As I was driving down I-10 today, I reflected on some of the second chances I have gotten over the course of my life. I also remembered the people along the way that gave me every chance to prove myself even though I did not have the pedigree of the type of person that normally gets that opportunity. I wouldn’t be where I am today without those breaks. This is what the Texas vs. the Nation game is all about – giving players that are overlooked or shunned by the powers that be in the draft process a chance to prove themselves to NFL scouts.
Most of these guys will not get drafted and will have to fight their way onto a roster. Still, don’t think there isn’t talent here. More than twenty of the guys I will watch this week have combine invites. Many were highly recruited and transferred from larger programs because their path was blocked, or were dismissed from their team. Others dominated, just not at the 1-A level.
This game is also important because the 3rd tier of all star games is ever shrinking. Rumor has it that we witnessed the last Hula Bowl. The Intajuice North South All-Star Classic put few people in the stands. The Las Vegas All-American Classic was cancelled due to financial problems and will likely not be back. As the number of success stories about players coming out of obscurity grows, the number of opportunities they get is dwindling. These 3rd tier games pump lifeblood into the “Rocky” stories that remind us that will and determination can overcome long odds.
Here are just a few of the more interesting players on each squad that I will be highlighting in my practice coverage:
Texas
• Josh Swogger, QB, Montana – Swogger lost out to Alex Brink at Washington State and transferred to Montana for the 2006 season. Former Wazzu coach Mike Price used one of “exceptions” to put Swogger on the Texas team even though he’s not from Texas. He’s a big QB listed anywhere from 6’3” 225 to 6’5” 254. Swogger has been invited to the combine
• Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas College – Taylor was Texas’s own version of Reggie Bush when they beat Bush’s team for the national championship in the 2006 Rose Bowl. His college career came to a screeching halt in a bizarre incident that saw Taylor call police to report a broken window in his truck, only for them to find five pounds of marijuana.
• Paul Mosley, RB, Baylor – Mosley is a 6’3” 236 lb. back with speed, but he was stuck in the spread offense this year at Baylor.
• Marcus Mason, RB, Youngstown St – Mason was a 1-AA All American this year. He transferred to the school Jim Tressel used to coach from Illinois after 2004.
• James Finley, WR, Oregon – Finley was a top recruit on the west coast coming out of prep school and one of Oregon’s leading receivers in 2005 and 2006. He has an NFL WR frame and a combine invite.
• Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern – Barbre is a versatile, athletic OT who garnered d2football.com All American honors and a combine invite.
• Kurt Quarterman, OG, Louisville – Quarterman tips the scales in the mid 300’s, but he can pass block with the best of them with surprising quickness and speed. Kurt was named to the All Big East First Team and All American 3rd team.
• Michael McFadden, DE/OLB, Grand Valley State – All time Division II sack leader, two time All American, and two time Gene Upshaw Award winner (given to best D2 lineman).
• Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi CC – This man mountain (6’5” 335) was heavily recruited but left Oklahoma State early in his college career. He can reportedly run in 4.8-4.9 range.
• Quintin Echols, DT, Kansas St – Echols put on a show at the Shrine Game and will be looking to continue to improve his draft stock.
Nation
• Justin Rascati, QB, James Madison – Rascati saw the writing the wall and transferred from Louisville in 2004. He has been a sensation at the 1-AA level and earned a reputation as an intense, accurate, mobile QB.
• Jeff Smith, QB, Georgetown (Ky.) – Smith has ideal NFL QB size at 6’6” 240 and looked like he had the potential to be an intriguing project in the NFL during the Intajuice North-South All Star Classic
• Justise Hairston, RB, Central Connecticut State – You can’t blame Hairston for transferring from Rutgers if you’ve watched Ray Rice play. Hairston led Division 1-AA in rushing this year.
• Justin Vincent, RB, LSU – Turn back the clock to 2003 and you would have predicted that Vincent would be a surefire first day pick when he came out. Injuries and other quality RBs at LSU have sidetracked his career.
• Gary Russell, RB, Minnesota – Russell looked just as good, if not better, than Laurence Maroney at Minnesota. School is not his forte, but you can’t say the same about his ability to tote the rock.
• Brian Stokes, FB, Appalachian State – Stokes served two tours of duty in Iraq and has been decorated with a purple heart.
• Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern – This junior led all of Division I-AA (and Division 1-A) with 103 receptions this year. He’s extremely athletic, with a reported 40 time anywhere from 4.35 to 4.4, an 11 foot broad jump, and a 40 inch vertical.
• Ryan Moore, WR, Miami-Florida – Moore was an elite recruit out of high school, but his career has been stifled by off the field issues. He’s a big (6’3” 225) WR who reportedly runs around 4.5. He will be at the NFL Combine.
• Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida – Widely considered an elite physical talent at defensive tackle, Thomas was kicked off the Gators this year due to a drug problem.
• Taurean Charles, LB, Bethune-Cookman – Once highly recruited by Florida, Charles was dismissed from the team after an incident at a party that resulted in him being charged with a felony, which was later reduced to culpable negligence, a misdemeanor. He was also the subject of a documentary “The Year of the Bull” while in high school in the poor Liberty City section of Miami.
This game is about rising and falling draft stocks, and sleepers to listen for on the second day of the draft, but it is also about longshots and kids looking for redemption, human stories that go beyond the football field.
Tomorrow: Weigh-in results and day one of practice
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ . The game will be telecast on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST on Friday, February 2.
