Tag: Athlete Profiles (Page 1 of 2)

Athlete Profile: Brian Orakpo

April 9, 2009 /

265

I remember back in high school when I discovered Final Fantasy 7 and my life changed forever. 10 years later I’m better than all my friends at riding chocobos and using potions. Hooray. I suppose we could compare my gargantuan accomplishment with Brian Orakpo’s if I try really hard. Seems Orakpo started as a mere basketball star, and by the time he matriculated, had discovered he was in fact one of the best defensive football players in the country. Big whoop.

Facetiousness aside, it takes a hell of a lot of work to reach the level that Orakpo has, especially in so short a time. According to Orakpo’s high school teammate Drew Kelson in an article on Inside Texas.com:

“Freshman football was merely about playing in front of all your classmates right on the campus football field. Simply having a uniform and getting a chance to play was cool.”

That is not the kind of atmosphere I have been led to expect from Texas high school football. Shame on you Friday Night Lights. No, I take it back; I can’t stay mad at you.

So Orakpo spent his first couple of seasons at Lamar High School in Houston impressing the ladies and looking good. Not too shabby. But there came a time for the young Orakpo when he realized that he could actually make something out of this football thing, perhaps a big something. By the time high school was over, Orakpo had been recognized throughout the country as a defensive prospect and had been recruited to play for the University of Texas.

Continue reading »

College Football, Fantasy Football, General Sports, News, NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

Athlete Profile: Jeremy Maclin

April 6, 2009 /

Fight or flight? Offense or defense? Burger or burrito? The duality of man is something I certainly haven’t the space to discuss here. But there is an interesting example of it in the person of Jeremy Maclin. Here we have a man enveloped in occupying two roles, and not just athletically, one who has throughout his life been straddling the border between two worlds, begging the question, “Why not both?”

Let’s start at the beginning: Maclin was born and raised in Chesterfield, Missouri and grew up in Kirkwood, which are both St. Louis suburbs. Maclin was raised by a single mom who had to work tireless hours to maintain a decent life for him and his two brothers. Fortunately, she eventually got some help from the coach of his youth league football team, Dr. Jeff Parres, who had a son the same age as Maclin.

Years of sleepovers and rides home eventually led to Maclin moving in with the Parreses during high school. They even bought him a car so he could drive to school. Maclin is still on good terms with his mother, but considers himself to have two families.

Continue reading »

College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

Athlete Profile: Everette Brown

March 25, 2009 /

As a society, we’re always trying out the next new thing; well, not so much “new” as a combination of the old stuff we already like. They don’t always work out (Mustardayonnaise? Sparks Malt Beverage?), but we can get a great hybrid off the line every once in the while.

Most people get a look at Everette Brown’s size and speed and see what could be the first true defensive end/ linebacker to make it in the NFL. Take something more than a glance at the man, and you’ll see a hybrid of a different kind: a top-tier athlete who graduated early and still found time to do endless volunteer work. That kind of work ethic is going to be what makes him something special in the pros, and it’s that same thing that has gotten him this far already.

So where did he start out? Well, Brown was born in the small town of Stantonsburg, NC, and went to Beddingfield High School. While there, Brown started compiling some serious numbers and by his senior year he was the top defensive lineman in North Carolina, the third weakside defensive end in the country, and was ranked 78th in the nation overall. His senior year alone, Brown has 16 sacks and 120 tackles. But rather than rest on the bench, Brown iron-manned it as a tight end, catching 40 passes for 770 yards with 10 touchdowns.

Continue reading »

College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

Athlete Profile: Michael Crabtree

March 13, 2009 /

What do you dream about? NBA Finals Game 7 with five seconds left, you catch the pass at the top of the key and…swish. Lottery numbers dropping into place on your winning ticket while you sip a martini next to Minka Kelly? Not Michael Crabtree. He doesn’t dream about being the next big NFL star or driving a Ferrari around Milan.

Michael Crabtree dreams of routes, pass coverages, and catching, catching, catching.

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, Crabtree has always had an intensity bordering on the surreal. Because of his size and physicality, Crabtree’s father chose to have him play football in leagues above his age.

“I actually cried the few times he made me play against people my age,” Crabtree said. “I was like, ‘Dad, I don’t want to hurt those little kids.”

