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Shrine Game Showcases Fast Rising Prospects

Photo - CB Don Carey - Norfolk St

The East-West Shrine game showcased another interesting group of pro prospects who were able to display their talent in front of hundreds of NFL personnel men over the week long practices and game.
Running back Marlon Lucky of Nebraska took advantage of the opportunity to see action after an injury riddled senior season. Lucky rushed for 68 yards and 1 TD on just seven carries that earned him the game's MVP award.
"It was a big one for me," said Lucky, voted the Shrine game's Offensive MVP. "I didn't have a strong year and to just come out and play my game and show what I can do, I seized the opportunity. Now it's back to training."
He was not the only impressive runner as Javarris Williams of Tennessee St. and Tyrell Sutton of Northwestern each scored a rushing TD for the East.

East-West Game - Rising Prospects
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WR Jarett Dillard - Rice
Polished veteran receiver had a strong week and game that helps his cause. He shows fine hands with precise routes and the only to read coverage and sit in openings. He looked sharp in practices and finished the week with a fine performance in the game. He has been a very productive receiver in college and will look to impress at the NFL Combine that should ensure him a top 100 selection in April.

OT Sebastian Vollmer - Houston
Big mobile right tackle flashed dominant skills in practice and carried it over to the EW Game. He has a massive wingspan and uses his hands and arms well to gain an initial advantage. He shows fine feet to maintain his blocks with the talent to hand counter moves. He shows the ability to block in the 2nd level making him one of the rising prospects in this class.

Defense
DE/DT Jarron Gilbert - San Jose St
Awesome athletic package that left a strong impression over the week. He has imposing triangle numbers and measures in at 6'5" 287 lbs., great wingspan and hands. He is an incredibly mobile athlete for those dimensions showing good recognition skills and the ability to move quickly laterally to make plays outside the box. He also projects to end especially in a 3-4 scheme and is one of the fastest rising prospects from this game. A strong NFL Combine performance could move him into the top two rounds.

CB Don Carey - Norfolk St
Small-school prospect impressed over the week's practices and game vs D1 talent.
At 5'11" 186 lbs., he plays a physical game with the ability to bump and run or make tackles in run support. He shows fine instincts and recovery speed to play man situations and elevated his stock nicely over the week. He moves on to the NFL Combine in later February.

For an In-depth East-West Game - Jan. Newsletter out this week

Colts' Tony Dungy Retires

Photo - Head coach - Tony Dungy

Colts' head coach Tony Dungy retired today after seven seasons in Indianapolis, owner Jim Irsay announced. Dungy met with players throughout the day to say goodbye, ending a thirteen year head coaching career in both Indianapolis and Tampa Bay. Dungy is the only coach in NFL history with six straight 12-win seasons and 10 consecutive playoff appearances. The announcement comes a little more than a week after the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs vs a loss to the Chargers. Beyond his fine coaching record and Super Bowl victory, Dungy has been one of the classiest leaders in the NFL over his long tenure. He has always listed his priorities as faith, family and football, and was able to maintain those values throughout his long career. He returned to coach in 2008 when the Colts opened the new Lucas Oil Stadium only after team owner Jim Irsay agreed to let Dungy use a private jet to commute home.
The Colts plan will have assistant Jim Caldwell replace Dungy that has been in place for the last year when the head coach pondered retirement. Caldwell joined Dungy's staff in Tampa Bay in 2001, then moved with him to the Colts in 2002 where he was the quarterbacks coach before being elevated to associate head coach. The retirement decision ends a coaching tenure in Indianapolis during which Dungy became the first black coach to win a Super Bowl. He reached the playoffs all seven seasons, winning five division titles and appearing in two AFC title games. He finishes his career as the Colts' franchise leader in victories, going 85-27 in the regular season and 7-6 in the playoffs. His overall coaching record is 148- 79 including the NFL playoffs. He also spent six seasons in Tampa Bay, rejuvenating a moribund franchise and turning it into a perennial Super Bowl contender in the late 1990s and the early part of this decade. The 53-year-old coach left Tampa with a career record of 54-42 in the regular season, becoming the winningest coach in franchise history there, too, and got the Buccaneers to the NFC title game in 1999.

