CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: Cincydawg on June 25, 2018, 10:35:43 AM
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Can be from your program of course. I would go with Terry Hoage, a safety for UGA 1980-1984. He is not unknown, but is in a shadow.
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Guys that were the guy before the guy, as I said in another thread - DeShazio at VT, Marvin Graves at SU. Overshadowed by better guys who came soon after (Vick, McNabb).
They may not have been all-time greats, but they were very good and helped their teams win.
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This is a recent one.
He was overshadowed by Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon, but James White was a fantastic college football player at UW, and he's still doing great things in New England (from what I hear).
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I always thought Eric Metcalf (UT) was a great four year player that sort of stayed under the radar for whatever reason, though it was when A&M was ruling the SWC. Terrific athlete, would probably have been even more dynamic in today's college game. If you want a comp. I guess Percy Harvin is a comp.
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maybe not the spirit of the thread, but great players that made other players great(er) example would be the dynamic between LaVar Arrington and Courtney Brown...
both were great...
it was my observation at the time, though, that much of Arrington's reputation was gained by the presence of Brown- or it could be argued in reverse. When one position has the presence either of those did, it allows the the opposite player to do things they usually wouldn't be able to do- i.e. being 'unchecked' or 'freed up', which is something you'd likely never want to do with them as individuals, but because there were two of them? one was left free to hunt almost every play, and hunt they did. they were fun to watch.
Corey Moore and Jamel Bobby Smith (I think it was?) had a similar dynamic at VT the same era.
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Doug Dubose for UNL... at the time, he was the first RB in UNL's history to run for 1,000 yds as a Sophomore and Junior. He was Heisman candidate until a knee injury... a really bad one. He became addicted to pain killers and later coke.
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I always thought Eric Metcalf (UT) was a great four year player that sort of stayed under the radar for whatever reason, though it was when A&M was ruling the SWC. Terrific athlete, would probably have been even more dynamic in today's college game. If you want a comp. I guess Percy Harvin is a comp.
Good suggestion, I loved watching him play and even I didn't think of him when I saw the title of this thread, although he fits ir perfectly.
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WR Courtney Hawkins was right at the end of the Perles era. I think because he came after the Andre Rison Rose Bowl teams; but before the Derrick Mason/Mushin Muhammad Saban teams or Burress or Charles Rogers teams, and he career lined up with Desmond Howard up the road, and so in all aspects he was overshadowed. He had a 60 catch, 1080 yard, 6 TD season, which was pretty impressive for a bad 1990-ish Big Ten team. He was also a dynamic returner. He wasn't the greatest MSU WR ever, but you never even hear his name mentioned, even by MSU fans.
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I mentioned him in another thread but I loved Antoine Winfield when he was at Ohio St. He was everything I wanted a corner to be. Physical, aggressive, great tackler, athletic, fast, you name it.
I thought he was overshadowed by Woodson at his own position and Andy Katzenmoyer on his own team.
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As far as a player on my own team?
I’ll go with Grant Wiley. Some on here probably never heard of him. Four year starter at LB at WVU from 2000-2003. Consensus AA and Nagurski Finalist his senior year in ‘03. One of those guys who for whatever reason was a tackling machine in college but didn’t have the measurables or attributes the NFL guys deemed desirable. Was a FA draftee of the Vikings but had injury problems and never really got an opportunity to catch on.
He left football to pursue a career in acting. He lost around 60 pounds and is unrecognizable from his playing days. He’s like 170 pounds now. There is no way you would ever look at him and think he was an AA LB at one point in his life.
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how about Roger Craig at Nebraska overshadowed by Mike Rozier?
Craig's numbers his soph season were outstanding, but then Rozier showed up and Osborne had to figure out how to get them both on the field. Roger played some fullback, and set the stage for Rozier's Heisman campaign.
Craig's NFL career turned out a bit better than Rozier's.
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how about Roger Craig at Nebraska overshadowed by Mike Rozier?
Craig's numbers his soph season were outstanding, but then Rozier showed up and Osborne had to figure out how to get them both on the field. Roger played some fullback, and set the stage for Rozier's Heisman campaign.