After dominating the youth leagues, Crabtree continued showing his phenomenal ability at Carter High School by playing both basketball and football. In fact, his first scholarship offer from Texas Tech, his future university, came in the form of a basketball scholarship. In his senior year, Crabtree averaged more than 20 points a game. This is not to say he was slacking on football during his high school career. He was one of the best football players in the state as a quarterback. As a matter of fact, he only had one reception his senior year, but rushed for 646 yards and nine touchdowns on 100 total carries. He also added an interception, as well.

After high school, Illinois, Michigan State, and Kansas all offered him scholarships as a quarterback. It was Crabtree’s decision to accept the scholarship to Texas Tech after coming to the conclusion that wide receiver was a better fit. With hands nine inches across and a 34-inch vertical, he seemed to have made the right choice.

Crabtree’s style of play was perfect for head coach Mike Leach’s spread offense at Texas Tech. With four or five receivers on any given play, it’s natural that there would be a lot of passes, and that a hefty number of those would be flying towards Crabtree. Over the course of just two seasons in a Tech uniform, Crabtree had 231 receptions for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. He averaged 120.3 yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game. Although he decided to enter the draft after his sophomore year, there would have been a pretty good chance that he’d have broken almost every major reception record in the NCAA. His numbers for the first two seasons alone were enough to net him a pile of awards and accolades, among them were the Biletnikoff award (for the best collegiate receiver) for two straight years, All Big 12 first team, All-American, and the Scout.com Freshman of the Year award.

Despite these incredible accomplishments, Crabtree’s best asset is his playmaking ability – something that shines through in any offense. It was this same ability that led him to make one of college football’s biggest plays last season. The play in reference was the game-winning touchdown reception he had against rival Texas at home late in the year. A game between the No.1 (Texas) and No. 2 ranked teams in the country. Crabtree caught an outside pass on the edge of the field, tip-toed along the sideline, broke two tackles, and ran into the end zone with a single second remaining in regulation. Needless to say, Tech fans went wild.

It’s that kind of clutch play that really makes Crabtree a valuable commodity. Entering the upcoming draft, most invision Crabtree as a top 10, if not top 5, selection. Only his top end speed and blocking ability have been questioned. And while speed is hard to dramatically increase, the latter can be remedied by a good pro coaching staff.

So look out NFL – here comes Michael Crabtree. People don’t often have dreams simple enough to accomplish on a daily basis like Crabtree – nor do they have the arena to change the humdrum to amazing. Crabtree has been doing it for years at the most crucial times in the biggest games. But don’t ask him about those pressure moments, heated rivalries, and upcoming games. As he said recently after a game, “I just see balls in the air.”

Latest on Michael Crabtree

Crabtree’s Stock is Dropping
It seems that despite prior announcements, Crabtree was unable to run at the NFL combine. His ranking in the top 10 picks for the draft appears to be falling.

Career

WikiCollegeFootball Michael Crabtree
For a complete list of career statistics, awards, and personal information.

News and Commentary

70 Receptions, 17 Touchdowns and 2 Sports
A great article about Michael Crabtree

Crabtree Zone
A frequently updated website devoted entirely to Michael Crabtree.


Michael Grabtree Grabs His Second Biletnikoff
The first player to ever receive the award twice.

Crabtree Says

On not competing in the Texas State Championship while in high school
“From my years in high school, I feel like I didn’t give it all I could give,” Crabtree said. “I feel like I could have gone to state if I would have given it my all. I didn’t want to feel like that again – should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. I’m at that time right now that I’m remembering that, so every time I go on the field, it’s like I’m giving it my all because I’m not going to feel that same way I felt in high school. I don’t want any regrets.”

Sources and Links

Rivals.com
WikiCollegeFootball.org
NFL.com
ESPN.com

NFL, NFL Draft

Athlete Profile: Matthew Stafford

March 12, 2009 /

What should you know about Matthew Stafford? Well according to him, “I can dunk.” Stafford’s calm, amiable demeanor on and off the field has played an important part in his rise to the upper echelons of college football. Now that he’s on the verge of becoming, at the very least, a top 10 draft pick, those easy-going manners will be put to the test. Stafford should be able to take it though, because he’s certainly had to adapt before.

Born in Tampa, Florida, Stafford moved to Dunwoody, Georgia while his father completed a graduate degree at none other than Matthew’s own future college: The University of Georgia. But before he ever got there, his father finished school and the whole family moved to Dallas.

Getting uprooted again and bustled into the big city, however, certainly had its advantages.

