of drowning."
Lucille, one of Joe's five sisters—he had two brothers—says, "We were mighty glad when he learned to swim." But he was never more than a rudimentary swimmer; he was scared of water any deeper than his waist. It was amazing that he would rush in after those boys.
Let us now go down the road and around the bend from Joe's house on West Madison Street in Haughton to the Galilee Baptist Church...to listen to the people eulogize him. The words are all real, but you're going to have to imagine the scene, because when Joe died there were so many people, from far and wide, who wanted to honor him that his parish church, the Galilee, couldn't be used for the services. They had to be held in the largest building in town, the high school gym—HOME OF THE BUCCANEERS it Says on one wall, over an American flag. Joe rested there in an open casket before the services.
It was July 4, Independence Day, brutally hot, and a number of mourners passed out. Many Chiefs and other NFL players came, but the local people watched Norma Hunt especially closely. She's the wife of Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Chiefs, and if the home folks were impressed that this millionaire had come to pay his respects to Joe Alton Delaney, they were moved that his wife had come.
But for the purpose of the retelling, we're not in the Hades-hot gym. Instead it's a soft Loosiana autumn night—midweek, no football games—and we're assembled at the Galilee to hear the encomiums for the late Joe Delaney.
Galilee was originally used by both races, the whites letting their slaves worship there on Sabbath afternoons. Since 1863, after Vicksburg fell and that part of the Confederacy began to crumble, the blacks have had Galilee to themselves. These days the church is located in a neat, solid red-brick chapel, and Joe spent his Sunday mornings there during the off-season. He was an usher. His spot was in the back, just to the left as you come in. A little sign there says USHER, and Joe's folded chair is still in place, leaning against the wall. Look hard; you might see him there as his friends begin to enter.
Outside, a harvest moon ducks out from behind the clouds. Inside, the Rev. W.B. James is presiding. He's a trim little man who has known the Delaneys for years. Back in the Depression he walked to the Slap Chapel school for the colored with Joe's late father, Woodrow, and Woodrow's twin—Joe had twins on both sides of his family. More than 40 years later, two of the Rev. James's sons played with Joe on the football team at what's called Northwestern Louisiana, down in Natchitoches, which is pronounced NAK-a-tish.
Now the Rev. James stands in his pulpit and bids the people talk about Joe. Scour the area and Kansas City, too, and you'll never hear a bad word about Joe Delaney. He was a hero at the last instant, but he'd been a good man all the time leading up to it.
Marv Levy, who was Joe's coach in both his years at Kansas City, speaks first. Levy had no idea how talented Delaney was when the Chiefs drafted him in the second round in '81. Joe was penciled in as a "situation back," but in 1981 he gained 1.121 yards, started in the Pro Bowl and was AFC Rookie of the Year. Levy says. "Joe was a person who was genuine and honest right to the core of his being."
He sits down, and near him A.L. Williams, who coached Joe at Northwestern Louisiana, gets up. The football people are over on one side, more or less, and the home folks are on the other, with the family up front, all save Uncle Frankie Joe, Eunice's baby brother, for whom Joe was named. Of all his nephews, Uncle Frankie Joe was especially close to Joe. The two of them and Lucille would often sing together. But Uncle Frankie Joe wouldn't go to the funeral services, hasn't visited Joe's grave yet and, when Eunice gave him first crack at Joe's belongings, he wouldn't take a thing. So he wouldn't be here at the Galilee on this night, either.
Coach Williams speaks now. He says: "The first year Joe was up in Kansas City, Les Miller, the Chiefs' director of player personnel, called me on the phone. He said, 'I want to talk to you about one of your players.' I thought something was wrong. But then he said. 'I just wanted to tell you that Joe Delaney is the finest young man and the hardest worker we've ever had here.'
"You know when Joe came to Northwestern he was a wide receiver. The night I signed him, we went and sat on the fender of my car, and I promised him he could play there because he thought his best chance to make the pros was at that position. But we had a few injuries to running backs early in his freshman year, and Joe came to me and said if we needed a running back he'd switch and play there.
"People ask me, 'How could Joe have gone in that water the way he did?' And I answer, 'Why, he never gave it a second thought, because helping people was a conditioned reflex to Joe Delaney.' "
Bobby Ray McHalffey, who coached Joe at Haughton High, stands up next. Coach McHalffey says he has had a number of better athletes down through the years, but Joe worked a whole lot harder than the other boys. Coach McHalffey finishes up: "You missed somethin' when you didn't know that young 'un—a fine American man."
That's it for the coaches. The next person to speak is Harold Harlan, principal of Haughton High. He says, "Joe was one of those who assumed responsibility. He was one of those who had goals. He was one of those you could always count on." He pauses then and scans the crowded church. "Joe Delaney was a cut above."
Carolyn Delaney, Joe's widow, sits in the front row. nodding. She brought their three girls to the church in the baby blue Cougar. There is Tamika, who's seven, Crystal, four, and JoJo (for Joanna), who wasn't even four months old when her daddy died. They all look up as Alma Jean rises. She's Joe's oldest sister, and she has been selected to read aloud the proclamation from President Reagan that Vice President Bush had personally delivered to the family back in July.
It finishes by saying, "By this supreme example of courage and compassion, this brilliantly gifted young man left a spiritual legacy for his fellow Americans, in recognition of which Joe Delaney is hereby awarded the Presidential Citizens Award."
A lot of people—even many of the football people—are crying now. Crystal wants to leave. Her father spoiled her something awful, and she can't bear to stay in any room when people talk about him. But Lucille is going to be the final speaker. She has brought her guitar, just to strum a couple of notes on, and then in the hush she reads MR. JOE D., the poem that she wrote about her brother two weeks after he died:
My brother Joe was a small man in size,
but you'd have to know him to understand
and realize just how big a heart he had.
He would always help others,
whether good or bad.
Some people said he couldn't,
but Joe said,
can! I can!'
Oh, how grand, and he did...
Joe earned the right to have capital MR. in front of his name,
But because of his love and not just his fame...
There are more tears, and it's now time to conclude the service. The Rev. James says, "I don't know anybody who had a spot on their heart about Joe. People ask me, 'Reverend James, why would God take him away?' and I say, 'God wants something good, too. Amen.' "
From the earliest, Eunice says, "He told me he was goin' to make the pros and make me happy." Joe didn't get any encouragement at home, though. Eunice and Woodrow, a hardworking truck driver till the day he died in 1977, thought football was stuff and nonsense. That may be why there haven't been any other athletes in the family. But then, Joe was also the only one ever to make college.
Joe was born four years after the Supreme Court outlawed segregation in the schools, but he was nine years old before this message, with deliberate speed, came to Louisiana. School integration there was called "the crossover," a term borrowed from the music business, and there isn't anybody around Haughton who doesn't profess that athletics helped ease the transition. As a star black player who was as impeccable of character as he was celebrated, Joe had an impact on his community.
In Haughton, everybody knew Joe D. The tracks of the Illinois Central Gulf line cut smack through town, but that doesn't mean the white folks are all here and the black ones over yonder. Instead, there is a crazy quilt pattern. The Galilee Baptist Church, for example, is in a white enclave. "We have some worldly peoples around here," the Rev. James says. Still, Baptists and fishermen predominate—both creatures of abiding faith.
Joe was a fisherman, was he? "Called hisself one," Eunice says, chortling.
She's in her house, the old sagging place where Joe grew up, where eight people live now, where Joe's trophies are all over and the television set is on all the time. This afternoon she's caring for Joe's children. After he signed his first contract Joe made his mother stop working as a cleaning lady, and he was going to get her a better place to live.
"Muh," he said. He called her Muh. "Muh, I'm going to buy you a house in Kansas City."
"No you ain't," she said. She didn't want to leave Haughton and her family.
What Joe did instead was build a house down the street for himself and Carolyn and the girls. Carolyn had lived in an old house on that plot. She was the girl down the street all the time Joe was growing up. The new house isn't large, but it's trim and immaculate, with plastic covers on the chairs, Joe's trophies all over and the television set on all the time. "Joe wanted to build here," Carolyn says. "We wanted to feel in place." In Kansas City, he always introduced Carolyn as a home girl, but he was a home boy, too.
If Joe had lived, there would have been a star's contract, lots more money, and then he could have moved his family into a subdivision. In that neck of the woods in Louisiana, and in a lot of places in the U.S., subdivision has come to mean what uptown once did. There may be all sorts of neighborhoods, but there are no bad subdivisions. You can be sure of one thing, though. No matter how much money Joe might have made, and no matter where he might have gone to live, his '81 baby blue Cougar would always have been parked outside.
Joe spent a lot of time over at his mother's house. Carolyn has to devote a great deal of time to her own mother, who is blind. She says she really isn't a home girl; foremost she's a family girl. She lost her father in March and her grandfather in June, just two weeks before Joe died. "Joe, all I got now is you," she had said then.
"You'll always have me," he had replied.
In the mornings, Joe would bring JoJo over to Muh's, sometimes not much past six o'clock. Then he would roust everybody, get the music going. He was almost never still. "Sit down and rest awhile, Honey," Eunice would say.
On Independence Day Joe was lowered into the earth at Hawkins Cemetery. There was a two-mile-long procession of cars from the gym to the burial ground and then a long walk down a dirt road under the worst of a July midday sun. People can remember a little black girl running after Norma Hunt and asking her about the pretty bracelet she had on.
Joe, like Uncle Frankie Joe, hated that cemetery, and far as anybody knew, he'd never been back there since his father's burial in '77. Hawkins Cemetery isn't like the white people's graveyard down in Haughton proper, which is all green and manicured. It's up in Belleview and really no more than a clearing back in the woods, where the sandy earth is still piled up from graves dug years ago. It's so far out of the way that there isn't much use putting flowers on the graves; they get stolen and given to girl friends.
Joe is amid ancient company there. Only three down from him is a great-great uncle, Moses Kennon, born in 1848, 15 years before emancipation. On a lot of the stones it says GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN or OVER IN THE GLORYLAND or just plain ASLEEP. Rest awhile, Honey.
"The sky was the limit for him," Coach Williams said the other day. "We never got to see what Joe D would be."
After Joe signed his contract with the Chiefs, Joe Ferguson, the Buffalo quarterback, who was raised in Shreveport and knew Joe D., showed Joe how to write checks. How would Joe D. know about things like that? The first big purchase he made then was a car. He was very careful about it because he didn't want to be ostentatious and spend too much of his money on one item when there was so much the family needed.
Finally, Joe came to Coach Williams and told him he'd thought about it and had settled on a Cougar. What did Coach think of that? Well, Coach Williams thought that was a fine choice, and so straightaway he picked up the phone and called Harry Friedman, the Lincoln-Mercury dealer in Natchitoches. Friedman told Coach Williams he was delighted that Joe had selected a Cougar and he would make sure to give Joe the best possible deal because everyone loved Joe D. and he had meant a great deal to Northwestern and Natchitoches.
Truth to tell, Joe did splurge a little. He sprung for just about every option available on the '81 Cougar. When he brought the car home, he told Carolyn that he would never get rid of it, no matter how good he became or how much he made or where he lived, because it was the first fine thing he had ever been able to buy in his life. He was going to keep it and tend to it and give it to his girls many years from now, when they were old enough to drive.
Since Joe didn't live to see that faraway day, Carolyn says she will honor his intention. The baby blue Cougar is parked outside the house now, in the driveway. It has two stickers on the back, one for the NFL Players Association, the other for the Chiefs.
Crystal is playing on the front lawn by the car. JoJo is napping. Tamika is still at school. Carolyn comes out and calls for Crystal to come in, and she does, because the grown-ups inside are through talking about her daddy, a man who died a hero one hot summer's day and, before that, had never put a spot on a human heart.
Happy birthday, Joe D.
In remembering Joe Delaney, I turn to Frank DeFord and the article he wrote for Sports Illustrated in 1983.
SOMETIMES THE GOOD DIE YOUNG
THE CHIEFS' JOE DELANEY WOULD HAVE BEEN 25 LAST WEEK HAD HE NOT GIVEN UP HIS LIFE ATTEMPTING TO SAVE TWO DROWNING BOYS
BY FRANK DEFORD
Had he lived, Delaney last Sunday would have celebrated his 25th birthday while playing against the Broncos. But on June 29, 1983 he died, a gentleman and a hero, in Monroe, at Chenault Park, around two in the afternoon.
There was a huge hole there, carved out of the earth some time ago. The hole had filled with water, and three boys waded in. They didn't know it, but a short way out the bottom dropped off precipitously, and suddenly the boys were in over their heads and thrashing and screaming. There were all sorts of people around, but only Joe dashed to the pond. There was a little boy there. "Can you swim?" he asked Joe.
"I can't swim good," Joe said, "but I've got to save those kids. If I don't come up, get somebody." And he rushed into the water.
One boy fought his way back to the shallow part. The other two didn't. Neither did Joe Delaney, 24. He was hauled out a few minutes later, dead. He gave his own life trying to save three others.
God rest his soul.
Shortly thereafter, back in Haughton, JoAnn Delaney woke up from a nap. She'd had a terrible pain come over her, so she had lain down; but now, miraculously, she felt whole again. Later she found out the pain had come as Joe had approached Chenault Park in his baby blue Cougar and had departed when he'd died.
JoAnn was Joe's twin.
When they were born in Henderson, Texas on Oct. 30, 1958, JoAnn's birth was uneventful, but Joe turned blue and almost died. He had some kind of bubble over his face, his mother, Eunice, says, which made it hard for him to start breathing. The midwife was familiar with this problem. She called it a "veil," and when the crisis had passed and the baby had filled his lungs with air, she told Eunice, "Any child born with the veil will die of drowning."
Lucille, one of Joe's five sisters—he had two brothers—says, "We were mighty glad when he learned to swim." But he was never more than a rudimentary swimmer; he was scared of water any deeper than his waist. It was amazing that he would rush in after those boys.
Let us now go down the road and around the bend from Joe's house on West Madison Street in Haughton to the Galilee Baptist Church...to listen to the people eulogize him. The words are all real, but you're going to have to imagine the scene, because when Joe died there were so many people, from far and wide, who wanted to honor him that his parish church, the Galilee, couldn't be used for the services. They had to be held in the largest building in town, the high school gym—HOME OF THE BUCCANEERS it Says on one wall, over an American flag. Joe rested there in an open casket before the services.
It was July 4, Independence Day, brutally hot, and a number of mourners passed out. Many Chiefs and other NFL players came, but the local people watched Norma Hunt especially closely. She's the wife of Lamar Hunt, the owner of the Chiefs, and if the home folks were impressed that this millionaire had come to pay his respects to Joe Alton Delaney, they were moved that his wife had come.
But for the purpose of the retelling, we're not in the Hades-hot gym. Instead it's a soft Loosiana autumn night—midweek, no football games—and we're assembled at the Galilee to hear the encomiums for the late Joe Delaney.
Galilee was originally used by both races, the whites letting their slaves worship there on Sabbath afternoons. Since 1863, after Vicksburg fell and that part of the Confederacy began to crumble, the blacks have had Galilee to themselves. These days the church is located in a neat, solid red-brick chapel, and Joe spent his Sunday mornings there during the off-season. He was an usher. His spot was in the back, just to the left as you come in. A little sign there says USHER, and Joe's folded chair is still in place, leaning against the wall. Look hard; you might see him there as his friends begin to enter.
Outside, a harvest moon ducks out from behind the clouds. Inside, the Rev. W.B. James is presiding. He's a trim little man who has known the Delaneys for years. Back in the Depression he walked to the Slap Chapel school for the colored with Joe's late father, Woodrow, and Woodrow's twin—Joe had twins on both sides of his family. More than 40 years later, two of the Rev. James's sons played with Joe on the football team at what's called Northwestern Louisiana, down in Natchitoches, which is pronounced NAK-a-tish.
Now the Rev. James stands in his pulpit and bids the people talk about Joe. Scour the area and Kansas City, too, and you'll never hear a bad word about Joe Delaney. He was a hero at the last instant, but he'd been a good man all the time leading up to it.
Marv Levy, who was Joe's coach in both his years at Kansas City, speaks first. Levy had no idea how talented Delaney was when the Chiefs drafted him in the second round in '81. Joe was penciled in as a "situation back," but in 1981 he gained 1.121 yards, started in the Pro Bowl and was AFC Rookie of the Year. Levy says. "Joe was a person who was genuine and honest right to the core of his being."
He sits down, and near him A.L. Williams, who coached Joe at Northwestern Louisiana, gets up. The football people are over on one side, more or less, and the home folks are on the other, with the family up front, all save Uncle Frankie Joe, Eunice's baby brother, for whom Joe was named. Of all his nephews, Uncle Frankie Joe was especially close to Joe. The two of them and Lucille would often sing together. But Uncle Frankie Joe wouldn't go to the funeral services, hasn't visited Joe's grave yet and, when Eunice gave him first crack at Joe's belongings, he wouldn't take a thing. So he wouldn't be here at the Galilee on this night, either.