Most of these guys will not get drafted and will have to fight their way onto a roster. Still, don’t think there isn’t talent here. More than twenty of the guys I will watch this week have combine invites. Many were highly recruited and transferred from larger programs because their path was blocked, or were dismissed from their team. Others dominated, just not at the 1-A level.
This game is also important because the 3rd tier of all star games is ever shrinking. Rumor has it that we witnessed the last Hula Bowl. The Intajuice North South All-Star Classic put few people in the stands. The Las Vegas All-American Classic was cancelled due to financial problems and will likely not be back. As the number of success stories about players coming out of obscurity grows, the number of opportunities they get is dwindling. These 3rd tier games pump lifeblood into the “Rocky” stories that remind us that will and determination can overcome long odds.
Here are just a few of the more interesting players on each squad that I will be highlighting in my practice coverage:
Texas
• Josh Swogger, QB, Montana – Swogger lost out to Alex Brink at Washington State and transferred to Montana for the 2006 season. Former Wazzu coach Mike Price used one of “exceptions” to put Swogger on the Texas team even though he’s not from Texas. He’s a big QB listed anywhere from 6’3” 225 to 6’5” 254. Swogger has been invited to the combine
• Ramonce Taylor, RB, Texas College – Taylor was Texas’s own version of Reggie Bush when they beat Bush’s team for the national championship in the 2006 Rose Bowl. His college career came to a screeching halt in a bizarre incident that saw Taylor call police to report a broken window in his truck, only for them to find five pounds of marijuana.
• Paul Mosley, RB, Baylor – Mosley is a 6’3” 236 lb. back with speed, but he was stuck in the spread offense this year at Baylor.
• Marcus Mason, RB, Youngstown St – Mason was a 1-AA All American this year. He transferred to the school Jim Tressel used to coach from Illinois after 2004.
• James Finley, WR, Oregon – Finley was a top recruit on the west coast coming out of prep school and one of Oregon’s leading receivers in 2005 and 2006. He has an NFL WR frame and a combine invite.
• Allen Barbre, OT, Missouri Southern – Barbre is a versatile, athletic OT who garnered d2football.com All American honors and a combine invite.
• Kurt Quarterman, OG, Louisville – Quarterman tips the scales in the mid 300’s, but he can pass block with the best of them with surprising quickness and speed. Kurt was named to the All Big East First Team and All American 3rd team.
• Michael McFadden, DE/OLB, Grand Valley State – All time Division II sack leader, two time All American, and two time Gene Upshaw Award winner (given to best D2 lineman).
• Walter Thomas, DT, NW Mississippi CC – This man mountain (6’5” 335) was heavily recruited but left Oklahoma State early in his college career. He can reportedly run in 4.8-4.9 range.
• Quintin Echols, DT, Kansas St – Echols put on a show at the Shrine Game and will be looking to continue to improve his draft stock.
Nation
• Justin Rascati, QB, James Madison – Rascati saw the writing the wall and transferred from Louisville in 2004. He has been a sensation at the 1-AA level and earned a reputation as an intense, accurate, mobile QB.
• Jeff Smith, QB, Georgetown (Ky.) – Smith has ideal NFL QB size at 6’6” 240 and looked like he had the potential to be an intriguing project in the NFL during the Intajuice North-South All Star Classic
• Justise Hairston, RB, Central Connecticut State – You can’t blame Hairston for transferring from Rutgers if you’ve watched Ray Rice play. Hairston led Division 1-AA in rushing this year.
• Justin Vincent, RB, LSU – Turn back the clock to 2003 and you would have predicted that Vincent would be a surefire first day pick when he came out. Injuries and other quality RBs at LSU have sidetracked his career.
• Gary Russell, RB, Minnesota – Russell looked just as good, if not better, than Laurence Maroney at Minnesota. School is not his forte, but you can’t say the same about his ability to tote the rock.
• Brian Stokes, FB, Appalachian State – Stokes served two tours of duty in Iraq and has been decorated with a purple heart.
• Maurice Price, WR, Charleston Southern – This junior led all of Division I-AA (and Division 1-A) with 103 receptions this year. He’s extremely athletic, with a reported 40 time anywhere from 4.35 to 4.4, an 11 foot broad jump, and a 40 inch vertical.
• Ryan Moore, WR, Miami-Florida – Moore was an elite recruit out of high school, but his career has been stifled by off the field issues. He’s a big (6’3” 225) WR who reportedly runs around 4.5. He will be at the NFL Combine.
• Marcus Thomas, DT, Florida – Widely considered an elite physical talent at defensive tackle, Thomas was kicked off the Gators this year due to a drug problem.
• Taurean Charles, LB, Bethune-Cookman – Once highly recruited by Florida, Charles was dismissed from the team after an incident at a party that resulted in him being charged with a felony, which was later reduced to culpable negligence, a misdemeanor. He was also the subject of a documentary “The Year of the Bull” while in high school in the poor Liberty City section of Miami.
This game is about rising and falling draft stocks, and sleepers to listen for on the second day of the draft, but it is also about longshots and kids looking for redemption, human stories that go beyond the football field.
Tomorrow: Weigh-in results and day one of practice
For more information, go to http://texasvsthenation.cstv.com/ . The game will be telecast on CSTV at 10 pm EST/7 pm PST on Friday, February 2.
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hopefully the football gods will smile on a few of these kids this week.
Kid has talent though, and there's no doubt he would have been an NFL player if not for that incident. Sick speed. State record in the long jump in high school. He'll pop off a legit 4.3, and that kind of speed will entice some team into giving him a shot. Texas sure missed his big play ability this year.
