Underrated Players

[Leroy Lizard]

I've got the flu and can't sleep.

Who are the most underrated players we have had over the years? I can think of a few.

1. Rotnei Anderson -- super athlete who, IMO, should have started over Lydell Carr. (Not that anyone in here will agree with me.)

2. Brandon Daniels -- did everything that was asked of him. Could have been a superstar under a different coaching staff.

3. Steve Collins -- people forget that his 1989 offense was one of the most productive of the 80s. (In fact, I think they rank #2 of all teams during that decade.) Very good QB who simply didn't have a style that suited the coaching staff.

4. The Cabbinesses -- great wide receivers, especially in the clutch.

5. Earl Johnson -- we always forget the fullbacks. He may have been the best we have ever had.

6. Steve Davis -- highly regarded, but not high enough. Pure winner who always made good decisions and had a good combination of speed and size.

[olevetonahill]

Spencer Tillman

[pb4ou]

Mike Gaddis

[Leroy Lizard]

I'm not so sure about Tillman and Gaddis. Tillman has been given a lot of due, and still does. Gaddis didn't play very long.

[adoniijahsooner]

Lendy Holmes

[WA. Sooner]

Buster

[AlbqSooner]

Eric Mitchell

[sooneredaco]

Q

[EnragedOUfan]

Iglesias, Johnson

[oudavid1]

Lendy Holmes lettered in 5 sports in highschool. But i would say Brian Jackosn, covered Jordan Shipley and Dez Briscoe, he really stepped up this year

[adoniijahsooner]

Lendy Holmes lettered in 5 sports in highschool. But i would say Brian Jackosn, covered Jordan Shipley and Dez Briscoe, he really stepped up this year

What does that have to do with what he accomplished on the field at OU?

[KantoSooner]

Buster

YES!

[soonerinabilene]

Matt McCoy
Gute
James Allen

[Sooner04]

1. Rotnei Anderson -- super athlete who, IMO, should have started over Lydell Carr. (Not that anyone in here will agree with me.)
Rotnei was good but he had the fumbling problem. I think the coaching staff lost their trust in him. He certainly came up big in the GOTC II.

[rawlingsHOH]

I agree about Holmes, he did a very good job.

Other guys I think are underrated...

Brandon Everage - more than a big hitter, he was the glue to that secondary in 02 and 03, a quarterback back there.

Reggie Smith (the DB) - was a blanket at corner in 07.

Brody Eldridge - unreal at the point of attack. He's a guy we will really miss. I guess too early to tell how his legacy will be viewed in the eye of the fan.

Chijioke Onyenegecha - never lived up to the hype coming in, but was actually a very good corner for the 05 conference season.

Kory Klein - held his ground at the 1-technique, drew double-teams, allowing guys like Calmus, Marshall, Lehman, Mitchell to roam free.

[My Opinion Matters]

Brent Rawls.

[Sooner04]

Brandon Everage - more than a big hitter, he was the glue to that secondary in 02 and 03, a quarterback back there.
Well, I'll give you this: when he was bad the whole defense suffered. He tackled like a quarterback too. ;)

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Brent Rawls.

True....Made falling out of the back of a truck an art form

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Well, I'll give you this: when he was bad the whole defense suffered. He tackled like a quarterback too. ;)

Agreed....He was good in run support but bit worse than Lewis Baker at play action..

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Depends on who is doing the "underrated".....probably the most underrated players where on those early 80's Switzer teams that struggled and during the blake era...

[Sonner magic923]

torrance marshall...not so much by sooner fans but i just felt like he never got any talk nation wide largely bcuz he was playing next to rocky calmus but he seemed to really give the d an attitude u know...im trying hard not to use a certain word

[sooneron]

Mike Winchester

[JLEW1818]

Iglesias, Johnson

+130433

I was totally wrong about them.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Mike Winchester

great punter

[rawlingsHOH]

Iglesias, Johnson
Johnson was great at the start of his senior year, but had a TON of drops after that nasty elbow injury. Though still made the catch of the year against Tech, amazing!

Iglesias had an overall very solid senior year. Though I'd like to have seen him compete a little better for the ball. I don't see him as a next-level player, I thought he was a "reach" in the 3rd round.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Kenyon Rasheed

[SoonerFrance]

Matt O'Neil. Really appreciated how he would nearly always snap the ball for a free play the instant a defensive lineman crossed into the neutral zone. Smart player. Add Frank Romero - totally neutralized the FSU All-American DE. Toss in Howard Duncan, while we're at it.

