Best Player Ever

[76Rabbit]

Re: Best Player Ever

Ok oldtimers, I need help on this one. Wasn't there a player in the mid-70's that was the offensive left tackle that went to and played for the New York Giants. For some reason the name Brad Miller comes to mind, but that probably isn't correct.

Anyway, I can personally tell you, he was very good. Maybe his last season was '76 or so? Also, the QB back then was Gary Moffit. He was an excellent option quarterback. He came to SDSU from Des Moines, Iowa I think. Those are the two from the 70's I remember.

Could you be thinking of Chuck Loewen who was o-left tackle in probably 77-78. Was drafted by San Diego Chargers and played a couple years before a devastating knee injury ended his career.

[RabbitinTea]

Re: Best Player Ever

Nice to see Carter make the list...saw him play a little and he was quite good. Same type of mold as Schroeder, but maybe a little better. If there was a section for scariest football player in the cafeteria, then my vote would be for Zach.

[Jacks-02]

Re: Best Player Ever

Nice to see Carter make the list...saw him play a little and he was quite good. Same type of mold as Schroeder, but maybe a little better. If there was a section for scariest football player in the cafeteria, then my vote would be for Zach.

Its a shame he had so many injuries during his career, I think he could have had a shot at the NFL otherwise.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: Best Player Ever

Going back to the late 60s-early 70s, was Clyde Hagen a tight end? He was a multi-sport stud. A power guy. Starting forward in basketball and field events in track.

[jacksfaninne]

Re: Best Player Ever

Other than Chris Wagner, who were some of the great tight ends in the past?

Dennis Thomas from Parkston, I believe, was a pretty solid TE in the early-mid 80s. Sits at No. 5 on the career reception list. Was invited to camp with the Packers, if I remember right.

[Crashola]

Re: Best Player Ever

Dennis Thomas was an All-American and was in camp with both the Broncos and Bengals -- if I recall correctly. He also beat the h*&% out of me in high school when he was first-string TE and I was second-string DE (and vice versa).

Sonnek was a lot of fun to watch. He broke a lot of rushing records, but was also a vicious blocker when asked to do so. He was also pretty smart -- he had a super-high GPA in Ag. Engineering.

[sfjacksfan99]

Re: Best Player Ever

I am glad someone finally mentioned Gordo. I know we have had some good ones and I think he should definitely be top 3-4 all-time.

I would have liked to have seen Jaunich. I've seen his name a couple times on this thread. Can anyone elaborate? Was he a ball hawker or hard hitter or what?

I liked Brett too. Without digging up stats, he always seemed to be very accurate. He didn't have the big leg that Parker Douglas did, but I believe he had the school record field goal before Parker, maybe a little wind-aided, if I recall. College-wise, I would probably take him after Parker, but before Vinny. Like others have said Vinny was a good college kicker, but until he went down to Florida with the kicking coach and then got hooked up after that, he wasn't great.

The Todd McDonald choice by c'emall ran through my head too. The big season he had early in the '90s was very impressive. Wahl just has the career stats over McDonald.

[sfjacksfan99]

Re: Best Player Ever

Its a shame he had so many injuries during his career, I think he could have had a shot at the NFL otherwise.

Absolutely. Zach Carter was a bad, bad man on the football field. I can't imagine what he did to guys in high school, because he was big when he got to college.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Best Player Ever

My biased list contains mainly guys I played with or were close to my time table. In other words, "best ever" is best I can remember from a dude in his early 30's.

