Best NFL player by position, by P-5 conference

Gorka

Harris over George. Harris beats George in every statistical category. Yeah I know, Harris played 4 years longer, but the fact that Harris helped win Super Bowls seals the deal.

Pace over Thomas no way. Thomas should be there. More Pro Bowls.

Except that would be two take aways from OSU, leaving only Warfield which you wouldn't like.

Last but not least....

Tony Dorsett from Pitt over JB.

Just kidding.

gumby73

@the-gipper said:

Heard something about this on the radio today. Thought I would put it to the test: Who is the best player at each position to come out of each Power 5 Conference (as currently constituted). Here is my list. Let us know if you have alternative thoughts:

Quarterbacks:

Big Ten: Tom Brady, Michigan

Pac 12: John Elway Stanford

SEC: Peyton Manning, Tennessee

ACC: Dan Marino, Pitt

Big 12: Bobby Layne Texas (but...some day Mahomes may take this)

Take list above^^ than add Independent school ND-Joe Montana... than rank the 6 ?

ACC: Could not decide between Mike Ditka Pitt and John Mackey Syracuse... Ditka!

Big 12: Russell Okung Oklahoma check on Jammal Brown? ? Oklahoma... Redskin, 2 pro bowls and won a SB

@gorka said:

Pace over Thomas no way. Thomas should be there. More Pro Bowls.

Pardon Gippers buckeye homerism... am a homer too, but JT was the best LT candidate I'd ever seen coming out of any college school.. Munoz a real close 2nd... two of THe Best

EDit--- Watch for this kid next season... LT Penei Sewell-- from Oregon.. a 6'6 munster, that gives up nothing

MLD Woody

@gumby73 said:

Pardon Gippers buckeye homerism... am a homer too, but JT was the best LT candidate I'd ever seen coming out of any college school.. Munoz a real close 2nd... two of THe Best

EDit--- Watch for this kid next season... LT Penei Sewell-- from Oregon.. a 6'6 munster, that gives up nothing

I'm just here to see how many Buckeyes Gip puts on his list

The Gipper

@mld-woody said:

I'm just here to see how many Buckeyes Gip puts on his list

Well I think I have one or two. I also said the Franco Harris probably deserved it over it’s George. But Jim Brown hated the way Franco Harris played so why shouldn’t I? And Joe Thomas over Orlando pace is certainly arguable. A tough choice. There I think we’re a couple of other guys to who might’ve been there. With the receivers I got it down to either Warfield or Carter both buckeyes. Is there someone else that could’ve been in there instead?

The Gipper

If I was a real homer I would’ve picked Otto Graham from Northwestern over Tom Brady. Maybe I should?

I tried to be completely objective....except on the Franco choice...and I clearly stated that I was being biased there.

The Gipper

In researching this I was surprised to see how few wide receivers came out of the SEC. I think Lance Alworth from Arkansas was the only Hall of Famer. And like I said eventually Julio Jones will probably take over the top spot there by the end of his career. The ACC however had a ton of great wide receivers. Especially Miami Florida

MLD Woody

@the-gipper said:

If I was a real homer I would’ve picked Otto Graham from Northwestern over Tom Brady. Maybe I should?

You can do as you please. Living with orange and brown blinders on is part of your MO as well

Dutch Oven

@mld-woody said:

You can do as you please. Living with orange and brown blinders on is part of your MO as well

Says the guy who posts nonstop regaling us about whatever mediocre TTUN player is on the Browns roster.

Pot, meet kettle. ?

MLD Woody

@dutch-oven said:

Says the guy who posts nonstop regaling us about whatever mediocre TTUN player is on the Browns roster.

Pot, meet kettle. ?

I think when all was said and done Gip made more posts in the DPJ thread than me haha

Dutch Oven

@mld-woody said:

I think when all was said and done Gip made more posts in the DPJ thread than me haha

Well THAT's a given too ?

Gorka

@gumby73 said:

Pardon Gippers buckeye homerism... am a homer too, but JT was the best LT candidate I'd ever seen coming out of any college school.. Munoz a real close 2nd... two of THe Best

EDit--- Watch for this kid next season... LT Penei Sewell-- from Oregon.. a 6'6 munster, that gives up nothing

If you're choosing Ditka (Pitt) over Mackey, then that would make 3 players from Pittsburgh, over one (Warfield) from OSU, and we certainly won't want that.

