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With the draft right around the corner and Appy State vs. Montana excitement starting to build, I thought this would be a pretty cool thread idea to match up two of the top guys from last year's FCS class. I know their teams faced each other in 2009 but I'm not certain if they went head to head. Even if they had, clearly their skill sets have improved since then. In your opinion, had each had one more year and lined against each other next September, how would it have played out?

I must confess that I don't know how Montana used Johnson or what their defense was like (man coverage/zone/ a mixture) but it's fun to imagine them going head to head.

HenZoneNation wrote:With the draft right around the corner and Appy State vs. Montana excitement starting to build, I thought this would be a pretty cool thread idea to match up two of the top guys from last year's FCS class. I know their teams faced each other in 2009 but I'm not certain if they went head to head. Even if they had, clearly their skill sets have improved since then. In your opinion, had each had one more year and lined against each other next September, how would it have played out?

I must confess that I don't know how Montana used Johnson or what their defense was like (man coverage/zone/ a mixture) but it's fun to imagine them going head to head.

It would have been really cool. They did match up in 2009 though.

[youtube][/youtube]

I was listening to KFAN- Minneapolis and they were really loving up Tru Johnson , and sounded lke he could go in 2-3 rounds. VIkings are interested and I think he'd be a good fit.

lakesbison wrote:I was listening to KFAN- Minneapolis and they were really loving up Tru Johnson , and sounded lke he could go in 2-3 rounds. VIkings are interested and I think he'd be a good fit.

He won't be there in the third, so if they're interested they'd better get him with their 2nd round. He's started moving back up draft boards...

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:

HenZoneNation wrote:With the draft right around the corner and Appy State vs. Montana excitement starting to build, I thought this would be a pretty cool thread idea to match up two of the top guys from last year's FCS class. I know their teams faced each other in 2009 but I'm not certain if they went head to head. Even if they had, clearly their skill sets have improved since then. In your opinion, had each had one more year and lined against each other next September, how would it have played out?

I must confess that I don't know how Montana used Johnson or what their defense was like (man coverage/zone/ a mixture) but it's fun to imagine them going head to head.

It would have been really cool. They did match up in 2009 though.

[youtube][/youtube]

Man, EVERY time I watch that video I get chills. And just think of the # of NFL players on that field that day:

Marc Mariani
Chase Reynolds
Shann Schillinger
Levi Horn
Tru Johnson
Armanti Edwards
Brian Quick

Other possibles:

Caleb McSurdy
Brody McKnight
Charles Burton
Donny Lisowski

And I'm sure there are a few others and some ASU guys I'm not including on this list. That's a TON of NFL/near-NFL-caliber talent for one FCS game.

App's drafted players from that team:

Armanti Edwards
Mark Legree
Daniel Kilgore
DJ Smith
Brian Quick (TBD)

Skjellyfetti wrote:App's drafted players from that team:

Armanti Edwards
Mark Legree
Daniel Kilgore
DJ Smith
Brian Quick (TBD)

I knew I was forgetting some...thanks, KY.

I think it's pretty safe to put Quick on that list.

edit: And seriously, how many FCS games can say they had TEN future NFL players on the field in ONE game?

AZGrizFan wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:App's drafted players from that team:

Armanti Edwards
Mark Legree
Daniel Kilgore
DJ Smith
Brian Quick (TBD)

I knew I was forgetting some...thanks, KY.

I think it's pretty safe to put Quick on that list.

edit: And seriously, how many FCS games can say they had TEN future NFL players on the field in ONE game?

Did we play anyone with 3 or more in 2007? That Griz squad had 8 alone, 9 if Wilson wasn't sitting in jail...
Anderson, Colt
Biermann, Kroy
Carpenter, Dan
Hilliard, Lex
Horn, Levi
Mariani, Marc
Reynolds, Chase
Schillinger, Shann

Brock Landers wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
I knew I was forgetting some...thanks, KY.