Craig's NFL career turned out a bit better than Rozier's.
To prove your point, I had no idea he even went to Nebraska
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1980 Nebraska vs Kansas State Roger Craig 69-yard run - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR_VvHkgui4)
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this was my first Husker home game as a freshman in 1981 vs the Florida State Seminoles
Since Roger was from Iowa he quickly became my favorite player - he also took a criminal justice class from my cousin and I met Roger and the fullback Phil Bates in my cousin's office -
Official recap
Nebraska exploded for two touchdowns within six seconds midway in the third quarter to break up a close game, and the Huskers went on to crush Florida State, 34-14, in the home opener.
The Huskers were leading, 10-7, when Irving Fryar returned a punt 82 yards for a TD with 8:31 left, then, on the ensuing kickoff, Tony Felici picked a fumble out of mid-air and ran 13 yards to score at the 8:25 mark to give Nebraska an insurmountable 24-7 lead.
The Seminoles did pull back within 27-14 midway in the fourth quarter, but Roger Craig's 94-yard touchdown run put the game away—in addition to tying the Nebraska record for longest touchdown run and wrapping up a 234-yard day for Craig, which earned him national back-of-the-week honors.
Felici came off the bench to record 13 tackles, earn Big Eight defensive player-of-the-week honors and nail down a starting job at defensive right end.
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Wisconsin’s Brandon Williams? He was very good, could argue great.
He was the biggest, but he could just go with the ball in his hands. He’s 16th in conference history in yards, 12th in catches and only had so-so QB play as a junior and freshman (and worked behind Lee Evans as a junior)
Also liked Nick Hayden, a very good DT.
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Some great stories, and one sad one.
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how about Roger Craig at Nebraska overshadowed by Mike Rozier?
Craig's numbers his soph season were outstanding, but then Rozier showed up and Osborne had to figure out how to get them both on the field. Roger played some fullback, and set the stage for Rozier's Heisman campaign.
Craig's NFL career turned out a bit better than Rozier's.
Per the norm... you come up with something better. Well done.
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For Florida, in my viewing lifetime, there was a good QB and 2 WRs that were between the Wuerffel era and Grossman success.
Wuerffel, of course, had Anthony and Hilliard - both 1st round WRs. The slot guy was Jacquez Green, a 2nd-rounder, I believe, who had a big year when he was THE man the following season. But that next year, a sort of in-between year for the Gators, a WR set the SEC single-season yardage record in 1998: Travis McGriff. Little white guy, was mostly on the team because he was a legacy. But he was fast and produced as THE guy unexpectedly.
The year after that, Darrell Jackson had a 1,000 yard season. Travis Taylor, a future 1st-round pick was more ballyhooed, but had injuries. I feel like McGriff and Jackson are forgotten guys. And throwing passes to them was Doug Johnson. He was no Wuerffel, but who is? He only was entrenched as the starting QB for one year. He famously was switched out nearly every play vs #1 FSU in '97. He shared time with Jesse Palmer after that. But when his time at UF was over - here's a fun stat: Johnson would've ranked first or second at every other SEC school in career TD passes. He was underappreciated by Gators fans. He was the QB for my HS when I was a sophomore as well. He wasn't a great guy, but he was better at UF than people give him credit for, mainly because he followed Wuerffel.
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Leroy Keyes.
RB for Purdue, overshadowed by Bob Griese as they played together for Keyes' Fr/So years which were Griese's Jr/Sr. He then played with Mike Phipps, another notable name at QB in Purdue history. Along with Griese, led Purdue to a win over USC in the 1967 Rose Bowl. All-american in both 1967 and 1968. Finished 2nd in Heisman voting in 1968 after Griese graduated.
Purdue might be the "Cradle of Quarterbacks", but Keyes certainly was a hell of a running back.
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this is one of those players lost to injury, but bama's 1999 mlb marvin constant.
tore his knee up on final play of lsu game, stopping lsu qb josh booty inches away from scoring on a last second goal line stand. never played again.
he was all-sec freshman team that year, and up until his injury lead the team in tackles. had 17 tackles vs tenn. had a very bright career ahead of him.
