All-KF Era Team: RB & FB
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guffus
Well-Known Member
No way you need 2 FB's on an all star team. Should be 3 HB' s and 1 FB.
With that in mind
HB#1 - Shonn Greene -
his 2008 season probably the best season ever by an Iowa RB
HB#2 - Akrum Wadley
I have to admit he is my all time favorite RB. Just loved how he could break free for a TD. #2 all time in TD's scored I think. Too bad he was always in Kirk's doghouse.
HB#3 - Kaleb Johnson
I guess I just prefer backs with breakaway speed but Kaleb could do both. Run over people and break away for TDs.
FB - Mark Weisman
Is this cheating putting him at FB?. He started out as a FB. Some say he should have stayed at FB. But he was that guy, you know, if needed 1 yard, he would get you 3 yards. Now If you needed 5 yards, he would get you 3 yards. In all seriousness, probably the hardest runner ever.
I don't really remember watching Betts, that was at the very start of me paying attention to Hawkeye football (moved to IC in 1999, started grad school in 2001). I was probably still cheering for Asad Abdul-Kahliq and Ben Utecht around that time (those were tough times). Obviously Betts was awesome and consistent at Iowa, and those 2 KF years were behind a pretty abysmal O-Line. And he put up a 1,600 yard-from-scrimmage season in the NFL. But his best year was 1,200 yards from scrimmage and 10 TDs.
Shonn Greene just had the 1 big year, but what a year. 1,900 yards from scrimmage, 20 TDs.
K. Johnson's one big season was 1,725 yards from scrimmage, 23 TDs.
But I don't think I have ever seen an Iowa RB make more game-winning plays "above replacement" than Akrum Wadley.
I would go Wadley and Greene.
Shonn Greene just had the 1 big year, but what a year. 1,900 yards from scrimmage, 20 TDs.
K. Johnson's one big season was 1,725 yards from scrimmage, 23 TDs.
But I don't think I have ever seen an Iowa RB make more game-winning plays "above replacement" than Akrum Wadley.
I would go Wadley and Greene.
I was thinking 2 RBs, 1 FB, but then I thought, "This is Iowa! You need 2 FBs."
It seems like Brady Ross is the guy for how we have used FBs over the past 15 years, but back in the day when the FB could be an offensive weapon, Jeremy Allen was fun. I agree, Weismann would probably be the guy if you wanted a FB who could thump but also provide a little offense.
Highest yards per touch:
Wadley 6.0
Greene 5.9 (X. Williams is also currently at 5.9, FWIW)
Canzieri 5.8
D. Simms 5.7
K. Johnson 5.6
Fewest touches per TD:
K. Johnson 16.8
Wadley 17.3
Greene 17.6
Betts was single-handedly carrying bad teams in his junior and senior years, and he was the ultimate workhorse. But in comparison, he averaged 4.9 yards per touch and 33.4 touches per TD.
Wadley 6.0
Greene 5.9 (X. Williams is also currently at 5.9, FWIW)
Canzieri 5.8
D. Simms 5.7
K. Johnson 5.6
Fewest touches per TD:
K. Johnson 16.8
Wadley 17.3
Greene 17.6
Betts was single-handedly carrying bad teams in his junior and senior years, and he was the ultimate workhorse. But in comparison, he averaged 4.9 yards per touch and 33.4 touches per TD.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Is still in the spirit of the original WR post, where the criteria was "who would you choose" for your team, or simply a ranking opinion?
Fryowa
Administrator
Mine have been who I would choose. But they’re pretty close to the same thing by default…
NorthKCHawk
Well-Known Member
Recency bias is taking me to Kaleb Johnson. And not just because he tore Nebraska's heart out during his last game. Not sure we would have lost any games if he came back for another season.
Wadley was the shiftiest back I have seen since Barry Sanders. Like trying to tackle gumby.
Wadley was the shiftiest back I have seen since Barry Sanders. Like trying to tackle gumby.
For me, it is who are the guys I would want on my team for a season. I weigh the height of their powers more so than career production.
So far, I am trotting out...
McNutt, ISM, Kasper (I originally said Hinkel, but I think I am changing)
Moeaki and Fant
Wadley and Greene
I am not sure you can come up with a more explosive lineup than that. Moeaki was my one concession to steadiness (assuming healthy) over explosive ability, but someone has to block the edge for Wadley and Greene. TE is the position where I could go a bunch of different ways without any dropoff.
Betts was a tough versatile SOB. Played on bad offenses where he was the entire offense sorta like how KJ was. If Iowa had a better QB/passing game back then he probably coulda done even more. Pretty underrated player I'd say.
He was more versatile then either Greene or KJ. He caught passes and blocked. That said Greene and KJ were monsters that even though defenses did everything they could to slow em down still couldn't. It'd be tough for me to not pick those two.
KJ playing behind this yrs Oline.... Sign me up for wishing we coulda saw that.
The funny thing about Wadley was he really wasn't the fastest guy straight line speed wise. Besides his lack of size that's what kept him from latching on in the NFL he just wasn't that fast. But yeah he made guys miss in phone booths and could accelerate in 2 steps. That Michigan game where he juked guys out in the hole over and over was awesome. Like watching the varsity playing against 7th graders.
It certainly seems he wasn't fast in a straight-line sense by his 40-times (I think he was in the 4.6s for 40 time), but I can never remember him getting caught from behind. LeShun Daniels had a significantly faster 40 time, but he got caught just short of the EZ a bunch of times. I think it is one of those cases where, for whatever reason, the time Wadley was throwing down at the underwear-Olympics just didn't reflect his actual playing speed.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
Sounds good. If I'm picking two guys for my team, I'd go with Wegher and Wadley.
Obviously, Greene is the star here, but from a purely talent standpoint, I think Wegher ekes him out. Wegher had a great mix of size and speed, and natural vision for hitting the right hole. If he had had better attitude and kept "Mr. Johnson" under control, I think he would have had a stellar Iowa career.
Wadley is the perfect "lightening" compliment.
We have a hell of an "all-attrition" team at RB thanks to the AIRBHG.
Coker
Robinson
Lewis
Wegher
Hampton
Often Iowa is accused of not getting the most out of our offensive players (e.g. Charlie Jones), but I don't think anyone can say that for our RBs. There have been a number of guys that produced at Iowa, went elsewhere and did bupkis. Jewell Hampton is an exception, who was very successful at S. Illinois, and even hung around on practice squads for the 49ers for a year or 2.
#1DieHardHawk
Well-Known Member
You could add Tyrone Tracy as someone who excelled after leaving. Iowa tried him at WR for a couple of seasons, then at RB where he apparently struggled. Went to Purdue and did well at RB, and has gotten even better in the NFL.
Shonn Greene and Kaleb Johnson for RBs. Jeremy Allen for FB.
Just had to put Kaleb in there although Ladel Betts is very deserving. Jeremy Allen because he was an all-around FB who could run, block, and probably the best FB at catching the ball out of the backfield.
Just had to put Kaleb in there although Ladel Betts is very deserving. Jeremy Allen because he was an all-around FB who could run, block, and probably the best FB at catching the ball out of the backfield.