Coach Williams speaks now. He says: "The first year Joe was up in Kansas City, Les Miller, the Chiefs' director of player personnel, called me on the phone. He said, 'I want to talk to you about one of your players.' I thought something was wrong. But then he said. 'I just wanted to tell you that Joe Delaney is the finest young man and the hardest worker we've ever had here.'
"You know when Joe came to Northwestern he was a wide receiver. The night I signed him, we went and sat on the fender of my car, and I promised him he could play there because he thought his best chance to make the pros was at that position. But we had a few injuries to running backs early in his freshman year, and Joe came to me and said if we needed a running back he'd switch and play there.
"People ask me, 'How could Joe have gone in that water the way he did?' And I answer, 'Why, he never gave it a second thought, because helping people was a conditioned reflex to Joe Delaney.' "
Bobby Ray McHalffey, who coached Joe at Haughton High, stands up next. Coach McHalffey says he has had a number of better athletes down through the years, but Joe worked a whole lot harder than the other boys. Coach McHalffey finishes up: "You missed somethin' when you didn't know that young 'un—a fine American man."
That's it for the coaches. The next person to speak is Harold Harlan, principal of Haughton High. He says, "Joe was one of those who assumed responsibility. He was one of those who had goals. He was one of those you could always count on." He pauses then and scans the crowded church. "Joe Delaney was a cut above."
Carolyn Delaney, Joe's widow, sits in the front row. nodding. She brought their three girls to the church in the baby blue Cougar. There is Tamika, who's seven, Crystal, four, and JoJo (for Joanna), who wasn't even four months old when her daddy died. They all look up as Alma Jean rises. She's Joe's oldest sister, and she has been selected to read aloud the proclamation from President Reagan that Vice President Bush had personally delivered to the family back in July.
It finishes by saying, "By this supreme example of courage and compassion, this brilliantly gifted young man left a spiritual legacy for his fellow Americans, in recognition of which Joe Delaney is hereby awarded the Presidential Citizens Award."
A lot of people—even many of the football people—are crying now. Crystal wants to leave. Her father spoiled her something awful, and she can't bear to stay in any room when people talk about him. But Lucille is going to be the final speaker. She has brought her guitar, just to strum a couple of notes on, and then in the hush she reads MR. JOE D., the poem that she wrote about her brother two weeks after he died:
My brother Joe was a small man in size,
but you'd have to know him to understand
and realize just how big a heart he had.
He would always help others,
whether good or bad.
Some people said he couldn't,
but Joe said,
can! I can!'
Oh, how grand, and he did...
Joe earned the right to have capital MR. in front of his name,
But because of his love and not just his fame...
There are more tears, and it's now time to conclude the service. The Rev. James says, "I don't know anybody who had a spot on their heart about Joe. People ask me, 'Reverend James, why would God take him away?' and I say, 'God wants something good, too. Amen.' "
From the earliest, Eunice says, "He told me he was goin' to make the pros and make me happy." Joe didn't get any encouragement at home, though. Eunice and Woodrow, a hardworking truck driver till the day he died in 1977, thought football was stuff and nonsense. That may be why there haven't been any other athletes in the family. But then, Joe was also the only one ever to make college.
Joe was born four years after the Supreme Court outlawed segregation in the schools, but he was nine years old before this message, with deliberate speed, came to Louisiana. School integration there was called "the crossover," a term borrowed from the music business, and there isn't anybody around Haughton who doesn't profess that athletics helped ease the transition. As a star black player who was as impeccable of character as he was celebrated, Joe had an impact on his community.
In Haughton, everybody knew Joe D. The tracks of the Illinois Central Gulf line cut smack through town, but that doesn't mean the white folks are all here and the black ones over yonder. Instead, there is a crazy quilt pattern. The Galilee Baptist Church, for example, is in a white enclave. "We have some worldly peoples around here," the Rev. James says. Still, Baptists and fishermen predominate—both creatures of abiding faith.
Joe was a fisherman, was he? "Called hisself one," Eunice says, chortling.
She's in her house, the old sagging place where Joe grew up, where eight people live now, where Joe's trophies are all over and the television set is on all the time. This afternoon she's caring for Joe's children. After he signed his first contract Joe made his mother stop working as a cleaning lady, and he was going to get her a better place to live.
"Muh," he said. He called her Muh. "Muh, I'm going to buy you a house in Kansas City."
"No you ain't," she said. She didn't want to leave Haughton and her family.
What Joe did instead was build a house down the street for himself and Carolyn and the girls. Carolyn had lived in an old house on that plot. She was the girl down the street all the time Joe was growing up. The new house isn't large, but it's trim and immaculate, with plastic covers on the chairs, Joe's trophies all over and the television set on all the time. "Joe wanted to build here," Carolyn says. "We wanted to feel in place." In Kansas City, he always introduced Carolyn as a home girl, but he was a home boy, too.
If Joe had lived, there would have been a star's contract, lots more money, and then he could have moved his family into a subdivision. In that neck of the woods in Louisiana, and in a lot of places in the U.S., subdivision has come to mean what uptown once did. There may be all sorts of neighborhoods, but there are no bad subdivisions. You can be sure of one thing, though. No matter how much money Joe might have made, and no matter where he might have gone to live, his '81 baby blue Cougar would always have been parked outside.
Joe spent a lot of time over at his mother's house. Carolyn has to devote a great deal of time to her own mother, who is blind. She says she really isn't a home girl; foremost she's a family girl. She lost her father in March and her grandfather in June, just two weeks before Joe died. "Joe, all I got now is you," she had said then.
"You'll always have me," he had replied.
In the mornings, Joe would bring JoJo over to Muh's, sometimes not much past six o'clock. Then he would roust everybody, get the music going. He was almost never still. "Sit down and rest awhile, Honey," Eunice would say.
On Independence Day Joe was lowered into the earth at Hawkins Cemetery. There was a two-mile-long procession of cars from the gym to the burial ground and then a long walk down a dirt road under the worst of a July midday sun. People can remember a little black girl running after Norma Hunt and asking her about the pretty bracelet she had on.
Joe, like Uncle Frankie Joe, hated that cemetery, and far as anybody knew, he'd never been back there since his father's burial in '77. Hawkins Cemetery isn't like the white people's graveyard down in Haughton proper, which is all green and manicured. It's up in Belleview and really no more than a clearing back in the woods, where the sandy earth is still piled up from graves dug years ago. It's so far out of the way that there isn't much use putting flowers on the graves; they get stolen and given to girl friends.
Joe is amid ancient company there. Only three down from him is a great-great uncle, Moses Kennon, born in 1848, 15 years before emancipation. On a lot of the stones it says GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN or OVER IN THE GLORYLAND or just plain ASLEEP. Rest awhile, Honey.
"The sky was the limit for him," Coach Williams said the other day. "We never got to see what Joe D would be."
After Joe signed his contract with the Chiefs, Joe Ferguson, the Buffalo quarterback, who was raised in Shreveport and knew Joe D., showed Joe how to write checks. How would Joe D. know about things like that? The first big purchase he made then was a car. He was very careful about it because he didn't want to be ostentatious and spend too much of his money on one item when there was so much the family needed.
Finally, Joe came to Coach Williams and told him he'd thought about it and had settled on a Cougar. What did Coach think of that? Well, Coach Williams thought that was a fine choice, and so straightaway he picked up the phone and called Harry Friedman, the Lincoln-Mercury dealer in Natchitoches. Friedman told Coach Williams he was delighted that Joe had selected a Cougar and he would make sure to give Joe the best possible deal because everyone loved Joe D. and he had meant a great deal to Northwestern and Natchitoches.
Truth to tell, Joe did splurge a little. He sprung for just about every option available on the '81 Cougar. When he brought the car home, he told Carolyn that he would never get rid of it, no matter how good he became or how much he made or where he lived, because it was the first fine thing he had ever been able to buy in his life. He was going to keep it and tend to it and give it to his girls many years from now, when they were old enough to drive.
Since Joe didn't live to see that faraway day, Carolyn says she will honor his intention. The baby blue Cougar is parked outside the house now, in the driveway. It has two stickers on the back, one for the NFL Players Association, the other for the Chiefs.
Crystal is playing on the front lawn by the car. JoJo is napping. Tamika is still at school. Carolyn comes out and calls for Crystal to come in, and she does, because the grown-ups inside are through talking about her daddy, a man who died a hero one hot summer's day and, before that, had never put a spot on a human heart.
Happy birthday, Joe D.
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Favorite Vikings Defensive Tackle Duos
I was recently thinking about the Minnesota Vikings' defensive tackle duo of Kevin and Pat Williams It was those thoughts about a couple of my favorites that got me thinking about my favorite Vikings positional duos. It was the "Williams Wall" that started this series of posts. So, I guess that it's appropriate that my favorite defensive tackles in Vikings franchise history starts with them.
Favorite Defensive Tackle Duos
1. Kevin Williams-Pat Williams
"The Williams Wall." Kevin and Pat Williams simply didn't allow teams to run the ball against the Vikings. It felt like the Vikings led the league in run defense every year that these two were in the middle of the defensive line. They were fun on the field. They were fun off the field. Hall of Fame arguments will be made for Kevin Williams when he's eligible in 2021.
2. Alan Page-Gary Larsen
It's a surprise, even to me, that a duo that includes Alan Page isn't #1. Alan Page is my favorite football player. He was one of the best defensive tackles in league history. At the peak of his greatness he was named the league's MVP in 1971. It was the first time a defensive player had ever won the award. That's significant. Bob Lilly, Merlin Olsen, and Joe Greene never did such a thing. Gary Larsen was always the "other guy" on the Vikings great defensive line. He was much more than "the other guy." He controlled the area of the field that Page, Jim Marshall, and Carl Eller left behind. He was pretty good at it as he earned two trips to the Pro Bowl.
3. Keith Millard-Henry Thomas
This duo could easily be #1. For a 3-4 year period, Keith Millard was as disruptive as any defensive player in the league. He routinely wrecked the intentions of the offense. If injuries hadn't whittled away at his career, he'd be in Canton. Henry Thomas was quietly a great football player. Watching the dismantling of the Vikings defensive line of Millard, Thomas, and Chris Doleman was so damn sad.
4. Alan Page-Doug Sutherland
The Page-Larsen duo was early in my days as a fan. I remember the Alan Page-Doug Sutherland duo better. Page was still great. Sutherland was solid.
5. John Randle-Henry Thomas
Any Vikings fan that experienced at least a part of the 1990s probably has John Randle as one of the favorite football players. He was a riot on and off the field. He was also a nightmare for offensive linemen and quarterbacks. I was in the stands in Oakland for a Sunday night game against the Raiders in the mid-90s. Randle took over the game in the fourth quarter. Thomas was still quietly a great football player.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Paul Dickson-Gary Larsen
James White-Doug Sutherland
John Randle-Esera Tuaolo
Tony Williams-Jerry Ball
Chris Hovan-Fred Robbins
Kevin Williams-Chris Hovan
Sharrif Floyd-Linval Joseph
Sheldon Richardson-Linval Joseph
The Sharrif Floyd-Linval Joseph duo should've/could've been one of the best. Instead of that happening, a hacked-up surgery ended Floyd's career just as he was getting started.
The Vikings drafted a load of intriguing football players. Of all the players new to the team this season, the player that I'm most excited to see might be nose tackle Michael Pierce. At 6'0" and a well-rounded 345 lbs he doesn't look much like the player he's replacing. Joseph is built like a mountain. Pierce is built more like a boulder. Both play a similar game. They just look different doing it. The Vikings have a flock of players with a variety of talents contending for the starting spot next to Pierce. I can't wait to see the defensive tackle duo that takes the field for the Vikings this season.
Favorite Defensive Tackle Duos
1. Kevin Williams-Pat Williams
"The Williams Wall." Kevin and Pat Williams simply didn't allow teams to run the ball against the Vikings. It felt like the Vikings led the league in run defense every year that these two were in the middle of the defensive line. They were fun on the field. They were fun off the field. Hall of Fame arguments will be made for Kevin Williams when he's eligible in 2021.
2. Alan Page-Gary Larsen
It's a surprise, even to me, that a duo that includes Alan Page isn't #1. Alan Page is my favorite football player. He was one of the best defensive tackles in league history. At the peak of his greatness he was named the league's MVP in 1971. It was the first time a defensive player had ever won the award. That's significant. Bob Lilly, Merlin Olsen, and Joe Greene never did such a thing. Gary Larsen was always the "other guy" on the Vikings great defensive line. He was much more than "the other guy." He controlled the area of the field that Page, Jim Marshall, and Carl Eller left behind. He was pretty good at it as he earned two trips to the Pro Bowl.
3. Keith Millard-Henry Thomas
This duo could easily be #1. For a 3-4 year period, Keith Millard was as disruptive as any defensive player in the league. He routinely wrecked the intentions of the offense. If injuries hadn't whittled away at his career, he'd be in Canton. Henry Thomas was quietly a great football player. Watching the dismantling of the Vikings defensive line of Millard, Thomas, and Chris Doleman was so damn sad.
4. Alan Page-Doug Sutherland
The Page-Larsen duo was early in my days as a fan. I remember the Alan Page-Doug Sutherland duo better. Page was still great. Sutherland was solid.
5. John Randle-Henry Thomas
Any Vikings fan that experienced at least a part of the 1990s probably has John Randle as one of the favorite football players. He was a riot on and off the field. He was also a nightmare for offensive linemen and quarterbacks. I was in the stands in Oakland for a Sunday night game against the Raiders in the mid-90s. Randle took over the game in the fourth quarter. Thomas was still quietly a great football player.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Paul Dickson-Gary Larsen
James White-Doug Sutherland
John Randle-Esera Tuaolo
Tony Williams-Jerry Ball
Chris Hovan-Fred Robbins
Kevin Williams-Chris Hovan
Sharrif Floyd-Linval Joseph
Sheldon Richardson-Linval Joseph
The Sharrif Floyd-Linval Joseph duo should've/could've been one of the best. Instead of that happening, a hacked-up surgery ended Floyd's career just as he was getting started.
The Vikings drafted a load of intriguing football players. Of all the players new to the team this season, the player that I'm most excited to see might be nose tackle Michael Pierce. At 6'0" and a well-rounded 345 lbs he doesn't look much like the player he's replacing. Joseph is built like a mountain. Pierce is built more like a boulder. Both play a similar game. They just look different doing it. The Vikings have a flock of players with a variety of talents contending for the starting spot next to Pierce. I can't wait to see the defensive tackle duo that takes the field for the Vikings this season.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Favorite Vikings Defensive End Duos
So far, this series of favorite Vikings combos has been all about the offense. It's time for the defense. In their 59 years the Vikings have had some terrific defenses. The strength of those defenses has been their defensive lines. Four members of those defensive lines are honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A couple more could/should join them. Another is on a Canton path. Throughout Vikings' franchise history the team has fielded terrific defensive end combos. Here are some of my favorites.
Favorite Defensive End Duos
1. Jim Marshall-Carl Eller
I didn't need to put much thought into this one. There might not be a more important player in Vikings franchise history than Jim Marshall. He was the heart, leader, and captain of the great Vikings teams of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was also a damn good football player. Marshall's Hall of Fame argument has raged for decades. Someday. Simply put, Carl Eller was one of the best defensive ends of his era.
2. Everson Griffen-Danielle Hunter
Every one of the listed defensive end duos could be #2. Everson Griffen has been one of my favorite players of the past decade. Danielle Hunter has been outstanding through his first five years in the league. And he keeps getting better. Five years in the league and he's still only 25. Incredible. He has the potential and work ethic to be an all-time great. He's on a path to Canton.
3. Jared Allen-Brian Robison
My goodness, Jared Allen and Brian Robison were a fun duo. Allen and just about anyone would be a fun duo. Allen was great. There were moments, a lot of moments, in which he simply took over games. When he got on a roll he could not be blocked. Allen should have a bust in Canton soon. Robison was an easy fan favorite. He was always gracious and active with fans. He was very underrated on the football field. He played in the shadows opposite terrific pass rushers like Allen and Griffen. Robison was a terrific football player.
4. Chris Doleman-Doug Martin
It isn't right to have a Hall of Famer like Chris Doleman not mentioned until #4. This duo could easily be #2. Doleman was a great football player. Whenever I think of Doleman rushing the quarterback I think of the night that he took apart Anthony Munoz. Doug Martin is one of the most underrated players in Vikings history. His 11.5 sacks during the strike-shortened 1982 season led the league. He followed that with 13 sacks the next season. He also had a couple seasons with nine sacks. Martin, Mark Mullaney, James White and Randy Holloway were high draft picks with the impossible task of replacing the great defensive line that fronted the Purple People Eaters. They were all good players but they had to replace Hall of Famers and legends. Martin came the closest.
