Kam Martin would start today

[bigbird 60,441]

8 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Agreed. I was going to say Dexter was a little quicker/faster, but he ran a 4.58 40 at the combine which is baffling to me today considering how fast he was on the field. May have been hurt or something I don't know, but there's no doubt in my mind that Kam is at least 8/10 of a second faster than that, probably much more. Dexter was also smaller than Kam by a solid 15-20 pounds. Still, his last season at Ole Miss, they started running him between the tackles several games into the season and he took off. It was really remarkable what he was able to do. 

If anyone has time, watch the Ole Miss, Tennessee game from 2009. They couldn't tackle him. 

Watching him run between the tackles and watching KMart run between the tackles is eerily similar.

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Jovon Robinson, peak Kam Pettway... it breaks my heart that we didn't get more games with those guys. 

Yes.  I really like a Ronnie Brown, Jamal Lewis type back that runs north south, can run you over, and can also out run you.  Like I said, those guys are now playing LB in todays game.  In 40 years it is funny how football at the Pro Level and the perception has changed.  It used to be all about George Rogers, Tony Dorsett, Walter Payton, Earl Cambell, William Andrews, Otis Anderson etc.  You knew who the top 5 Rushers were in the league at all times.  Every kid wanted to be that RB.  In today's game, your best big athletes play defense.

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

2 hours ago, AUsince72 said:

I know I'm going off on a tangent here, sorry, but for those "younguns" who didn't get to see Dye teams...THAT was a defense!  I think they might have been physically bigger than even the D is today!

And to your point NGaTiger, Worley is every bit as big as Hodge and Quinton Riggens there...

Edit:. Sorry all. I just got a little pumped up there...  Ah, memories...

Those defenses under Pat Dye were men's men.  I can't explain it to those who were not around to see them but win or lose those boys were whipping your arse.  To this day after all of these years I still think Takeo is the last truly great player on that side of the ball.  We have had some good ones since but not ones that start by game six of their Freshman year and totally dominate on the field physically as well as in leadership. Old school mentality.  You are either getting better today or you are getting worse.  

[AUsince72 11,084]

1 hour ago, NorthGATiger said:

Yes.  I really like a Ronnie Brown, Jamal Lewis type back that runs north south, can run you over, and can also out run you.  Like I said, those guys are now playing LB in todays game.  In 40 years it is funny how football at the Pro Level and the perception has changed.  It used to be all about George Rogers, Tony Dorsett, Walter Payton, Earl Cambell, William Andrews, Otis Anderson etc.  You knew who the top 5 Rushers were in the league at all times.  Every kid wanted to be that RB.  In today's game, your best big athletes play defense.

It's like you're in my head!

I have thought that so much over the last several years.  It's not like the NFL doesn't have 1000 yd rushers but there's almost no focus on the run game like "back then". 

I do miss the I Formation with a Fullback, Tailback & Tight-End and ram it down the Defenses throat with power.  Now, it's all about QB's & Schemes now. ...part of why I lost interest.

I hope college football doesn't head too far down that path.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

Obviously distracted today, and

obviously not long-term qualified to offer much to the discussion, but

whether through intensive practice reps, standard in-game rotations, situational packages, opportunistic mop-up duty, or even an occasional coin-toss,

having a serviceable backup ready for any player (even a willingly butt-headed one), at any position, that is too worn or damaged to get on the field, would seem a necessity. 

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

2 hours ago, Tiger Refuge said:

To take it full derail...

If we are talking receiving backs, I got Ronnie Brown. If the stats don’t back it up, please don’t ruin my revisionist view. TIA.

 

Ronnie or Heath Evans for those that don't remember.  He was actually pretty good out of the backfield at Auburn.

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

14 minutes ago, NorthGATiger said:

Ronnie or Heath Evans for those that don't remember.  He was actually pretty good out of the backfield at Auburn.

I remember a full highlight reel for Ronnie from playing UTK. 

You nailed it. Both of those dudes are on my favorites list.

[augolf1716 21,101]

9 hours ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

Can someone remind me how often and when the Site refills the damn' things?

depends on how much I like you

[augolf1716 21,101]

8 hours ago, Barnacle said:

That's my go to "I don't have an intelligent and/or witty response to this, but want to look like I know what's going on" gif. 

Well I agree with you maybe that will help. see I highlighted the part I wanted to emphasis........did I do that correct?

[augolf1716 21,101]

8 hours ago, bigbird said:

Why can't more threads be like this one

Cause you post to damn much that's why

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

#runtover

[homersapien 11,357]

6 hours ago, NorthGATiger said:

I have to be honest and admit that I just love the big power back with speed.  The game is changing and we are seeing less and less of them.  My hay day was the players you mentioned above along with Cobb, Webb, Tate, Hampton, Worley, Walker, Danley, and so many others in the 80's.  Those body types are for the most part all playing LB in todays game.

Interesting to think about the game's evolution. 

I think athleticism has generally gotten better.  So with more athletic defenses, it could be that low mass/pad level/agility  is more effective overall than speed/power.

Or to put it another way, your typical modern RB is going to be 5'10-5'11 and 225-ish. (Not that exceeding those limits is necessarily a bad thing. )

 

[homersapien 11,357]

On 5/17/2018 at 3:36 PM, bigbird said:

Point out where anyone said Gus sucked or even crticized him at all. Your incessant need to defend, even when he's not being criticized, is tiresome. Fact is, while at AU, Gus has rarely called for an RB or TE screen. The overwhelming majority of the screen calls are wr screens. That's not criticism. That's fact.  Why try and defend against fact?

