I was listening to Matt and Adam’s show on the way home last night and they were replaying Rich Lord’s comments about Vince Young. Rich Lord said something to the effect of he maybe the best college football player ever and they were reaming him for his comments. Then they started going into stats and players who had Heisman trophies like Archie Griffin having two. Now I know I might get flamed for this but I would be lying if the wrote the same thought hasn’t crossed my mind. I know Oklahoma St isn’t that good but for the first time Sat I thought I might be watching the best college football player that at least I’ve ever seen. So I wanted to get some of your thoughts. Personally stats don’t matter but if that’s your argument its totally understandable. I just have never seen a guy so physically dominant on the only guys who I think compare are guys like Hershel Walker and Bo Jackson. What do you guys think?
I think the guy is AMAZING, and as soon as UT quit screwing around with his throwing motion and let him be himself he took off. Right now, he would make the Texans 100% better.... We are watching history...he is that good. DD
the thing that impresses me MOST about vince is that he doesn't really give a damn about stats. he could run for 5 yards and as long as he wins that's fine by him. he does whatever it takes to win. that's why when all these experts try to peg him as a running qb, or a qb who can throw and run, or whatever, i wish they would just say....he's a winner. that's what impresses me about vince, winning.
Barry Sanders 1988 for Oklahoma State was the best college player I've ever seen. ---------------------------------- In 1988, Sanders came out of relative obscurity to set NCAA records with 2,628 rushing yards, 3,249 total yards, 39 touchdowns and 234 points. To put this in perspective, to compare Sanders' yards to teams in 2001, Sanders would be 8th behind Nebraska, Rice, Air Force, Indiana, Kansas State, Colorado and Ohio. (BYU amassed 2,832 yards in 13 games.) As a scorer, Sanders holds the record for most consecutive games scoring two or more touchdowns rushing with 12. He carried the ball 344 times averaging 7.6 yards per carry. For the season, Sanders averaged 238.9 yards per game running for more than 300 yards in four games. How's this for a five game stretch: 320 yards vs. Kansas State, 215 vs. Oklahoma, 312 vs. Kansas, 293 vs. Iowa State and 332 vs. Texas Tech. http://www.collegefootballnews.com/Top_100_Players/Top_100_Players_16_Barry_Sanders.htm
The only way Vince gets into that conversation is if he wins the Heisman this year, wins the national championship, comes back and has as good a season next year with no more than 1 loss max. That would put his career record something like 40'something - 3. Then you can talk about him amongst the best ever.
Talk to me when he's won a national championship. VY isn't even going to win the Heisman this year. He's not the best player of all time. That's absurd.
you're gonna laugh when I say it pgabs...but the only other player i REMEMBER seeing this dominant at the college game is Michael Vick. the kind of player who can just take the entire game on his shoulders.
I think that it is tempting to drag up a name from the past because their collegiate body of work is complete. Most of what we see about the older guys is archival bits, highlights only. But with VY we see every play, the good and the bad. We see the picks. We see the trips. We see the crappy passes and the poor decisions. So it is hard to say that he is the best when we see his faults. Even as recently as the mid to late 90's the coverage and footage was nowhere near what it is today. Taking all that in I think we may be watching the best there has ever been. He truly makes the spectacular look routine. He is phenomenal and we will see what he is about at the Rose Bowl.
Vince is indeed a man among boys out there. At 6'5, 230 lbs it's almost not fair. Here's some dominant players that I've seen over the past few years: Orlando Pace -> the guy was a menace at OT, and pancaked everyone Ricky Williams -> rare combination of power and breakaway speed, constantly ran against 8-man fronts Rashaan Salaam -> NFL career was a bust, but the guy could produce Tommie Frazier -> ran the Husker option attack to perfection Charles Woodson -> played both ways, and was a beast at CB and KR at Michigan
I don't know about the best I've ever seen (Earl Campbell, anyone?) but I really think he's the best player in the country this year. Frankly, I don't think it's even close. I heard an interview with Mack Brown and he said that in the middle of last season (maybe after the OU loss) he brought VY into his office and showed him videos of himself in high school. He basically said "I want you to play like that again." The result? They haven't lost a game since then. Once Mack and co. decided to adapt their offense to VY (instead of the other way around) that's when he went from being very good to one of the best ever. BTW, I have no pro-UT or anti-UT bias. I'm speaking strictly as a football fan.
The best ever? Wow. He doesn't even cross my mind among the best college players ever. He still has poor accuracy and poor decison making. THe guy can run as good as anybody I've seen. But he's not a complete QB. I say in the NFL he will be a very poor version of Donovan McNabb. Maybe worthy worthy of a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick. 1st round if your going to put him at WR or something around those lines. He's a physcial speciman but he won't have alot of success at QB at the next level imo.
If he never plays a down in the NFL, that doesn't tarnish is college career at all IMO. I never understand why players like Brian Bosworth, Andre Ware, Tommy Frazier, or Eric Crouch get knocked because of what they did (or didn't do) in the NFL. It shouldn't take anything away from what they did in college.
I'm sure you'd have a complete change of heart regarding VY and the Longhorns in general when this happens, right? : picture of monkeys flying out of Madonna's butt : My peace: While Young is defintely one of the best to ever play in the college football scene, both Sanders and Bo Jackson would be at the top of my "best ever" list at this point...[/My opinion.]
I created him on Madden and every game I go for at least 400 combined yards and 5 combined TDs. To the NFL people compare him to Michael Vick, he's probably not as good of a passer or runner, but he does have Vick physically, at 6'5" he won't have as many problems seeing the field as Vick does at 5'11" or whatever he is and he'll be more durable.
True. I was just talking about Vince's skills in general. If he gets an heisman/national tite. He can enter the debate.
Not even close. The only player playing the game today where you could even make the case is Matt Leinart. He has a chance for 2 Heismans and 3 national titles.