NFL 2008 Pro Bowl Team
Starters in bold

Photo - Titans RB Chris Johnson

NFC Roster
Offense
QB: Kurt Warner, Cardinals; Drew Brees, Saints; Eli Manning, Giants
RB: Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Michael Turner, Falcons; Clinton Portis, Redskins
FB: Mike Sellers, Redskins
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals; Anquan Boldin, Cardinals; Roddy White, Falcons; Steve Smith, Panthers
TE: Jason Witten, Cowboys; Chris Cooley, Redskins
OT: Jordan Gross, Carolina; Walter Jones, Seahawks; Chris Samuels, Redskins
OG: Chris Snee, Giants; Steve Hutchinson, Vikings; Leonard Davis, Cowboys
C: Andre Gurode, Cowboys; Shaun O'Hara, Giants

Defense
DE: Julius Peppers, Panthers; Justin Tuck, Giants;Jared Allen, Vikings
DT: Kevin Williams, Vikings; Jay Ratliff, Cowboys; Pat Williams, Vikings
OLB: DeMarcus Ware, Cowboys; Lance Briggs, Bears; Derrick Brooks, Buccaneers
MLB: Patrick Willis, 49ers; Jon Beason, Panthers
CB: Charles Woodson, Packers; Antoine Winfield, Vikings; Asante Samuel, Eagles
FS: Nick Collins, Packers; Brian Dawkins, Eagles
SS: Adrian Wilson, Cardinals

K: John Carney, Giants
P: Jeff Feagles, Giants
Returner: Clifton Smith, Buccaneers
Special Teamer: Sean Morey, Cardinals

FWAA Names Coach of Year Finalists

Photo - Eddie Robinson - Grambling University

The Football Writers Association of America has announced nine finalists for the 2008 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award to be voted upon by their membership.
It was a pleasure to get to know and call Eddie Robinson a friend since the 1980's. We were introduced in association with the Whitney Young Classic game, first at Yankee Stadium and then at the Meadowlands when he was head coach of Grambling University that participated in the event annually. Eddie epitomized fine leadership that this award has come to symbolize in college football building one of the most storied college program in sports. His leadership and strong example build the nation's premier small college program in Grambling University into a national power despite a very limited budget that high profile teams today would be embarrassed to have to operate under annually. Eddie was a coach to had a strong hands on approach to coaching, seeing his profession as a teaching position in every sense of the word. He was a teacher of life to his athletes, in addition to having an astute football mind that changed countless lifes over his legendary college career. He sent an endless supply of football talent to the NFL over the decades with many Pro Bowl and eventual Hall of Fame athletes coming from the renowned Grambling program. His remarkable legacy lives on with this award awarded by the FWAA annually.

With the 2008 regular season completed, the FWAA, in conjunction with the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, has tabbed the following finalists: Texas' Mack Brown, USC's Pete Carroll, Texas Tech's Mike Leach, Florida's Urban Meyer, Penn State's Joe Paterno, Boise State's Chris Petersen, Alabama's Nick Saban, Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Utah's Kyle Whittingham.

Frank Coyle vote - Coach of the Year
#1 Urban Meyer - Florida
#2 Nick Saban - Alabama
#3 Mack Brown - Texas
#4 Bob Stoops - Oklahoma

The finalists were placed on a ballot that was sent to the entire FWAA membership. The winner of the FWAA/Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award will be announced and honored at a reception on Jan. 6 in Miami sponsored by the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and presented in conjunction with the FedEx BCS Championship Game.

NFL Power Rankings ‘08
Giants Hold Top NFL Ranking Despite Burress Suspension

1. New York Giants (11-1)
The Giant are the champs till someone beats them in the playoffs.

2. Tennessee Titans (11-1)
The young Titans continue to impress and have matured quickly to rise to the top of the AFC.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
Steelers face a killer final month that could push them to the top of the AFC.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs (9-3)
The Bucs' are building momentum off a four game winning streak that has them fighting for the NFC South title.

5. Indianapolis Colts (8-4)
Colts are on a five game winning streak that makes them dangerous in the playoffs.

6. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
The hot Ravens have won six of their last seven game but they face a tough stretch run to win a playoff spot.

7. Carolina Panthers (9-3)
Panthers get the underrated Cardinals in a key NFL clash this week.

8. Dallas Cowboys (8-4)
A three game winning streak has the Cowboys ready for a tough final month.

9. New York Jets (8-4)
Jets had their five game winning streak snapped vs the Broncos and face a winnable schedule over the final month.

