In High School in Decatur, Alabama, Rolando McClain was a star athlete. McClain stared on the basketball team and played almost every snap on the football team. He was an All-State tight end on the offensive side of the ball and ran their defense as a linebacker. McClain was named on everyone's top 25 list coming out of High School and was named the top player in the State of Alabama; he was also a Parade All-American.
There are a lot of people that could learn from McClain's dedication and ethics. He committed to Alabama while Mike Shula was the Head Coach. After Shula's firing the University of Alabama was wondering what McClain would do and if his commitment would still be there. After the Offensive-Defensive All-American game he was quoted as saying "Well you see it on my hat, I have an Alabama do tag on and I have an Alabama undershirt on to." This was just McClain being McClain. Once he committed to Alabama, it didn't matter to him who the head coach was going to be because he had already committed to go there and would not back down from his commitment.
Nick Saban and McClain arrived at the University at the same time and have made a great combination the past three years. His freshman year at the University of Alabama McClain started 8 of 13 games and recorded the 4th most tackles on the team with 75 also recording two interceptions and a sack. His most impressive game was the Iron Bowl against Auburn, recording 15 tackles; he was a complete terror.
While the Auburn game may have been his best performance of the year, in the Petro Sun Independence Bowl he showed just how tough he really is. He broke his thumb when he intercepted the ball in the first half and played the whole second half of the game with his had in a make-shift cast helping the Crimson Tide win the game 30 - 24 over Colorado. This was the start of a phenomenal college career.
As a sophomore McClain improved and became more of a defensive leader recording 95 tackles and 3 sacks. Offenses started having to game plan to try and block McClain in particular and for the most part were unable to do so. Ole' Miss head coach Houston Nutt was quoted as saying that McClain was "unblock-able."
McClain's junior season was his best, recording 105 tackles on the Nation's number one defense. He is the field general and anticipates every play better than any middle linebacker in college football. When a QB changes the play at the line of scrimmage, he is on it like a hawk. McClain manipulates the offense like no other player in the game changing the defensive play during the snap count as he anticipates what the offense is going to do and rarely makes a mistake.
McClain is bright both on and off the field. Coah Saban runs a complicated defensive scheme and McClain both understands and implements Saban's system and scheme to a T.. His job is to know what the opposing team is going to do on every play and like a field general put his defensive counter parts in the right position to stop them.
As everyone expected, Rolando McClain declared himself eligible for the NFL draft after his junior season. He is by far the best inside linebacker in the draft and one of the overall best players in the draft.
With NBA All-Star Weekend concluding and the biggest crowd ever to watch a basketball game, 108,713 - more than double the previous highest attendance - (East beating the West 141-139 as if that somehow matters) at Cowboys Stadium, the $800million home to the Dallas Cowboys, I thought I'd take a look at the eligibility rules for the NBA and NFL and where the two leagues diverge.
If you compare the eligibility rules to for entry into the NBA with those of the NFL you'll find that the NBA's way of doing things leaves a lot to be desired.
To qualify to enter the NBA you have to be at least one year removed from High School. Then you can enter the NBA draft. So where does this leave the NCAA and their rules..... in a real bad place. The NCAA rules are as follows: To qualify to play on a basketball team and get a scholarship you have to take one class and pass it with a D or better. Yep, that's right....D as in Dumb Rule.
The NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement was amended in 2006 to state that anyone wanting to enter the NBA had to be at least 19 years of age and one complete year removed from High School. That doesn't mean a kid has to go to college to enter the NBA. He can go play overseas and play for a year and then he would be eligible.
The rule was changed in agreement on all sides. Everyone wanted to have better talent on the floor and wanted better representation off the court as well. Everyone thinks about Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and Kevin Garnet when debating on being able to enter the NBA right out of High School. That is because no one remembers or hears about all the failures. For every success story here there are 3 or 4 failure stories to go with it. Do you remember Lenny Cooke? Taj McDavid? Darius Miles? These are some of the failures that thought they could play in the NBA right away out of High School and didn't need any more basketball experience.
Let's take a look at the last year a player could go from High School to the NBA. There were 8 players that got drafted out of High School. Here they are:
The Scoop: In His first season with the Trailblazers Webster did a lot of sitting on the pine averaging only 17.5 minutes and only 6.6 points per game. A couple of years in college would have really helped him develop his game and he would have probably been a star from his rookie season. In the 2009-2010 season he is still only averaging 10.8 points per game while playing an average of just over 28 minutes.
