 Losing Interest In The NFL
I was never a fan of the National Football League growing up.
I was a baseball guy through and through. I thought football was brutish and had no subtety. Then I became a hockey guy. See, brutality doesn't bother me. It's the lack of subtlety. Hockey is the most beautifully subtle game on the planet, even if some toothless thug is likely to cross-check the back of your skull while you're appreciating it.
Then I became a Gator fan, and then came Steve Spurrier. Spurrier is a lot like hockey. His offensive game plan has the subtlety even if his personality lacks it.
Lesson learned. If you appreciate strategy in sport, then you really can't do any better than football. In fact, one could argue it is the king sport for strategy. What does a baseball manager really do any way, but sit on his ass for seven innings spitting tobacco juice, walking out to the mound that inning and indicating his closer if he's ahead and a scrub if he's behind. But a college football coach? They called Spurrier "relaxed" because he played golf in the off season and only worked 16 hours a day.
When I became a Gator fan, I slowly, ever-so-slowly, became an NFL fan as well. I began to like pro football with a delay of about 4 years of my plunge into college football fandom. That is, as the guys I watched started graduating and making pro rosters, I started to get real interested in how they would do at the next level. I still to this day haven't figured out why this guy does good and that guy doesn't. I guess the guys in-the-know haven't either though, as anyone who gets through this commentary will be forced to admit.
Florida has always sent a lot of players - even great players - into the NFL. But I started paying attention when Emmitt Smith got drafted.
Emmitt was amazing at Florida. He was by far the best running back I've ever seen in person at the college level. And Smith has had a brilliant pro football career.
But as good as Emmitt was, the teams that followed Emmitt were much better than his teams. The 1994 team was preseason number one. The 1995 and 1996 teams played for national championhsips, and the 1996 team won it. As the players on those teams hit the NFL, I got really interested. I even made tracking the pro performance of Florida, Florida State, and Miami players part of the SJS College Football Extravaganza for awhile, until it proved to be too much work. As guys like Ike Hilliard and Reidel Anthony became first-round draft picks, my interest in the NFL was at an all-time high.
But I'm noticing something: the guys I love to follow, well, they ain't doing so well. Or rather, none of them are Emmit Smith (or Neal Anderson or Chris Collingsworth). Sure, some of those Gators are serviceable pros, even stars, but none of them are superstars. None of them are bringing back for me the excitement of when they played in a Florida uniform.
A recent search on ESPN.com revealed 39 Gators in the NFL (probably an overestimate as some may be cut or only playing on practice squads). Here's a look at that list, with two grades assigned: first, how they were as Gators, second, how they are as pros. Statistics do not reflect Sunday's action.
Wide Receivers
Wide receivers have been perhaps the most prolific prospect from Gainesville over the past decade.
- Reche Caldwell, San Diego (B+, C-). Reche is just getting started in his career, but with 2 catches for 29 yards as of last week, he hasn't really made an impact.
- Chris Doering, Pittsburgh (A, F). Not sure if he's active, practice squad, or cut. Never translated his outstanding skills in college to the NFL.
- Jabar Gaffney, Houston (B+, C). 17-219-1TD. On a bad team, Jabar may become a decent NFL receiver. Has not shown that he will be a go-to guy yet.
- Ike Hilliard, New York Giants (A-,B-). Ike parlayed a superlative juke of FSU cornerbacks in the 1997 Sugar Bowl into a high first round draft pick that year. Hilliard has never really been the Giants' main threat, but when not injured, he has at least proven to be a strong NFL wideout. If the Giants have buyer's remorse from taking Hilliard so high they haven't really shown it - he's still starting for the club - but certainly he hasn't lived up to franchise-player billing. He's the finest Gator wide-receiver in a long time, though.
- Darrell Jackson, Seattle (B, B). Jackson's grade is based mostly on "not enough information", but with 19 catches for 380 yards and 3 TD, his numbers are the strongest of any Gator wide receiver this season and his team is playing very well. Jackson earns a better NFL grade than Hilliard not because he is a better NFL player than Hilliard but because, as a second-round draft choice, he's the Gator wide-reciever who is at least living up to his draft status (and may even earn the status of a diamond in the rough if his skills continue to grow).