5. Jared Allen-Ray Edwards
Jared Allen was great. Ray Edwards was talented but inconsistent. When he was on his game he could be as disruptive as Allen. Those highlight moments earned him a big payday in free agency.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Randy Holloway-Mark Mullaney
Doug Martin-Mark Mullaney
Chris Doleman-Al Noga
Everson Griffen-Brian Robison
It's a good bet that another duo, or two, including Danielle Hunter is included in future lists of favorites. Perhaps, Danielle Hunter-Ifeadi Odenigbo or Danielle Hunter-D.J. Wonnum.
Favorite Defensive End Duos
1. Jim Marshall-Carl Eller
I didn't need to put much thought into this one. There might not be a more important player in Vikings franchise history than Jim Marshall. He was the heart, leader, and captain of the great Vikings teams of the late 1960s and 1970s. He was also a damn good football player. Marshall's Hall of Fame argument has raged for decades. Someday. Simply put, Carl Eller was one of the best defensive ends of his era.
2. Everson Griffen-Danielle Hunter
Every one of the listed defensive end duos could be #2. Everson Griffen has been one of my favorite players of the past decade. Danielle Hunter has been outstanding through his first five years in the league. And he keeps getting better. Five years in the league and he's still only 25. Incredible. He has the potential and work ethic to be an all-time great. He's on a path to Canton.
3. Jared Allen-Brian Robison
My goodness, Jared Allen and Brian Robison were a fun duo. Allen and just about anyone would be a fun duo. Allen was great. There were moments, a lot of moments, in which he simply took over games. When he got on a roll he could not be blocked. Allen should have a bust in Canton soon. Robison was an easy fan favorite. He was always gracious and active with fans. He was very underrated on the football field. He played in the shadows opposite terrific pass rushers like Allen and Griffen. Robison was a terrific football player.
4. Chris Doleman-Doug Martin
It isn't right to have a Hall of Famer like Chris Doleman not mentioned until #4. This duo could easily be #2. Doleman was a great football player. Whenever I think of Doleman rushing the quarterback I think of the night that he took apart Anthony Munoz. Doug Martin is one of the most underrated players in Vikings history. His 11.5 sacks during the strike-shortened 1982 season led the league. He followed that with 13 sacks the next season. He also had a couple seasons with nine sacks. Martin, Mark Mullaney, James White and Randy Holloway were high draft picks with the impossible task of replacing the great defensive line that fronted the Purple People Eaters. They were all good players but they had to replace Hall of Famers and legends. Martin came the closest.
5. Jared Allen-Ray Edwards
Jared Allen was great. Ray Edwards was talented but inconsistent. When he was on his game he could be as disruptive as Allen. Those highlight moments earned him a big payday in free agency.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Randy Holloway-Mark Mullaney
Doug Martin-Mark Mullaney
Chris Doleman-Al Noga
Everson Griffen-Brian Robison
It's a good bet that another duo, or two, including Danielle Hunter is included in future lists of favorites. Perhaps, Danielle Hunter-Ifeadi Odenigbo or Danielle Hunter-D.J. Wonnum.
Friday, June 26, 2020
Favorite Vikings Offensive Tackle Duos
Earlier this week, I listed my favorite running back and receiver duos in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. Now, it's time for my favorite Vikings offensive tackle duos. The big guys deserve some love. They help make it possible for the quarterbacks, running backs, and pass catchers to do what they do.
Favorite Vikings Offensive Tackle Duos
1. Grady Alderman-Ron Yary
Ron Yary was one of the best offensive tackles of his era. His bust in Canton is proof of that. Grady Alderman is one of the most underrated players in franchise history. He should be in the team's Ring of Honor. Together they are my favorite Vikings offensive tackle combo. The funny thing about Yary is that a lot of people, Vikings fans included, assume that he played left tackle. Isn't a team's best offensive tackle always placed on the left side? Yary was the Vikings right tackle from 1969-81.
2. Gary Zimmerman-Tim Irwin
Perhaps I'm mistaken but I think that the Gary Zimmerman-Tim Irwin offensive tackle combo is overlooked in team history. Maybe I skipped class on the days that Vikings team history discussed the Zimmerman-Irwin years. Not only was this combo one of the best in team history, they are tied for most years played together (7 years). Zimmerman is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's the one Vikings' Hall of Famer that can arguably be claimed by another team. That could be due to the bitter contract dispute that led to his departure from Minnesota. That could also be due to his having won two Super Bowls in Denver. I lean toward the latter but it's probably a bit of both. Zimmerman played better and longer for the Vikings than he did for the Broncos. Irwin, like Alderman, was very underrated. He's in the argument for the third best offensive tackle in franchise history. Irwin even made an impact on the current Vikings team as he was one of Harrison Smith's youth football coaches in Tennessee.
3. Steve Riley-Ron Yary
I was a little young to fully embrace the Grady Alderman-Ron Yary offensive tackle combo. So, I feel like my formative years formed with the Steve Riley-Ron Yary offensive tackle combo. The only thing I didn't like about these two was that both were from USC. Even then I knew that Cal was in my future. Riley was solid. Yary was great. Like Zimmerman-Irwin, Riley and Yary were the Vikings offensive tackle combo for seven years.
4. Todd Steussie-Korey Stringer
It's impossible to not get choked up when thinking about this offensive tackle combo.
Todd Steussie is one of the few Cal players to do good things for the Vikings. Korey Stringer was just starting to reach his immense potential when he was taken away far too soon.
RIP Big K.
5. Bryant McKinnie-Phil Loadholt
Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt only played together for two seasons. No other player in Vikings team history bothered me more than McKinnie. He had the size and ridiculous natural ability to be an all-time great. He never seemed to care. Perhaps the best example of his wasted football career was his lone Pro Bowl appearance. He finally gets the honor in 2009. Instead of showing that he long deserved to be among the best of the best he's sent home before the game is even played for being an ass. What a waste. Loadholt had the size of McKinnie but nowhere near the natural ability but he made the most of what he had. He was a very good football player. The football talent of this behemoth combo puts them on this list despite my disdain for McKinnie.
The importance of the offensive line can be seen in this list of five offensive line combos. The Vikings best years are the years in which one of these combos was on the field.
late 1960s-early 1970s Grady Alderman-Ron Yary
1970s Steve Riley-Ron Yary
late 1980s Gary Zimmerman-Tim Irwin
late 1990s Todd Steussie-Korey Stringer
late 2000s Bryant McKinnie-Phil Loadholt
It's no surprise. The offensive line makes the offense go. The current Vikings have struggled to field a competent offensive line since players like Steve Hutchinson, Matt Birk/John Sullivan, McKinnie, and Loadholt departed. I'm not going to get into what the Vikings should've done in the draft over the last decade but significant resources were used to obtain the players in this list of Favorite Vikings Offensive Tackle Combos. Yary, Riley, Steussie, Stringer, and McKinnie were first-round picks. Yary was the #1 pick in the 1968 NFL Draft. The Vikings acquired the rights to Zimmerman after the Giants had selected him in the 1984 Supplemental Draft of USFL players. Irwin was a third-round pick. Loadholt was a second-round pick. Alderman is the outlier as the Vikings collected him off of the scrap heap of the expansion draft. More recently, the Vikings have used strong draft capital on the offensive line. They might soon sport an offensive tackle combo of second-round picks in Ezra Cleveland and Brian O'Neill. The next time I list my Favorite Vikings Offensive Tackle Combos maybe Cleveland and O'Neill will be on it. Hopefully, their play and the play of the entire offensive line will spark another run of Super Bowls. This time, a successful run.
Favorite Vikings Offensive Tackle Duos
1. Grady Alderman-Ron Yary
Ron Yary was one of the best offensive tackles of his era. His bust in Canton is proof of that. Grady Alderman is one of the most underrated players in franchise history. He should be in the team's Ring of Honor. Together they are my favorite Vikings offensive tackle combo. The funny thing about Yary is that a lot of people, Vikings fans included, assume that he played left tackle. Isn't a team's best offensive tackle always placed on the left side? Yary was the Vikings right tackle from 1969-81.
2. Gary Zimmerman-Tim Irwin
Perhaps I'm mistaken but I think that the Gary Zimmerman-Tim Irwin offensive tackle combo is overlooked in team history. Maybe I skipped class on the days that Vikings team history discussed the Zimmerman-Irwin years. Not only was this combo one of the best in team history, they are tied for most years played together (7 years). Zimmerman is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's the one Vikings' Hall of Famer that can arguably be claimed by another team. That could be due to the bitter contract dispute that led to his departure from Minnesota. That could also be due to his having won two Super Bowls in Denver. I lean toward the latter but it's probably a bit of both. Zimmerman played better and longer for the Vikings than he did for the Broncos. Irwin, like Alderman, was very underrated. He's in the argument for the third best offensive tackle in franchise history. Irwin even made an impact on the current Vikings team as he was one of Harrison Smith's youth football coaches in Tennessee.
3. Steve Riley-Ron Yary
I was a little young to fully embrace the Grady Alderman-Ron Yary offensive tackle combo. So, I feel like my formative years formed with the Steve Riley-Ron Yary offensive tackle combo. The only thing I didn't like about these two was that both were from USC. Even then I knew that Cal was in my future. Riley was solid. Yary was great. Like Zimmerman-Irwin, Riley and Yary were the Vikings offensive tackle combo for seven years.
4. Todd Steussie-Korey Stringer
It's impossible to not get choked up when thinking about this offensive tackle combo.
Todd Steussie is one of the few Cal players to do good things for the Vikings. Korey Stringer was just starting to reach his immense potential when he was taken away far too soon.
RIP Big K.
5. Bryant McKinnie-Phil Loadholt
Bryant McKinnie and Phil Loadholt only played together for two seasons. No other player in Vikings team history bothered me more than McKinnie. He had the size and ridiculous natural ability to be an all-time great. He never seemed to care. Perhaps the best example of his wasted football career was his lone Pro Bowl appearance. He finally gets the honor in 2009. Instead of showing that he long deserved to be among the best of the best he's sent home before the game is even played for being an ass. What a waste. Loadholt had the size of McKinnie but nowhere near the natural ability but he made the most of what he had. He was a very good football player. The football talent of this behemoth combo puts them on this list despite my disdain for McKinnie.
***
The importance of the offensive line can be seen in this list of five offensive line combos. The Vikings best years are the years in which one of these combos was on the field.
late 1960s-early 1970s Grady Alderman-Ron Yary
1970s Steve Riley-Ron Yary
late 1980s Gary Zimmerman-Tim Irwin
late 1990s Todd Steussie-Korey Stringer
late 2000s Bryant McKinnie-Phil Loadholt
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Throwback Thursday: All-Time Vikings All-Rookie Team
Here's a look at the best rookies at each position in the history of the Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback
Fran Tarkenton-1961
Fran Tarkenton got his rookie season rolling early when he led the Vikings to a win over the Chicago Bears in the first game in franchise history. He's in the Hall of Fame and an easy choice here. Christian Ponder and Teddy Bridgewater are the only other quarterbacks to play significant roles as rookies. So, Tarkenton easily takes it.
Running backs
Adrian Peterson-2007
Chuck Foreman-1973
Easy choices. Each took home rookie of the year awards. Each was an immediate difference-maker.
Receivers
Randy Moss-1998
Sammy White-1976
More easy choices. Two more rookie of the year winners. They combined for 27 touchdowns and 2219 yards in their first NFL seasons.
It'll be a challenge for 2020 first round pick Justin Jefferson to bump White from this team.
Tight end
Joe Senser-1980
Joe Senser's 4-year career was way too short but it started well. 42 catches and 7 TDs.
Tackles
Gary Zimmerman-1986
Korey Stringer-1995
Ron Yary probably would've made this team if it wasn't for Bud Grant's "rookies aren't ready to start" philosophy. Gary Zimmerman was great. So was Korey Stringer. His life and career ended way too soon. Zimmerman played two seasons in the USFL before he became an NFL rookie so he was a "seasoned" rookie.
Guards
Randall McDaniel-1988
Marcus Johnson-2005
Randall McDaniel is an automatic choice. Marcus Johnson takes the other spot by default as he's the only other guard in Vikings history to play a significant role as a rookie. Ed White would probably get the nod if Bud Grant started rookies.
Center
Mick Tingelhoff-1962
Tingelhoff started every game in his 17-year Hall of Fame career. That streak started with his rookie season.
Defensive ends
Carl Eller-1964
Danielle Hunter-2015
Carl Eller is an easy choice. Danielle Hunter's 6-sack debut season earned him the other end spot. Chris Doleman would probably be paired with Eller if he hadn't started his NFL career as an outside linebacker.
Defensive tackles
Alan Page-1967
Keith Millard-1985
Alan Page is an automatic choice. Even Bud Grant couldn't keep Page on the bench as a rookie. Keith Millard was an immediate force in the middle of the Vikings line. 11 sacks as a rookie. Like Gary Zimmerman, Millard wasn't a raw NFL rookie after a short stint in the USFL.
Linebackers
Anthony Barr-2014
Eric Kendricks-2015
Matt Blair-1974
Anthony Barr has been an impact playmaker since his rookie season. Eric Kendricks edges out Jeff Siemon. It took about a month for Kendricks forced his way into the starting lineup. With each game he gets better at this job. Matt Blair played his way into the starting lineup as a rookie and became a defensive cornerstone.
Cornerbacks
Xavier Rhodes-2013
DeWayne Washington-1983
Rookie corners haven't made much of an impact on Vikings defenses. Perhaps that's because the team has so rarely spent top picks on the position. Through the first 53 drafts in Vikings franchise history DeWayne Washington and Xavier Rhodes were the only two corners selected in the first round.
2020 first round pick Jeff Gladney will have a chance to challenge for one of these spots.
Safeties
Joey Browner-1983
Harrison Smith-2012
Joey Browner and Harrison Smith are two of the best safeties in Vikings franchise history. Browner gets the nod despite starting a single game at safety as a rookie. He was a dynamo on special teams. Smith was a defensive force from the start.
Kicker
Blair Walsh
Blair Walsh's best season was his first season. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
Punter
Bobby Walden-1964
Bobby Walden led the NFL in punting as a rookie.
Quarterback
Fran Tarkenton-1961
Fran Tarkenton got his rookie season rolling early when he led the Vikings to a win over the Chicago Bears in the first game in franchise history. He's in the Hall of Fame and an easy choice here. Christian Ponder and Teddy Bridgewater are the only other quarterbacks to play significant roles as rookies. So, Tarkenton easily takes it.
Running backs
Adrian Peterson-2007
Chuck Foreman-1973
Easy choices. Each took home rookie of the year awards. Each was an immediate difference-maker.
Receivers
Randy Moss-1998
Sammy White-1976
More easy choices. Two more rookie of the year winners. They combined for 27 touchdowns and 2219 yards in their first NFL seasons.
It'll be a challenge for 2020 first round pick Justin Jefferson to bump White from this team.
Tight end
Joe Senser-1980
Joe Senser's 4-year career was way too short but it started well. 42 catches and 7 TDs.
Tackles
Gary Zimmerman-1986
Korey Stringer-1995
Ron Yary probably would've made this team if it wasn't for Bud Grant's "rookies aren't ready to start" philosophy. Gary Zimmerman was great. So was Korey Stringer. His life and career ended way too soon. Zimmerman played two seasons in the USFL before he became an NFL rookie so he was a "seasoned" rookie.
Guards
Randall McDaniel-1988
Marcus Johnson-2005
Randall McDaniel is an automatic choice. Marcus Johnson takes the other spot by default as he's the only other guard in Vikings history to play a significant role as a rookie. Ed White would probably get the nod if Bud Grant started rookies.
Center
Mick Tingelhoff-1962
Tingelhoff started every game in his 17-year Hall of Fame career. That streak started with his rookie season.
Defensive ends
Carl Eller-1964
Danielle Hunter-2015
Carl Eller is an easy choice. Danielle Hunter's 6-sack debut season earned him the other end spot. Chris Doleman would probably be paired with Eller if he hadn't started his NFL career as an outside linebacker.
Defensive tackles
Alan Page-1967
Keith Millard-1985
Alan Page is an automatic choice. Even Bud Grant couldn't keep Page on the bench as a rookie. Keith Millard was an immediate force in the middle of the Vikings line. 11 sacks as a rookie. Like Gary Zimmerman, Millard wasn't a raw NFL rookie after a short stint in the USFL.
Linebackers
Anthony Barr-2014
Eric Kendricks-2015
Matt Blair-1974
Anthony Barr has been an impact playmaker since his rookie season. Eric Kendricks edges out Jeff Siemon. It took about a month for Kendricks forced his way into the starting lineup. With each game he gets better at this job. Matt Blair played his way into the starting lineup as a rookie and became a defensive cornerstone.
Cornerbacks
Xavier Rhodes-2013
DeWayne Washington-1983
Rookie corners haven't made much of an impact on Vikings defenses. Perhaps that's because the team has so rarely spent top picks on the position. Through the first 53 drafts in Vikings franchise history DeWayne Washington and Xavier Rhodes were the only two corners selected in the first round.
