Tag Archives: Penn State

In our 9th installment of College football’s greatest players ever by position, we feature the most intimidating to step on the field - the defensive linemen.   Many will argue that the likes of a salivating linebacker, ala Dick Butkus, hold that crown.   Maybe I'll give the linebackers nasty and mean, but the sack artists in the trenches take the crown for biggest, hairiest, and scariest!

Unlike the 9 lists that proceeded this one, all 10 players on this list have one thing in common; they are all members of the College Football Hall of Fame.  Be sure to click on the link to the Original Retro Brand shirt featured for the team each player suited up for.   Here are the TOP TEN best college football linemen of all time!!

10. Mike Reid, Penn State:  Reid won the Maxwell Award in 1969 for College Football's most outstanding player* in addition to the Outland trophy for outstanding interior lineman.  He recorded 83 tackles for the Nittany Lions and went on to win a Country Music Grammy Award for songwriting in 1985.

9. Jack Youngblood, Florida:  A member of the Gators Ring of Honor, Youngblood holds the Florida team record for sacks with 14 in 1969.  He was named SEC lineman of the year in 1970.  He also kicked field goals and was one of the first players to test Gatorade!  He went on to play 14 years in an NFL Hall of Fame career.

GATORADE KID

8. Bubba Smith, Michigan State:  Bubba was a massive 6'7" 300 pounder (huge for the 1960's) who responded to the Spartan fans constant chant of "Kill, Bubba, Kill!!'   Bubba played in the "Game of the Century" epic 10-10 tie vs. Notre Dame for a share of the National Championship in 1966.  Bubba was the NFL's # 1 First round draft choice by the Baltimore Colts in 1967.  After football, he became famous for his Lite Beer commercials and roles in the comedy movie series, Police Academy.

7. Alan Page, Notre Dame: Led the Fighting Irish to the 1966 National Championship.  He recorded 63 tackles that same year and was a consensus All-American.  Page was more brain than brawn, and earned his law degree at the University of Minnesota at the same time he was playing his way into the NFL Hall of Fame.  Page is now serving his third term as a Justice on the Minnesota State Supreme Court.

6. Ted "The Mad Stork" Hendricks, Miami: Hendricks averaged a staggering 109 tackles per year in his 3 seasons at the "U."  In 1968 he finished 5th in the Heisman voting, unheard of for a defensive player at that time.  The Stork was a math nut, and when he wasn't causing havoc on opponents, he would spend his time relaxing by solving math problems.

5. Billy Ray Smith Jr., Arkansas:  Billy Ray Jr. followed his dad's footsteps as an All-American lineman for the Razorbacks.  The 2 time All-American had 63 tackles for loss during his career.   Like Page and Hendricks, Smith had a brain, and was a regular on the dean's list.  Big, hairy, scary and SMART!

4. Randy "The Manster" White, Maryland:  Was a fullback as a freshman, and by the time he finished his senior year, he had won the Outland trophy as best interior college lineman of the year, as well as the Lombardi award for best lineman/linebacker.  He also won ACC player of the year in 1974 and had his jersey # 94 retired.

3. Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma: Selmon led the Sooners to back to back National Championships in 1974 & 1975.  He finished his career with 335 tackles and 40 sacks.  Winner of the Outland trophy and Lombardi Award in 1975.   His Sooner teams finished a combined 32-1-1.  Selmon was another braniac from our list, as he was a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete in 1975.  He also donated 10 hours to volunteer work, every week throughout the course of his career.

2. Bruce "The Sack Man" Smith, Virginia Tech:  Another Outland trophy winner on this list, Smith had an incredible 22 sacks in his junior season and finished his career with 71 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.  The Sack man would end his NFL Hall of Fame career sitting alone atop the sack heep with 200.

# 1 IN THE PITT

1. Hugh Green, Pitt: Green was the first Defensive End to ever win the Maxwell Award in 1980.  He also won the Walter Camp award, and came in second place in the Heisman trophy voting; That was the highest ever for a defensive player until Charles Woodson won the award for Michigan in 1997.  He finished his career with 463 tackles and 53 sacks and had his # 99 retired.

* The Walter Camp, and Heisman Trophy awards are also awarded for most outstanding College player of the year with the Heisman being the most prestigious.

Did I leave anybody off the list?  As usual, the answer is, OF COURSE I DID!

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At least when I gained 3 lbs a few weeks ago, I had a decent excuse; 4 days of grueling travel and a big family event.   This past week I simply have to chalk up my 2lb GAIN to old fashioned wussyness (WUSS-EE-NESS!).   I mean I worked out, but not really (walked instead of ran).   I didn't have any 2-a-day workouts, when I normally have 2-3 each week.   I have not played basketball with Carter in 2 whole weeks-argghh!!!!

