What's your all time UK offensive team
- Thread starter TopCatCal
- Start date
I agree with your last sentence, but we have had a few real stars at a lot of positions that have faded from memory. Sam Ball was a first round pick in the NFL draft in 66, lot of talent on that team, his running mate Doug Davis was a fifth round pick, and there were only 16 NFL teams then, so that would be third round today. Windsor was a tight end picked in the 2nd round, along with Norton at QB, and Kestner was picked in the third round. And I believe Rodger Bird might have been the number one pick but he went #1 to Oakland in the AFL instead. Alas, Charlie ran off all the depth, and when Norton went down it killed us.
To emphasize your point the VERY good offensive team we had in 07 started an OL that averaged BELOW a 5.2 as commits, but one of the lowest rated, Gary Williams played in the NFL for over a decade I believe and he was rated a 5.1 coming in.
The quality of our OL recruiting is amazing considering our recent history in recruiting the position.
To emphasize your point the VERY good offensive team we had in 07 started an OL that averaged BELOW a 5.2 as commits, but one of the lowest rated, Gary Williams played in the NFL for over a decade I believe and he was rated a 5.1 coming in.
The quality of our OL recruiting is amazing considering our recent history in recruiting the position.
Tim Couch
Sonny Collins/ Mo Williams
Cobb/Yeast
James Whalen
Dermonti Dawson/Warren Bryant/ Sam Ball/Todd Perry/Larry Warford
My personal favorites:
QB- Derek Ramsey
RB- George Adams
WR- Stevey Johnson
TE- Jacob Tamme
OL- Kenny Roark
Sonny Collins/ Mo Williams
Cobb/Yeast
James Whalen
Dermonti Dawson/Warren Bryant/ Sam Ball/Todd Perry/Larry Warford
My personal favorites:
QB- Derek Ramsey
RB- George Adams
WR- Stevey Johnson
TE- Jacob Tamme
OL- Kenny Roark
> Hard to compare old era with new era players but Babe Parilli was probably UK's most successful QB as both a collegian and a pro.
> I have to put Mo Williams at the top of the RB list.
> TE is a tough one to call because the position has changed over the years. Tamme (and Whelan as I remember) were seldom lined up as attached TEs, mostly as slot type receivers in a flex position. Very productive but not really TEs.
> Might be a bit early to lump Toth in with those 4 guys. Irv Goode (1st round pick and 13 years in the League) might be a better pick right now.
Peace
C: Toth
OG: Warren Bryant
OG: Dermonti Dawson
OT: Mike Pfeifer
OT: Garry Williams
TE: Tamme
WR: Cobb
WR: Yeast
QB: Couch
RB: Moe Williams
RB: Mark Higgs
When doing this it became obvious how weak UK has been at OT over the years. Really not a lot of NFL type talent there over the years.. Pfeifer would have been but for his injury. Although he's a former walk-on and still doesn't get much respect, imo, Mosier has a chance of making this list. Landon Young definitely has a chance too. Could see Benny Snell making it also in a few years.
OG: Warren Bryant
OG: Dermonti Dawson
OT: Mike Pfeifer
OT: Garry Williams
TE: Tamme
WR: Cobb
WR: Yeast
QB: Couch
RB: Moe Williams
RB: Mark Higgs
When doing this it became obvious how weak UK has been at OT over the years. Really not a lot of NFL type talent there over the years.. Pfeifer would have been but for his injury. Although he's a former walk-on and still doesn't get much respect, imo, Mosier has a chance of making this list. Landon Young definitely has a chance too. Could see Benny Snell making it also in a few years.
Well considering Abney didn't play in 2008-2009. Guess who did? Derrick Locke. Guess who was the teams leading return man in those seasons. Derrick Locke. Abney played in 2002. Which is what I said.
You are maybe to young but their was a guy named Steve Mellinger that was pretty good back in the day maybe all-american even.Whalen wasn't bad.
Punter, Glen Pakulak...Probably didnt spell his name right. Ray Guy on steroids...Andre Woodson, Anthony White, Rafael Little, Burton/Yeast, Tamme, Toth, Scharlman, Hall, Dawson, (forget his name, the kid who died in the horrific car accident offensive lineman) qb 2nd mention Jared Lo...Freddie Maggard
Sorry, I know you only mentioned offense....But got too mention on defense..I really liked the way Jeff Snedagar
Whalen was named an "SEC Legend" in 2016. He was an All-American as well as All-SEC. Tamme had a better career but Whalen had the best season by a UK TE. Both were great players.
http://www.ukathletics.com/news/james-whalen-named-kentucky-s-sec-football-legend-10-04-2016
Although he played Center for the Falcons, at UK he was a Defensive End. Only us old guys remember that.
I'll go with just players beginning in the Hal Mumme era since that's when I started watching all of the games.
QB - Tim Couch
RB - Moe Williams, Artose Pinner
WR - Craig Yeast, Randall Cobb
TE - James Whalen
OT - Antonio Hall, Gary Williams
OG - Larry Warford, Jason Rollins
C - Jon Toth
K - Austin MacGinnis
KR - Derek Abney
QB - Tim Couch
RB - Moe Williams, Artose Pinner
WR - Craig Yeast, Randall Cobb
TE - James Whalen
OT - Antonio Hall, Gary Williams
OG - Larry Warford, Jason Rollins
C - Jon Toth
K - Austin MacGinnis
KR - Derek Abney
I'm not saying I necessarily disagree, but it seems like Couch gets ALL the love on these types of posts. I honestly think Woodson may be the best QB I saw play at UK. I think his arm was stronger than TC's, and he delivered in some clutch moments. (Obviously I think he had better players surrounding him, but to me it's almost a tossup.)
