Akrum Wadley

What? No love for Tampa Bay's old sherbet orange?:p

I like the Oilers and Chargers powder blue also, as well as the Vikings old 70's uniforms. Then again, the players inside those uniforms were pretty good, too.

The team of my youth was Don Shula era Dolphins. They usually saved their green/aqua for Monday Night Football. They took on a special ambience under the lights.
 
proudhawkfan21 said:
Interesting comparison. How would you view Wadley compared to Brandon Wegher? He had some good rb skills. He made practice squad I think one year for Carolina? Almost made it as 3rd or 4th back, but missed final cut. We just don't have a lot of NFL talent backs. Probably one area where pedigree does make a difference. Hate to say it but stars might matter. We've had some good college rb's but very few pros in the past 50 yrs. Harmon, Greene, Betts. Relevant backs since Podalak.
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Tavian Banks had some promise until he destroyed his knee. Nick Bell's confidence was shattered by a key late season or postseason fumble (can't remember which). That pretty much leaves the three you mentioned especially after people like Bob Jeter moved to other positions in the NFL.
 
Northside Hawk said:
Tavian Banks had some promise until he destroyed his knee. Nick Bell's confidence was shattered by a key late season or postseason fumble (can't remember which). That pretty much leaves the three you mentioned especially after people like Bob Jeter moved to other positions in the NFL.
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Very sevicable college backs to be sure. I mean, rarely are we without a very talented 1000 yd rusher. But, how hard is it to get 1000 compared to being an NFL ready back? Not bagging, I love Wadley, just has a limited role if any on most NFL teams. I think bucking the staff a bit over the years, being under weight for the position, lack of true high end speed and ability to pass block are all in his way.
 
Hawkfnntn said:
Wegher is such a what could have been. He was freakishly good. He could have been like that McCaffrey kid at Stanford before him. He and Wadley are different style wise. Wegher I think was closer to 205-210. He was built pretty solid on his 5'10-5-11 frame. Even with all the drama and bouncing around he did after finishing up at Morningside (and absolutely dominating and putting up video game stats) his attributes and talent were worthy of that time with Carolina you mentioned. He picked the wrong team I think they had like 3 or 4 NFL worthy backs at the time and he was never breaking through without injuries on that roster. Wadley I don't think is as fast/explosive or just overall as good as Wegher was. Wadley is/was good don't get me wrong I'm not knocking him. But if your making me put one over the other I don't think it's that tough a choice.
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Yea (and great response!)i think i was getting at just what you illustrated. We want Wadley to be better than he is. Yes some of his big games came against big teams, but the overall speed of the NFL is college all stars +++. Even Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan have non-NFL talent on the field. Wegher I agree had some big upside, but even his skill set doesnt scream NFL and he was better built for the NFL than Wadley. Ill be smiling from ear to ear if Wadley carves out a role, but not upset at the NFL if he doesnt.
 
proudhawkfan21 said:
Yea (and great response!)i think i was getting at just what you illustrated. We want Wadley to be better than he is. Yes some of his big games came against big teams, but the overall speed of the NFL is college all stars +++. Even Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan have non-NFL talent on the field. Wegher I agree had some big upside, but even his skill set doesnt scream NFL and he was better built for the NFL than Wadley. Ill be smiling from ear to ear if Wadley carves out a role, but not upset at the NFL if he doesnt.
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That's where it becomes problematic when comparing players. Wadley going to the Titans is as good a fit for an undrafted FA rb there can be. They have 2 NFL rbs Dion Lewis and that Bama RB that won the Heisman with any experience to speak of on roster and that's it. He'll get a long look in all the off season camps leading into pre season. When Wegher went to Carolina he was entirely lost in the shuffle behind a bunch of guys and I'm sure his reps were scarce. Same with Daniels last yr in Washington. I was hoping he'd have gone to Tampa where beyond Doug Martin who was hurt a lot they didn't have anyone. But Daniels did stick around and get a couple touches late in the year I believe. So much is just where you fall into and what kind of first impression do you make and of course stay healthy...
 
Northside Hawk said:
The team of my youth was Don Shula era Dolphins.
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Yeah, they were my first favorite football team! Paul Warfield and Jake Scott were my fav players (OBJ has nothing on Warfield in the 1-handed catch department).

They beat my dad's Vikes in '73 (beating my dad's fav was key in how I picked my fav's...)

But, I dumped them after '74. F*ing Stabler and his f*ing lucky, fluke crap! Then losing Warfield and Csonka to the WFL.

After that I went w/ the Steelers (who beat both the f*ing Raiders and the Vikes to win the '74 Superbowl). That worked out well
ArvadaHawk said:
It's actually the Steelers. You've just been desensitized to it since 1979.
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But, the Steelers uni's can't touch the Chargers blues!
 
hawkeyes87 said:
Yeah, they were my first favorite football team! Paul Warfield and Jake Scott were my fav players (OBJ has nothing on Warfield in the 1-handed catch department).

They beat my dad's Vikes in '73 (beating my dad's fav was key in how I picked my fav's...)

But, I dumped them after '74. F*ing Stabler and his f*ing lucky, fluke crap! Then losing Warfield and Csonka to the WFL.

After that I went w/ the Steelers (who beat both the f*ing Raiders and the Vikes to win the '74 Superbowl). That worked out well

But, the Steelers uni's can't touch the Chargers blues!
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oh yes they can! and they do. the chargers just copied north carolina. o_O the steelers uni's are original.
 
hawkeyes87 said:
Yeah, they were my first favorite football team! Paul Warfield and Jake Scott were my fav players (OBJ has nothing on Warfield in the 1-handed catch department).

