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YOUR BALANCE
Interesting topic
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Interesting topic


Mar 7, 2019, 10:13 AM

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/the-best-nfl-player-from-every-fbs-school/ss-BBUsylH?li=BBnba9I

I have had discussions with people over the years on this very subject. This list is at the heart of the argument. This list proposes the "greatest player from each school". When you look at the list it is obvious that they base this off of each players NFL career. To me, these are 2 different things. IMO Brian Dawkins had a tremendous NFL career (and a very good one here)but is not the gratest player in Clemson history.

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Re: Interesting topic


Mar 7, 2019, 10:25 AM

I agree with you on your reasoning. I also believe those are two different metrics.
So, I will bite. Who do you think is the greatest Tiger?

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LOL! That is SUCH a difficult task...


Mar 7, 2019, 10:32 AM

especially when you don't break it down by position. We have dont it before by position essentially having an "all Tiger" team. Ive been watching CU football since a bit before our first national title. Obviously the 80"s had tremendous talent. even when you had a guy like Levon Kirkland (who went on to big NFL success) we had guys like Ed McDaniel, Doug Brewster and John Johnson who were tremendous at the position as well.

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..and I just used them as an example.


Mar 7, 2019, 10:34 AM [ in reply to Re: Interesting topic ]

I guess the ROH is a good start. With his success Deshaun probably has to be in the discussion.

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Re: Interesting topic


Mar 7, 2019, 10:38 AM [ in reply to Re: Interesting topic ]

I think offensively it comes down to Spiller and Watson.

Defensively there are a lot more names that you could argue for.

Anthony Simmons, The Fridge, Christian Wilkins are just a few from their eras.

There are tons of options to consider on defense.

This is with the assumption that you can only be considered once your career is over.

I don't think it's right to include somebody before they have a full career to discuss.

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I agree.


Mar 7, 2019, 10:43 AM

Its also interesting to think about how someone like Dantzler would have fared in this offensive systen we run now. Or Whitehurst. For that matter..Spiller or Kenny Flowers.

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Re: I agree.


Mar 7, 2019, 10:51 AM

With our current talent it would have been interesting to see what Dantzler could have done in Bryant's season.

Dantzler was maybe a similar passer to Bryant but a much more effective runner.

Whitehurst and Chase Brice may be a good comparison in terms of style and talent.

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Spiller would've been crazy good in this system


Mar 7, 2019, 10:51 AM [ in reply to I agree. ]

ESPECIALLY, if he had worked on his hands a bit and became a bit more reliable catching the ball. He'd have been nigh on unstoppable. (And he almost was when he played with a lesser team/system).

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Re: Spiller would've been crazy good in this system


Mar 7, 2019, 10:54 AM

I think we remember Spiller's hands differently.

He made a huge impact as a freshman catching swing passes.

He was also the original "wheel route guy" at RB for a Clemson offense.

Not to mention catching kick offs and punts very effectively which I know is a different thing.

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I also think


Mar 7, 2019, 11:00 AM

Airese Curry in the slot along with Jacoby Ford
Derrick Hamilton on the boundry
Dwayne Allen and Michael Palmer at TE.

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He did have pretty decent hands for a back


Mar 7, 2019, 11:01 AM [ in reply to Re: Spiller would've been crazy good in this system ]

Maybe I'm not giving him enough credit there.

Not a knock on him at all, my thought was if, in our system, he had worked a bit more on catching then instead of the wheel/swing routes (both of which he an well), then he'd have been a great fit for running some of the pseudo-slot routes over the middle in space.

But again, that's just going by memory and playing the what-if mental game.

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Re: He did have pretty decent hands for a back


Mar 7, 2019, 11:15 AM

I agree that Spiller could have been good at that.

Even Andre Ellington played slot for almost an entire year in the NFL and did very well.

Spiller's offense didn't really have that position as much.

Even today I don't know if they would move him to slot simply because we have so many stud WRs.

That spot could have been a very productive place for him though.

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As you say, those are two different lists


Mar 7, 2019, 10:49 AM

1) The player from each FBS school that had the best NFL career (which this list clearly is, as the title suggests)

and

2) The player from each FBS school that the best college career (which this list clearly isn't)


I think they hit the nail on the head with the Dawkins pick for metric 1.

As for metric 2, it will always be hard to pick that sort of thing because you are dealing with WAY more players, and their collegiate careers are considerably shorter.

And that's even before you bring in questions of what "best" even means.

-->Most impact?
-->Most clutch?
-->Longest period of impact?
-->Most recognizable splash plays (historically iconic plays)?
-->Clearly best at his position (or most ideal player at his position)?
-->Most well remembered?
-->Best player during brightest period of success?

etc, etc

As is always the case "best" is fun conversation fodder, but it primarily only serves for argument fodder (preferably over a few beers).

With that said, right now I'd be hard pressed not to point DW4 as the player who checks the most boxes to those questions.

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True


Mar 7, 2019, 10:56 AM

and I do know that the list clearly states it. I only brought it up because I have had the argument with people in the past. You bring up great points as to what defines the greatest. I think Spiller was one that brought us attention during a time when we were waning in the area. He served (and still does) as a tremendous ambassador for Clemson.
Watson and now Wilkins are two examples of young men who took those attributes and ran with them. They are examples of what true student athletes should aspire to be.

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Re: Interesting topic


Mar 7, 2019, 11:25 AM

I've been watching Clemson football since 1955. During that span of years there have been many excellent players come through the system. The most difficult thing in my mind is trying to factor in the differences in the game over that period of time. Not only has the game changed, but the players are now bigger and stronger and have benefitted from better high school coaching. We have gone from a game that required players to play both ways and primarily a run oriented game to a game where each player is essentially a "specialist".

Other than real old men like Lightbulbbill and Haskins, I would guess most posters on this board never saw in person, those Tiger teams before 1980. Only history can give you an idea of their talent and how they would measure up to players in recent years. Determining who was "the best" is beyond my ability to make an honest appraisal.

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I would have to think that a guy like Banks McFadden


Mar 7, 2019, 12:08 PM

would transcend eras. That guy was phenomenal. Pure athlete. I have always been fascinated with guys that can and have excelled in more than one sport at the D1 level. That is very very difficult to do.

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Clickbait.


Mar 7, 2019, 12:11 PM

Not going through that many pages. Who was chosen for Clemson?

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https://as1.ftcdn.net/v2/jpg/00/81/16/28/1000_F_81162810_8TlZDomtVuVGlyqWL2I4HA7Wlqw7cr5a.jpg


Brian Dawkins***


Mar 7, 2019, 12:34 PM



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Re: Clickbait.


Mar 7, 2019, 5:21 PM [ in reply to Clickbait. ]

142 slides?
No can do.
But don't forget David Treadwell.
He was All Pro and a great kicker. Had a good career with Denver. Deserves honorable mention at least.

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Re: Clickbait.***


Mar 7, 2019, 6:00 PM



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In that realm


Mar 7, 2019, 6:01 PM

Lies Chris Gardocki.

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Re: Interesting topic


Mar 7, 2019, 12:25 PM

One Clemson player who had a rather lengthy and successful impact in the pros was Charlie Waters.

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