I think it's pretty safe to put Quick on that list.

edit: And seriously, how many FCS games can say they had TEN future NFL players on the field in ONE game?

Did we play anyone with 3 or more in 2007? That Griz squad had 8 alone, 9 if Wilson wasn't sitting in jail...
Anderson, Colt
Biermann, Kroy
Carpenter, Dan
Hilliard, Lex
Horn, Levi
Mariani, Marc
Reynolds, Chase
Schillinger, Shann

Yep...2007-2009 were the high-water mark, I'm afraid....gonna be hard to duplicate that success, especially from an NFL-player perspective...

Skjellyfetti wrote:App's drafted players from that team:

Armanti Edwards
Mark Legree
Daniel Kilgore
DJ Smith
Brian Quick (TBD)

Legree get a chance with anybody else after Seattle cut him?

I think he's on the Jets practice squad last I heard.

Brock Landers wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
I knew I was forgetting some...thanks, KY.

I think it's pretty safe to put Quick on that list.

edit: And seriously, how many FCS games can say they had TEN future NFL players on the field in ONE game?

Did we play anyone with 3 or more in 2007? That Griz squad had 8 alone, 9 if Wilson wasn't sitting in jail...
Anderson, Colt
Biermann, Kroy
Carpenter, Dan
Hilliard, Lex
Horn, Levi
Mariani, Marc
Reynolds, Chase
Schillinger, Shann

Also, Balogh who was on Bears practice squad the next year. And free agents Dow, Quinn, Beaudin and Pfhaler. Was Hillesland signed as a free agent? Russum would have been a free agent, but for 2 surgeries after the season. Bergquist plays in the CFL. Bagley has played arena ball. Jace Palmer had some arena sniffs, but I don't know if he ever went to camp or played.

UD from 2006-2008 had a bunch of NFL players. That excludes Devlin and Gradkowski who came on in '09 (Pat is on the active roster for the Dolphins...for how long who knows...and Gino by all acounts looks solid to make a team.)
Players who made NFL Rosters and recorded stats:
Ben Patrick
Ronald Talley
Joe Flacco
Anthony Walters
Josh Baker
Guys who made Practice Squads for at least a season:
Omar Cuff
Robbie Agnone
b]Guys invited to camps:[/b]
Matt Marcorelle
Anthony Bratton
Tyrone Grant
Mike Byrne

AZGrizFan wrote:

lakesbison wrote:I was listening to KFAN- Minneapolis and they were really loving up Tru Johnson , and sounded lke he could go in 2-3 rounds. VIkings are interested and I think he'd be a good fit.

He won't be there in the third, so if they're interested they'd better get him with their 2nd round. He's started moving back up draft boards...

First off...you're a 100% correct. I would be stunned if he was still there in the 3rd. As far as I can see the biggest concern about Tru is his character. Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwin loved his upside but were concerned about off the field things. That was Mayocks biggets concern as well. But with his talent and size you gotta take a shot....plus, and this isn't a jab at Montana, but they have had some discipline issue. Maybe in another enviornment where things are a little more controlled he would have had less distractions. Who Knows.

As far as rising...Grego Cosell had a great take on this. All these analyists start compiling lists in January without really speaking to scouts. And then as the draft gets closer and the people who actually are hired to evealuate on a professional level begin to make their formal lists these ESPN and SI guys start to back track and say a guy is rising or falling as a way of explaining why they were so far off. The majority of a player's evaluations are based on what he does on the field. So unless there are some mjor character flaws, generally scouts have an idea of a player after their season is over. The Combine and Pro Days can help or hurt, but not as much as we think. Tru was probably seen, by some teams, as 2 round grade back in January and only now are these other guys catching up.