They beat my dad's Vikes in '73 (beating my dad's fav was key in how I picked my fav's...)

But, I dumped them after '74. F*ing Stabler and his f*ing lucky, fluke crap! Then losing Warfield and Csonka to the WFL.

After that I went w/ the Steelers (who beat both the f*ing Raiders and the Vikes to win the '74 Superbowl). That worked out well

But, the Steelers uni's can't touch the Chargers blues!
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Warfield was my guy, with KC's Otis Taylor right behind him. That brings up an interesting discussion. There's a reason why Kansas City and Oakland dominated for about six or eight years. They were two of the first organizations to scout small African American colleges in Texas and the deep South. That's how they got Taylor, Emmit Thomas, Brown and Atkinson, etc. (Sidenote: .our retired high school school football coach played at Ohio State with Jack Tatum.)

Jake Scott and Dick Andersson were the keys to the Miami defense. They played those intermediate and deep zones that never allowed the big play over the top. If you were going to score on Miami you were going to have to string first downs together and sustain drives. Ironically like a certain local defense, they were criticized when their zones were too soft and they didn't pressure the QB enough, most notably on Ken Stabler's fateful drive in the 1974 playoffs.

Another sidenote: The Franco Harris immaculate reception in 1972 played a huge role in preserving Miami's famous undefeated season. It knocked the Raiders out and Miami didn't have to face them the next week.
 
Northside Hawk said:
Warfield was my guy, with KC's Otis Taylor right behind him. That brings up an interesting discussion. There's a reason why Kansas City and Oakland dominated for about six or eight years. They were two of the first organizations to scout small African American colleges in Texas and the deep South. That's how they got Taylor, Emmit Thomas, Brown and Atkinson, etc. (Sidenote: .our retired high school school football coach played at Ohio State with Jack Tatum.)

Jake Scott and Dick Andersson were the keys to the Miami defense. They played those intermediate and deep zones that never allowed the big play over the top. If you were going to score on Miami you were going to have to string first downs together and sustain drives. Ironically like a certain local defense, they were criticized when their zones were too soft and they didn't pressure the QB enough, most notably on Ken Stabler's fateful drive in the 1974 playoffs.

Another sidenote: The Franco Harris immaculate reception in 1972 played a huge role in preserving Miami's famous undefeated season. It knocked the Raiders out and Miami didn't have to face them the next week.
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I am not even a Steelers fan, but the Immaculate Reception is one of the more unbelievable plays in the history of sports. Sports in the 70s. Especially with the NFL rule at the time where if an offensive player touched a pass, then he is the only one eligible to catch the pass. So, did Tatum actually touch the ball?

In the clip below, watch fans jump onto the field from the stands to join in the celebration. Can you imagine that happening now?

 
Robowe said:
I am not even a Steelers fan, but the Immaculate Reception is one of the more unbelievable plays in the history of sports. Sports in the 70s. Especially with the NFL rule at the time where if an offensive player touched a pass, then he is the only one eligible to catch the pass. So, did Tatum actually touch the ball?

In the clip below, watch fans jump onto the field from the stands to join in the celebration. Can you imagine that happening now?

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The best thing by far about this clip, is that with the video quality in the 1972 this looks like Ricky Stanzi throwing the pass against Ohio State.
 
Robowe said:
Let's try that again …
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The ball definitely hits Tatum.

Was Tatum ever tested for CTE? I didn't hear about any mental issues he ever showed, but it seems like if anybody would get it, it'd be him.

Btw, if I didn't mention it before, F the f*ing Raiders!
 
Northside Hawk said:
Many legit points but if the NFL shied away from every player who wasn't mature as a freshman and had some growing up to do there wouldn't be enough draftable players. The NFL knows that players do a lot of their growing up during their college years. Hell, Fred Barr, Collin Cole and Abdul Hodge had to be talked out of going home more than once. So if a player gets more mature as he gets older that's not negative, that's normal, if not admirable. I'll bet it's happened, unreported, with some of the biggest stars in the college game.

Ever since DJK, who made his own bed, publicly questioned that Kirk blackballed him, there has been this undertone bubbling under the Kirk geyser. By that logic, perhaps we should blame Kirk for Desmond King getting passed over. After all, he was once suspended for first quarter of a game. Might be some issues there.

If Kirk was solicited for an opinion, he probably responded the way a job applicant would when asked what they would not like about a company. They would immediatey spin any negative into a positive. Kirk was proud of how far Wadley had progressed as a person, regardless of how he felt about him earlier. Hell, he had Akrum take ISM under his wing. No way would Kirk had thrown Akrum under the bus and prevented one of his own from getting drafted. DJK, another story.
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I, for one, believe that when DJK was suspended and publicly criticized Kirk he lost all chance of being drafted or even making any professional football team in any league. If a player questions coaches or management in the NFL (or CFL, etc) they don't last long.
 
hawkeyes87 said:
The ball definitely hits Tatum.

Was Tatum ever tested for CTE? I didn't hear about any mental issues he ever showed, but it seems like if anybody would get it, it'd be him.

Btw, if I didn't mention it before, F the f*ing Raiders!
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Tatum made the critical mistake of not knocking down a fourth down pass, which would have ended the game. By measuring Fuqua and going for the hit he allowed the small chance of the ball taking a funny bounce. It did.

But Tatum gets a huge attaboy for crushing Sammy White over the middle in super bowl VI on what was then a legal hit (it would get him suspended today) That was the end of Viking receivers going over the middle for the day. And it allowed the corners to attack the out routes until Willie Brown clinched the game with a pick six. Tatum helped turn the game while people still wonder how White hung on to the ball when he was unconscious before he hit the ground.
 
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