EXCUSES LISTED HERE ANYWAY:  1)  My stinkin' right neck, shoulder and back still hurt badly, which takes a little of the motivation to work out off the table.   2) That particular table had too much food on it.   I had a few days of "old Andy."  Anybody that knows me, understands this means a 4,000 + calorie day minimum, with several trips to Ronald's house (1/4 lber w/cheese still best foodstuff on planet.  2 of them make for a nice snack and are compact enough to eat comfortably while pulling out of drive-thru).   3) The floods and non stop rain that hit Georgia and our area this past week just left me feeling gloomy and depressed, which led to a few days of non-work outs and over eating.  4) I picked the CANES to knock off the HOKIES and bragged about it in my last post- THE "U" WILL RUN THE TABLE, blah, blah, blah....   I picked CAL to stomp OREGON.   I picked PENN STATE to beat IOWA.   I picked CLEMSON to beat TCU, and our hometown Atlanta Falcons lost to boot.....Lame excuses, lame picks.  Time to move on!!!

......And the winner of the FREE ORIGINAL RETRO BRAND shirt this week is Robert Tang of Long Island City, NY who guessed my weight @ 228.  He is a huge Boston University Terrier Hockey fan, and this is the BUshirt he has chosen.  My gain is his gain - Congratulations Robert on coming closest!

Here is the reality in my Original Retro Brand FIGHT FOR THE FIT CHALLENGE.   I need to lose 17 lbs in 34 days (we'll call it 5 weeks) or 3.4 lbs per week, to reach my goal of losing 30lbs by Halloween.  Even when I went 6 straight weeks with losing weight, the most I ever lost in one week was 4 lbs, and I only did it once.    So no more feeling sorry for myself and my stupid shoulder;  no more using rainy days and bad football picks as a reason to chow down and be lazy --  I will always make bad picks, and it's always gonna rain!!!   THE NEW ANDY IS BACK AND I WILL DO THIS!!!!

On the bright side, The Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets won, The Braves are making a run at the NL Wildcard, and today is YOM KIPPUR and I CAN'T EAT ANYTHING UNTIL SUNDOWN!!!

You can follow my progress (or lack of) on http://twitter.com/retrobrand and the Original Retro Brand FAN page on Facebook.   I am also donating $5 a day to the American Cancer Society's Relayforlife for the duration of the challenge.   It's a great cause, so please check it out...

In our 6th installment of College football's greatest players ever by position, we feature the tight end.   Growing up on Long Island, I wasn't far removed from the Orangemen of Syracuse.  While they had a few running backs I had heard of (Floyd Little & Larry Csonka in the 60's), it was the tight end of my beloved Baltimore Colts that caught my attention.  I was too young to see him in college, but in the NFL, John Mackey was tight end God for my favorite team.    For that reason alone (and I did hear he was pretty good in college) , you will find him on my list.    Please check the link to the extremely awesome Original Retro Brand shirt of the school that these legends played for while reminiscing...... Here are the best ten College Tight Ends of ALL TIME!!!

10.  Dave Casper, Notre Dame: The "Ghost" led the golden domer's to the 1973 National Championship.  Before he became a standout receiver, he was awarded honorable mention honors as an offensive lineman.

9. Tony Gonzales, CAL Bears: Gonzalez hauled in 92 catches in his junior year;  unheard of numbers for a tight end.  He also made it to the  Sweet Sixteen as a basketball player

8. John Mackey, Syracuse: (see opening paragraph).

7. Mark  Bavaro, Notre Dame:  The All-American was well respected for playing through injuries, and he would go on to win two Super Bowl rings in the NFL with the New York Giants.

6. Kellen Winslow I & II, Missouri & Miami:  Two-time consensus All American, and College Football Hall of Famer Kellen I, was the better of the two. Kellen II almost didn't make the list because of his arrogant attitude with the Canes, but his talent just cannot be overlooked

5. Ted Kwalick, Penn State:  Kwalick was the first 2-time All-American football player at Penn State.  Totaled over 1,000 receiving yards for the Lions, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

4. Jim Mandich, Michigan: Mandich is a member of the  Michigan Ring of Honor (next to former President Gerald Ford),  a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, and a member of the 1972 undefeated Miami Dolphins Super Bowl Championship team.

3. Charlie Young, USC: Led the Trojans to the 1972 National championship behind a USC record breaking 62 receptions for a tight end.   He finished with just over 1,000 yards receiving for his career, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.  He would go on to win Rookie of the year in the NFL with the Eagles, and a Super Bowl ring with the 49er's.

2. Mike Ditka, Pitt: Before becoming an NFL hall of Famer with the Chicago Bears, and leading the Bears to a Super Bowl victory as a coach,  Ditka led the Pitt Panthers  in receiving for all 3 seasons he played - very unusual for a tight end.  He also handled the teams punting duties, and many consider Ditka the best college tight end ever.  But that distinction goes to......

1. Keith Jackson, Oklahoma:  The original "Boomer Sooner" led Oklahoma to their 1986 National Championship over Penn State.  He averaged over 23 yards per catch.  In addition to being a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Jackson was voted Offensive Player of the 20th Century at OU.

MADE IT TO THE SHOW!