Did Van Note play center at UK? Thought he played a different position, maybe even DE and RB? I remember him some as a NFL center but not at UK. Similarly, Will Grant had a long career (more than 10 years) in the NFL and was a longtime starting center in the NFL but I don't remember if he played Center at UK. Believe he did. Seem to remember Dave Hopewell as the starting C around that time but he may have graduated by the great 1977 team or was hurt. Remember Rick Nuzum was an All-American C in the early to mid 1970s but he didn't do much in the NFL as I recall. Would think Will Grant would get some consideration based upon how good the 1977 offensive line was and his long career in the NFL.
As for Couch vs. Woodson, Woodson definitely had bigger wins but he had better players around him too. As good as Whalen was, and he was arguably better as a college TE in Mumme's system than Tamme was under Brooks, Tamme had a much longer NFL career. Stevie Johnson, Keenan Burton and Dickie Lyons were better than Yeast and company. I think Couch would have won those big games too with that talent around him. Couch was uniquely gifted and would have had a long NFL career but for injuries. Saw him and the Browns beat the Titans in Nashville in OT where he was pretty amazing
As for Couch vs. Woodson, Woodson definitely had bigger wins but he had better players around him too. As good as Whalen was, and he was arguably better as a college TE in Mumme's system than Tamme was under Brooks, Tamme had a much longer NFL career. Stevie Johnson, Keenan Burton and Dickie Lyons were better than Yeast and company. I think Couch would have won those big games too with that talent around him. Couch was uniquely gifted and would have had a long NFL career but for injuries. Saw him and the Browns beat the Titans in Nashville in OT where he was pretty amazing
That's a good point about Couch. TC was talented but he was also the product of a "system" that featured simple routes and high volume practice reps and in game throws. Other QBs also put up huge numbers in Mumme's Air Raid game as well. His biggest problem in the pros (aside from being an unfortunate 1st round pick by an expansion team that should have traded the pick for journeyman players) was he just did not read the defenses well and had minimal success throwing the ball down the field.
Peace
Tim's problem in the pros was that the Browns used their top draft picks for defense. He had few offensive play-makers and a junk offensive line. He took a weekly pounding that ultimately shortened his career.
Ain't it the truth!
Peace
And it is getting worse. I read a few days ago that the amount of data in the world is doubling every two years, an amazing fact that seems impossible to me.
By studying hard and never looking up I had "learnt" everything there is to know a couple of days ago, so I decided to take a day off. and now I am so far behind I will never catch up. And one of the hardest things I have had to learn in life is never to exaggerate.
Can you imagine how many trillions of 1s and 0s it takes to put together just this one site we take for granted? And then there's google, and------
Parilli
Sonny Collins/Williams
Cobb/Burke
Tamme
Dawson/Warford/Bryant/Schlarman/Michaels
Blanda
Abney
Sonny Collins/Williams
Cobb/Burke
Tamme
Dawson/Warford/Bryant/Schlarman/Michaels
Blanda
Abney
IN MY LIFETIME
1 Quarterback
Couch
Woodson
Lorenzen
2 Running Backs
George Adams
Boom Williams
Moe Williams
forgetting the two really good backs Claiborne had in the 80's right now -- both played pro
I'll remember and get them on here soon......CANT BELIEVE I FOROGOT THEI R NRAMWE!!!!
2 Wide Receivers
Craig Yeast
Derek Abney
Steven Johnson
1 Tight End
Tamme
CJ Conrad
5 Offensive Linemen
All the good ones
Jeff Van Note and Dermonti Dawson have to be on there though
1 Kicker
The guy that kicked for Coach Curry and played pro for like -- 29 years 00 Whorley?
1 Kick Returner
Abney
1 Quarterback
Couch
Woodson
Lorenzen
2 Running Backs
George Adams
Boom Williams
Moe Williams
forgetting the two really good backs Claiborne had in the 80's right now -- both played pro
I'll remember and get them on here soon......CANT BELIEVE I FOROGOT THEI R NRAMWE!!!!
2 Wide Receivers
Craig Yeast
Derek Abney
Steven Johnson
1 Tight End
Tamme
CJ Conrad
5 Offensive Linemen
All the good ones
Jeff Van Note and Dermonti Dawson have to be on there though
1 Kicker
The guy that kicked for Coach Curry and played pro for like -- 29 years 00 Whorley?
1 Kick Returner
Abney
How about Dickie Lyons Sr, Jr was only rated a 4.9 by Rivals, without Sr he would never have got an offer at UK.
I will never forget the 4.9's one TD catch where the replay showed he got his toe down in the end zone, and the block where he destroyed the LSU star.
We are sort of saying the same thing here. The expansion Browns made a terrible mistake by drafting a "franchise QB" with the #1 pick. There are so many other things an expansion team needs and QB drafts are historically crap shoots. Trade that pick and get some journeyman NFL players. Look for your franchise guy a few years later. Who knows what might have happened had Couch been given the opportunity to develop and learn an NFL passing game as a back up on another team rather than thrown to the wolves as a rookie on an expansion team.
Peace
Didn't one of the Michaels boys (Lou or Walt) play on the off. line? I think Walt played both ways maybe. That was a long time ago, Lol
I don't think the Browns made a mistake at the time. The plan was to sit and develop Couch but when the starter got hurt 3 or 4 games in that plan went out the window. Couch or no one for that matter can throw from their back. That boy took a beating for a number of years. He didn't help himself by trying to extend plays and run with the ball also.