In an odd stroke of coincidence, Stafford was childhood friends and little league teammates with, Clayton Kershaw, one baseball’s rising star pitchers (currently with the Dodgers). Up until high school, Stafford was pulling a solid Bo Jackson by playing baseball (as a shortstop) and football. Prior to starting his senior year though, Stafford gave up baseball in order to focus on football. Focus for Stafford being something we lesser mortals can only dream of.

During his senior year at Highland Park High, Stafford led the team to its first 15-0 record while compiling more than 4,000 yards passing, 38 touchdowns, and only six interceptions over the course of the season. Naturally, Stafford’s team went on to win the state championship in their division, which was the school’s first title in nearly 50 years. Awards immediately followed: The 2005 Parade Magazine All-America Team, the USA Today Pre-Season Super 25, and the 2005 EA Sports National Player of the Year.

Stafford was definitely on the fast track from there.

Following his senior season, he graduated early and enrolled in his father’s alma mater, the University of Georgia. While not initially the starting quarterback, he was awarded the role before his freshman year was out and struggled a little before finding his rhythm the following season. As a sophomore, anyone who hadn’t been paying attention to the new powerhouse in the SEC woke up and heard the name Stafford. By the end of the year, Stafford had chalked up an average of 194.1 passing yards per game, 19 TDs, and a couple of rushing touchdowns just for good measure.

Stafford’s final year of collegiate sports started with the University of Georgia Bulldogs finding themselves atop both the AP and USA Today polls for the first time in the school’s history. While the Bulldogs were unable to follow through on the consensus prediction, Stafford still had a stellar season, breaking his own records time and again. 2008 saw the star quarterback first throw for a then career-high 275 yards against Georgia Southern University. That performance was soon followed by 310 yards against the Volunteers, 376 against Kentucky, and 408 yards in a losing effort against Georgia Tech. Georgia went on to defeat Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl and Stafford was named the game’s MVP.

Stafford’s stats do nothing to belie the fact that he is one of the great pocket passers in college football. While his ability to scramble has some room for improvement, he possesses reliable speed and can adapt when the play breaks. His long range passing, the cornerstone of his talent, helps make up for his faults as well, sending bullets in for first downs or bombs out to the end zone. Completing around 60 percent of his passers last year tells us of the accuracy of his artillery as well.

After that great last season, sportswriters across the country began making predictions. What do you suppose would happen if Matthew Stafford dropped out and entered the draft? When would he be selected? It’d have to be #1 right? The rumor mill was in full swing. What teams would be interested in a quarterback with good decision-making abilities and a freakishly powerful arm? Rather than finish his degree, upon completion of his junior year Stafford opted to find out. Stafford’s been all over TV lately, getting asked the same questions over and over again, being told barely amusing anecdotes in the 10 minute preamble to the recitation of his own personal FAQ, and trying his best to be excited about whatever team it seems is interested in him at the time without possibly offending the others that might be his new best friend come April.

Whether or not Stafford becomes the next mega-star quarterback in the NFL remains to be see. It could certainly be true. Besides, even if the fickle luck of the NFL changes on him, he made not have a degree to fall back on, but he can still dunk.

Latest on Stafford

The Lions, having the first pick in this year’s draft, are the favorites to get Stafford. He has even publicly stated his favorable opinion of working with the team from the ground up. However, recent comments by Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz indicate a distinct possibility that the Lions will be looking to reconstruct their team from the offensive and defensive lines first, rather than placing all their aspirations on a star quarterback. The scouting combine last week has done nothing to dissuade that opinion either, though nothing is as of yet confirmed.

Career

Matthew Stafford Bio at Georgiadogs.com
Matthew Stafford Bio at Georgiadogs.com has season and career stats.

News and Commentary

’09 NFL Draft: Top 10 QB Prospects
Matthew Stafford named one of the top 10 QB prospects by Sports Illustrated.

Stafford Named To Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
Stafford Named Semifinalist For 2008 O’Brien Quarterback Award

Stafford nominated for the award for best quarterback of 2008.

UGA Sports Player of the Week – Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford named player of the week for 8/31/08.

Stafford Says

On becoming a Detroit Lion
“I’d love to be a part of something like that. I’m a competitive guy and love a challenge, and that would definitely be a fun situation for me.”

Sources and links:

About.com
Online Athens Blogs
Wikipedia

NFL, NFL Draft

« Older posts

© 2025 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