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this is one of those players lost to injury, but bama's 1999 mlb marvin constant.
tore his knee up on final play of lsu game, stopping lsu qb josh booty inches away from scoring on a last second goal line stand. never played again.
he was all-sec freshman team that year, and up until his injury lead the team in tackles. had 17 tackles vs tenn. had a very bright career ahead of him.
I actually remember that, wasn't it somewhat controversial that LSU didn't get another play specifically because of his injury? That there were like 5 seconds left when the play ended, and while there's no way LSU could have gotten another snap off, the refs also didn't stop the clock for the injury?
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Per the norm... you come up with something better. Well done.
well, Dubose isn't chopped liver. He was much better than Jeff Smith, who started in front of Doug in 84. Jeff made a great play in the Ornage bowl after Rozier was injured, but dropped the 2-point conversion attempt.
I knew Jeff a little bit. Jeff was a roommate in the dorm with an Iowa farm boy that my brother and I know. My brother and this Iowa guy car pooled back and forth to UNL and I still talk to him to this day. Lives about 20 miles from me.
I just remember Jeff Smith as a huge Dallas Cowboy and Tony Dorsett fan. Jeff thought of himself as the next Mike Rozier and NFL superstar. Jeff was a fine I-back, but he was no Dubose. And many Husker fans wouldn't remember Dubose.
I also think the QB Steve Taylor at Nebraska, outstanding stats and some huge performances. He just couldn't win the big games to get the recognition.
1986 lost to the Sooner magic comeback and to Colorado in that huge upset.
1987 lost to the Sooners in the #1vs#2 game and then Florida St in Tempe. Only losses to the Final poll #2 and #3 teams.
1988 lost to UCLA and Aikman in Pasadena and then the 23-3 beat down in the Orange Bowl to Steve Walsh and the Canes.
Poor guy started 3 seasons, lost 6 dern tough games, but is not remembered as great. He was similar to Turner Gill as runner and passer.
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I actually remember that, wasn't it somewhat controversial that LSU didn't get another play specifically because of his injury? That there were like 5 seconds left when the play ended, and while there's no way LSU could have gotten another snap off, the refs also didn't stop the clock for the injury?
maybe, i don't remember that. but watching the video (~21:20 mark) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=sTv6VVW9Tt4) it could have been. there was about :10 left when booty went down. imo, (homer call, i know) it's the right call to let it go. the refs were hustling back to place ball (can see it in video) but lsu players weren't ready at all, not even close. and even if they were hustling, it'd have been really close to running out anyway.
i do remember the play right before, they had basically a free time out from another bama injury, allowing them to huddle and call a goal line play without a time out. they didn't utilize it very well. here's a good write up about it from about 10 years ago (https://rolltide.com/news/2009/11/6/Friday_Flashback_Alabama_23_LSU_17_Nov_6_1999_.aspx). also looks like we upheld the time honored bama tradition of choking game clinching fg's late in games.
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I thought of another WVU player who fits this description. Avon Cobourne. Four year starter at RB from 1999-2002. Rushed for 5,164 yards in his career. Best in WVU and Big East history. When he graduated he was the 9th most prolific rusher in NCAA I-A history. He’s still tied for 15th.
He did this playing in two very different offenses. He spent two seasons in Nehlen’s I formation, follow the FB through the hole, drive blocking scheme and two seasons in Rod’s spread, zone blocking scheme. Not everyone can do that. He rushed for over 1000 yards all four seasons here.
Had a brief stint with the Lions before enjoying a nice career in the CFL. He wasn’t Bo or Herschel but he had a college career 95% of kids would kill to have.
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Does anyone remember Max Knake? QB for TCU, back when it was in the WAC probably. I remember opening the '94 or '95 Athlon preseason mag and that guy was their pick as preseason All-American. Over Manning. Over Wuerffel. Over everyone.
I opened it up and was like "WHO?!?"