Gerald Green (Gulf Shores Academy, Houston, Tx.) --18th Overall pick (first round); by Boston
The Scoop: Although he was the eighteenth pick, Green might have been the most talented prep player and the best athlete overall in this year's draft. Green won the McDonald's All American Slam Dunk Contest in 2005. After being drafted by the Boston Celtics, Green was stuck on the bench behind veteran players. He was involved in the blockbuster trade between the Celtics and Timberwolves to get Garnett to Boston on July 31, 2007. Green saw limited time there as well. The highlight of his professional career in the NBA was the Slam Dunk Contests during halftime at the All Star games. In the 2006-2007 Slam Dunk Contest he won it with some amazing dunks. In 2007-2008 he came in second to Dwight Howard. He actually came up with the Birthday Cake Dunk. He placed a cup cake with candles on the back of the rim and blew the candles out as he dunked the ball. In 2009 Gerald Green signed with the Lokomotiv Kuban in Russia and is no longer in the NBA.
The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, we will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects.
We can't promise that we'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.
To come back and see updated profiles, simply click on the Draft Profile icon in the right sidebar or bookmark this page. Tune back often as we are adding new profiles each week.
If you haven't voted in our polls on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll questions are:
"Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?"
and
"Should the NFL adopt the NCAA method of Overtime or continue to flip a coin for possession and have sudden death?"
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.
The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.
One of the biggest knocks on Jimmy Clausen has been his ability to accurately place the deep ball. I can remember Golden Tate adjusting to a few underthrown balls last season. His passes beyond 30 yards may not have the same pepper as a Brett Favre pass, but most consider his arm strength to be adequate enough for the NFL game.
His accuracy on balls thrown shorter than 20 yards is superb. On 425 pass attempts in 2009, he threw just 4 interceptions; a tremendous improvement from his 17 interceptions the year before. And don't forget that of those 4 interceptions, 3 were tipped. A high completion percentage and few turnovers defines most 'game manager' quarterbacks, but make no mistake, Clausen is much more than a game manager.
He was the calm, quiet leader of the Notre Dame offense in 2009, even coming into a game against Purdue with turf toe to lead the Irish to victory. From a bit of a tattered start in South Bend (3-9 finish, 1,254 yards, 7 touchdowns, 6 interceptions in his freshman season), Clausen has arguably lived up to many of the expectations he was facing as an 18 year old recruit, even if his team did not.
What Clausen has going for him as we inch ever closer to April's draft, is his ability to read defenses, unparalleled field vision and his three years of experience playing in Charlie Weis' pro-style offense.
Playing under Weis (Clausen mentioned his pro-style offense is what ultimately led him to Notre Dame) has allowed Clausen to adjust to an NFL offense when other quarterbacks were still working out of the spread. In terms of NFL-readiness, Clausen is at the top of the list and is likely to compete for a starting job right away.
Don't forget that Clausen played most of his career with meager protection up front, has played on NBC his whole career and played the most important, scrutinized position at one of the proudest universities in the nation-all things that will put him a step (or two) ahead of other rookie quarterbacks.
In 1991 Brett Favre only threw four passes for the Atlanta Falcons. His first and last throws were picked off (his first one was a pick 6.)
Favre had a wonderful career for the Packers, a historic one, but his last pass was an interception in overtime of the 2007 NFC Championship game. His team never saw the ball again and they lost.
In 2008 after compiling an 8-3 record for the Jets Favre threw eight interceptions and only two touchdown passes losing four of his last five games. In his last game with the Jets trying to get them into the playoffs, he threw a crucial late interception while driving in the final minutes against the Dolphins in Week 17. Technically Favre did throw one more pass for the Jets as time ran out after the Dolphins had capitalized on the turnover and scored, but that INT was effectively his last meaningful throw for the Jets.
Now Bret Favre's last pass for the Vikings was an interception the 2009 NFC Championship game. His team never saw the ball again and they lost.........
If you look on message boards through the internet, this is the type of thing you will see:
Brett Favre's final pass with Falcons... INT Brett Favre's final pass with Packers... INT Brett Favre's final pass with Jets... INT Brett Favre's final pass (possibly) with Vikings... INT
That's a legacy!!!
After all these years and all the wonderful things this 1st ballot Hall of Famer to-be has done on the football field that have provided so many wonderful memories far outnumbering the bad ones, the way people perceive his career now means everything to him.
There is no monetary reason Favre has to continue to play and he doesn't need the fame, but he does need to preserve his legacy. Never before has there been someone so famous for his great performance on the field that is in jeopardy of being remembered as being a failure.
Just today I found myself thinking that way and I had to remind myself that he won three consecutive league MVP's and has a Super Bowl ring.
Favre has stated that he will not drag this out and that he will give the Vikings a prompt answer to his decision if he will play next year or not. He knows that this team can win and that they are built to win now. In fact, he knows that if he just tucked the ball and ran for just two or three yards instead of throwing back across his body, his team would have been in the Super Bowl and not the Saints.
