All Sooner Team

[sooner59]

I have been trying to put together an all OU football team, but in all honesty I am biased toward more recent sooner teams. Therefore, I am interested in hearing some all sooner teams (only college careers) from you all who have witnessed more teams than I have. Here is mine. Please feel free to critique it. And I am aware that not all of the players are in postition, but I had to put them in somewhere.

Offense:
QB: Jason White
RB: Adrian Peterson
RB: Billy Sims
TE: Keith Jackson
WR: Mark Clayton
WR: Malcom Kelly
LT: Phil Loadholt
LG: Duke Robinson
C: Bubba Burcham
RG: Frank Romero
RT: Jammal Brown

Defense:
DE: Dan Cody
DE: Jonathan Jackson
DL: Tommie Harris
DL: Lee Roy Selmon
LB: Brian Bosworth
LB: Rocky Calmus
LB: Teddy Lehman
CB: Derrick Strait
CB: Andre Woolfolk
FS: J.T. Thatcher
SS: Roy Williams

Special Teams:
KR: Joe Washington
PR: Antonio Perkins
PK: Uwe Von Schamann
P: Jeff Ferguson (for the heads up safety in the N.C. game)

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Great. Thanks for paying attention. n00b.














:P ;)

Kidding of course....

http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2287166#post2287166

IMHO:

So I'm attempting Everest... so what!?!?

OFFENSE

QB-Jimmie Harris. Tough not to vote for our only Heisman guy, Jason White, at the position. And I grew up in the that magical QB wishbone era of Mildren, Davis, Lott, Watts, Bradley, Hollieway, and Thompson. But Jimmie never lost a game. Nor ever tied one. No losses, no ties, all wins....in three years. That's "three" as in 3! Put him in a modern passing system and you somehow quantify a guy like that wouldn't put it all together to do the same. Likewise he was a burner ... You don't think he could either turn it up between defenders or make that last second pitch? Good luck.

RB-Billy Sims. Still the best ever. His injury with Detroit under today's modern medical repair standards would have had him back on the field in a maximum of 18 months. In between the time that he was a TX HS legend and that last year of his career, no RB was ever more powerful and electrifying.

RB-Adrian Peterson. AD... All Day! He is one of the greats. AD is 1A to Billy's 1. And yes, it is open to debate, as in there's a chance he could be considered clear Number 1. He is the perfect hybrid of Billy and Steve Owens. Good gravy I hope he stays healthy in the NFL.

WR-Mark Clayton. Simply electrifying. Defenses could not find him because he was a ghost on the field, popping up out of the turf when you least expected. And as soon as he caught it he just disappeared... until you turned your eye to the EZ, which is exactly where he was. Forgive me Eddie Hinton, Billy Brooks, Tinker Owens and others.

FL (Slot WR)-Tommy MacDonald. NFL HOF... anyone? How about the Golden Boy himself, Paul Hornung, saying Tommy was the guy that deserved the little stiff-arming statuette. There's another guy I probably should put here.... but I have a "Special" place for him... has to do with "smoke through a keyhole."

TE- Keith Jackson. Hmmm, no NE LB or DB could chase down a 268 TE from behind. A Super Bowl Ring. I guess he was ok....

OT (Left) - Jammal Brown. A true dominator. Outland. All Pro. To date he is the best ever at OU. I stand by that.

OG (Left) - Terry Crouch. Two time All-American at OU that would have won all the major award had some dude named Remington not been playing in the NE hinterlands. It's tough to pass over a J.D. Roberts...Outland Trophy winner. But my impression is with even modern S&T methods, J.D. would not have been in Crouch's league. He was that good. Quick... name all the backs that ran through the holes he opened.

C- Jerry Tubbs. I wanted, desperately to put him on D. He may very well have been one of the first modern era NFL-sized LB's at 6'1" or 2" and 205-220(outside of a Nitschke or Nagurski.) But he played in the two-way era. And at Center is where he was a two-time All-American, Walter Camp Player of the Year trophy winner, and UPI player of the year winner. He was ahead of his time for size and speed.