Gip may regret he started this thread.

The Gipper

@mld-woody said:

You can do as you please. Living with orange and brown blinders on is part of your MO as well

You are Goddamned right I wear my Orange and Brown blinders.

That is the ONLY reason I chose Jim Brown as the best RB to come out of the ACC

and the ONLY Reason I chose Ozzie Newsome as the best TE to come out of the SEC

and the ONLY reason I chose Mike McCormack as the best OT to come out of the Big 12

And the ONLY reason I chose Paul Warfield as the best WR to come out of the Big Ten.

So....here is your challenge:

Prove that I was being a homer here....prove that I overlooked a better player at these respective positions that came from each of those conferences that did not play for the Browns.

The Gipper

@mld-woody said:

I think when all was said and done Gip made more posts in the DPJ thread than me haha

I probably did. I gave Peeps, or PBJ or Sunshine Superman, or Mellow Yellow...or whatever you want to call him more attention than you....because he is now a Cleveland Brown.

Maybe I will just start calling him "Donovan".

The Gipper

@gorka said:

If you're choosing Ditka (Pitt) over Mackey, then that would make 3 players from Pittsburgh, over one (Warfield) from OSU, and we certainly won't want that.

Gip may regret he started this thread.

Not at all. I wanted this conversation thank you. Do you think that Woody will have the guts to take on the challenge I gave him? And I guess I didn't think about the fact that I picked 3 Pitt players...as many as OSU players (more if I drop Eddie George in favor of Franco)

Wait till we get to the Defense.

The Gipper

Here is the defense:

Defensive Ends:

Big Ten: Carl Eller, Univ. of Minnesota

Pac-12: Terrelll Suggs Arizona St.

SEC: Reggie White Tennessee

ACC: Bruce Smith Va. Tech

Big 12: LeRoy Selmon, Oklahoma

Defensive Tackles:

Big Ten: Randy White, Maryland

Pac 12: Curly Culp AZ St.

SEC: Dan Hampton Arkansas

ACC: Warren Sapp Miami Fla

Big 12: Bob Lilley TCU

Outside Linebacker

Big Ten: Trying to choose between Andre Tippett (Iowa), Bobby Bell (Minn.) and Jack Ham (Penn St.

Pac 12: Clay Matthews II (our Clay Matthews) USC

SEC: Derrick Thomas Alabama

ACC: Lawrence Taylor NC

Big 12: Zack Thomas Texas Tech

Middle Linebacker:

Big Ten: Dick Butkus Illinois (over fellow Ill. grad Ray Nitschke)

Pac 12: Junior Seau USC

SEC: Larry Grantham (Ole Miss)......the SEC really has NOT produced great MLBs...I had to dig hard to find him.

ACC: Ray Lewis Miami Fla

Big 12: Mike Singletary Baylor

Cornerback:

Big 10: Rod Woodson Purdue (other good ones: Herb Adderly MSU, Dick LeBeau OSU; Ty Law Mich.

Pac 12: Mike Haynes AZ St.

SEC: Champ BAiley Georgia

ACC: Deion Sanders FSU

Big 12: Aqib Talib Kansas

Safety:

Big Ten: Paul Krause Iowa

Pac 12: Ronnie Lott USC

SEC: Yale Lary Tex A&M

ACC: Ed Reed Miami

Big 12: Bobby Dillon Texas

Again, if you think I missed someone (highly possible) or if you think there could be someone better...let us know.

The Gipper

OK, so, let's look at Eddie George and Francisco Franco side by side:

George:

9 years 2865 attempts 10,441 yards 68 TDs 3.6 yards per attempt 74.0 yards per game

Franco:

13 years 2949 attempts 12,120 yards 91 TDs 4.1 ypa 70.1 ypg

Sure, OK Franco has 4 SBs.....but I suggest that if Eddie were on those Steelers, he would have done as well or better.

Also....take note: Franco had 9505 yards after his 9th season....where George retired after 9 seasons with 10, 441. (of course longevity also counts). But then....George was obviously carrying the load far more than Franco...as he is less than 100 attempts short of Franco in those 4 fewer years.