2020 first round pick Jeff Gladney will have a chance to challenge for one of these spots.
Safeties
Joey Browner-1983
Harrison Smith-2012
Joey Browner and Harrison Smith are two of the best safeties in Vikings franchise history. Browner gets the nod despite starting a single game at safety as a rookie. He was a dynamo on special teams. Smith was a defensive force from the start.
Kicker
Blair Walsh
Blair Walsh's best season was his first season. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie.
Punter
Bobby Walden-1964
Bobby Walden led the NFL in punting as a rookie.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Favorite Vikings Receiver Duos
I listed my favorite running back duos in Minnesota Vikings history yesterday. Today, it's the receivers. There are a lot of contenders. The Vikings have a tremendous receiver tradition. That tradition includes two of the best pass catchers in NFL history. The cool thing about those two pass catchers is that they played together for four seasons. I start my list of favorite Vikings receiver duos with the best receiving duo in league history.
1. Cris Carter-Randy Moss
Incredible. Cris Carter had the best pass catching hands I've ever seen. Randy Moss is the most physically gifted receiver the league has ever seen. It was an incredible treat to watch each individually. Together, unbelievable.
2. Ahmad Rashad-Sammy White
Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White were my first favorite Vikings receiver duo. For mostly sentimental reasons, that put them at #2. If Rashad had played his entire career with the Vikings and Fran Tarkenton, he'd probably be with Carter and Moss in Canton. Rashad, in a trade, and White, as a 2nd round pick, joined the Vikings in 1976 and the offense was transformed. Before, everything revolved around the versatility of running back Chuck Foreman and Tarkenton's magic. Now, they had legitimate threats on the outside. Receivers have routinely been my favorite Vikings players and that started with Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White.
3. Anthony Carter-Cris Carter
I started praying for a Carter-Carter combo when I saw Cris Carter catch passes at Ohio State. Unfortunately, the union happened in 1990 rather than 1987. As Cris Carter started to emerge in the Vikings offense Anthony Carter started to fade. But there were some beautiful games and years together.
4. Cris Carter-Jake Reed
A snapshot of the receiving production of Cris Carter and Jake Reed from 1994-97 is probably the best way to explain this duo.
Cris Carter
If the Vikings hadn't lucked into Randy Moss in the 1998 NFL Draft, the Carter-Reed pass catching combo might be thought of as the franchise's best.
1. Cris Carter-Randy Moss
Incredible. Cris Carter had the best pass catching hands I've ever seen. Randy Moss is the most physically gifted receiver the league has ever seen. It was an incredible treat to watch each individually. Together, unbelievable.
2. Ahmad Rashad-Sammy White
Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White were my first favorite Vikings receiver duo. For mostly sentimental reasons, that put them at #2. If Rashad had played his entire career with the Vikings and Fran Tarkenton, he'd probably be with Carter and Moss in Canton. Rashad, in a trade, and White, as a 2nd round pick, joined the Vikings in 1976 and the offense was transformed. Before, everything revolved around the versatility of running back Chuck Foreman and Tarkenton's magic. Now, they had legitimate threats on the outside. Receivers have routinely been my favorite Vikings players and that started with Ahmad Rashad and Sammy White.
3. Anthony Carter-Cris Carter
I started praying for a Carter-Carter combo when I saw Cris Carter catch passes at Ohio State. Unfortunately, the union happened in 1990 rather than 1987. As Cris Carter started to emerge in the Vikings offense Anthony Carter started to fade. But there were some beautiful games and years together.
4. Cris Carter-Jake Reed
A snapshot of the receiving production of Cris Carter and Jake Reed from 1994-97 is probably the best way to explain this duo.
Cris Carter
| Year | Catches | Yards | TDs |
| 1994 | 122 | 1256 | 7 |
| 1995 | 122 | 1371 | 17 |
| 1996 | 96 | 1163 | 10 |
| 1997 | 89 | 1069 | 13 |
Jake Reed
| Year | Catches | Yards | TDs |
| 1994 | 85 | 1175 | 4 |
| 1995 | 72 | 1167 | 9 |
| 1996 | 72 | 1320 | 7 |
| 1997 | 68 | 1138 | 6 |
If the Vikings hadn't lucked into Randy Moss in the 1998 NFL Draft, the Carter-Reed pass catching combo might be thought of as the franchise's best.
5. Stefon Diggs-Adam Thielen
The sad thing about the Stefon Diggs-Adam Thielen duo is that it ended way too soon. They'd been the team's top two receivers since 2016 but it felt like they were just getting started. I loved watching Diggs and Thielen run routes and catch passes.
Honorable Mention Trio
Sidney Rice-Bernard Berrian-Percy Harvin
This trio has to be mentioned even though their time together was brief. Brett Favre and this trio of receivers made the Vikings passing game so damn much fun in 2009. The most fun since the days of Moss. If I were forced to reduce the trio to a duo, the duo would be Sidney Rice-Percy Harvin. Rice's play often reminded me of Rashad and Carter. Harvin was one of the most remarkable football players I've ever seen. Three of my favorite Vikings receivers, and favorite Vikings football players, of the past two decades are Moss, Harvin, and Diggs. The day that each was traded was a very sad day.
I can't dismiss Bernard Berrian. The Vikings forced him into the #1 receiver role when he was signed as a free agent in 2008. He was a very good deep threat. His 99-yard scored against the Bears was a blast. His best statistical season was his 964-yard season in 2008. His 2009 season as a part of this trio was the better season.
Honorable Mention Trio
Sidney Rice-Bernard Berrian-Percy Harvin
This trio has to be mentioned even though their time together was brief. Brett Favre and this trio of receivers made the Vikings passing game so damn much fun in 2009. The most fun since the days of Moss. If I were forced to reduce the trio to a duo, the duo would be Sidney Rice-Percy Harvin. Rice's play often reminded me of Rashad and Carter. Harvin was one of the most remarkable football players I've ever seen. Three of my favorite Vikings receivers, and favorite Vikings football players, of the past two decades are Moss, Harvin, and Diggs. The day that each was traded was a very sad day.
I can't dismiss Bernard Berrian. The Vikings forced him into the #1 receiver role when he was signed as a free agent in 2008. He was a very good deep threat. His 99-yard scored against the Bears was a blast. His best statistical season was his 964-yard season in 2008. His 2009 season as a part of this trio was the better season.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Paul Flatley-Jerry Reichow
Gene Washington-John Henderson
John Gilliam-Gene Washington
Anthony Carter-Hassan Jones
Randy Moss-Nate Burleson
Randy Moss-and a Ceasar Salad
Randy Moss-and a bag of chips
Paul Flatley-Jerry Reichow
Gene Washington-John Henderson
John Gilliam-Gene Washington
Anthony Carter-Hassan Jones
Randy Moss-Nate Burleson
Randy Moss-and a Ceasar Salad
Randy Moss-and a bag of chips
Randy Moss-and a paper clip
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Favorite Vikings Running Back Duos
I've recently been thinking about some of my favorite duos, or combos, over my years as a fan of the Minnesota Vikings. These duos include pass catching duos, backfield duos, pass rushing duos, etc. I'm not sure what triggered this. Maybe it's the breakup of the Stefon Diggs-Adam Thielen pass catching duo. Or the likely breakup of the Everson Griffen-Danielle Hunter pass rushing duo. Maybe it's the departure of a trio of corners. Maybe I was dreaming about the Williams Wall. Maybe this long, weird offseason is the reason. Who knows? Whatever the reason, I've been thinking about my favorite Vikings duos and in the case of the linebackers, a trio. I'll start with the Running Backs.
Running Back Duos
1. Adrian Peterson-Chester Taylor
I often feel bad for Chester Taylor that the Vikings backfield became a duo in his second season with the team. After sitting behind Jamal Lewis for four years, he bolted to the Vikings in free agency for a chance to be a team's top back. He had a very good first season in Minnesota. Then the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson and Taylor's days as this team's top back were over. Taylor was still the starter for the first half of the 2007 season but that was in name only. Peterson was a future Hall of Famer almost from his first game in the league. If not the first game, he was by the time he went for 296 against the San Diego Chargers. Adrian Peterson was out of this world. Taylor was excellent as a third down and change-of-pace back The Peterson-Taylor backfield duo was outstanding.
2. Robert Smith-Leroy Hoard
This really was a lightning and thunder running back combo. Robert Smith was the lightning. Hoard brought the thunder. If it hadn't taken Smith four years to shake free from a ridiculous string of injuries, he might be in Canton. From 1997-2000, he was one of the best backs in the league. Then he shocked everyone by retiring at 28. His best statistical season was his last. Hoard was a throwback back. He was a hammer and incredible change of pace from Smith's lightning speed.
3. Bill Brown-Dave Osborn
My days as a Minnesota Vikings fan started as the football careers of Bill Brown and Dave Osborn started to fade. If I'd been able to watch them during their prime years, they might rank behind only Peterson-Taylor as a duo. Brown played in the last era in which the fullback often carried the bulk of the running load. If not for the two Jims (Brown and Taylor) he might've been the best fullback of the 1960s. Some middle linebackers might put Bill Brown with the two Jims. There was nothing remarkable about Dave Osborn. He was just a good football player. In my early years of learning Vikings history, it was Osborn's 972 yards in 1967 that stood as the best rushing season in franchise history. Then Chuck Foreman took over.
4. Chuck Foreman-anyone
Chuck Foreman was a fantastic running back. From 1973-77, he was one of the best backs in the league. For about half of that time he was the best. He was certainly the most versatile. From old guys Bill Brown and Dave Osborn to journeymen Ed Marinaro, Brent McClanahan, and Sammy Johnson, Foreman and anyone was a great duo. Chuck Foreman should be in Canton. If nothing else, his Hall of Fame case should be heard by the Senior Committee.
5. Tommy Mason-Hugh McElhenny
Tommy Mason might be best known as the first draft pick in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. He was also a very good and very versatile football player. Unfortunately, injuries chipped away at his career. The great Hugh McElhenny was the big name pulled from the expansion draft. He was at the end of his career. Perhaps due to his name, McElhenny did manage a Pro Bowl nod in the Vikings inaugural season.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Rickey Young-Ted Brown
Darrin Nelson-Ted Brown
Terry Allen-Roger Craig
Adrian Peterson-Toby Gerhart
Latavius Murray-Jerick McKinnon
Current Duo:
Dalvin Cook-Alexander Mattison
They've only been together for a single season but Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison have the potential to soar up this list.
Running Back Duos
1. Adrian Peterson-Chester Taylor
I often feel bad for Chester Taylor that the Vikings backfield became a duo in his second season with the team. After sitting behind Jamal Lewis for four years, he bolted to the Vikings in free agency for a chance to be a team's top back. He had a very good first season in Minnesota. Then the Vikings drafted Adrian Peterson and Taylor's days as this team's top back were over. Taylor was still the starter for the first half of the 2007 season but that was in name only. Peterson was a future Hall of Famer almost from his first game in the league. If not the first game, he was by the time he went for 296 against the San Diego Chargers. Adrian Peterson was out of this world. Taylor was excellent as a third down and change-of-pace back The Peterson-Taylor backfield duo was outstanding.
2. Robert Smith-Leroy Hoard
This really was a lightning and thunder running back combo. Robert Smith was the lightning. Hoard brought the thunder. If it hadn't taken Smith four years to shake free from a ridiculous string of injuries, he might be in Canton. From 1997-2000, he was one of the best backs in the league. Then he shocked everyone by retiring at 28. His best statistical season was his last. Hoard was a throwback back. He was a hammer and incredible change of pace from Smith's lightning speed.
3. Bill Brown-Dave Osborn
My days as a Minnesota Vikings fan started as the football careers of Bill Brown and Dave Osborn started to fade. If I'd been able to watch them during their prime years, they might rank behind only Peterson-Taylor as a duo. Brown played in the last era in which the fullback often carried the bulk of the running load. If not for the two Jims (Brown and Taylor) he might've been the best fullback of the 1960s. Some middle linebackers might put Bill Brown with the two Jims. There was nothing remarkable about Dave Osborn. He was just a good football player. In my early years of learning Vikings history, it was Osborn's 972 yards in 1967 that stood as the best rushing season in franchise history. Then Chuck Foreman took over.
4. Chuck Foreman-anyone
Chuck Foreman was a fantastic running back. From 1973-77, he was one of the best backs in the league. For about half of that time he was the best. He was certainly the most versatile. From old guys Bill Brown and Dave Osborn to journeymen Ed Marinaro, Brent McClanahan, and Sammy Johnson, Foreman and anyone was a great duo. Chuck Foreman should be in Canton. If nothing else, his Hall of Fame case should be heard by the Senior Committee.
5. Tommy Mason-Hugh McElhenny
Tommy Mason might be best known as the first draft pick in Minnesota Vikings franchise history. He was also a very good and very versatile football player. Unfortunately, injuries chipped away at his career. The great Hugh McElhenny was the big name pulled from the expansion draft. He was at the end of his career. Perhaps due to his name, McElhenny did manage a Pro Bowl nod in the Vikings inaugural season.
Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Rickey Young-Ted Brown
Darrin Nelson-Ted Brown
Terry Allen-Roger Craig
Adrian Peterson-Toby Gerhart
Latavius Murray-Jerick McKinnon
Current Duo:
Dalvin Cook-Alexander Mattison
They've only been together for a single season but Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison have the potential to soar up this list.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Elite 11 Finalists
A global pandemic can't stop the Elite 11. Twenty of the top high school quarterbacks are set to compete for the title of the best of the best. The competition is scheduled to take place June 29 through July 1 in Murfreesboro, TN. The Elite 11 regional tour was canceled in early March. Two regional events were held in Atlanta and Los Angeles prior to the shutdown. Those events produced three of the 20 finalists. The remaining 17 finalists have been tapped since to compete for the 2020 Elite 11 MVP.
2020 Elite 11 Finalists
Jay Allen
High School: Fort Pierce (Fla.) John Carroll
Commitment: Florida (Baseball)
Tyler Buchner
High School: La Jolla (Calif.) Helix
Commitment: Notre Dame
Dematrius Davis Jr.
High School: Houston (Texas) North Shore
Commitment: Auburn
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson
High School: Loganville (Ga.) Grayson
Commitment: Florida
Kyron Drones
High School: Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek
Commitment: Baylor
Sam Huard
High School: Burien (Wash.) Kennedy Catholic
Commitment: Washington
Another Huard. Is there some state law that all Huards attend Washington?
James Grayson
High School: Piano (Texas) John Paul II
Commitment: Undecided
Maddox Kopp
High School: Houston St. Thomas
Commitment: Undecided
Tyler Macon
High School: East St. Louis (Ill.) High
Commitment: Missouri
Drake Maye
High School: Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park
Commitment: North Carolina
J.J. McCarthy
High School: Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Commitment: Michigan
Kyle McCord
High School: Philadelphia St. Joseph's
Commitment: Ohio State
Behren Morton
High School: Eastland (Texas) High
Commitment: Texas Tech
Miller Moss
High School: Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
Commitment: USC
Garrett Nussmeier
High School: Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus
Commitment: LSU
Kaidon Salter
High School: Cedar Hill (Texas) High
Commitment: Tennessee
Ty Thompson
High School: Gilbert (Ariz.) Mesquite
Commitment: Oregon
Brock Vandagriff
High School: Bogart (Ga.) Prince Avenue Christian
Commitment: Oregon
Christian Veilleux
High School: Potomac (Md.) Bullis
Commitment: Penn State
Caleb Williams
High School: Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga
Commitment: Undecided
Past Elite 11 MVPs
1999
Brock Berlin
High School: Evangel Christian (La.)
College: Miami
Participants of Note:
Jason Campbell
Matt Cassell
Luke McCown
2000
Brodie Croyle
High School: Westbrook Christian (Ala.)
College: Alabama
Participants of Note:
Derek Anderson
Kellen Clemens
Jake Cutler
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Bruce Gradkowski
Matt Leinhart
Dan Orlovsky
Kyle Orton
Michael Robinson
Brad Smith
2001
Ben Olson
High School: Thousand Oaks (Calif.)
College: UCLA/BYU
Participants of Note:
Trent Edwards
Jordan Palmer
Troy Smith
Drew Stanton
Vince Young
2002
Kyle Wright
High School: Monte Vista (Calif.)
College: Miami
Participants of Note:
Dennis Dixon
Matt Flynn
JaMarcus Russell
2003
Rhett Bomar
High School: Grand Prarie (Texas)
College: Oklahoma/Sam Houston St.
and
Matt Tuiasosopo
High School: Woodinville (Wash.)
College: Washington
Participants of Note:
John David Booty
*Nate Longshore
Chad Henne
Brian Hoyer
*Cal's first Elite 11 recruit!
2004
Mark Sanchez
High School: Mission Viejo (Calif.)