10. New England Patriots (7-5)
Patriots hit the road for two soft games vs the Raiders and Seahawks that they have to win.

11. Miami Dolphins (7-5)
Dolphins have won five of last six games and have the ability to shock people and make the playoffs.

12. Atlanta Falcons (8-4)
Falcons have won four of their last fives games and are starting to believe in themselves.

13. Denver Broncos (7-5)
The Broncos have won 3 of last 4 games and can clinch AFC West this week.

14. Washington Redskins (7-5)
Skins have lost three of their last four game and face a huge game at Baltimore this week.

15. Arizona Cardinals (7-5)
Cardinals have lost two in a row and face a critical final month that will determine their '08 fate.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (6-5-1)
Eagles won a huge game vs Cardinals but need to run a streak now to get back in the playoff hunt.

17. Minnesota Vikings (7-5)
The Vikings' have won four of their last five games but their starting DTs begin a suspension this week.

18. Green Bay Packers (5-7)
Packers have let this season get away from them with several critical close NFC losses.

19. Buffalo Bills (6-6)
Bills have won only two games since the first month of the season.

20. Chicago Bears (6-6)
Da Bears are still in the hunt in the mediocre NFC Central.

Falcons' Matt Ryan Heads Strong Rookie Class

Photo - QB Matt Ryan - Atlanta Falcons

Rookie passer Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons continues to show rare maturity as an NFL starting QB. He has helped the surprising Falcons get in the thick of contention in the NFC South with a current 6-3 record. He leads a strong rookie class that has made an impressive impact during their first season as pros. Ryan has made few mistakes in guiding the Falcons to respectability that could shock fans with a possible playoff berth by seasons end. Ryan was our #1 overall prospect in September 2007 for the NFL Draft '08. We never moved him from the top overall spot among college prospects despite media hype of several other candidates. Ryan has the Falcons in contention only a few seasons removed from the Michael Vick debacle that left the club falling to the bottom of the NFC South. Ryan is not the only rookie QB leading a playoff contender. The Ravens are tied for the AFC North lead behind rookie Joe Flacco, a strong armed passer who has given his club the ability to get the ball down the field. Flacco is a prospect we scouted extensively over his final two seasons at Delaware. We recommended Flacco on our Senior Bowl list last October that eventually got him an invite to the premier All-Star classic. They are the two most successful rookie QBs in over a decade.
The rookie running back class has been just as impressive with the Titans' Chris Johnson, Bears' Matt Forte, Texans' Steve Slaton, Panthers' Jon Stewart, Ravens' Ray Rice and Lions' Kevin Smith all having impact on their offensive clubs. It has been the strongest group of rookie runners in over a decade and could be the watershed class of feature backs for seasons to come. Other top rookie runners Darren McFadden and Rashard Mendenhall have flashed playmaking ability prior to being hurt and missing several midseason games.

Mid Season 1st Team All-Americans

Photo - Safety William Moore - Missouri

Pos - Player - Class - School
Offense
QB Colt McCoy - Jr. - Texas
RB Javon Ringer - Sr. - Michigan St
RB Knowshon Moreno - Soph - Georgia
WR Dez Bryant - Soph - Oklahoma St
WR Michael Crabtree - Soph - Texas Tech
TE Chase Coffman - Sr. - Missouri
OL Andre Smith - Jr. - Alabama
OL Michael Oher - Sr. - Mississippi
OL Duke Robinson - Sr. - Oklahoma
OL Alex Mack - Sr. - California
OL Herman Johnson - Sr. - LSU

Defense
DE Brian Orakpo - Sr. - Texas
DE Jerry Hughes - Sr. - TCU
DT Terrence Cody - Jr. - Alabama
DT Fili Moala - Sr. - USC
LB Aaron Curry - Sr. - Wake Forest
LB Scott McKillop - Sr. - Pittsburgh
LB James Laurinaitis - Sr. - Ohio St
CB Malcolm Jenkins - Sr. - Ohio St
CB Alphonso Smith - Sr. - Wake Forest
S Eric Berry - Soph - Tennessee
S William Moore - Sr. - Missouri