HONORABLE MENTION:  Has to go to my friend Chris Renaldo of Maryland.  He was a linebacker/Defensive end who always lined up against the tight end.  Yes, this is just an excuse to show a goofy picture of him.   Heck, he went to the Hula Bowl with Boomer Esiason and had a cup of coffee with the Detroit Lions.
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In this, our 5th Original Retro Brand weekly installment of TOP TEN COLLEGE players by position, we will be listing the best kickers in College history.  Or as I say each week, MY FAVORITES!   No other position on the field can turn you into a hero or goat quicker than that of the placekicker.  Only those with the mental toughness to thrive under the pressure of deciding the outcome of any given game,and succeeding, make this list.  SO, here they are...

10. George Blanda, Kentucky: Mainly a Quarterback, he turned around a pathetic Wildcat club with his arm and foot.  Having Bear Bryant as a coach didn't hurt either!

9. Pete Gogolak, Cornell:  Was the first kicker to introduce innovative "Soccer Style" of kicking that is now the norm.  Gogolak would also introduce the style into the AFL- NFL, and thrived during a 10 year career.

8. Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State: The only kicker to win the coveted Lou Groza award for best College Placekicker twice in 1998 & 1999.  Despite his love of getting into fights off the field and the threat of deportation, he became only the 3rd kicker in NFL history to be drafted in the first round.

7. Pete Stoyanovich, Indiana:  Considered the best 2-sport athlete (would you believe soccer?) the Hoosiers ever had.  The school's all-time leading scorer holds numerous Big 10 records.

6. Russell Erxleben, Texas: Set the record for the longest field goal in College history with 67 yarder against Rice in 1977 (tied 2 weeks later by Steve Little of Arkansas).  Erxleben would be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.

5.  Lou "The Toe" Groza, Ohio State:  Only played one year for the Buckeyes before being drafted into World War II.   Obviously he left a lasting impression as the annual award for the best kicker in College Football is named after him!     Was an All-Pro Offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns in addition to his kicking duties.

4. Chris & Matt  Bahr, Penn State:  Both Chris and younger brother Matt would follow almost identical career paths.  They were both All-American Soccer and Football stars while at Penn State, and would go on to lengthy NFL careers.  They even played short stints in the now defunct North American Soccer League.

3.  Pat Summerall, Arkansas:  Played Defensive End, Tight end and Kicker.  I grew up watching him on "This week in the NFL" on Friday nights, and he was the best announcer ever along with John Madden.

2. Morten Andersen, Michigan State:  Holds Big 10 record for longest field goal at 63 yards and was All-American in 1981.  He would go on to become the All-Time Leading Scorer in NFL History.

# 1 BUTLER

1. Kevin Butler, Georgia: Anybody that reads my blog (anybody?) knows I am a Georgia Bulldog fan (tough opening loss), and tend to favor all that is DAWG.  This case is no different.  Butler holds the NCAA record for highest pctg. of field goals made over 50 yards, and is the ONLY place kicker to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

If you think I left anybody off the list, please leave your favorite kicker in the comment section, and I'll make note of it on our Original Retro Brand Facebook Fan page!

I have been so excited about the College Football season getting started, that I drove 60 minutes from Cartersville, GA., to the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta  this past Friday, to attend the Annual Georgia Tech Football Kickoff luncheon.    The only problem was that the luncheon was not until THIS FRIDAY!

So as I started my hour drive back home, I started thinking about the upcoming Pick of the Week post ( Purdue Pete shirt for $24!), and how I needed to do some research.   Then I started thinking about the old guys from Perdue like Bob Griese and Leroy Keyes, and that led me to thinking about more old guys from the BIG TEN that I remembered whilst growing up.  Heck, my favorite player of all time went to Michigan State - Bubba Smith.  What I am getting at is....

In the same vein that I have been doing TOP TEN College players by position on a weekly basis,  I will also be presenting my COLLEGE CONFERENCE PREVIEWS on a weekly basis too (won't be previews once the season starts, so more like just talking about)!  Figure I'll start with the BIG TEN since we're talkin' about Purdue Pete n' all.   And this won't be your Mel Kiper, Jr. style preview, either.  I'll simply list the teams in the order I believe they will finish within their conference, and they will be linked to what I believe to be the coolest Original Retro Brand shirt offered for that school. Then I'll add the 2009 difference maker for the team, and my old school favorite player from that team too...just for fun....this is about fun!   So enough of my yackkin' - here is the list!

1. Penn State:  New-QB Daryll Clark   Old School: RB John Cappelletti

2. Michigan State:  New-LB Greg Jones  Old School: DE Bubba Smith

3. Ohio State: New- QB Terrelle Pryor  Old School:  RB Archie Griffin

4. Michigan: New- DE Brandon Graham  Old School: WR Anthony Carter

5. Wisconsin: New-RB John Clay  Old School: C Mike Webster

6. Illinois: New- QB Juice Williams   Old School:  LB Dick Butkus

7. Iowa: New- LB Pat Angerer   Old School: DT Alex Karras

8. Minnesota: New- LB Simoni Lawrence    Old School: DE Carl Eller

9. Northwestern: New- DE Corey Wooten   Old School: DB Fred "The Hammer"  Williamson

10. Purdue: New- DB Torri Williams    Old School: FB Mike Alstott

11. Indiana: New-QB Ben Chappell    Old School:  K  Pete Stoyanovich

So there you have it.   Are we all in agreement?

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