College: USC
Participants of Note:
Chase Daniel
Colt McCoy
2005
Matt Stafford
High School: Highland Park (Texas)
College: Georgia
Participants of Note:
Sam Bradford
Andy Dalton
Josh Freeman
Colin Kaepernick
Case Keenum
Jake Locker
Christian Ponder
*Kevin Riley
Tim Tebow
*Cal's second Elite 11 recruit!
2006
John Brantley
High School: Trinity Catholic (Fla.)
College: Florida
Participants of Note:
Kirk Cousins
Nick Foles
Ryan Mallett
*Brock Mansion
Kellen Moore
Cam Newton
Ryan Tannehill
Tyrod Taylor
*Cal's third Elite 11 recruit!
2007
Blaine Gabbert
High School: Parkway West (Mo.)
College: Missouri
Participants of Note:
Mike Glennon
Landry Jones
Andrew Luck
E.J. Manuel
2008
Aaron Murray
High School: Plant (Fla.)
College: Georgia
Participants of Note:
Matt Barkley
Tajh Boyd
*Allen Bridgeford
Derek Carr
David Fales
A.J. McCarron
Zach Mettenberger
Brock Osweiler
Tom Savage
Geno Smith
*Cal's fourth Elite 11 recruit! Tedford's grabbing the QBs!
2009
Jake Heaps
High School: Skyline (Wash.)
College: BYU/Kansas/Miami
Participants of Note:
Blake Bell
Blake Bortles
*Austin Hinder
Sean Mannion
Nick Montana
Bryce Petty
Connor Shaw
Trevor Siemian
*Cal's fifth Elite 11 recruit!
2010
Jeff Driskel
High School: Oviedo Hagerty (Fla.)
College: Florida/Louisiana Tech
Participants of Note:
Teddy Bridgewater
Cody Kessler
2011
Neil Burcham
High School: Greenbrier (Ark.)
College: SMU
and
Tanner Mangum
High School: Eagle (Idaho)
College: BYU
and
Jameis Winston
High School: Hueytown (Ala.)
College: Florida State
Participants of Note:
Chad Kelly
*Zach Kline
*Cal's sixth Elite 11 recruit!
2012
Asiantii Woulard
High School: Winter Park (Fla.)
College: UCLA/South Florida
Participants of Note:
Joshua Dobbs
*Jared Goff
Christian Hackenburg
Malik Zaire
*Cal's seventh (and best) Elite 11 recruit!
2013
Sean White
High School: University School (Fla.)
College: Auburn
Participants of Note:
Kyle Allen
Will Grier
DeShone Kizer
*Luke Rubenzer
*Cal's eighth Elite 11 recruit! After some spot play at QB Rubenzer moved to safety.
2014
Blake Barnett
High School: Santiago (Calif.)
College: Alabama/ASU/South Florida
Participants of Note:
*Ross Bowers
Sam Darnold
Drew Lock
Kyler Murray
Josh Rosen
Jarrett Stidham
*Cal's ninth Elite 11 recruit!
2015
Shea Patterson
High School: IMG Academy (Fla.)
College: Mississippi/Michigan
Participants of Note:
K.J. Costello
Jacob Eason
Dwayne Haskins
Jalen Hurts
2016
Tua Tagovailoa
High School: St. Louis (Hawaii)
College: Alabama
Participants of Note:
Sam Ehlinger
Jake Fromm
*Chase Garbers
Dylan McCaffrey
Davis Mills
*Cal's tenth Elite 11 recruit! And current Cal starting QB.
2017
Justin Fields
High School:
College: Georgia/Ohio State
Participant of Note:
Trevor Lawrence
2018
Spencer Rattler
High School: Pinnacle (Ariz.)
College: Oklahoma
Participants of Note:
Jayden Daniels
Bo Nix
Taulia Tagovailoa
2019
C.J. Stroud
High School: Rancho Cucamonga(Calif.)
College: Ohio State
Participant of Note:
Ethan Garbers
2020 Elite 11 Finalists
Jay Allen
High School: Fort Pierce (Fla.) John Carroll
Commitment: Florida (Baseball)
Tyler Buchner
High School: La Jolla (Calif.) Helix
Commitment: Notre Dame
Dematrius Davis Jr.
High School: Houston (Texas) North Shore
Commitment: Auburn
Carlos Del Rio-Wilson
High School: Loganville (Ga.) Grayson
Commitment: Florida
Kyron Drones
High School: Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek
Commitment: Baylor
Sam Huard
High School: Burien (Wash.) Kennedy Catholic
Commitment: Washington
Another Huard. Is there some state law that all Huards attend Washington?
James Grayson
High School: Piano (Texas) John Paul II
Commitment: Undecided
Maddox Kopp
High School: Houston St. Thomas
Commitment: Undecided
Tyler Macon
High School: East St. Louis (Ill.) High
Commitment: Missouri
Drake Maye
High School: Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park
Commitment: North Carolina
J.J. McCarthy
High School: Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
Commitment: Michigan
Kyle McCord
High School: Philadelphia St. Joseph's
Commitment: Ohio State
Behren Morton
High School: Eastland (Texas) High
Commitment: Texas Tech
Miller Moss
High School: Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
Commitment: USC
Garrett Nussmeier
High School: Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus
Commitment: LSU
Kaidon Salter
High School: Cedar Hill (Texas) High
Commitment: Tennessee
Ty Thompson
High School: Gilbert (Ariz.) Mesquite
Commitment: Oregon
Brock Vandagriff
High School: Bogart (Ga.) Prince Avenue Christian
Commitment: Oregon
Christian Veilleux
High School: Potomac (Md.) Bullis
Commitment: Penn State
Caleb Williams
High School: Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga
Commitment: Undecided
***
Past Elite 11 MVPs
1999
Brock Berlin
High School: Evangel Christian (La.)
College: Miami
Participants of Note:
Jason Campbell
Matt Cassell
Luke McCown
2000
Brodie Croyle
High School: Westbrook Christian (Ala.)
College: Alabama
Participants of Note:
Derek Anderson
Kellen Clemens
Jake Cutler
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Bruce Gradkowski
Matt Leinhart
Dan Orlovsky
Kyle Orton
Michael Robinson
Brad Smith
2001
Ben Olson
High School: Thousand Oaks (Calif.)
College: UCLA/BYU
Participants of Note:
Trent Edwards
Jordan Palmer
Troy Smith
Drew Stanton
Vince Young
2002
Kyle Wright
High School: Monte Vista (Calif.)
College: Miami
Participants of Note:
Dennis Dixon
Matt Flynn
JaMarcus Russell
2003
Rhett Bomar
High School: Grand Prarie (Texas)
College: Oklahoma/Sam Houston St.
and
Matt Tuiasosopo
High School: Woodinville (Wash.)
College: Washington
Participants of Note:
John David Booty
*Nate Longshore
Chad Henne
Brian Hoyer
*Cal's first Elite 11 recruit!
2004
Mark Sanchez
High School: Mission Viejo (Calif.)
College: USC
Participants of Note:
Chase Daniel
Colt McCoy
2005
Matt Stafford
High School: Highland Park (Texas)
College: Georgia
Participants of Note:
Sam Bradford
Andy Dalton
Josh Freeman
Colin Kaepernick
Case Keenum
Jake Locker
Christian Ponder
*Kevin Riley
Tim Tebow
*Cal's second Elite 11 recruit!
2006
John Brantley
High School: Trinity Catholic (Fla.)
College: Florida
Participants of Note:
Kirk Cousins
Nick Foles
Ryan Mallett
*Brock Mansion
Kellen Moore
Cam Newton
Ryan Tannehill
Tyrod Taylor
*Cal's third Elite 11 recruit!
2007
Blaine Gabbert
High School: Parkway West (Mo.)
College: Missouri
Participants of Note:
Mike Glennon
Landry Jones
Andrew Luck
E.J. Manuel
2008
Aaron Murray
High School: Plant (Fla.)
College: Georgia
Participants of Note:
Matt Barkley
Tajh Boyd
*Allen Bridgeford
Derek Carr
David Fales
A.J. McCarron
Zach Mettenberger
Brock Osweiler
Tom Savage
Geno Smith
*Cal's fourth Elite 11 recruit! Tedford's grabbing the QBs!
2009
Jake Heaps
High School: Skyline (Wash.)
College: BYU/Kansas/Miami
Participants of Note:
Blake Bell
Blake Bortles
*Austin Hinder
Sean Mannion
Nick Montana
Bryce Petty
Connor Shaw
Trevor Siemian
*Cal's fifth Elite 11 recruit!
2010
Jeff Driskel
High School: Oviedo Hagerty (Fla.)
College: Florida/Louisiana Tech
Participants of Note:
Teddy Bridgewater
Cody Kessler
2011
Neil Burcham
High School: Greenbrier (Ark.)
College: SMU
and
Tanner Mangum
High School: Eagle (Idaho)
College: BYU
and
Jameis Winston
High School: Hueytown (Ala.)
College: Florida State
Participants of Note:
Chad Kelly
*Zach Kline
*Cal's sixth Elite 11 recruit!
2012
Asiantii Woulard
High School: Winter Park (Fla.)
College: UCLA/South Florida
Participants of Note:
Joshua Dobbs
*Jared Goff
Christian Hackenburg
Malik Zaire
*Cal's seventh (and best) Elite 11 recruit!
2013
Sean White
High School: University School (Fla.)
College: Auburn
Participants of Note:
Kyle Allen
Will Grier
DeShone Kizer
*Luke Rubenzer
*Cal's eighth Elite 11 recruit! After some spot play at QB Rubenzer moved to safety.
2014
Blake Barnett
High School: Santiago (Calif.)
College: Alabama/ASU/South Florida
Participants of Note:
*Ross Bowers
Sam Darnold
Drew Lock
Kyler Murray
Josh Rosen
Jarrett Stidham
*Cal's ninth Elite 11 recruit!
2015
Shea Patterson
High School: IMG Academy (Fla.)
College: Mississippi/Michigan
Participants of Note:
K.J. Costello
Jacob Eason
Dwayne Haskins
Jalen Hurts
2016
Tua Tagovailoa
High School: St. Louis (Hawaii)
College: Alabama
Participants of Note:
Sam Ehlinger
Jake Fromm
*Chase Garbers
Dylan McCaffrey
Davis Mills
*Cal's tenth Elite 11 recruit! And current Cal starting QB.
2017
Justin Fields
High School:
College: Georgia/Ohio State
Participant of Note:
Trevor Lawrence
2018
Spencer Rattler
High School: Pinnacle (Ariz.)
College: Oklahoma
Participants of Note:
Jayden Daniels
Bo Nix
Taulia Tagovailoa
2019
C.J. Stroud
High School: Rancho Cucamonga(Calif.)
College: Ohio State
Participant of Note:
Ethan Garbers
Sunday, June 21, 2020
Vikings Coaches
I've been thinking about the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff. For a team that replaced it's offensive and defensive coordinators there's a remarkable feeling of consistency. Kevin Stefanski was the team's offensive coordinator for a season and three games. He's the head coach in Cleveland now. George Edwards had been the only defensive coordinator in Mike Zimmer's six seasons as the Vikings' head coach. Edwards is a Senior Defensive Assistant in Dallas now. Gary Kubiak, and his gang of three coaches, arrived in Minnesota last offseason to assist Stefanski in his first full season running an NFL offense. The most difficult part of Kubiak accepting the offensive coordinator duties was deciding whether he really wanted to dive that deeply into coaching again. Once he made that decision, a smooth transition was insured. Some Vikings beat writers even speculated that Kubiak was calling the shots last season and Stefanski was merely along for the ride. Some Vikings beat writers like manufacturing drama. Whatever was the case, the offensive transition from departed coordinator to new coordinator will be a smooth one in Minnesota. Same scheme, same terminology, mostly the same personnel. The only change on the offensive side of the ball will be the voice calling the plays. The transition on defense should be equally smooth. After all, the Vikings defense is Zimmer's defense. He tapped defensive line coach Andre Patterson and linebacker coach Adam Zimmer to be co-defensive coordinators. I like the co-defensive coordinator deal for the simple reason that it allows both Patterson and Zimmer to continue as position coaches. Patterson has done a phenomenal job of developing players along the defensive line. I'd hate to see defensive coordinator duties pull him away from the position that he coaches so well.
When an NFL team replaces it's offensive and defensive coordinators in a single offseason it often means extensive change. It certainly means a significant transition. The only change and transition in Minnesota is the names on the respective coordinator offices.
Minnesota Vikings 2020 Coaches
Head Coach: Mike Zimmer
Offensive Coaches:
Offensive Coordinator: Gary Kubiak
Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator: Rick Dennison
Quarterbacks: Klint Kubiak
Running Backs: Kennedy Polamalu
Wide Receivers: Andrew Janocko
Tight Ends: Brian Pariani
Assistant Offensive Line: Phil Rauscher
Offensive Quality Control: Christian Jones
Offensive Quality Control: AC Patterson
Defensive Coaches:
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line: Andre Patterson
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: Adam Zimmer
Senior Defensive Assistant: Dom Capers
Defensive Backs: Daronte Jones
Assistant Defensive Line: Imarjaye Albury
Assistant Defensive Backs: Roy Anderson
Defensive Quality Control: Nick Rallis
Special Teams Coaches:
Special Teams Coordinator: Marwan Maalouf
Assistant Special Teams: Ryan Ficken
Kicking Consultant: Nate Kaeding
Strength and Conditioning:
Head Strength and Conditioning: Mark Uyeyama
Assistant Strength and Conditioning: Derik Keyes
Assistant Strength and Conditioning: Chaz Mahle
On offense, other than Kubiak moving from an offensive advisory role to offensive coordinator, Andrew Janocko moves from assistant offensive line coach to receivers coach and Phil Rauscher was hired to assist Rick Dennison with the offensive line. Janocko's five years with the Vikings draws comparisons to the start of Kevin Stefanski's coaching career. Both started as quality control coaches and then quietly started moving to various offensive position coaching roles. There's nothing unique to this career path. It's how nearly all coaches move through and up the football coaching ranks. There's just something about Janocko that reminds me of Stefanski. He just has to work on that beard. Stefanski's beard is magnificent. Rauscher has more coaching experience than most assistant offensive line coaches. Most of that experience was with Kubiak and Dennison in Denver. Rauscher also coached with Bill Callahan in Washington. Any coaching time spent with Callahan is a very good thing as he's one of the best offensive line coaches at any level of football.
There was more change among the defensive coaches. That's mostly due to the defensive backs coaches being entirely different. Jerry Gray is gone after being Zimmer's only defensive backs coach. For some reason, he's in Green Bay now. Assistant defensive backs coach Jeff Howard followed Stefanski to Cleveland. From the coaches to the cornerbacks there are significant defensive backfield changes in Minnesota. Daronte Jones and Roy Anderson replace Gray and Howard. A host of young corners are set to replace a trio of departed veterans. With the way that the group played last season it feels like a shakeup could be a good thing. I'm intrigued by the talent and potential of the group. I'm intrigued by the players as well as the coaches. Both Jones and Anderson have extensive and respected experience. Anderson has a ridiculous amount of experience for a coach with "assistant" at the front of his title. Another change on defense was needed when assistant defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez accepted a coaching position on Herm Edwards' staff at Arizona State. Rodriguez had progressed so well under the mentoring of Andre Patterson that it felt like his time with the Vikings was going to be coming to an end soon. That end came this offseason. Imarjaye Albury was brought in from Arkansas to replace Rodriguez. Without having coached a real practice or a game for the Vikings, Albury has already made an impact on his new team. He coached emerging defensive tackle Armon Watts at Arkansas. Nose tackle Michael Pierce mentioned his friendship with Albury as one of the reasons he chose to sign with the Vikings this offseason. So, it might be because of their new assistant defensive line coach that the Vikings have their new defensive tackle combo. The most curious defensive coaching addition is Dom Capers. It's hoped that his addition will impact the defense like Kubiak's addition impacted the offense last year. Capers has been coaching top-notch NFL defenses for decades. I'm sure that he can come up with something new, different, and perhaps devastating that Zimmer can throw at opposing offenses.
I can't wait to see these Vikings coaches on an Eagan football field. I find it fascinating that there's been some significant changes and yet so little has changed. It's going to be a strange and challenging training camp. I believe that this group of young and old coaches will be up to the challenges that they will face.
When an NFL team replaces it's offensive and defensive coordinators in a single offseason it often means extensive change. It certainly means a significant transition. The only change and transition in Minnesota is the names on the respective coordinator offices.