[BoulderSooner79]

Johnson was great at the start of his senior year, but had a TON of drops after that nasty elbow injury. Though still made the catch of the year against Tech, amazing!

Iglesias had an overall very solid senior year. Though I'd like to have seen him compete a little better for the ball. I don't see him as a next-level player, I thought he was a "reach" in the 3rd round.

Gotta give Johnson the benefit of the doubt - that brace had to affect his timing on getting his hands into position.

I'd like to have seen Iglesias compete better for one pass in particular and I'd be happy :(

[NormanPride]

Frank Romero was a badass. I vote Kory Klein though. Dude was the glue on that championship DL.

[JLEW1818]

excluding Broyles.

I'd take Johnson and Iglesias 23898739857328 times before i took another WR on our team.

[rawlingsHOH]

Matt O'Neil. Really appreciated how he would nearly always snap the ball for a free play the instant a defensive lineman crossed into the neutral zone. Smart player. Add Frank Romero - totally neutralized the FSU All-American DE. Toss in Howard Duncan, while we're at it.

Good point, we need to become more aware in that area. Many times this season our center didn't take advantage of this.

[rawlingsHOH]

excluding Broyles.

I'd take Johnson and Iglesias 23898739857328 times before i took another WR on our team.
No doubt! Though my hunch is Dejuan Miller and Jaz Reynolds may eventually eclipse them.

[hellogoodbye]

Depends on who is doing the "underrated".....probably the most underrated players where on those early 80's Switzer teams that struggled and during the blake era...

Travian Smith

[JLEW1818]

No doubt! Though my hunch is Dejuan Miller and Jaz Reynolds may eventually eclipse them.

i hope so!

:cool:

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Travian Smith

How many linebackers have ever been put back to receive kickoff returns?

[JLEW1818]

i think they should let K. Clayton try!

some taco bob's sounds good "pronto"

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Martin Chase

Corey Ivy...Put together a nice 10 year NFL career

Kelly Gregg

[stoops the eternal pimp]

i think they should let K. Clayton try!

some taco bob's sounds good "pronto"

Well the difference is that Travian was a true linebacker...6'4 240 and one of the fastest players on the team...not a safety playing linebacker...and I guarantee Smith was quite a bit faster than Clayton..


And that is what Im scoring for lunch today

[stoops the eternal pimp]

The only Travian Smith video I could find..in high school

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=7941515

[NormanPride]

Nate Hybl..............


;)

[Collier11]

The entire 2000 O-line, Paul Thompson 2006, Seth Littrell, Roger Stefan, Iglesias, Bradford fresh yr (I dont think we realize just how good he was as a freshman, maybe we do, I dont know)

[stoops the eternal pimp]

I think these threads turn into under appreciated more than underrated...

[Collier11]

whats the diff really?

[murray1430]

The Jones kid that played DB during the 2000 Champ. season. I believe he was #11. Had a great game against FSU. Not sure what he did prior to that or after.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Ontei

[stoops the eternal pimp]

whats the diff really?

An Underappreciated player would be someone who comes in and plays well but people really dont take time to notice..someone who quietly goes about their business.


An underrated player would be somebody that nobody really expects much from and he performs above what people think he can...

[rawlingsHOH]

An underrated player would be somebody that nobody really expects much from and he performs above what people think he can...
Or simply someone who was a better player than the common perception of them indicated.

Many overrated players become underrated, because of the widespread acceptance of them being "overrated" has been pushed a little too far. IE Roy Williams, the safety, in Dallas.

[KantoSooner]

Leroy. He was way, way better than people thought at the time.

[Leroy Lizard]

Lee Roy Selmon? He was an All-American. He won the Lombardi and Outland. And he was the first player picked in the draft.

[Leroy Lizard]

Or were you referring to me? I agree, I am completely underrated here on SF.

[stoops the eternal pimp]

Underrated? No...Underappreciated? Yes!

[Doged]

excluding Broyles.

I'd take Johnson and Iglesias 23898739857328 times before i took another WR on our team.

I'd take Clayton and Bradley...or Clayton and Johnson, but Bradley's speed was exceptional.

[JLEW1818]

oh for sure.

i was just comparing those guys last year to this group

[OUmillenium]

Agreed....He was good in run support but bit worse than Lewis Baker at play action..

That is an impossibility, nobody can be worse than Lewis Baker...IMO

[Collier11]

An Underappreciated player would be someone who comes in and plays well but people really dont take time to notice..someone who quietly goes about their business.


An underrated player would be somebody that nobody really expects much from and he performs above what people think he can...