OG (Right) - Greg Roberts. (Ok, two Roberts from Oklahoma with Outland Trophies... <Tracy Morgan> That's CRAZY!</Tracy Morgan> ) All-American dominator, Outland Trophy winner. And see Terry Crouch comment re backs that ran through the holes he opened. That is to say, in both cases, the backs were phenomenal... But how did they get to the second level in the opposing defense where they could display their skills?

OT (Right) - Jim Weatherall. Tough, tough pick... Thought about the U.S.S Vaughn and others.... But the nod has to go to Big Jim. ANOTHER OU All-American and Outland Trophy Winner in the early days of Bud. And to all accounts I've read, absolutley dominating.

PK... Uh.. Uwe Von Schamman. Done.

P/K R... Joe Washington. Done. (psst. Smoke. Through Said Keyhole.)


DEFENSE

LDE - Kevin Murphy. All-American and freak of a performer. He could chase them down from all over the field. Or just stuff the run with some vicious hits. It is hard not giving this to Darrell Reed. But I think Murph is probably the greatest pure Weak Side DE to ever play at OU. Though, there was some dude on the Strong Side below who I think we can agree is probably the greatest defender ever at OU.

LT - Tommie Harris. This All-American and Lombardi Award winner and All-Pro was pretty good, I guess.

RT - Tony Casillas. This All-American and Lombardi Award winner and Super Bowl Ring winner was pretty good, I guess.

RDE - Lee Roy Selmon. Sure... I guess... whatever.

WLB- Rod Shoate. The definitive WLB... 3-time consensus All-American, was one of the most intimidating players of the terrorizing defenses of '72, '73 and '74. If there'd been a Butkus, he would have owned one.

MLB- Brian Bosworth. Boz. The first two time winner of the Butkus. The only two time winner of the Butkus. At this point, given the era, I don't care about the steroids stigma. The man owned the football field. And he did single-handedly at times frighten the opposing team into quitting.

SLB- Teddy Lehman. It is with a great deal of hesitation that I make this pick. Oh yeah, two time AA, Butkus award winner. But I thought long and hard about George Cumby. Teddy's S&T resources were undoubtedly better than Cumby's. So on the surface the comparison is unfair. On the other, given their heights and weights there is little evidence that Cumby could have run with Lehman on a track. Really big. Really fast. Butkus.

RCB- Derrick Straight. Thorpe. Nagurski. And he was so increadibly consistent. Might be the best DB ever overall.

SS- Roy Williams. Superman. Thorpe. I don't know how one could argue against it.

FS- Ricky Dixon. Thorpe. And he was so good... a "shutdown" DB even defending those fancified passing offenses when he was most consistently playing in a "run first, second, and last" league.

LCB- Billy Vessels. And you were gonna Biatch that I left our #1 Heisman guy off the list. Every account I've read states that while he is listed as an RB in his award of the Heisman, the real reason that he won it was he was the most fearsome defender in all of college football that year. I'll break out the word "vicious" again. Apparently he took no quarter.

P- Darrell K Royal. Go ahead and boo. He was one of our greatest ever. He excelled a every skill position on the field. And he was a helluva P by all accounts. Tim Duncan was so very clutch, and a darn good ST player. For my money, nobody ever boomed them as high and as far as Mike Winchester. But Royal gave the punt team a whole diferent dimension.

[sooner94]

Man, is it tough to pick the best player at each position! Too many to choose from, but that is a nice problem to have.

I like the pick of Jerry Tubbs at Center. That dude could play. He was one of the biggest stars we pulled out of the state of Texas.

[sooner59]

Haha, true. I actually remember this thread, so I should know better. You got me there. Although I will say that I like your perspective on the subject. Its makes a lot of sense. Anyone else that wants to chime in, go ahead. Even thought this is sort of a repeat thread, all I have right now is tennis and baseball and thats just sad so give me something football to think about. Im so ready for football season....sigh.