- Taylor Jacobs, Washington (B, D). Not sure Jacobs is still active in the NFL. A second-round pick, he doesn't look like he's going to catch on. Small and speedy, Jacobs unfortunately seems to be following in the footsteps of Jaquez Green and Jack Jackson.
- Travis Taylor, Baltimore (B+, C+). Taylor is off to a good start this season with 17 catches for 245 yards and 3 TD. Good numbers, but not go-to-guy type numbers, and not what the Ravens were hoping for with the top-10 pick they spent on Taylor. Taylor has had injury troubles and Baltimore has had quarterback troubles, so no one has written him off yet. But like Hilliard, Taylor is a guy that seems to be stuck in second gear.
- Not Listed. Willie Jackson had a long career with the Saints and the Jaguars and seems to be out of football now. I always thought he could be an anchor possession receiver in the NFL with his size and hands, but Jackson was overshadowed in Jacksonville by Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, but had some solid years. Jaquez Green had some exciting moments with Tampa Bay and Washington but hasn't hung around despite second-round draft status. Reidel Anthony, a first round pick, made it to the NFL to drop a few passes, and then flamed out.
Quarterbacks
Steve Spurrier had a nice long NFL career, but could hardly have been called a solid NFL quarterback. His proteges have had similar troubles.
- Rex Grossman, Chicago (A-, TBD). Rex had the best arm of any Gator quarterback in my era. He seems to be inching closer to playing his first game in the NFL. Stay tuned. His debut will probably reignite my NFL enthusiasm, at least for awhile...
- Doug Johnson, Atlanta (B, D). Doug Johnson didn't have a terribly successful career at Florida, but has managed to start here and there in the NFL. With Michael Vick hurt, he was a necessary evil starting this season, and the Falcons have struggled mightily without Vick. It isn't really fair to compare Johnson to Vick, but with 10 interceptions on 6 TDs and just 97-168-1158 this season, Johnson hasn't had too much to brag about.
- Shane Matthews, Cincinatti (A, C). Matthews was the guy, next to Steve Spurrier, who turned around the Florida program. They said he was a product of the system. They said his arm was too weak. His NFL career has proved the doubters both right and wrong. Right, he hasn't had very long runs as a starter, but when he's started, he's won his share of games and had his share of efficient performances. So wrong, he's likely to have a longer NFL career than any of the stronger-armed, taller, stronger quarterbacks to come from the "system". Hasn't played this year.
- Jesse Palmer, New York Giants (B, D). Wasn't touted highly and hasn't played much in the NFL. Still, there's some optimism about Palmer, and in a league desperate for quarterbacks, he may hang around as a Matthews-type backup for awhile.
- Not Listed. Against his will, Spurrier cut Danny Weurffel. Weurffel won a championship in the World League, but hasn't had the rest of the Kurt Warner story.
Running Backs
For a school known for its Fun n Gun, UF has actually produced greatness mostly at tailback: Emmitt Smith, John L. Williams, Neal Anderson.
- Terry Jackson, San Fransisco (B+, D). Jackson was a terrific linebacker/tailback/fullback at UF, but hasn't cracked regular playing time status in the pros.
- Emmitt Smith, Atlanta (A+, A+). Greatness. His career is winding down now, and so Emmitt can no longer support my NFL enthusiasm, but the guy has nothing left to prove.
- Fred Taylor, Jacksonville (A, B). Fred was outstanding at UF and has had some brilliant games with Jacksonville. Taylor could even emerge as a superstar, but his numbers this year are merely ordinary: 115 carries, 457 yards, 2TDs.
- Not Listed. Taylor's backfield mate, Elijah Williams, was a cornerback for awhile but is no longer with an NFL team. Erricht Rhett, Emmitt's successor at Florida, had a modest run as a starter with the Tampa Bay Bucs but has since retired.
Tight Ends
- Erron Kinney, Tennessee (B-, B-). With 19 catches for 153 yards (1 TD), Kinney is a contributor to the very good Tennessee Titans. Kinney was never really a stand out at Florida, but has emerged as a decent tight end in the NFL.
- Aaron Walker, San Fransisco (B-, C). Walker, like Kinney, was an under-the-radar player at Florida but may have a decent NFL career.
Offensive Line
The Gators have several decent linemen in the NFL including Jeff Mitchell (Carolina) who might reasonably be called a diamond-in-the-rough, Mo Collins (Oakland), Mike Pearson (Jacksonville), Zach Piller (Tennessee), Kenyatta Walker (Tampa Bay), and Cooper Carlisle (Denver).
