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How About This Defense

O

old.guy

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Mar 6, 2005
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Watching TU's too-often outmatched defense this past season got me thinking about some of the defensive greats we've had over the years. So I decided to compile an all-time TU defensive team by position, going back to 1963, the year I started following TU football. These selections are all guys I've seen play, and who I remember as being awfully good.

DT: Willie Townes, Kevin Lilly
DE: Dennis Byrd, Tracy Scroggins
OLB: Zaven Collins, Barry Minter
MLB: Chris Chamberlain, Mike Bryan
Corner: Cornell Webster, Nate Harris
Safety: (tie) Jeff Jordan, Ralph McGill

I'd like to hear folks' thoughts. Disagreements?
 
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Some kids from that 2012 defense would be mad they’re not in the conversation.

Dexter McCoil was one of the hardest hitting safeties we’ve ever had.

Jared St. John had 11.5 sacks.

Deaundre Brown had 125 Tackles and 9 sacks.

Throw in Corey Dorris and Shawn Jackson for good measure. That team was an embarrassment of defensive riches. They were so dominant… they made Cody Green look like a decent QB for one season.

A small tidbit…many of those guys were just good athletes. After they finished up their football careers they would play a lot of basketball in the rec center. I had a chance to play with a couple of them on quite a few occasions. The main reason we got them was that they were undersized or oversized. Brown and St. John were shorter than me and I’m average height.
 
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old.guy said:
Watching TU's too-often outmatched defense this past season got me thinking about some of the defensive greats we've had over the years. So I decided to compile an all-time TU defensive team by position, going back to 1963, the year I started following TU football. These selections are all guys I've seen play, and who I remember as being awfully good.

DT: Willie Townes, Kevin Lilly
DE: Dennis Byrd, Tracy Scroggins
OLB: Zaven Collins, Barry Minter
MLB: Chris Chamberlain, Mike Bryan
Corner: Cornell Webster, Nate Harris
Safety: (tie) Jeff Jordan, Ralph McGill

I'd like to hear folks' thoughts. Disagreements?
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Hard to argue but there are others like Don Blackman DE/OLB to be considered.
 
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Blackmon certainly among the best at that position. So was Lovie Smith, who I didn't include. Same with DB Jimmy Stewart.
 
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I didn't see either of the guys you mentioned play CB. I did see Nick Graham and he was DAMN good. Enough to play a few seasons in the NFL. McCoil is definitely on my list at safety. So good. And now unfairly guys like McKinley Whitfield and Kendarin Ray get compared to McCoil.

On DL, Jaxon Player and Big Cat and Tyrunn Walker should all get consideration. Player was special. That entire DL was just ridiculous to be honest.
 
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old.guy said:
Watching TU's too-often outmatched defense this past season got me thinking about some of the defensive greats we've had over the years. So I decided to compile an all-time TU defensive team by position, going back to 1963, the year I started following TU football. These selections are all guys I've seen play, and who I remember as being awfully good.

DT: Willie Townes, Kevin Lilly
DE: Dennis Byrd, Tracy Scroggins
OLB: Zaven Collins, Barry Minter
MLB: Chris Chamberlain, Mike Bryan
Corner: Cornell Webster, Nate Harris
Safety: (tie) Jeff Jordan, Ralph McGill

I'd like to hear folks' thoughts. Disagreements?
Click to expand...
Terrific players. Cornell Webster was a wide receiver at TU, however. Started at safety for a few years for the Seattle Seahawks. Nate Harris was a safety. I believe McGill was a CB.

I would add Shawn Jackson at LB, although his pick 6 interception as a freshmen at Notre Dame came with him playing DE. Don Blackmon at DE and Lovie Smith at safety were both All-American teammates and both future NFL defensive coordinators. Obviously, Smith was a pretty good head coach as well.

Charles Wright was a really good CB who played briefly in the NFL for the Cowboys. Had a pick 6 in win over OSU in 1986. Tim Gordon was really good as well. Started for several years at safety for the Falcons. Played both CB and safety at TU.
 
My memory really failed me on Cornell Webster. But, hey, that was nearly 60 years ago. One thing that made this exercise difficult is that TU seems to have had more really good safeties than really good corners. Not to say we haven't had some great corners.
 
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old.guy said:
My memory really failed me on Cornell Webster. But, hey, that was nearly 60 years ago. One thing that made this exercise difficult is that TU seems to have had more really good safeties than really good corners. Not to say we haven't had some great corners.
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Yes, more good safeties at TU. I think good corners have always been hard to find.
 
Pike was a man among boys. Too bad he injured his knee at TU midway through his senior year. He was throwing guys around like rag dolls. Played a little in playoffs in NFL. But never really recovered.

Remember being at an Arkansas game and a fan asking, "Who is that guy?" Being 6-7 and 300 in the 1980's made you stand out. The other guys on both sides at Arkansas looked small.
 
Larry Lewis said:
Pike was a man among boys. Too bad he injured his knee at TU midway through his senior year. He was throwing guys around like rag dolls. Played a little in playoffs in NFL. But never really recovered.

Remember being at an Arkansas game and a fan asking, "Who is that guy?" Being 6-7 and 300 in the 1980's made you stand out. The other guys on both sides at Arkansas looked small.
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I remember him with the Browns. I actually liked the Browns back then. Ice Cube McNeil standing next to Chris Pike would've been a hysterical photo.
 
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Larry Lewis said:
Terrific players. Cornell Webster was a wide receiver at TU, however. Started at safety for a few years for the Seattle Seahawks. Nate Harris was a safety. I believe McGill was a CB.

I would add Shawn Jackson at LB, although his pick 6 interception as a freshmen at Notre Dame came with him playing DE. Don Blackmon at DE and Lovie Smith at safety were both All-American teammates and both future NFL defensive coordinators. Obviously, Smith was a pretty good head coach as well.

Charles Wright was a really good CB who played briefly in the NFL for the Cowboys. Had a pick 6 in win over OSU in 1986. Tim Gordon was really good as well. Started for several years at safety for the Falcons. Played both CB and safety at TU.
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So I grew up watching Blackmon play in New England. He was part of the 1985-1986 team that had the Pats go to their first Super Bowl. That defense was stacked. Blackmon played the opposite side DE from Andre Tippett. That defense was absolutely stacked with great players.

About a year after they went to the Super Bowl, the Patriots had a team of guys going around New England playing charity basketball games. Blackmon was part of the group when they came to my HS for one of the games. It was remarkable watching these 6'3-6'4" 260 lb guys get off the floor like they did and dunk a basketball. I can't remember if it was Blackmon or Tippett, but one of the 2 of them had an absolutely monster tomahawk dunk in the game. I had no clue Blackmon went to TU until after I got to school there in the 90s and he had already retired.
 
Blackmon was a decent basketball player at TU. He got playing time early in his career before concentrating solely on football. I couldn't believe he lasted until the 4th round in the NFL Draft. All-American player with ability.
 
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Gmoney4WW said:
Hope he makes some bucks in the NFL. They don't require a degree.
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TU Sepp said:
I haven't seen Al Humphrey's mentioned anywhere as a MLB.
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caneks said:
Mike “Hammer” White was one tough LB.
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OK it may have been folly for me to try to pick just two all-time middle or inside linebackers, as we have had so many great ones. Middle linebacker may be historically our strongest defensive position.
 
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