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The Power Five => Big XII => Topic started by: Thumper on January 04, 2018, 11:13:27 AM

Title: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Thumper on January 04, 2018, 11:13:27 AM
It's that time.  Good luck to the seniors in whatever role is next in their lives.  Here are some I will sorely miss seeing on the football field:

In all, the Sooners lose 17 Seniors this year.  It was a very good class. 
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: BrownCounty on January 04, 2018, 12:01:31 PM
Great post, Thumper!!  Wasn't the whole offensive line made up of seniors?
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Mr Tulip on January 04, 2018, 01:10:36 PM
Orlando Brown should be making a lot of money next year. Without him, I don't believe anyone outside of the Big 12 would know anything about OU's 6' 1" QB.

The OU offense's progression from "above average" to "championship" virtually coincides with Brown's development. Texas abused him in 2015 when he would tip plays by changing his stance when setting up to pass block. He's since honed his technique and abilities. He will anchor someone's line for years.

Edit: I had no idea he was a redshirt junior. He declared for the draft yesterday.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Thumper on January 04, 2018, 02:07:22 PM
Great post, Thumper!!  Wasn't the whole offensive line made up of seniors?
No, Wren was the only senior starter.  Jonathan Alvarez was a senior but they redshirted him this year so he will be back.  He would have been the backup center.  Orlando Brown was a redshirt jr and he declared for the draft.
The OL will be really good again next year.

BTW, I was hoping fans of other schools would give a shout out to their departing seniors.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Thumper on January 04, 2018, 02:13:47 PM
Orlando Brown should be making a lot of money next year. Without him, I don't believe anyone outside of the Big 12 would know anything about OU's 6' 1" QB.

The OU offense's progression from "above average" to "championship" virtually coincides with Brown's development. Texas abused him in 2015 when he would tip plays by changing his stance when setting up to pass block. He's since honed his technique and abilities. Broe will anchor someone's line for years.

Edit: I had no idea he was a redshirt junior. He declared for the draft yesterday.
Brown was one of those guys that made had to be developed.  He weighed over 400 lbs in high school and had only 1 offer from Tennessee.  Tennesse pulled their offer less than a week before NSD and left him nowhere to go.  His coach called Bob Stoops and Stoops offered him as a favor.  
Brown worked hard his redshirt year to lose weight & gain strength and started every game after the redshirt year.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: BrownCounty on January 04, 2018, 02:46:41 PM
Orlando Brown should be making a lot of money next year. Without him, I don't believe anyone outside of the Big 12 would know anything about OU's 6' 1" QB.
Baker is 6' 1" in stilettos.  I walked right past him in Lubbock once.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: BrownCounty on January 04, 2018, 02:48:15 PM
BTW, I was hoping fans of other schools would give a shout out to their departing seniors.
I know, but around here you just gotta roll with whatever kickback you get.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: longhorn320 on January 04, 2018, 03:42:23 PM
The players who are good generally dont stay for their Sr year and those who arent good get run off
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Mr Tulip on January 04, 2018, 04:15:13 PM
Brown was one of those guys that made had to be developed.  He weighed over 400 lbs in high school and had only 1 offer from Tennessee.  Tennesse pulled their offer less than a week before NSD and left him nowhere to go.  His coach called Bob Stoops and Stoops offered him as a favor.  
Brown worked hard his redshirt year to lose weight & gain strength and started every game after the redshirt year.
His dad was "Zeus" Brown - a dominant NFL lineman who was the guy referee Jeff Triplette famously hit with the shot-weighted end of a penalty flag (accidentally). The accident cost him the sight in his eye, and the largely ended his career. The elder Brown died before Orlando graduated high school.
Orlando Jr said his father's death and being negged by UTenn really made him reconsider his priorities. His dad was a prime motivator but not a good teacher. Jr. rededicated his life to keeping his academics strong while focusing on his craft fundamentals. A kid with great measurables who's learned the consequences of indolence should go far.
Anyway, Texas didn't really have many seniors moving on. Most of them are "what could have been" guys. The big loss (due to graduation) is, of course, Poona Ford. He was brought in to play one style of DT, then learned another and played it beautifully. Some NFL team will get a high motor, savage lineman!
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Thumper on January 04, 2018, 04:59:37 PM
Poona is someone I followed pretty closely since OU really wanted him.  He is a top notch DT.  In the Maryland game it seemed to me that he, Malik Jefferson and Holton Hill were the only defenders who came ready to play.  Texas is losing a good one.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Mr Tulip on January 04, 2018, 05:35:04 PM
The Maryland game is the exception that proved the rule.

