Best Player Ever

[yoteforever]

Re: Best Player Ever

He was drafted by Detroit, though...then traded to the Bears later in his career.

Drafted by Detroit. Played 1 year wit the Bears, then back to Detroit for 4 more years.

[GopherHole]

Re: Best Player Ever

At running back you can not top Ranek, but I think Dan Sonnek deserves some ink. He broke Rick Wegher's records and I believe was the DII record holder for some time. He did not have the speed of Wegher or the moves of Ranek, but he was relentless in everything he did.

[yoteforever]

Re: Best Player Ever

I can't find anything about an offensive tackle drafted in the 70's other than Boden, so I am wrong on that. But I will throw another name out there for you to ponder.

Jim Langer. I think Jim played in the late 60's at SDSU, and went on to an All-Pro and Hall of Fame career for the Miami Dolphins. Jim was the center on the last undefeated team in the NFL.

Also, Hall of Fame. Now, that's impressive.

[Jack4Life]

Re: Best Player Ever

I can't find anything about an offensive tackle drafted in the 70's other than Boden, so I am wrong on that. But I will throw another name out there for you to ponder.

Jim Langer. I think Jim played in the late 60's at SDSU, and went on to an All-Pro and Hall of Fame career for the Miami Dolphins. Jim was the center on the last undefeated team in the NFL.

Also, Hall of Fame. Now, that's impressive.

Could you be thinking of Bill Matthews? He was a linebacker and played for the Patriots for 3-4 seasons.

[JackJD]

Re: Best Player Ever

76Rabbit was a teammate of both Boden and Billy Matthews.

Nidaros mentioned Cleve Abbott. It would be difficult to find a more-decorated and honored former SDSU athlete than Abbott. His story is an interesting one: a black guy from Watertown, four-year, all-sport standout athlete and top student; at SDSU, a 14-letter winner in four sports and an outstanding student; after graduating from SDSU in 1916, Abbott earned a doctorate at Harvard and was ready to launch a promising career as a research scientist when he was talked into teaching and coaching at Tuskegee Institute by its founder, Booker T. Washington. Tuskegee's stadium is named after him.

Link to the SDSU Athletic Hall of Fame: HERE At that site, you'll find links to Cleve Abbott, Bill Matthews, Pete Retzlaff, Jim Langer, Weert Engleman, Wayne Rasmussen, Darwin Gonnerman and many other football greats, some of whom have been mentioned in this thread.

[NoVaJack]

Re: Best Player Ever

I can't find anything about an offensive tackle drafted in the 70's other than Boden, so I am wrong on that. But I will throw another name out there for you to ponder.

Jim Langer. I think Jim played in the late 60's at SDSU, and went on to an All-Pro and Hall of Fame career for the Miami Dolphins. Jim was the center on the last undefeated team in the NFL.

Also, Hall of Fame. Now, that's impressive.

been mentioned; played linebacker at SDSU!!!!

[NoVaJack]

Re: Best Player Ever

'76Rabbit may know this but the story was that Boden got noticed when the Lions came to scout a D-end from either UND or NDSU and Boden owned him all day.

Also, per the question about another mid-70s o-tackle that ended in the pros. Could it be Brad Seely, who was for a long time the special teams coach at New England and may have moved recently to another team (Cleveland comes to mind for some reason)?

[Jack4Life]

Re: Best Player Ever

'76 Jack may know this but the story was that Boden got noticed when the Lions came to scout a D-end from either UND or NDSU and Boden owned him all day.

Also, per the question about another mid-70s o-tackle that ended in the pros. Could it be Brad Seely, who was for a long time the special teams coach at New England and may have moved recently to another team (Cleveland comes to mind for some reason)?

I don't think Seely played pro. Believe he had a tryout with the Cowboys.

[Nidaros]

Re: Best Player Ever

At running back you can not top Ranek, but I think Dan Sonnek deserves some ink. He broke Rick Wegher's records and I believe was the DII record holder for some time. He did not have the speed of Wegher or the moves of Ranek, but he was relentless in everything he did.

Dan was a very good back, and a 9 man walk on too, I believe. He picked up many yards, and seem to find the holes, but would agree he did seem to come to the ground eaiser than Ranek. Also one of the best. The more names that come up and its fun to go down memory lane, the more differences etc that we seem to note. I think the best players we have had were on the 2008 squad. In 2013, the best will be on the 2013 team. Moving up to FCS gave more money and more recruiting opportunities, plus the current weight room facility is a long ways from the one room overheated with a few bar bells in the Barn. Someone must remember that surely.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: Best Player Ever

Pete Retzlaff has to go on any all-time list. His 10 years in the pros was mainly as a tight end...he did go on have a great career, in management at the Eagles to start with, and later in the pro football film business. Langer, of course, was an offensive lineman and played center for the Dolphins. Josh Ranek has to go on as a running back...he's the best we have ever had to date, although we have had some good ones.