Ok then, Brandon Shelby...that guy did nothing but make plays the times he got on the field

[mehip]

I thought Andre Woolfolk was pretty damn good; not a lot of hype but made a few big plays for us.

[rawlingsHOH]

Add another to my "underrated" list, Landry Jones.

[redhawk49]

Scott Case

[hellogoodbye]

How many linebackers have ever been put back to receive kickoff returns?

That dude seemed liked the entire defensive team for a good part of his career at OU.

[Sonner magic923]

I thought Andre Woolfolk was pretty damn good; not a lot of hype but made a few big plays for us.

wasnt he a first round draft pick?

[Sooner04]

#80 in your program, but #1 in your hearts: Troy Johnson.

[madillsoonerfan5353]

torrance marshall...not so much by sooner fans but i just felt like he never got any talk nation wide largely bcuz he was playing next to rocky calmus but he seemed to really give the d an attitude u know...im trying hard not to use a certain word

The word your looking for is SWAGGER and yes he did! :D

[Leroy Lizard]

Paul Miggliazzo is there. What was the other LB that played beside Boz?

[Leroy Lizard]

Steve Sewell too

[rawlingsHOH]

Calmus doesn't get enough credit for Marshall's success. If you really look for it, in the old game tapes, you will constantly see him getting him lined up right. Not surprising that Torrence struggled so much with the Xs and Os in the pro game.

[rawlingsHOH]

Paul Miggliazzo is there. What was the other LB that played beside Boz?


Jones. Stud.

[mehip]

wasnt he a first round draft pick?

Sure, but I haven't seen him get near the chatter that some of our other first rounders did. Just my opinion anyway.

[PLaw]

Lydel Carr

Eddie Crowder

Kyle Davis

Scott Kempenich

Seth Littrell

BOOMER

[PLaw]

Lydel Carr

Eddie Crowder

Kyle Davis

Scott Kempenich

Seth Littrell

BOOMER

Forgot Sonny Brown - add him to the list.

[Sooner04]

Jones. Stud.
Dante Jones. But did he play alongside Bosworth all that much? I thought Bosworth and Migliazzo got the lion's share of the PT in '86. Then you had Dante and Richard Dillon (the pride of Ringling) in '87.

[madillsoonerfan5353]

Dante Jones. But did he play alongside Bosworth all that much? I thought Bosworth and Migliazzo got the lion's share of the PT in '86. Then you had Dante and Richard Dillon (the pride of Ringling) in '87.


I worked with Richard's dad Guy Dillon before he retired!

BOOMER!

[rawlingsHOH]

Dante Jones. But did he play alongside Bosworth all that much? I thought Bosworth and Migliazzo got the lion's share of the PT in '86. Then you had Dante and Richard Dillon (the pride of Ringling) in '87.
Yes, quite a bit. Dante and Migliazzo both got starts on the weakside.

[John Kochtoston]

De'Mond Parker. Had he played on real teams, instead of the imitation squads of the mid-late '90s, dude wins the Heisman.

[Jdog]

I can't remember the player's name - for obvious reason - but Blake had recruited a QB that had his red shirt burned for something like 4 play in a game in Norman, who threw a ball maybe 60 yards down the field for one of those plays.

[Jdog]

Forgot Sonny Brown - add him to the list.

Thought Eddie was an all american?

[soonerborn30]

Aubrey Beavers. That guy was BA.

[KantoSooner]

Lee Roy Selmon? He was an All-American. He won the Lombardi and Outland. And he was the first player picked in the draft.

Yes, I referred to Leroy Selmon. My poor humor strikes again! with the Lombardi and being the first pick......he was still underrated and underappreciated.

although I wonder where he was nine months before Suh was born. Just speculation, you understand....

[Breadburner]

Jack Santee....

[spatton713]

Lendy Holmes

last thing i remember from lendy was him chasing down boise state guy after hook and ladder

[Spanish Sooner]

Renaldo Works
Got playing time in 2000 but then Q took over, got a good share of carries in 2003 but split alot of time with Keyjuan Jones and Donta Hickson (who had some good carries in 2003 but became the third back in 04 with the emergence of AD)
Works was a hero in the 2002 Bama game.

[Leroy Lizard]

Remember Leon Perry? He was one of the fastest FBs we ever had.

How would one rate the fullbacks we have had over the years? I would have to put Earl Johnson as #1, followed by Stanley Wilson and Kenny King.

[swardboy]

How's that flu going Leroy?

Joe Washington sure isn't underrated, but his quick-kick prowess isn't appreciated for the genius play it was to get out of a deep hole by surprise on 3rd down.....Switzer had balls to use it.