17 consecutive runs on first down?      Fact!

I can only hope Gus has a therapist.  (That knows football.)  

[cole256 17,042]

1 hour ago, Tiger Refuge said:

#runtover

The guy getting ran over is Jason Allen, my homie. Hated it for him but he turned out alright

[DAG 33,957]

51 minutes ago, cole256 said:

The guy getting ran over is Jason Allen, my homie. Hated it for him but he turned out alright

Cole how the heck do you run into all of these people ? Lol. 

[cole256 17,042]

8 hours ago, DAG said:

Cole how the heck do you run into all of these people ? Lol. 

Northwest Alabama when you're an athlete from around a one hour radius everybody will know everybody. Then as I got  older friends moved and went to college in b ham and bigger cities and you connect with people.

Then when I went to Auburn I was pretty well known for hooping in the ACT when the football players season over they want to come in and play the best people and you just get cool with everybody. Unfortunately you get into arguments with those people too lol. I was scared as hell one time when I messed around with a high profile player's girl. I didn't know she was with him, but I probably wouldn't have cared but still.....anyway I was nervous walking around campus.

Then my roommates were from Lilburn, GA and they know people. First friend I met was from Prattville and his best friend was on the team. So I literally would play video games with dudes on the team everyday. I was just ok in Madden but I was awesome in NCAA college football games they used to come out back then. Then I got a reputation from that. Did the Auburn practice team stuff for basketball met alot of people from that. Then I was part of nsbe a couple of guys from that. And my apartment one year was right above I guess one of the head guys of the que's so it was always alot of people at our apartment building.

But people I know they are usually northwest Alabama and Florence is my city. I remember Jason Allen was a little older but when Zach Gilbert first got on the team he was super cool with Quint Groves, and Ronnie Brown and Rosegreen. They came to Florence back home with him one time. Jason Allen was a super track guy too, high jumping,200 all that. They would do crazy stuff like see who could jump over cars and stuff like that. And we all kicked it. It's not much to do in a smaller town but the upside is whatever we decide to do everybody does it.

And especially if you're from the shoals area if you grew up around 6 years older and 6 years younger and you were decent enough to play with the best people your summers are meeting and playing EVERYBODY. 

 

And yeah....that's about it lol

[McLoofus 35,182]

It's crazy how athletics connect people socially. Whenever I'm in a new place, I immediately start looking for a local soccer pickup game. Immediate social network (although I'm mostly there for the soccer).

[kd4au 1,145]

9 hours ago, cole256 said:

The guy getting ran over is Jason Allen, my homie. Hated it for him but he turned out alright

I met Allen's mom a few years back at a doctors office and she told me Jason and Ronnie were good friends.

[McLoofus 35,182]

11 hours ago, homersapien said:

Interesting to think about the game's evolution. 

I think athleticism has generally gotten better.  So with more athletic defenses, it could be that low mass/pad level/agility  is more effective overall than speed/power.

Or to put it another way, your typical modern RB is going to be 5'10-5'11 and 225-ish. (Not that exceeding those limits is necessarily a bad thing. )

 

Yes! This is something I've theorized for awhile now. Defenses are too big *and* fast now- as @NorthGATiger said, most of the 6'0 230 speed freaks like Saquon Barkley play LB now- for all but the most elite big RBs to be able to run through *or* around them. A frame and skill set like Tre Mason's- or Leveon Bell's, or Shady McCoy's, or Jamaal Charles's- is just as valuable. Derrick Henry is a good NFL RB, but he's not the game changer that he was at bama because he doesn't have gaping holes to allow that truck to get up to highway speed before taking on a LB that's smaller than him. When it comes to getting through narrow gaps at the LoS in first gear, all that extra size is as much hindrance as asset IMO. 

And as far as holding up over a season, I think it's much more about a guy's density than his height or weight. Shivers, for example, is built like a brick dookie house and will hold up fine. 

Plus, force = mass x acceleration. Take away mass, less force in the collision, less violent collisions.

[Tiger Refuge 6,660]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

And as far as holding up over a season, I think it's much more about a guy's density than his height or weight. Shivers, for example, is built like a brick dookie house and will hold up fine. 

Plus, force = mass x acceleration. Take away mass, less force in the collision, less violent collisions.

All of this plus the ability to know when to initiate contact and when to avoid it. Running out of bounds isn’t always for sissies.

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

14 hours ago, homersapien said:

Interesting to think about the game's evolution. 

I think athleticism has generally gotten better.  So with more athletic defenses, it could be that low mass/pad level/agility  is more effective overall than speed/power.

Or to put it another way, your typical modern RB is going to be 5'10-5'11 and 225-ish. (Not that exceeding those limits is necessarily a bad thing. )

 

Thats just it.  I no longer think your typical guy is 225ish.  Just about all of them are 190-210 anymore

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

15 hours ago, Tiger Refuge said:

#runtover

That's the type of back I miss. 230 lbs. and athletic with speed.  Crazy to think that was 14 years ago.  Mario Fannin had the size and athleticism but was not a natural runner and had durability issues.  For his size he could move though.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

On 5/19/2018 at 7:08 AM, McLoofus said:

It's crazy how athletics connect people socially. Whenever I'm in a new place, I immediately start looking for a local soccer pickup game. Immediate social network (although I'm mostly there for the soccer).

Track stars, it would seem, are more loners, and

not as gregarious.

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

Track stars, it would seem, are more loners, and

not as gregarious.

Makes sense. Always trying to run away from each other and what not. 

[toddc 13,194]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Makes sense. Always trying to run away from each other and what not. 

On the other hand they are chasing each other!  Just saying!