Best QB: Nelson, McDonald
Best RB: Josh Ranek (honorable Mention: Wert Englemann*)
Best OL: Timmerman, Ryan Berry
Best TE: Heiden, Jake Hines**
Best WR: Josh Davis, Nate Millerbernd
Best DE: Jason Aune
Best DT: Zach Carter***
Best LB: Doug Miller****
Best DB: Casey Hillman*****
Best K: Parker Douglas
Best P: Vinny

*Wert Engelmann is my mom's uncle, member of the SDSU hall of fame and Green Bay Packers hall of fame. In other words, shameless plug for a family member.
**If only because Jake made his shameless plug and he held me on every play when I was a scout team freshman just because he couldn't handle 180 pounds of skin and bones making him look bad. For that matter, he taught Steve how to hold who turned it into a 10 year NFL career and counting.
***Zach was/is the strongest human being I've ever met. He was getting double team blocks as a true-freshman by the end of the season and that was with two all-conference DE's on each side of him. Bad legs did him in and sapped his power, but he still made the final cut for the Bills before getting the ax over their 3rd round pick from that year. His soph year he was the most dominating lineman in the league by a mile.
****They'd still be talking about Doug's NFL career had he not been given the two worst knees for a superior athlete. When he was back coaching for a year, he and I played basketball one day and he tore some cartilage just running the court. His knees were crap. He was a stud linebacker and a bad dude.
*****Best athlete of anyone I can think of for DB. He played Corner which is a tough pick. Until recently, we haven't been blessed with the best secondary around.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Best Player Ever

thanks to sfjacksfan99 for the plug at LB and the laugh. Sterne Akin was the star of the linebacking show when I was playing. rep points for the shout out anyway.

[mango4]

Re: Best Player Ever

My biased list contains mainly guys I played with or were close to my time table. In other words, "best ever" is best I can remember from a dude in his early 30's.

Best QB: Nelson, McDonald
Best RB: Josh Ranek (honorable Mention: Wert Englemann*)
Best OL: Timmerman, Ryan Berry
Best TE: Heiden, Jake Hines**
Best WR: Josh Davis, Nate Millerbernd
Best DE: Jason Aune
Best DT: Zach Carter***
Best LB: Doug Miller****
Best DB: Casey Hillman*****
Best K: Parker Douglas
Best P: Vinny

*Wert Engelmann is my mom's uncle, member of the SDSU hall of fame and Green Bay Packers hall of fame. In other words, shameless plug for a family member.
**If only because Jake made his shameless plug and he held me on every play when I was a scout team freshman just because he couldn't handle 180 pounds of skin and bones making him look bad. For that matter, he taught Steve how to hold who turned it into a 10 year NFL career and counting.
***Zach was/is the strongest human being I've ever met. He was getting double team blocks as a true-freshman by the end of the season and that was with two all-conference DE's on each side of him. Bad legs did him in and sapped his power, but he still made the final cut for the Bills before getting the ax over their 3rd round pick from that year. His soph year he was the most dominating lineman in the league by a mile.
****They'd still be talking about Doug's NFL career had he not been given the two worst knees for a superior athlete. When he was back coaching for a year, he and I played basketball one day and he tore some cartilage just running the court. His knees were crap. He was a stud linebacker and a bad dude.
*****Best athlete of anyone I can think of for DB. He played Corner which is a tough pick. Until recently, we haven't been blessed with the best secondary around.

Is there another Ryan Berry I don't know of? It's entirely possible, as I'm still relatively young and don't know most of the old timers

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Best Player Ever

Is there another Ryan Berry I don't know of? It's entirely possible, as I'm still relatively young and don't know most of the old timers

I think he is referring to Matt Berry (?)

[sfjacksfan99]

Re: Best Player Ever

Is there another Ryan Berry I don't know of? It's entirely possible, as I'm still relatively young and don't know most of the old timers

I'm sure he means Matt Berry, the greatest guitar player in Jacks football history.

MJA, I can't believe you're taking Vinny as the punter over Tom.

[RABBITALUM08]

Re: Best Player Ever

I'm not that familiar with that many old players but having played with both Brad Nelson and Ryan Berry and seeing what Berry did this last season, I would have to take Ryan hands down!

[EQguy]

Re: Best Player Ever

Just thought of another more recent player who hasn't gotten much of a mention. Hank McCall did a great job at corner for the two years he played there. He went one on one with NFL player Vincent Jackson and shut him down completely.