The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.
According to Tennessee's official website, and confirmed on the NCAA's official website, Eric Berry entered his junior last season needing "just 15 interception return yards to break [the] NCAA record of 501 [yards] set by Florida State's Terrell Buckley from 1989-91."
This after a 2007 freshman campaign in which Berry picked off 5 passes and racked up 222 interception return yards (1 touchdown) and a 2008 sophomore campaign in which he picked off 7 passes and racked up 265 interception return yards (2 touchdowns). He also sacked the quarterback 3 times in 2008 for good measure.
In 2009, he picked off only 2 passes and accumulated just 7 interception return yards. While some may consider this a drop off in production, anybody who watched Berry's junior season knows that was far from the case.
There's a reason he was this year's Thorpe Award winner and a unanimous All-American. He was even named to the Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team. He's also a two time recipient of the Jack Tatum Award and was the 2008 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. This guy's got accolades.
Berry finished 2009 with 87 tackles, 3 quarterback hurries and 7 passes defended. One of his two interceptions came against Florida's Tim Tebow, one of the game's least interception-prone quarterbacks.
Berry is 5'11, 200 pounds and possesses incredible instincts, reflexes, toughness and speed. He's been constantly compared to future Hall of Famer Ed Reed and is considered one of the best safety prospects in quite some time. He has tremendous break on the ball, like Reed, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.
Many consider Berry the second best prospect in this year's draft behind Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, while Draft Wizard Mel Kiper ranks him #3 on his Big Board behind Suh and Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy. The guy's unquestionably a top 5 pick.
Most mock drafts go like this: 1. St. Louis Rams, Ndamukong Suh; 2. Detroit Lions, Gerald McCoy; 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Eric Berry. Winning teams are built along the line of scrimmage and the Lions need a big body on the defensive line, so expect McCoy to go to Detroit. But don't be too surprised if the Lions decide to take Berry despite the emergence of last year's second round pick, safety Louis Delmas, who was second on the team in tackles. His talent and potential is hard to pass up.
Reports have begun to surface that Texas and the Big Ten have entered into preliminary talks regarding the program's possible move to the traditionally Midwest conference.
It's no secret that the Big Ten has been pondering an expansion to reach twelve teams, but nobody ever dreamed that their 12th team would be such a monster of a football program like the Longhorns. Notre Dame was thought to be the biggest fish considered, but the Irish have made it clear that independence is their prerogative.
Adding a 12th member to their 11 member conference would allow the Big Ten to divide into two six-team divisions and hold an annual conference championship game. If something actually comes of these talks, it could have an astronomical impact on the college football world.
Not only would the Big Ten welcome a new program ripe with tradition and viewership to go along with Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, etc., but the Big 12 would be without their marquee program. Texas has finished in the AP top 25 every single year this decade and the top 5 for half of the decade. No Texas would mean a huge economic pitfall for the Big 12. And don't forget about Texas' annual rivalry with Oklahoma.
By the way, Colorado is rumored to be Pac-10-bound, so take that again, Big 12! Of course, that's completely speculative and the Pac-10's copycat expansion wishes are nothing but a rumor at this point.
Money and exposure are the big reason for the Big Ten's expansion efforts. As of now, with no conference championship, the Big Ten is off the map from the third week of November until the bowl games finally start about midway through December. A conference championship would keep the Big Ten on the map all season long.
Assuming the NFL heads into this year without a salary cap, as expected, the Saints will be restricted severely in adding players to their roster. As one of the final four playoff teams, they're not allowed to sign any unrestricted free agents from other teams unless that player is released and passes through waivers, or unless the Saints lose one of their unrestricted free agents to another team first.
For the Saints this means that they will be unable to add a Julius Peppers type player (how good would he look anchoring that "D" as a complement to that offense) even if they were to get rid of Reggie Bush because a new player's salary can't exceed the former player's salary.
Speaking of Reggie Bush and his contract, it's an issue that has now become problematic.
The way the Saints structured his contract, Bush's base salary is scheduled to jump from $2.585 million in 2009 to $8 million in 2010, then $11.8 million in 2011, with bonuses thrown in each year. It's not that Bush is not a wonderful role player, but obviously that's more than he would be worth on the open market considering he hasn't turned into "the next great all around back" like Ray Rice or Chris Johnson that the Saints thought he would.
The Saints will certainly attempt to strong-arm Bush into taking a pay cut, but there is no way that he will bite on that because he isn't afraid of being released into free agency. Bush, who turns 24 next month, is still a tantalizing enough talent to make serious money in the open market.