[goingoneight]

Don't forget Lydell Carr!!! :D

Sorry...

If you used two TE's, who's your #2 guy? Gresh? Smith?

I think this solely rests on what style offense and defense you run, and probably who you're playing also. Jason White ain't a wishbone QB... even with good knees, and Jack Mildren ain't leading the nation in pass efficiency unless he's only throwing three passes a game or less.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

....tennis and baseball and thats just sad so give me something football to think about. Im so ready for football season....sigh.

GAH! Mah man (or girl?)... THAT is so on. Good Lawd we are in the sports abyss right now. Sure, the Olympics, with esp. Johnny Horton, will help. And really... Tennis? Ok... Frenchie...;) ... if that is what it takes to get you past the remaining 'No Tiger Majors." And of course there is only one major "Talledega-type" event remaining.

But there is a little baseball.

And, for football we are now well under 30 days for camp (D1A) and games (pre-season NFL)... there is hope.

[sooner59]

I can appreciate good golf (Tiger in the U.S. Open) and good tennis (see Federer-Nadal in Wimbledon) but nothing is like football. Im sure you can agree. I just cant wait for NCAA football. Im ready for the 2008 run for #8.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

Don't forget Lydell Carr!!! :D

Sorry...

If you used two TE's, who's your #2 guy? Gresh? Smith?

I think this solely rests on what style offense and defense you run, and probably who you're playing also. Jason White ain't a wishbone QB... even with good knees, and Jack Mildren ain't leading the nation in pass efficiency unless he's only throwing three passes a game or less.

Resurrection of right-said-Fred-thread.....

I'll never forget Lydell.

Lydell's aunt baby-sat me when I was little in Enid. Plus, he was such a good guy from what I remember, though I really didn't know him at all. Oh... and I heard he was good with the rock. One of my personal faves...

I'll answer that one for goingoneight....

just 'cause I'm bored...:D

Keith Jackson
Stephen Alexander
Trent Smith
Ben Hart
Forrest Valora
Jermaine Gresham....
Joe Jon Finley
Brody Eldridge

... and... if Mr. Gresham puts it all together this year he could shoot up.... considerably....as in passing Alexander. But he'll have to stay his Sr. year to pass Jackson. So odds aren't in favor...

I already hear "Why Forrest Valora that high?". GREAT blocker. Capable receiver in the wishbone. Clutch in maybe my favorite OU bowl game ever. So there.

Which means Brody could shoot up considerably. Has OU ever had a more capable... marauding... utility guy? He's a beast.

At this position, at this time, we are really lucky. We are seeing a group of good ones go through from Smith to Finley (VERY underrated IMHO) and Gresham and Eldridge.

[soonerboy_odanorth]

And can I have a shout out to the increadible OU receivers of the Veer-run-dominated-I-Wishbone eras from the 50's through early 90's.... like 40, or so, years....

And these names are still great:

Eddie Hinton
Tinker Owens
Corey Warren
Albert Hall
Jarrail Jackson
Derrick Shepard
Buster Rhymes
P.J. Mills

How good would some of those guys been in the offenses Stoops has put on the field. I think specifically of Jarrail on those deadly slip-screens from Josh. That would have been... nasty.

[badger]

Why do recent players always seem to receive more kudos for doing the same things players before them did? This happens all the time, like 2004 USC calling themselves the greatest ever, which was preceeded by 2001 Miami calling themselves the greatest ever, preceeded by 1995 Nebraska calling themselves the greatest ever.

We need a BCS for historic purposes so people stop voting for all the recent accomplishments! ;)

[KantoSooner]

Ah! Buster Rhymes in a Stoops offense. Now THERE would be some havin' of fun.
I watched the guy work out and I don't believe I ever saw a stronger human being, pound for pound. Or anyone with much more 'football speed'.
A true freak of nature. 'Buster, the man with the Luster'

[Soonersince57]

P/K R... Joe Washington. Done. (psst. Smoke. Through Said Keyhole.)



My favorite. Others backs may have been better, but he was the most fun to watch.