Defense
Florida's defenses have often been blamed for their struggles, but the Gators have had some very fine players on the defensive side of the ball. One might argue that their defensive players have also been more successful in the pros, though success here is hard to quantify.
The list includes most notably Trace Armstrong (Defensive End, Oakland), who had a long and successful career with the Miami Dolphins. Jimmy Spencer (Cornerback, Denver) is another longtime NFL player. More recently, Jevon Kearse (Defensive End, Tennessee) was a Defensive Rookie Of The Year and seems to have gotten past some less-outstanding seasons and may be on his way to becoming an NFL great. Less successful sack-artists who were first rounders but who at least have had decent careers are Kevin Carter (Defensive End, Tennessee) and Ellis Johnson (Defensive Tackle, Atlanta). Kearse has 7 sacks this year and Carter and Johnson each have 4. Alex Brown (Defensive End), Tron LaFavor (Defensive Tackle) and Ian Scott (Defensive Tackle) are all trying to catch on with Chicago.
I've been a fan of the Minnesota Vikings for awhile, but my interest in the NFL is really tied to how well the Gators are performing at the next level. Considering that there are 39 players there from my era of Gator fandom, one would think I'd be thrilled. But unless Fred Taylor or Jevon Kearse or Darrell Jackson find that Emmitt Smith level... or at least superstar status, Sundays will be, for me, a day to read yesterday's sports stories.
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ARCHIVES |
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2003 Season |
-->Pod People? [10.11.03]
-->Excuse Me, Sir, Where's The Hype? [08.18.03]
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2002 Season |
-->2002 Season In Review [01.15.03]
-->Believe It Or Not: Bob Hanslick [12.10.02]
-->Football Must Be Great Because... [11.19.02]
-->Like Coming Home [11.03.02]
-->The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly [10.21.02]
-->41-34, With An Asterisk (Or Three) [09.29.02]
-->To Panic Or Not To Panic? [09.10.02]
-->2002: A Look Ahead [08.21.02]
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2001 Season |
-->The 2001 Season In Review [01.08.02]
-->Recurring Nightmare [10.14.01]
-->The College Football Paradise? [08.26.01]
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2000 Season |
-->The 2000 Season In Review [01.08.01]
-->Volunteering To Be Stupid On The Internet [12.07.00]
-->The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly [10.19.00]
-->The Bandwagon: A Rider's Guide [10.02.00]
-->Don't Kid Yourself [09.21.00]
-->Quarterback Psychology 101 [09.15.00]
-->4 Counterarguments [08.24.00]
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1999 Season |
-->Webmaestro's Playoff Proposal [11.28.99]
-->A Bitter Taste [11.23.99]
-->A Decade Of Classics: FSU vs. Florida [11.13.99]
-->What's Wrong With The Gators? [11.09.99]
-->The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly [10.31.99]
-->Rewriting History [10.24.99]
-->Off To The Races [10.18.99]
-->Wide right, wrong game [10.02.99]
-->Conference of the decade, Kevin... [09.23.99]
-->Conference realignment the fun way [09.03.99]
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1998 Season |
-->The last national champion [01.05.99]
-->What a day! [12.06.98]
-->Grading the undefeated teams [11.22.98]
-->What's God doing in Tennessee? [11.15.98]
-->BCS or just BS? [11.08.98]
-->Bowden ousted! [10.28.98]
-->Who are these guys? [10.19.98]
-->The good, the bad, and the ugly [10.06.98]
-->It's week 5 and I still haven't learned a thing [09.27.98]
-->Musings of a sore loser [09.20.98]
-->The best of the 90s [09.14.98]
-->Quarterback nation [09.08.98]
-->Everything I needed to know about college football I learned in week 1 [09.01.98]
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1997 Season |
-->Split poll [01.05.98]
-->Peyton Manning vs. Ryan Leaf [12.08.97]
-->The rankings [11.23.97]
-->The Heisman race [11.08.97]
-->The bowl picture [11.02.97]
-->Those unpredictable Badgers [10.27.97]
-->The Penn State see saw [10.20.97]
-->On the UF loss to LSU [10.13.97]
-->Ranking the conferences [10.06.97]
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1996 Season |
-->The 1996 MNC [01.10.97]
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