Minnesota Vikings 2020 Coaches
Head Coach: Mike Zimmer
Offensive Coaches:
Offensive Coordinator: Gary Kubiak
Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator: Rick Dennison
Quarterbacks: Klint Kubiak
Running Backs: Kennedy Polamalu
Wide Receivers: Andrew Janocko
Tight Ends: Brian Pariani
Assistant Offensive Line: Phil Rauscher
Offensive Quality Control: Christian Jones
Offensive Quality Control: AC Patterson
Defensive Coaches:
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line: Andre Patterson
Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers: Adam Zimmer
Senior Defensive Assistant: Dom Capers
Defensive Backs: Daronte Jones
Assistant Defensive Line: Imarjaye Albury
Assistant Defensive Backs: Roy Anderson
Defensive Quality Control: Nick Rallis
Special Teams Coaches:
Special Teams Coordinator: Marwan Maalouf
Assistant Special Teams: Ryan Ficken
Kicking Consultant: Nate Kaeding
Strength and Conditioning:
Head Strength and Conditioning: Mark Uyeyama
Assistant Strength and Conditioning: Derik Keyes
Assistant Strength and Conditioning: Chaz Mahle
***
On offense, other than Kubiak moving from an offensive advisory role to offensive coordinator, Andrew Janocko moves from assistant offensive line coach to receivers coach and Phil Rauscher was hired to assist Rick Dennison with the offensive line. Janocko's five years with the Vikings draws comparisons to the start of Kevin Stefanski's coaching career. Both started as quality control coaches and then quietly started moving to various offensive position coaching roles. There's nothing unique to this career path. It's how nearly all coaches move through and up the football coaching ranks. There's just something about Janocko that reminds me of Stefanski. He just has to work on that beard. Stefanski's beard is magnificent. Rauscher has more coaching experience than most assistant offensive line coaches. Most of that experience was with Kubiak and Dennison in Denver. Rauscher also coached with Bill Callahan in Washington. Any coaching time spent with Callahan is a very good thing as he's one of the best offensive line coaches at any level of football.
There was more change among the defensive coaches. That's mostly due to the defensive backs coaches being entirely different. Jerry Gray is gone after being Zimmer's only defensive backs coach. For some reason, he's in Green Bay now. Assistant defensive backs coach Jeff Howard followed Stefanski to Cleveland. From the coaches to the cornerbacks there are significant defensive backfield changes in Minnesota. Daronte Jones and Roy Anderson replace Gray and Howard. A host of young corners are set to replace a trio of departed veterans. With the way that the group played last season it feels like a shakeup could be a good thing. I'm intrigued by the talent and potential of the group. I'm intrigued by the players as well as the coaches. Both Jones and Anderson have extensive and respected experience. Anderson has a ridiculous amount of experience for a coach with "assistant" at the front of his title. Another change on defense was needed when assistant defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez accepted a coaching position on Herm Edwards' staff at Arizona State. Rodriguez had progressed so well under the mentoring of Andre Patterson that it felt like his time with the Vikings was going to be coming to an end soon. That end came this offseason. Imarjaye Albury was brought in from Arkansas to replace Rodriguez. Without having coached a real practice or a game for the Vikings, Albury has already made an impact on his new team. He coached emerging defensive tackle Armon Watts at Arkansas. Nose tackle Michael Pierce mentioned his friendship with Albury as one of the reasons he chose to sign with the Vikings this offseason. So, it might be because of their new assistant defensive line coach that the Vikings have their new defensive tackle combo. The most curious defensive coaching addition is Dom Capers. It's hoped that his addition will impact the defense like Kubiak's addition impacted the offense last year. Capers has been coaching top-notch NFL defenses for decades. I'm sure that he can come up with something new, different, and perhaps devastating that Zimmer can throw at opposing offenses.
I can't wait to see these Vikings coaches on an Eagan football field. I find it fascinating that there's been some significant changes and yet so little has changed. It's going to be a strange and challenging training camp. I believe that this group of young and old coaches will be up to the challenges that they will face.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
My 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Vote
The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot was released on Tuesday. As a member of the National Football Foundation I get a vote. It's a tough task. It's tough to whittle 78 deserving FBS players down to 12. It's even more difficult to chop 99 deserving Divisional players down to a minuscule 4. Then you get to the coaches. You can make a legitimate Hall of Fame case for each of the 177 players and 40 coaches. That's why each is on the ballot. After a few days of pondering, I've made my decisions. For the purpose of transparency, here are the 20 players and coaches that have received my vote for the 2021 Class of the College Football Hall of Fame.
FBS Players
Eric Bieniemy, Colorado-Running Back-1990 unanimous First Team All-American and finished third in 1990 Heisman voting…Played in two national championships, leading Buffs to 1990 national title…Two-time All-Big Eight pick, still holding eight CU records.
FBS Players
Eric Bieniemy, Colorado-Running Back-1990 unanimous First Team All-American and finished third in 1990 Heisman voting…Played in two national championships, leading Buffs to 1990 national title…Two-time All-Big Eight pick, still holding eight CU records.
Mike Doss, Ohio State-Defensive Back-Three-time First Team All-American, earning unanimous honors as a senior…2002 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection…Led Buckeyes to the 2003 BCS National Championship, earning Defensive MVP honors.
Tony Franklin, Texas A&M-Placekicker-Two-time First Team All-America (1976-consensus, ’78)…Led A&M to four bowl appearances…Set seven NCAA records, including most 50 yards-plus field goals made (15) and most points scored by a kicker in a career (291).
David Fulcher, Arizona State-Defensive Back-Two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in both 1984 and 1985…Three-time All-Pac-10 selection who led ASU to 1985 Holiday Bowl berth…Recorded 14 interceptions, returning one for a touchdown, and 286 tackles in career.
Tony Gonzalez, California-Tight End-1996 consensus First Team All-American and First Team All-Pac-10 selection…Holds Cal record for receptions in a bowl game (9 in 1996 Aloha Bowl)…Posted 89 receptions for 1,302 yards and eight touchdowns during career.
Steve Hutchinson, Michigan-Offensive Lineman-2000 unanimous First Team All-American who led the Wolverines to four bowl wins, including the 1997 National Championship at the Rose Bowl…One of only seven players in conference history to be named a four-time First Team All-Big Ten selection…Three-time Big Ten champion.
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State-Linebacker-Three-time First Team All-American (consensus-2006, 2008; unanimous-2007)…Two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who led the Buckeyes to two national championship games and four consecutive conference titles…2007 Butkus and 2006 Nagurski recipient, leading OSU in tackles three-straight seasons.
Pete Mitchell, Boston College-Tight End-Two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 1994…Two-time First Team All-Big East performer, leading the conference in catches his last two seasons…Ranks second all-time at BC in career receptions (190) and third all-time in career receiving yards (2,388).
Dan Morgan, Miami (FL)-Linebacker-2000 unanimous First Team All-American and first player to sweep the Butkus, Bednarik and Nagurski awards in one season…2000 Big East Defensive Player of the Year and three-time First Team All-Big East selection…Canes all-time leader in tackles (532) who started a school-record 45 games.
Carson Palmer, USC-Quarterback-2002 consensus First Team All-American and Heisman Trophy recipient…2002 Pac-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year who set conference/school career records for total offense (11,621 yds) and passing yards (11,818)…Led USC to a share of the 2002 Pac-10 title and first 11-win season since 1979.
Simeon Rice, Illinois-Linebacker-Two-time First Team All-American and three-time First Team All-Big Ten selection…Holds conference and school record for career sacks (44.5) and Illini record for career tackles for loss (69)…Set school record for single-season sacks (16).
Kenneth Sims, Texas-Defensive Tackle-Two-time First Team All-American (1980-consensus, 1981-unanimous) and recipient of the 1981 Lombardi Award…Finished eighth in 1981 Heisman Trophy voting and led Longhorns to four bowl berths…Two-time First Team All-SWC performer who ranks fourth in school history with 29 career sacks.
Some FBS player thoughts:
As a Cal fan and alum, Tony Gonzalez is a bit of a sentimental choice. In terms of production, his college career doesn't come close to that of the other tight end on my ballot. Pete Mitchell. I attended/watched every game of Gonzalez's Cal career. He's the best college tight end I've ever seen. He was a modest team's most dangerous offensive weapon. He was probably the only offensive weapon. The single season coached by Steve Mariucci was the only season in which Gonzalez was used properly and he still wasn't used enough. He was the best football player on the field in nearly every game that he played during that season.
It might seem silly to vote for linebackers James Laurinaitis and Dan Morgan over Ray Lewis. Laurinaitis was one of the best college linebackers of my lifetime. Morgan had one of the best seasons from a linebacker in sweeping the defensive awards in 2000. In my opinion, both Laurinaitis and Morgan had better college careers than Lewis.
In these votes I try to favor a great college career over a single outstanding season. Carson Palmer is an exception to that. His play in 2002 was ridiculous. Aaron Rodgers and Joe Roth are the best college quarterbacks that I've ever seen in person. Carson Palmer is next.
Tony Franklin is probably the only kicker that ever intrigued me like an offensive or defense player. I've never seen a kicker impact a game quite like he did. Plus, his barefoot kicking sure was a curiosity.
FBS Coaches
Gary Pinkel-Toledo (1991-2000), Missouri (2001-15)-Winningest coach in history at both Missouri and Toledo…Led Rockets to 1995 MAC title and boasts nine conference division titles between both schools…Took teams to 11 bowl games, with 7-4 overall record in the postseason…Earned FieldTurf National Coach of the Year and Big 12 Coach of the Year honors after leading Mizzou to its first No. 1 national ranking since 1960 during the 2007 season.
Bob Stoops-Oklahoma (1999-2016)-Boasts the most wins in school history, leading OU to four championship game appearances and winning the 2000 national title…Only coach in the BCS era to win a national championship and every BCS bowl game…Led the Sooners to 10 Big 12 titles and a school-record 18 consecutive bowl games...2000 AP National Coach of the Year and six-time Big 12 Coach of the Year.
Divisional Players
William Dillon, Virginia Union-Free Safety-Three-time First Team All-America selection (1980-82)…Tallied 16 interceptions in 1983…1983 Black College Player of the Year…Two-time First Team All-Conference selection and Player of the Year (1981-82).
Keith Elias, Princeton-Running Back-Two-time First Team All-American (1992-93) and 1993 Ivy League Player of the Year…Princeton’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,208) and rushing touchdowns (49)…Three-time All-Ivy performer who helped the Tigers to the 1992 conference title.
Blake Elliott, Saint John’s (MN)-Wide Receiver-Two-time First Team All-American and winner of the 2003 Gagliardi Trophy…Two-time MIAC Player of the Year who holds NCAA All-Divisions record of 47 consecutive games with a reception…Led SJU to 2003 DIII national title and owns 29 school records.
Boomer Grigsby, Illinois State-Linebacker-Three-time First Team All-American (2002-04) and FCS career leader in total (550) and solo (325) tackles…Only three-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year in league history…No. 2 all-time in FCS averaging 12.50 tackles per game in career.
Some Divisional player thoughts:
Limiting the vote to only four divisional players is ridiculous. Especially when 99 divisional players are on the ballot. Here are a few of the players that would've been on my ballot if the divisional players received the respect they deserve.
Bill Borchert, Mount Union (OH)-Quarterback
Joe Campbell, Middle Tennessee State-Running Back
William Campbell, Western Colorado-Defensive Back
Peter Catan, Eastern Illinois-Defensive End
Parnell Dickinson, Mississippi Valley State-Quarterback
Curtis Eller, Villanova-Linebacker
Don Griffin, Middle Tennessee State-Safety
Calvin Harrell, Arkansas State-Running Back
Bob Heller, Wesleyan (CT)-Center
Louis Jackson, Cal Poly S.L.O.-Running Back
Al Lucas, Troy-Defensive Lineman
Fran McDermott, St. Mary’s (CA)-Defensive Back
Carl Morris, Harvard-Wide Receiver
Alonzo Patterson, Wagner-Running Back
Tyrone Poole, Fort Valley State (GA)-Defensive Back
Dennis Thomas, Alcorn State-Center
Four players isn't enough.
Divisional Coaches
James Malosky-Minnesota Duluth (1958-97)-Winningest coach in Division II history at time of retirement…Led teams to nine conference championships…Named NSIC, MIAC and/or NAIA Coach of the Year 13 times…Produced 33 winning seasons in 40 years at UMD.
Pete Schmidt-Albion (MI) (1983-96)-Teams won nine MIAA championships (seven outright), five NCAA Division III playoff appearances and the 1994 NCAA Division III National Championship… 1994 AFCA National Coach of the Year.
***
In the six frustrating years that it took Cris Carter to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I criticized those voters without restraint. Voting on this sort of thing is a tough job. Deep down, I knew that the voters faced really tough decisions throughout Carter's wait. I really know it now. My vote on the College Football Hall of Fame is one of thousands. It doesn't tip the scales much but it's important to me. I want to get it right but right is always subjective. One of the toughest choices I had to make on this vote was not including Illinois defensive tackle Moe Gardner. He had an outstanding college career. Just mentioning his name again makes me want to try and retrieve my ballot and swap him in for a player. But for whom? It's always easy to toss out the kicker. Anyway, I don't take lightly this opportunity to have a say in the College Football Hall of Fame. I feel good about my choices. I'm sorry Moe. It might not mean much now but I'll get you next year.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Kaepernick's Return?
It's pathetic that 2020 could be Colin Kaepernick's best chance to return to the NFL. It's pathetic because his best chance to play should've been in 2017. Based on how he played in 2016 he should've had a job in 2017. Anybody that thought differently then and thinks differently now doesn't know football. David Fales had a quarterback job in the NFL in 2017. And every year since. He'd thrown five career passes in zero starts prior to the Miami Dolphins giving him a quarterback job in the first year that Kaepernick couldn't find one. No offense to Fales. I wish nothing but the best for the former Monterey Peninsula College star. Dozens of modestly talented quarterbacks were handed quarterback jobs in the years that NFL teams barred Kaepernick from their game. He couldn't get a job for reasons other than football. Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said as much when he said that his team wouldn't sign Kaepernick because he should be a starter. I always thought that getting better was the objective of a football team. If your backup quarterback is starter quality your team is better for having him. Did Carroll think that he was doing Kaepernick a favor by not giving him a shot a job? The fact that some teams are considering signing him now is further proof that he was barred from the game the past three years for reasons other than football. It's fairly safe to say that his athletic potential was greater in 2017 than it is three years later. So, here we are. 2020 has been a messed-up year but apparently some stubborn eyes have been opened. Colin Kaepernick getting a quarterback job in the NFL could happen. It's certainly a hot topic. CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin wrote a column ranking eight potential landing spots for the quarterback.
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Houston Texans
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Los Angeles Chargers
6. Minnesota Vikings
7. Philadelphia Eagles
8. Tennessee Titans
I'd remove the Chargers and Eagles from the list simply because they used top draft picks on quarterbacks. Adding Colin Kaepernick to the mix would take needed opportunities away from Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts. Especially Herbert.
Of course, it's #6 that grabbed my attention. I wouldn't mind seeing the Vikings giving Kaepernick a shot for a variety of reasons. The most significant reason being that if anything were to happen to Kirk Cousins I'd rather see Kaepernick leading the offense than Sean Mannion. It'd also be pretty cool to have a player from my hometown on the Vikings.
One team that I'd add to the list is the Seahawks. I'd add the Seahawks for a simple reason. Geno Smith. The only obstacle would probably be Carroll having to walk back his idiotic excuse of two years ago.
My ranking of potential landing spots for Colin Kaepernick looks something like this:
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Houston Texans
5. Minnesota Vikings
6. Jacksonville Jaguars
I like Tennessee as the top landing spot simply because of what they went through last year. The Titans experienced the importance of having a quarterback-in-waiting that can play. Right now, Logan Woodside and Cole McDonald populate the depth chart behind Ryan Tannehill.
Hopefully, we'll see Colin Kaepernick competing for an NFL quarterback job this summer. Something that should've happened three years ago.
Thursday, June 18, 2020
Throwback Thursday: The Oakland Raiders vs The Hell's Angels
This Flicker was originally posted on 3/13/14. It's probably been posted several times since. I just really enjoy this tale of Phil Villapiano having a rumble with the Hell's Angels.
The Oakland Raiders of the 1970s were a different sort of football team. They fielded very good, if not great, football teams but they were a little bit different. Al Davis put those teams together in his image and little else really needs to be said. The Raiders of that era were renegades and you could tell that from the company that they kept. Off the field as well as on. Many of the Raiders were friendly with Huey Newton, Bobby Seale and the rest of the Black Panthers. Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels could be found on bar stools next to Ken Stabler, John Matuszak, and Phil Villapiano. You might even find Barger on the sideline of a Raiders football game. It wasn't always beers and fun with the Oakland Raiders and the Hell's Angels. They nearly went to war.
