[NU Sports] All-time Cat football team

[SjT (Stephen J. Truog)]

> Here is one to chew on.  I did not include Otto

Fun topic!:) Granted, I don't have as much experience
as a purple-clad fan as some vets on the list, but
here's my two cents.

First off, we may lack the big NFL alums, but looking
over the list, NU has produced a steady line of LBs
and RBs in recent years whose college feats and heart
rival the big boys, even if their NFL potential does
not.

> All-time Cat Football Team (+reserves)
> 
> QB                   Brett Basanez

Hard to argue Baz or Lenny, but a QB's job is to lead
the team to victory and by that measure, Steve Schnur
has to be on the list. Ditto for Zak Kustok.

> RB                   Noah Herron
>                         Darnell Autry
>                         Damien Anderson
>                         Tyrell Sutton

Not a bad stable there ... I always wonder what might
have been had Darnell decided to stay. Oh well. Jason
Wright wasn't too bad either, and now he's getting a
shot with the Browns - Go Jason!

> FB                   Matt Hartl

'Nuff said. The heart and soul of the Rose Bowl team
and a heck of a smart and gritty football player.

> WR                  D'Wayne Bates
>                         Lee Gissendaner
>                         Sam Simmons

Bates was probably our best skills position pro
prospect during the modern (i.e. winning) era. He was
just a natural. You could see it the first time he was
on the field in practice. We've had other natural
talents at WR who never materialized (Witherspoon for
one), though, so Bates had the brains and work ethic
as well.

I know you have Musso on special teams, but he was a
great receiver over the middle as well. Plus we've had
some other fun wideouts recently - Schweighardt, Lane,
Peterman, Kunle Patrick, etc.

> TE                   Cas Banaszek

Sadly, we never seem to use the tight end like
Michigan or Miami have.

> OL                   Chris Hinton

Hard to argue with any here. Good list of OL as well.

> DL                   Barry Cofield

Hopefully we can add Wootten to this list in a couple
years. He has the talent to get there.

> LB                   Pat Fitzgerald
>                         Tim McGarigle
>                         Napoleon Harris
>                         Kevin Bentley
>                         Barry Gardner
>                         Tim Scharf
>                         Steve Shine

Linebacker U? Great group, plus Sutter, Silva, Durr,
Emmerich and more!

> DB                   Harold Blackmon
>                         Hudhaifa Ismaeli
>                         Phil Clark
>                         Irv Cross
>                         Chris Martin
>                         William Bennett

Decent group - hopefully McManis is another one we can
add. Ismaeli was a heck of an athlete and Martin and
Bennett were smart. Nice to see Martin doing well on
the BTN.

> P                      Paul Burton

Amazing.

> K                     Tim Long
>                         Brian Gowins

I'd throw in Valenzisi as well ... as long as he
doesn't celebrate touchbacks anymore. :)

> ST                   Steve Tasker
>                         Jason Wright
>                         Brian Musso

Gissendander belongs here as well. Remember when we
had returners who could break it at any time? Can we
get back to that, please!

> Coach              Ara Parseghian

Sorry, but Barnett's gotta be here. He promised the
Purple in Pasadena and delivered - Ara didn't. Yeah,
both bolted, but Ara went to the Evil Empire.

I'd also list Walker - the only NU coach with wins
over every Big Ten school. He loved being on the
sidelines in Evanston and wasn't looking elsewhere and
he was building a foundation of consistent success
that is hopefully continuing this year.

GO CATS!!!
-SjT

* * * * * * * * *
STEPHEN J. TRUOG
sjtruog at yahoo.com
GO CATS!!!

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