A trade doesn't make any sense because no other team would value Bush more than the Saints do. Coach Sean Payton loves having him as a huge distraction in the middle of his diverse offense. The Saints probably wouldn't give him up for a fifth- or sixth-round pick, and no other team would likely invest a high pick and all that money for him.
The NFL's salary cap situation has created a scenario that doesn't easily allow for major changes for teams that finished at the top in 2009-2010. If you are into parody (the NFL is all about that) I guess this is a good thing.
Don't expect major changes in the starting rosters of any of the final four teams. - David Fry
David is an independent sports photographer currently covering MLB and the NFL. David will be reporting on observations as he sees them in stadiums throughout the year
If you haven't voted in our polls on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll questions are:
"Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?"
and
"Should the NFL adopt the NCAA method of Overtime or continue to flip a coin for possession and have sudden death?"
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.
In Super Bowl XLIV in Miami, the New Orleans Saints led by Drew Brees (Super Bowl MVP) defeated the Indianapolis Colts led by Peyton Manning.
When the 2009 - 2010 season began, the New Orleans Saints opened at +$2,500 or 25 to 1. Sweet odds to win the Super Bowl indeed!
In the previous Super Bowl (XLIII), Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory in dramatic fashion over the Arizona Cardinals lead by Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald.
The Steelers opened at +$1,800 or "18 to 1" to win the Super Bowl. In other words, wagering $1,000 on the Steelers to bring home the championship paid $18,000. Not a bad wager, eh?
You can now bet on Super Bowl XLV (45) to be played at Cowboys Stadium, North Arlington, Texas, February 6, 2011.
So, which team do you like to win it all?
Early 2010 - 2011 futures odds for Super Bowl XLV (45) are now posted. Super Bowl XLV will be played at Cowboys Stadium in North Arlington, Texas in 2011.
The Colts, Saints, and Chargers are the early odds on favorites to win the Super Bowl checking in at 6 to 1, 8 to 1, and 8 to 1 respectively. The Saints were 10 to 1, but the number has come down following their Super Bowl victory.
Some of the long shots include Buffalo, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, St. Louis, Detroit, Kansas City, and Oakland all checking in at 100 to 1... No surprises there.
If you want to bet on the Super Bowl, $100 risked can result in a juicy payoff if you pick the winning team. - Robert Finley
Bob has been covering college and pro football as an "interested party" for over 20 years. He's pretty darn good at it too......
If you haven't voted in our polls on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll questions are:
"Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?"
and
"Should the NFL adopt the NCAA method of Overtime or continue to flip a coin for possession and have sudden death?"
Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.
The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.
Among the shortlist of things you shouldn't try to change a guy's mind about are Tim Tebow's pro potential and redheads. Since I've already covered Tebow, I thought I'd tackle the other...but you won't find any Debra Messing, Julianne Moore or early Lindsay Lohan talk here.
Jimmy Graham started his collegiate career as a power forward for the Miami Hurricanes basketball team. After exhausting four years of eligibility on the court, Graham traded his double zero for #80 on the football field (triple zero?).
(Graham has red hair in case the connection was lost on anybody.)
To make it as a tight end at the next level, Graham will have to work on his blocking, but his pass catching ability has his draft stock on the rise. Over the course of the 2009 season, Graham developed into one of quarterback Jacory Harris' favorite targets, especially down inside the red zone. That's really saying something considering Miami's crop of talented young (and tall) receivers, hauling in 5 touchdowns in 2009.
On the basketball court, he was renowned among 'Canes fans for his defense and passion, and is one of only eight Hurricanes to record more than 100 blocks in his career. Whoever picks Graham this April will not get just some raw, undeveloped talent, but an athlete who is willing to put in the work to become the next successful basketball to tight end convert.
Graham is listed on Miami's website as 6'8, 260 pounds. Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez, the two most well-known and successful basketball to tight end converts, are measured at 6'4, 260 and 6'5, 243, respectively. Like Graham, they boast excellent hands that have made them ultra reliable pass catchers.
At the Senior Bowl, and in practice, Graham was impressive. His Senior Bowl coach, Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sporano, gushed about him. "I like what I've seen out of him," he said. "He's a good prospect, without a doubt." His postseason workout buddy and Senior Bowl teammate, Tim Tebow, also offered glowing reviews, "I think his football ability is just going to keep increasing. He's someone that can fill out and keep getting stronger."
As for his answer to NFL general managers who question why he gave up basketball, Graham has an answer. "I tell them [football] was my first love and I turned down six figures overseas to play basketball. I did that because I didn't want to go through the rest of my life saying 'what if'. The 'what if' turned into an 'I can' and it's been a great experience."
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