I was a little surprised that Adam Timmerman hasn't yet been mentioned.
Timmerman. a guard, played his first four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, making it to two Super Bowls and winning Super Bowl XXXI. After the 1998 season, Timmerman joined the Rams and won another Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXIV. He also made it back to the Super Bowl with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, losing to the New England Patriots. The Rams released Timmerman on February 27, 2007, and he officially retired following the 2007 season.

Needs to be on the team. Cleve Abbott was a superb all-around athlete, but hard to compare his years to those since World War II.

[rabbits64]

Re: Best Player Ever

Pete Retzlaff has to go on any all-time list. His 10 years in the pros was mainly as a tight end...he did go on have a great career, in management at the Eagles to start with, and later in the pro football film business. Langer, of course, was an offensive lineman and played center for the Dolphins. Josh Ranek has to go on as a running back...he's the best we have ever had to date, although we have had some good ones.

I was a little surprised that Adam Timmerman hasn't yet been mentioned.
Timmerman. a guard, played his first four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, making it to two Super Bowls and winning Super Bowl XXXI. After the 1998 season, Timmerman joined the Rams and won another Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXIV. He also made it back to the Super Bowl with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, losing to the New England Patriots. The Rams released Timmerman on February 27, 2007, and he officially retired following the 2007 season.

Needs to be on the team. Cleve Abbott was a superb all-around athlete, but hard to compare his years to those since World War II.

I am glad you put Adam on here. One other note with Adam, he was also D2 Offensive Lineman of the year, twice.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Best Player Ever

Pete Retzlaff has to go on any all-time list. His 10 years in the pros was mainly as a tight end...he did go on have a great career, in management at the Eagles to start with, and later in the pro football film business. Langer, of course, was an offensive lineman and played center for the Dolphins. Josh Ranek has to go on as a running back...he's the best we have ever had to date, although we have had some good ones.

I was a little surprised that Adam Timmerman hasn't yet been mentioned.
Timmerman. a guard, played his first four seasons with the Green Bay Packers, making it to two Super Bowls and winning Super Bowl XXXI. After the 1998 season, Timmerman joined the Rams and won another Super Bowl ring in Super Bowl XXXIV. He also made it back to the Super Bowl with the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, losing to the New England Patriots. The Rams released Timmerman on February 27, 2007, and he officially retired following the 2007 season.

Needs to be on the team. Cleve Abbott was a superb all-around athlete, but hard to compare his years to those since World War II.

You are right about Timmerman but the criteria laid out called for just one lineman and it is pretty hard to pass up a guy like Langer who is in the NFL Hall of Fame. Adam would have been an easy second choice on my list. If we were to list all eleven positions on both sides of the ball I would be suprised if Timmerman wasn't on nearly 100% of the lists.

It's kind of fun to look back at some of the great players over the years. The cool thing is that the level of talent is only going to continue to improve with the increased talent level at D1.

Good stuff!

SUPERBUNNY

[rabbits64]

Re: Best Player Ever

Well no because Stig wasn't the coach when Vinatieri was there haha. But you are correct as far as a college kicker goes I believe Parker Douglas was better. Vinny was helped by his ability to both kick and punt in getting a shot at the pros.

Vinny was a very good punter in college and an average field goal kicker. Vinny missed a lot of easy field goals and extra points, it wasn't until he got a true kicking coach that he became the kicker he is today.

[NoVaJack]

Re: Best Player Ever

You are right about Timmerman but the criteria laid out called for just one lineman and it is pretty hard to pass up a guy like Langer who is in the NFL Hall of Fame. Adam would have been an easy second choice on my list. If we were to list all eleven positions on both sides of the ball I would be suprised if Timmerman wasn't on nearly 100% of the lists.

It's kind of fun to look back at some of the great players over the years. The cool thing is that the level of talent is only going to continue to improve with the increased talent level at D1.

Good stuff!

SUPERBUNNY

Easy solution: Langer played linebacker at State!

[ringthebells]

Re: Best Player Ever

How about Mike Busch at QB? I never saw him play so somebody will have to fill me in, but he helped coach my high school team when he was finishing his teaching certificate (I think). I later read about him on a plaque in the HPER.