Ursus A. Horribilis wrote:

HenZoneNation wrote:With the draft right around the corner and Appy State vs. Montana excitement starting to build, I thought this would be a pretty cool thread idea to match up two of the top guys from last year's FCS class. I know their teams faced each other in 2009 but I'm not certain if they went head to head. Even if they had, clearly their skill sets have improved since then. In your opinion, had each had one more year and lined against each other next September, how would it have played out?

I must confess that I don't know how Montana used Johnson or what their defense was like (man coverage/zone/ a mixture) but it's fun to imagine them going head to head.

It would have been really cool. They did match up in 2009 though.

[youtube][/youtube]

Too bad the Niners didn't take Johnson would be even nicer for them to play against each other.

HenZoneNation wrote:

AZGrizFan wrote:
He won't be there in the third, so if they're interested they'd better get him with their 2nd round. He's started moving back up draft boards...

First off...you're a 100% correct. I would be stunned if he was still there in the 3rd. As far as I can see the biggest concern about Tru is his character. Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwin loved his upside but were concerned about off the field things. That was Mayocks biggets concern as well. But with his talent and size you gotta take a shot....plus, and this isn't a jab at Montana, but they have had some discipline issue. Maybe in another enviornment where things are a little more controlled he would have had less distractions. Who Knows.

As far as rising...Grego Cosell had a great take on this. All these analyists start compiling lists in January without really speaking to scouts. And then as the draft gets closer and the people who actually are hired to evealuate on a professional level begin to make their formal lists these ESPN and SI guys start to back track and say a guy is rising or falling as a way of explaining why they were so far off. The majority of a player's evaluations are based on what he does on the field. So unless there are some mjor character flaws, generally scouts have an idea of a player after their season is over. The Combine and Pro Days can help or hurt, but not as much as we think. Tru was probably seen, by some teams, as 2 round grade back in January and only now are these other guys catching up.

What was Johnson's off the field problems a lot of times these so-called off field problems are not all that serious one player had UNPAID PARKING TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He was at a party after getting back from a game. He and another player ended up getting tazed by the police.

As much as I hate the griz, Tru will be better in the NFL than Quick will.

AZGrizFan wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:App's drafted players from that team:

Armanti Edwards
Mark Legree
Daniel Kilgore
DJ Smith
Brian Quick (TBD)

I knew I was forgetting some...thanks, KY.

I think it's pretty safe to put Quick on that list.

edit: And seriously, how many FCS games can say they had TEN future NFL players on the field in ONE game?

Not many!!!!!

putter wrote:He was at a party after getting back from a game. He and another player ended up getting tazed by the police.

What was the reason behind the cops giving them the taser treatment after coming from a party?????

Before ,the draft there was a scout who spoke on conditions of anonymity, that he felt that Johnson with his size of 6-2 205 was mid to late first round material, and was better than the Ravens first round selection of last year Jimmy Smith inspite of the fact that Smith, recorded a much faster 40 4.44 as opposed to Johnson's pedestrian 4.59.Johnson in a interview said that he wanted to emulate ,Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie but he has a obvious twenty pound size advantage ,over the former first round pick of the Cardinals but that is it when it comes to foot speed it's not a ,contest!!!!!

DeAndre Presley and Travaris Cadet were picked up as free agents yesterday.

So, 12 future NFLers played in the 2009 Montana-App State game.

Skjellyfetti wrote:DeAndre Presley and Travaris Cadet were picked up as free agents yesterday.

So, 12 future NFLers played in the 2009 Montana-App State game.

Neither one of those players are making an NFL roster...It would be a stretch for them to make a practice squad.

HenZoneNation wrote: Neither one of those players are making an NFL roster...It would be a stretch for them to make a practice squad.

We'll see.

HenZoneNation wrote:

Skjellyfetti wrote:DeAndre Presley and Travaris Cadet were picked up as free agents yesterday.

So, 12 future NFLers played in the 2009 Montana-App State game.

Neither one of those players are making an NFL roster...It would be a stretch for them to make a practice squad.

Jealous bro? Sounds like a personal problem!