All last season, Malik and the rest of the defenders were thinking during the plays. They knew their role, but were worried that their teammates wouldn't perform theirs. As such, they stopped and checked to see what was going on before performing their job. Of course, this meant that they were late and indecisive - even if they were right.

During summer practice, they eliminated that. They played on instinct, and trusted their teammates. Of course, sometimes their teammates messed up, and the offense won that play. However, when they all did their job instinctively and violently, it was tough to move the ball on them.

During the Maryland game, they reverted back to last season. When the early mistakes started piling up, they abandoned their coaching and went back to habit. Those habits were bad, and bad habits yield bad results.

It really is a credit that the coaching staff demanded that they play like they practiced. To re-focus a team and redirect a mindset is the hardest thing in sports. The trust factor, in that "I'm shooting my gap violently. I trust that my teammate is holding his!", allows a defense to highlight the physical gifts of the athletes.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: CharleyHorse46 on January 05, 2018, 01:34:09 PM
Players come and players go.  Sometimes they remain forever etched in my memory for good or bad reasons.  Sometimes they all run together.

Some of the ones who made big impressions or lasting impressions on me over the years were James Street, Roosevelt Leaks, Doug English, Earl Campbell, Raymond Clayborn, Johnny Johnson, Steve McMichael, Johnny Lam Jones, Donnie Little, Kenneth Sims, Jerry Gray, Tony Degrate, Bill Boy Bryant, Edwin Simmons, Craig Curry, Eric Metcalf, Britt Hager, Shane Dronett, Willie Mack Garza, Lance Gunn, Stanley Richards, Tony Brackens, Van Malone, Stoney Clark, Butch Hadnot, Mike Adams, James Brown, Dan Neil, Pat Fitzgerald, Bryant Westbrook, Ricky Williams, Casey Hampton, Kwame Cavil, Shaun Rogers, Major Applewhite, Quentin Jammer, Roy Williams, Nathan Vasher, Bo Scaife, Derrick Johnson, Vince Young, Dave Thomas, Brian Robison, Jordan Shipley, Earl Thomas, Malcom Brown...

Looking back, I'll probably have fond memories of Conner Williams, Malik Jefferson, Holton Hill and Mike Dickson.

Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: BrownCounty on January 05, 2018, 03:32:55 PM
I'm wondering why so many players from the McWilliams "shock the nation" era remain etched in our minds?

I mean, it wasn't as if we were that great or anything - in fact, one could argue a fluke.  Maybe it's because for a fleeting moment in time, we really thought we were back.

Anyhow, a lot of those guys stick with me as well.
Title: Re: Goodbye to the Seniors
Post by: Mr Tulip on January 09, 2018, 09:52:58 AM
I'm wondering why so many players from the McWilliams "shock the nation" era remain etched in our minds?

I mean, it wasn't as if we were that great or anything - in fact, one could argue a fluke.  Maybe it's because for a fleeting moment in time, we really thought we were back.

Anyhow, a lot of those guys stick with me as well.
I remember Johnny Walker who always seemed to have to lay out full horizontal to catch passes. The Cash twins. Stanley "The Sheriff" Richard.
I remember Oscar Giles. I was a wide-eyed freshman in the fall of 1990. One of the first things I encountered once the semester got started was the first pep-rally. They had the team up, the coach spoke some rousing words about the next day's competition, and then passed the mic to the players. A few echoed the inspiring words.

Oscar got the mic and said, "We gon' whip dey m****f*****' @$$!".
When he started, McWilliams made a hurried dive for the mic.