Most NFL teams of the 1970s still held training camp at small colleges. They stayed in the dorms. For at least a month, they lived a decent distance from most of civilization. The Oakland Raiders were, of course, a bit different. They were housed at the El Rancho Tropicana Hotel in Santa Rosa, CA. It wasn't a lovely place. They practiced on nearby fields. As soon as they were free of the daily practices and meetings the rowdy Raiders would scatter to the bars that dotted the area. The Bamboo Room was usually the first and most frequent stop on the rounds. The players would fly to the bars as soon as they could and then fly back to the Tropicana to make their 11pm curfew. One night linebacker Phil Villapiano didn't make it back for that curfew. There were many hell-raisers on those Raiders teams but they were all pretty good at meeting the few rules that the team had. It was unusual for any of the Raiders to miss curfew. Villapiano was drinking off a particularly rough day of practice on this night that he missed curfew. He was being switched to inside linebacker. He had also suffered a pulled muscle. When he finally ventured outside the Bamboo Room he found some gentlemen leaning against his car. He didn't take too kindly to their actions. They didn't take too kindly to his reaction. Villapiano was hit in the head with a hammer before he discovered that he was in a fight with some of the Hell's Angels. The fighting ceased when Villapiano was able to relay that he was friends with Sonny Barger. He thinks that association probably saved his life. By the time that the tardy linebacker had finally made his way back to the Tropicana his teammates were gathered in the courtyard. After hearing the tale, the Oakland Raiders wanted to go to war with the Hell's Angels. The coaches and Villapiano were able to calm the rest of the team before a Bay Area War could erupt. It all ended well. About a week after the incident, the Raiders were practicing when the air was filled with the roar of several Harley motorcycles. The noise and interruption didn't please John Madden too much but the Oakland Raiders and the Hell's Angels had made their peace.
The Oakland Raiders of the 1970s were a different sort of football team. They fielded very good, if not great, football teams but they were a little bit different. Al Davis put those teams together in his image and little else really needs to be said. The Raiders of that era were renegades and you could tell that from the company that they kept. Off the field as well as on. Many of the Raiders were friendly with Huey Newton, Bobby Seale and the rest of the Black Panthers. Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels could be found on bar stools next to Ken Stabler, John Matuszak, and Phil Villapiano. You might even find Barger on the sideline of a Raiders football game. It wasn't always beers and fun with the Oakland Raiders and the Hell's Angels. They nearly went to war.
Most NFL teams of the 1970s still held training camp at small colleges. They stayed in the dorms. For at least a month, they lived a decent distance from most of civilization. The Oakland Raiders were, of course, a bit different. They were housed at the El Rancho Tropicana Hotel in Santa Rosa, CA. It wasn't a lovely place. They practiced on nearby fields. As soon as they were free of the daily practices and meetings the rowdy Raiders would scatter to the bars that dotted the area. The Bamboo Room was usually the first and most frequent stop on the rounds. The players would fly to the bars as soon as they could and then fly back to the Tropicana to make their 11pm curfew. One night linebacker Phil Villapiano didn't make it back for that curfew. There were many hell-raisers on those Raiders teams but they were all pretty good at meeting the few rules that the team had. It was unusual for any of the Raiders to miss curfew. Villapiano was drinking off a particularly rough day of practice on this night that he missed curfew. He was being switched to inside linebacker. He had also suffered a pulled muscle. When he finally ventured outside the Bamboo Room he found some gentlemen leaning against his car. He didn't take too kindly to their actions. They didn't take too kindly to his reaction. Villapiano was hit in the head with a hammer before he discovered that he was in a fight with some of the Hell's Angels. The fighting ceased when Villapiano was able to relay that he was friends with Sonny Barger. He thinks that association probably saved his life. By the time that the tardy linebacker had finally made his way back to the Tropicana his teammates were gathered in the courtyard. After hearing the tale, the Oakland Raiders wanted to go to war with the Hell's Angels. The coaches and Villapiano were able to calm the rest of the team before a Bay Area War could erupt. It all ended well. About a week after the incident, the Raiders were practicing when the air was filled with the roar of several Harley motorcycles. The noise and interruption didn't please John Madden too much but the Oakland Raiders and the Hell's Angels had made their peace.
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
2021 College Football Hall of Fame Ballot
The National Football Foundation announced yesterday the names on the 2021 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. The ballot includes 78 players and seven coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 99 players and 33 coaches from the divisional ranks.
The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:
First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.
A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.
Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2021 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1971 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate's collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.
*Players who do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees. Veterans Committee candidates must still meet First Team All-America requirement.
2021 College Football Hall of Fame Candidates
2021 FBS Player Candidates
Flozell Adams, Michigan State-Offensive Tackle
Morten Andersen, Michigan State-Placekicker
Champ Bailey, Georgia-Defensive Back
Harris Barton, North Carolina-Offensive Tackle
Aaron Beasley, West Virginia-Defensive Back
Eric Bieniemy, Colorado-Running Back
Michael Bishop, Kansas State-Quarterback
Jeff Bregel, USC-Offensive Guard
Brandon Burlsworth, Arkansas
Larry Burton, Purdue
Gregg Carr, Auburn-Linebacker
Matt Cavanaugh, Pittsburgh-Quarterback
Tim Couch, Kentucky-Quarterback
Brad Culpepper, Florida
Jack Del Rio, USC-Linebacker
Jared DeVries, Iowa-Defensive Lineman
Ken Dorsey, Miami (FL)-Quarterback
Mike Doss, Ohio State-Defensive Back
D.J. Dozier, Penn State-Running Back
Jason Elam, Hawaii-Placekicker
Bobby Engram, Wide Receiver-Penn Stat
Kevin Faulk, LSU-Running Back
Tony Franklin, Texas A&M-Placekicker
Dwight Freeney, Syracuse-Defensive End
David Fulcher, Arizona State-Defensive Back
Robert Gallery, Iowa-Offensive Tackle
Moe Gardner, Illinois-Defensive Tackle
Willie Gault, Tennessee-Wide Receiver
Bob Golic, Notre Dame-Linebacker
Tony Gonzalez, California-Tight End
Dan Hampton, Arkansas-Defensive Tackle
Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech-Running Back
Al Harris, Arizona State-Defensive End
Marvin Harrison, Syracuse-Kick Returner/Wide Receiver
Mike Hass, Oregon State-Wide Receiver
Josh Heupel, Oklahoma-Quarterback
Craig Heyward, Pittsburgh-Running Back
Chris Hudson, Colorado-Defensive Back
Steve Hutchinson, Michigan-Offensive Lineman
Larry Jacobson, Nebraska-Defensive Tackle
Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State-Placekicker
Marvin Jones, Florida State-Linebacker
Antonio Langham, Alabama-Defensive Back
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State-Linebacker
John Lee, UCLA-Placekicker
Ray Lewis, Miami (FL)-Linebacker
Bobby Majors, Tennessee-Defensive Back/Punter
Ed McCaffrey, Stanford-Wide Receiver
Mark Messner, Michigan-Defensive Tackle
Pete Mitchell, Boston College-Tight End
Corey Moore, Virginia Tech-Defensive Lineman
Dan Morgan, Miami (FL)-Linebacker
Dan Neil, Texas-Offensive Lineman
Ken Norton Jr., UCLA-Linebacker
Carson Palmer, USC-Quarterback
Julius Peppers, North Carolina-Defensive End
Antwaan Randle El, Indiana-Quarterback
Simeon Rice, Illinois-Linebacker
Ron Rivera, California-Linebacker
Rashaan Salaam, Colorado-Tailback
Chris Samuels, Alabama-Offensive Tackle
Lucius Sanford, Georgia Tech-Linebacker
Ken Simonton, Oregon State-Running Back
Kenneth Sims, Texas-Defensive Tackle
Barry Smith, Florida State-Wide Receiver
C.J. Spiller, Clemson-Running Back/Kick Returner
Darren Sproles, Kansas State-Running Back/Kick Returner
Taylor Stubblefield, Purdue-Wide Receiver
Aaron Taylor, Notre Dame-Offensive Tackle
Andre Tippett, Iowa-Defensive End
Troy Vincent, Wisconsin-Defensive Back
Chris Ward, Ohio State-Offensive Tackle
Zach Wiegert, Nebraska-Offensive Tackle
Roy Williams, Oklahoma-Defensive Back
Al Wilson, Tennessee-Linebacker
Steve Wisniewski, Penn State-Offensive Guard
Donnell Woolford, Clemson-Defensive Back
Luis Zendejas, Arizona State-Placekicker
2021 FBS Coach Candidates
Larry Blakeney-Troy (1991-2014)
Jim Carlen-West Virginia (1966-69), Texas Tech (1970-74), South Carolina (1975-81)
Pete Cawthon Sr.-Austin College [TX] (1923-27), Texas Tech (1930-40)
Billy Jack Murphy-Memphis (1958-71)
Gary Pinkel-Toledo (1991-2000), Missouri (2001-15)
Darryl Rogers-Cal State East Bay [formerly Cal State Hayward] (1965), Fresno State (1966-72), San Jose State (1973-75), Michigan State (1976-79), Arizona State (1980-84)
Bob Stoops-Oklahoma (1999-2016)
2021 Divisional Player Candidates
Ashley Ambrose, Mississippi Valley State-Defensive Back
Archie Amerson, Northern Arizona-Running Back
Rick Bealer, Lycoming (PA)-Defensive Back
Rennie Benn, Lehigh-Wide Receiver
Bill Borchert, Mount Union (OH)-Quarterback
John Bothe, Augustana (IL)-Center
Carl Boyd, Northern Iowa-Running Back
Vincent Brown, Mississippi Valley State-Linebacker
Joe Campbell, Middle Tennessee State-Running Back
William Campbell, Western Colorado-Defensive Back
Vin Carioscia, Franklin & Marshall (PA)-Offensive Tackle
Peter Catan, Eastern Illinois-Defensive End
Steve Cockerham, Akron-Linebacker
Bruce Collie, Texas-Arlington-Offensive Tackle
Tom Collins, Indianapolis (IN)-Defensive Back
Ray Condren, Gettysburg (PA)-Running Back
Mark Cotney, Cameron (OK)-Defensive Back
Case deBruijn, Idaho State-Punter
Parnell Dickinson, Mississippi Valley State-Quarterback
William Dillon, Virginia Union-Free Safety
Al Dorenkamp, Central (IA)-Linebacker
John Dorsey, Connecticut-Linebacker
Chuck Downey, Stony Brook-Safety
Tom Ehrhardt, Rhode Island-Quarterback
Keith Elias, Princeton-Running Back
Curtis Eller, Villanova-Linebacker
Blake Elliott, Saint John's (MN)-Wide Receiver
Richard Erenberg, Colgate-Running Back
Jahri Evans, Bloomsburg (PA)-Offensive Lineman
John Fitzgerald, Central Oklahoma
Bernard Ford, Central Florida-Wide Receiver
Duane Fritz, Chadron State (NE)-Punter
Rick Fry, Occidental (CA)-End
Bob Gaddis, Mississippi Valley State-Wide Receiver
Chris George, Glenville State (WV)-Wide Receiver
Don Greco, Western Illinois-Offensive Guard
Don Griffin, Middle Tennessee State-Safety
Boomer Grigsby, Illinois State-Linebacker
Calvin Harrell, Arkansas State-Running Back
Ron Hausauer, Jamestown (ND)-Offensive Guard
Pat Hauser, Cal State Northridge-Offensive Tackle
Bobby Hedrick, Elon-Running Back
Chris Hegg, Truman State (MO)-Quarterback
Bob Heller, Wesleyan (CT)-Center
Billy Hess, West Chester (PA)-Wide Receiver
Lynn Hieber, Indiana (PA)-Quarterback
John Hill, Lehigh-Center
Rene Ingoglia, Massachusetts-Running Back
Louis Jackson, Cal Poly S.L.O.-Running Back
Terron Jackson, Missouri Southern State-Offensive Tackle
John Jurkovic, Eastern Illinois-Defensive End
Ed Kelley, Hampden-Sydney (VA)-Defensive End
Bill Kollar, Montana State-Defensive End
Garry Kuhlman, Delaware-Offensive Tackle
Sean Landeta, Towson-Punter
Al Lucas, Troy-Defensive Lineman
Vince Mazza, Ashland (OH)-Placekicker / Punter
Steve McAdoo, Middle Tennessee State-Offensive Lineman
Gary McCauley, Clarion (PA)-Tight End
Fran McDermott, St. Mary's (CA)-Defensive Back
Bill McGovern, Holy Cross-Defensive Back
Tony Miles, Northwest Missouri State-All-Purpose/Wide Receiver
Carl Morris, Harvard-Wide Receiver
Robert Morris, Georgetown-Defensive End
Kenneth Murawski, Carnegie Mellon (PA)-Linebacker
Timmy Newsome, Winston-Salem State (NC)-Running Back
Ed O'Brien, Central Florida-Placekicker
Randy Page, Central Oklahoma-Quarterback
Chris Parker, Marshall-Running Back
Alonzo Patterson, Wagner-Running Back
Ted Petersen, Eastern Illinois-Center
Martin Peterson, Pennsylvania-Offensive Tackle
Charlie Pierce, Central Florida-Punter / Placekicker
Dave Pomante, Whitworth (WA)-Defensive Lineman
Tyrone Poole, Fort Valley State (GA)-Defensive Back
Gary Puetz, Valparaiso-Offensive Tackle
Gerry Quinlivan, Buffalo-Linebacker
Michael Renna, Delaware-Defensive End
David Rhodes, Central Florida-Wide Receiver
Kirk Roach, Western Carolina-Placekicker
Tony Romo, Eastern Illinois-Quarterback
Bobby Saiz, Adams State (CO)-Quarterback
Jeff Schebler, Wisconsin-Whitewater-Placekicker
Terry Schmidt, Ball State-Defensive Back
Steve Schubert, Massachusetts-Wide Receiver
Joe Skladany, Lafayette-Linebacker
Ed Smith, Bethel (KS)-Wide Receiver
Paul Smith, Gettysburg (PA)-Return Specialist
Tom Stenglein, Colgate-Wide Receiver
Dennis Thomas, Alcorn State-Center
Freddie Thomas, Troy-Defensive Back
Markus Thomas, Eastern Kentucky-Tailback
Brad Tokar, Westminster (PA)-Running Back
Jay Wessler, Illinois College-Running Back
Tim Whelan, Tufts (MA)-Running Back
Gary Wichard, LIU-C.W.Post (NY)-Quarterback
Mike Wiggins, Iowa Wesleyan-Punter
Jerry Woods, Northern Michigan-Defensive Back
John Zanieski, Yale-Middle Guard
2021 Divisional Coach Candidates
Dick Biddle-Colgate (1996-13)
Paul Durham-Linfield (OR) (1948-67)
Jim Feix-Western Kentucky (1968-83)
Howard Fletcher-Northern Illinois (1956-68)
Ross Fortier-Minnesota Moorhead (1970-92)
Morley Fraser-Albion (MI) (1954-68)
Danny Hale-West Chester (PA) (1984-88)
Rudy Hubbard-Florida A&M (1974-85)
Eddie Hurt-Virginia Lynchburg (1925-28), Morgan State (1930-59)
Art Keller-Carthage (WI) (1952-82)
Glenn Killinger-Dickinson (PA) (1922), Rensselaer (NY) (1927-32), Moravian (PA) (1933), West Chester (PA) (1934-41, 45-59)
Larry Korver-Northwestern College (IA) (1967-94)
Roy Kramer-Central Michigan (1967-77)
Maxie Lambright-Louisiana Tech (1967-78)
Dick Lowry-Wayne State (MI) (1974-79), Hillsdale (MI) (1980-96)
John Luckhardt-Washington & Jefferson (PA) (1982-98), California (PA) (2002-11)
James Malosky-Minnesota Duluth (1958-97)
George Mihalik-Slippery Rock (PA) (1988-2015)
Don Miller-Trinity (CT) (1967-98)
Steve Mohr-Trinity (TX) (1990-2013)
Charles Murphy-Middle Tennessee State (1947-68)
Jim Ostendarp-Amherst (MA) (1959-91)
Forrest Perkins-Wisconsin-Whitewater (1956-84)
Bill Ramseyer-Wilmington (OH) (1972-90), Virginia's College at Wise (1991-2001)
Dwight Reed-Lincoln (MO) (1949-71)
Pete Schmidt-Albion (MI) (1983-96)
Gideon Smith-Hampton (1921-40)
Clyde "Buck" Starbeck-Northern Iowa (1936-42, 1945-57)
Clarence Stasavich-Lenoir-Rhyne (NC) (1946-61), East Carolina (1962-69)
Lou Wacker-Emory & Henry (VA) (1982-2004)
John Whitehead-Lehigh (1976-86)
Alex Yunevich-Alfred (NY) (1937-41, 1946-76)
Allen Zikmund-Nebraska-Kearney (1955-71)
Congratulations to all candidates.
As a National Football Foundation member I have a vote in the proceedings. I treasure and respect this responsibility. An occasional obstacle in that responsibility is pushing aside a player's professional football career. The vote deals with each player's outstanding college football career. In the case of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, I have to block out the professional career of D.J. Dozier.
The criteria for Hall of Fame consideration include:
First and foremost, a player must have received First-Team All-America recognition by a selector that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise its consensus All-America teams.