(Franco and George ARE the top two RBs from the Big Ten in terms of straight rushing yards)

While you have to probably give the nod to Franco.....if you were asking me to draft one of them right now based on their talent coming out of college: I am choosing George.

Also...on the other hand, before too many years I believe it will all be superfluous as Ezekiel Elliot will overtake both of them.

TexasAg1969

Derrick Thomas was great-no doubt. But I'd have put him in a tie with a guy still playing on a high level - Von Miller.

And who knows what Bo Jackson was going to be in the long run without that horrific injury. I think he is the greatest back I ever personally saw play the game. Emmit just

had the good fortune not to have that kind of injury early in his career.

BTW Syracuse was not ACC nor was A&M SEC when Brown and Miller went into the pros.

The Gipper

@texasag1969 said:

Derrick Thomas was great-no doubt. But I'd have put him in a tie with a guy still playing on a high level - Von Miller.

Maybe when their careers are over...not now. Even then, it may still be a homer choice on your part.

And who knows what Bo Jackson was going to be in the long run without that horrific injury. I think he is the greatest back I ever personally saw play the game. Emmit just

had the good fortune not to have that kind of injury early in his career.

I understand, still, injury can be said to have curtailed a lot of careers....but I think for this I have to go with the longer careers (its why I still had Bobby Layne over Mahomes...though someday). Bo just didn't get the chance.

BTW Syracuse was not ACC nor was A&M SEC when Brown and Miller went into the pros.

I get that last point....it is why I said to select them under the current conference alignment. There has been so much shuffling of teams in and out of various conferences. Randy White's Maryland team did not play in the Big Ten. See the above discussion about Franco. Penn St. was not Big Ten at the time he played. The one A&M guy I did pick, Yale Lary, certainly did not play in the SEC.

Maybe YOU could do a "best of the Southwest Conference". A great conference, now defunct. I think there could have been some good choices for that: Dickerson RB for SMU....etc. You do that, and I will do the MAC, my school conference.

The Gipper

Here is My Mid American Conf. All NFL team. It actually stacks up pretty darn well with the P-5 :

Offense:

Quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger, Miami, Oh (will be HOF

RB Kareem Hunt Toledo (alternate full career: Michael Turner No. Illinois)

WR: Antonio Brown Central Michigan (note, Marshall was in MAC when Randy Moss played...but is not now and I am just going by current lineup)

TE: Antonio Gates Kent St. (possible HOF?)

OT: Joe Staley Cent. Michigan

OC/C: Brandon Brooks Miami Oh. (currently active )

Defense:

DE: Jason Taylor, Akron HOF

DT: Andy Harmon Kent State

OLB: Khalil Mack Buffalo.....(on track for HOF?)

MLB: Jack Lambert Kent St. HOF

Safety: Emlen Tunnell Toledo HOF

Cornerback: Dwight Smith, Akron (2 Super Bowl Ints)

Special Teams: Josh Cribbs Kent St. (If they would reserve slots in HOF for ST players...Cribbs would be high on the list)

Utility: Julian Edelman Kent St.

The Gipper

More "Data" points in this regard: Of the Top 12 NFL RBs that came out of the Big Ten...in terms of career production, half of them have been from Ohio St.:

1. Franco Penn St.

2. Eddie George Ohio St.

3. Ronnie Harmon Iowa (especially good receiving back)

4. Robert Smith Ohio St.

5. Keith Byars Ohio St.

6. Mike Pruitt Purdue

7. Leveon Bell, Michigan St.....active

8. Otis Armstrong Purdue

9. John Brockington, OSU

10. Pete Johnson OSU

11. Larry Johnson Penn St..

12. Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State....active

If you were to go down to the Top 20....3 more Buckeyes would be on the list: Ron Springs, Archie Griffin, Jim Otis

But, note....the source I used only counted players whose teams were in the Big Ten at the time they played for that team; ergo, if we count all RBs who ever played for current Big Ten teams even if they weren't in the Big Ten at the time, you would probably also get the likes of these players:

Lydell Mitchell PSU

Curt Warner PSU

Ray Rice Rutgers.