A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's Honors Courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post-football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community. Consideration may also be given for academic honors and whether the candidate earned a college degree.
Players must have played their last year of intercollegiate football within the last 50 years.* For example, to be eligible for the 2021 ballot, the player must have played his last year in 1971 or thereafter. In addition, players who are playing professionally and coaches who are coaching on the professional level are not eligible until after they retire.
A coach becomes eligible three full seasons after retirement or immediately following retirement provided he is at least 70 years of age. Active coaches become eligible at 75 years of age. He must have been a head football coach for a minimum of 10 years and coached at least 100 games with a .600 winning percentage.
Nominations may only be submitted by the current athletics director, head coach or sports information director (SID) of a potential candidate's collegiate institution. Nominations may also be submitted by the president/executive director of a dues-paying chapter of the National Football Foundation.
*Players who do not comply with the 50-year rule may still be eligible for consideration by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Divisional Veterans Committees. Veterans Committee candidates must still meet First Team All-America requirement.
2021 College Football Hall of Fame Candidates
2021 FBS Player Candidates
Flozell Adams, Michigan State-Offensive Tackle
Morten Andersen, Michigan State-Placekicker
Champ Bailey, Georgia-Defensive Back
Harris Barton, North Carolina-Offensive Tackle
Aaron Beasley, West Virginia-Defensive Back
Eric Bieniemy, Colorado-Running Back
Michael Bishop, Kansas State-Quarterback
Jeff Bregel, USC-Offensive Guard
Brandon Burlsworth, Arkansas
Larry Burton, Purdue
Gregg Carr, Auburn-Linebacker
Matt Cavanaugh, Pittsburgh-Quarterback
Tim Couch, Kentucky-Quarterback
Brad Culpepper, Florida
Jack Del Rio, USC-Linebacker
Jared DeVries, Iowa-Defensive Lineman
Ken Dorsey, Miami (FL)-Quarterback
Mike Doss, Ohio State-Defensive Back
D.J. Dozier, Penn State-Running Back
Jason Elam, Hawaii-Placekicker
Bobby Engram, Wide Receiver-Penn Stat
Kevin Faulk, LSU-Running Back
Tony Franklin, Texas A&M-Placekicker
Dwight Freeney, Syracuse-Defensive End
David Fulcher, Arizona State-Defensive Back
Robert Gallery, Iowa-Offensive Tackle
Moe Gardner, Illinois-Defensive Tackle
Willie Gault, Tennessee-Wide Receiver
Bob Golic, Notre Dame-Linebacker
Tony Gonzalez, California-Tight End
Dan Hampton, Arkansas-Defensive Tackle
Byron Hanspard, Texas Tech-Running Back
Al Harris, Arizona State-Defensive End
Marvin Harrison, Syracuse-Kick Returner/Wide Receiver
Mike Hass, Oregon State-Wide Receiver
Josh Heupel, Oklahoma-Quarterback
Craig Heyward, Pittsburgh-Running Back
Chris Hudson, Colorado-Defensive Back
Steve Hutchinson, Michigan-Offensive Lineman
Larry Jacobson, Nebraska-Defensive Tackle
Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State-Placekicker
Marvin Jones, Florida State-Linebacker
Antonio Langham, Alabama-Defensive Back
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State-Linebacker
John Lee, UCLA-Placekicker
Ray Lewis, Miami (FL)-Linebacker
Bobby Majors, Tennessee-Defensive Back/Punter
Ed McCaffrey, Stanford-Wide Receiver
Mark Messner, Michigan-Defensive Tackle
Pete Mitchell, Boston College-Tight End
Corey Moore, Virginia Tech-Defensive Lineman
Dan Morgan, Miami (FL)-Linebacker
Dan Neil, Texas-Offensive Lineman
Ken Norton Jr., UCLA-Linebacker
Carson Palmer, USC-Quarterback
Julius Peppers, North Carolina-Defensive End
Antwaan Randle El, Indiana-Quarterback
Simeon Rice, Illinois-Linebacker
Ron Rivera, California-Linebacker
Rashaan Salaam, Colorado-Tailback
Chris Samuels, Alabama-Offensive Tackle
Lucius Sanford, Georgia Tech-Linebacker
Ken Simonton, Oregon State-Running Back
Kenneth Sims, Texas-Defensive Tackle
Barry Smith, Florida State-Wide Receiver
C.J. Spiller, Clemson-Running Back/Kick Returner
Darren Sproles, Kansas State-Running Back/Kick Returner
Taylor Stubblefield, Purdue-Wide Receiver
Aaron Taylor, Notre Dame-Offensive Tackle
Andre Tippett, Iowa-Defensive End
Troy Vincent, Wisconsin-Defensive Back
Chris Ward, Ohio State-Offensive Tackle
Zach Wiegert, Nebraska-Offensive Tackle
Roy Williams, Oklahoma-Defensive Back
Al Wilson, Tennessee-Linebacker
Steve Wisniewski, Penn State-Offensive Guard
Donnell Woolford, Clemson-Defensive Back
Luis Zendejas, Arizona State-Placekicker
2021 FBS Coach Candidates
Larry Blakeney-Troy (1991-2014)
Jim Carlen-West Virginia (1966-69), Texas Tech (1970-74), South Carolina (1975-81)
Pete Cawthon Sr.-Austin College [TX] (1923-27), Texas Tech (1930-40)
Billy Jack Murphy-Memphis (1958-71)
Gary Pinkel-Toledo (1991-2000), Missouri (2001-15)
Darryl Rogers-Cal State East Bay [formerly Cal State Hayward] (1965), Fresno State (1966-72), San Jose State (1973-75), Michigan State (1976-79), Arizona State (1980-84)
Bob Stoops-Oklahoma (1999-2016)
2021 Divisional Player Candidates
Ashley Ambrose, Mississippi Valley State-Defensive Back
Archie Amerson, Northern Arizona-Running Back
Rick Bealer, Lycoming (PA)-Defensive Back
Rennie Benn, Lehigh-Wide Receiver
Bill Borchert, Mount Union (OH)-Quarterback
John Bothe, Augustana (IL)-Center
Carl Boyd, Northern Iowa-Running Back
Vincent Brown, Mississippi Valley State-Linebacker
Joe Campbell, Middle Tennessee State-Running Back
William Campbell, Western Colorado-Defensive Back
Vin Carioscia, Franklin & Marshall (PA)-Offensive Tackle
Peter Catan, Eastern Illinois-Defensive End
Steve Cockerham, Akron-Linebacker
Bruce Collie, Texas-Arlington-Offensive Tackle
Tom Collins, Indianapolis (IN)-Defensive Back
Ray Condren, Gettysburg (PA)-Running Back
Mark Cotney, Cameron (OK)-Defensive Back
Case deBruijn, Idaho State-Punter
Parnell Dickinson, Mississippi Valley State-Quarterback
William Dillon, Virginia Union-Free Safety
Al Dorenkamp, Central (IA)-Linebacker
John Dorsey, Connecticut-Linebacker
Chuck Downey, Stony Brook-Safety
Tom Ehrhardt, Rhode Island-Quarterback
Keith Elias, Princeton-Running Back
Curtis Eller, Villanova-Linebacker
Blake Elliott, Saint John's (MN)-Wide Receiver
Richard Erenberg, Colgate-Running Back
Jahri Evans, Bloomsburg (PA)-Offensive Lineman
John Fitzgerald, Central Oklahoma
Bernard Ford, Central Florida-Wide Receiver
Duane Fritz, Chadron State (NE)-Punter
Rick Fry, Occidental (CA)-End
Bob Gaddis, Mississippi Valley State-Wide Receiver
Chris George, Glenville State (WV)-Wide Receiver
Don Greco, Western Illinois-Offensive Guard
Don Griffin, Middle Tennessee State-Safety
Boomer Grigsby, Illinois State-Linebacker
Calvin Harrell, Arkansas State-Running Back
Ron Hausauer, Jamestown (ND)-Offensive Guard
Pat Hauser, Cal State Northridge-Offensive Tackle
Bobby Hedrick, Elon-Running Back
Chris Hegg, Truman State (MO)-Quarterback
Bob Heller, Wesleyan (CT)-Center
Billy Hess, West Chester (PA)-Wide Receiver
Lynn Hieber, Indiana (PA)-Quarterback
John Hill, Lehigh-Center
Rene Ingoglia, Massachusetts-Running Back
Louis Jackson, Cal Poly S.L.O.-Running Back
Terron Jackson, Missouri Southern State-Offensive Tackle
John Jurkovic, Eastern Illinois-Defensive End
Ed Kelley, Hampden-Sydney (VA)-Defensive End
Bill Kollar, Montana State-Defensive End
Garry Kuhlman, Delaware-Offensive Tackle
Sean Landeta, Towson-Punter
Al Lucas, Troy-Defensive Lineman
Vince Mazza, Ashland (OH)-Placekicker / Punter
Steve McAdoo, Middle Tennessee State-Offensive Lineman
Gary McCauley, Clarion (PA)-Tight End
Fran McDermott, St. Mary's (CA)-Defensive Back
Bill McGovern, Holy Cross-Defensive Back
Tony Miles, Northwest Missouri State-All-Purpose/Wide Receiver
Carl Morris, Harvard-Wide Receiver
Robert Morris, Georgetown-Defensive End
Kenneth Murawski, Carnegie Mellon (PA)-Linebacker
Timmy Newsome, Winston-Salem State (NC)-Running Back
Ed O'Brien, Central Florida-Placekicker
Randy Page, Central Oklahoma-Quarterback
Chris Parker, Marshall-Running Back
Alonzo Patterson, Wagner-Running Back
Ted Petersen, Eastern Illinois-Center
Martin Peterson, Pennsylvania-Offensive Tackle
Charlie Pierce, Central Florida-Punter / Placekicker
Dave Pomante, Whitworth (WA)-Defensive Lineman
Tyrone Poole, Fort Valley State (GA)-Defensive Back
Gary Puetz, Valparaiso-Offensive Tackle
Gerry Quinlivan, Buffalo-Linebacker
Michael Renna, Delaware-Defensive End
David Rhodes, Central Florida-Wide Receiver
Kirk Roach, Western Carolina-Placekicker
Tony Romo, Eastern Illinois-Quarterback
Bobby Saiz, Adams State (CO)-Quarterback
Jeff Schebler, Wisconsin-Whitewater-Placekicker
Terry Schmidt, Ball State-Defensive Back
Steve Schubert, Massachusetts-Wide Receiver
Joe Skladany, Lafayette-Linebacker
Ed Smith, Bethel (KS)-Wide Receiver
Paul Smith, Gettysburg (PA)-Return Specialist
Tom Stenglein, Colgate-Wide Receiver
Dennis Thomas, Alcorn State-Center
Freddie Thomas, Troy-Defensive Back
Markus Thomas, Eastern Kentucky-Tailback
Brad Tokar, Westminster (PA)-Running Back
Jay Wessler, Illinois College-Running Back
Tim Whelan, Tufts (MA)-Running Back
Gary Wichard, LIU-C.W.Post (NY)-Quarterback
Mike Wiggins, Iowa Wesleyan-Punter
Jerry Woods, Northern Michigan-Defensive Back
John Zanieski, Yale-Middle Guard
2021 Divisional Coach Candidates
Dick Biddle-Colgate (1996-13)
Paul Durham-Linfield (OR) (1948-67)
Jim Feix-Western Kentucky (1968-83)
Howard Fletcher-Northern Illinois (1956-68)
Ross Fortier-Minnesota Moorhead (1970-92)
Morley Fraser-Albion (MI) (1954-68)
Danny Hale-West Chester (PA) (1984-88)
Rudy Hubbard-Florida A&M (1974-85)
Eddie Hurt-Virginia Lynchburg (1925-28), Morgan State (1930-59)
Art Keller-Carthage (WI) (1952-82)
Glenn Killinger-Dickinson (PA) (1922), Rensselaer (NY) (1927-32), Moravian (PA) (1933), West Chester (PA) (1934-41, 45-59)
Larry Korver-Northwestern College (IA) (1967-94)
Roy Kramer-Central Michigan (1967-77)
Maxie Lambright-Louisiana Tech (1967-78)
Dick Lowry-Wayne State (MI) (1974-79), Hillsdale (MI) (1980-96)
John Luckhardt-Washington & Jefferson (PA) (1982-98), California (PA) (2002-11)
James Malosky-Minnesota Duluth (1958-97)
George Mihalik-Slippery Rock (PA) (1988-2015)
Don Miller-Trinity (CT) (1967-98)
Steve Mohr-Trinity (TX) (1990-2013)
Charles Murphy-Middle Tennessee State (1947-68)
Jim Ostendarp-Amherst (MA) (1959-91)
Forrest Perkins-Wisconsin-Whitewater (1956-84)
Bill Ramseyer-Wilmington (OH) (1972-90), Virginia's College at Wise (1991-2001)
Dwight Reed-Lincoln (MO) (1949-71)
Pete Schmidt-Albion (MI) (1983-96)
Gideon Smith-Hampton (1921-40)
Clyde "Buck" Starbeck-Northern Iowa (1936-42, 1945-57)
Clarence Stasavich-Lenoir-Rhyne (NC) (1946-61), East Carolina (1962-69)
Lou Wacker-Emory & Henry (VA) (1982-2004)
John Whitehead-Lehigh (1976-86)
Alex Yunevich-Alfred (NY) (1937-41, 1946-76)
Allen Zikmund-Nebraska-Kearney (1955-71)
***
Congratulations to all candidates.
As a National Football Foundation member I have a vote in the proceedings. I treasure and respect this responsibility. An occasional obstacle in that responsibility is pushing aside a player's professional football career. The vote deals with each player's outstanding college football career. In the case of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot, I have to block out the professional career of D.J. Dozier.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
All-Time Favorites Team
While I'm sitting and waiting for the Minnesota Vikings to sign their 15 draft picks and sign Dalvin Cook and Anthony Harris to contract extensions, my mind wanders to other football things. Perhaps inspired by Michael MacCambridge's terrific FMIA column, while Peter King vacations, I was thinking about some of my favorite football players over the years. In that FMIA column, MacCambridge named some of his favorite interviews. Some of those he named are among my favorite players. That led me to thinking of a team of my favorite players. I've posted a team of my favorite players before. I've probably done it a few times. I'm doing it again. When I do this, I eliminate Vikings players from contention. Otherwise, it becomes an All-Time Vikings team. So, here's an All-Time Team of some of my favorite players.
Offense
Defense
Offense
| WR | Raymond Berry |
| TE | John Mackey |
| OT | Jonathan Ogden |
| OG | John Hannah |
| C | Mel Hein |
| OG | Jerry Kramer |
| OT | Jim Parker |
| WR | Larry Fitzgerald |
| QB | Johnny Unitas |
| RB | Dutch Clark |
| FB | Jim Brown |
Defense
| DE | Gino Marchetti |
| DT | Bob Lilly |
| DT | Aaron Donald |
| DE | Reggie White |
| LB | Lawrence Taylor |
| LB | Willie Lanier |
| LB | Bobby Bell |
| CB | Dick "Night Train" Lane |
| CB | Mike Haynes |
| S | Ed Reed |
| S | Emlen Tunnell |
***
It's tough to leave Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Deacon Jones off this team. Among others. But I was feeling more Dutch Clark, Raymond Berry, and Reggie White.
Partly for his long Hall of Fame wait and mostly for his books, I've always been a fan of Jerry Kramer. I was in Canton for his much-deserved induction. Hearing and seeing him in person cemented his place as one of my favorites.
If I had been born about a decade earlier, I believe that I would've been a Baltimore Colts. Five of the above 22 players played for the great Colts teams of the late 1950s.
Raymond Berry
John Mackey
Jim Parker
Johnny Unitas
Gino Marchetti
Lenny Moore and Art Donovan could've made it seven. Those were some fun teams. If I had become a Colts fans, that move to Indianapolis would've been so painful. Even from California.
Even thought they took care of the Vikings in Super Bowl IV, the late 1960s Chiefs are another team that has been a favorite of mine. Willie Lanier and Bobby Bell are on this team. Otis Taylor, Buck Buchanan, Curley Culp, Johnny Robinson, Emmitt Thomas. Those Chiefs team were loaded with talent and favorites.
More favorites that deserve mention
Clarke Hinkle
Bronko Nagurski
Don Hutson
Bill Dudley
Ace Parker
Bill Willis
Bulldog Turner
Ollie Matson
Elroy Hirsch
Lance Alworth
Dave Robinson
Joe Schmidt
Gale Sayers
Kellen Winslow
Earl Campbell
Barry Sanders
Kenny Easley
Ronnie Lott
Deion Sanders
Junior Seau
Dan Marino
Peyton Manning
Joe Montana
Steve Young
Tom Brady
LaDanian Tomlinson
Julio Jones
Steve Smith
so many favorites
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)