I thought Bruce Branch was a really good player for PSU and one of the best punt returners in PSU history. Just my .02.
I always feel like Quintas gets a bit of a bad rap. I understand why as he was that era's version of a 5*. But he was a multi-year starter or key contributor at PSU and played several years in the NFL. When I think of guys who did not "make it", I don't think of guys who had NFL careers.
Maybe you are right. On the other hand, he was the consensus No 1 player in the country when he was recruited. He certainly didn’t play at that level at PSU.
If I recall correctly, Jones had trouble getting off the line of scrimmage against press coverage.
Respectfully disagree. It was evident he was talented as a true freshman. His sophomore year at PSU he had over 1,200 yards and 7 TDs. He never panned out at USC after he transferred but he was productive at PSU. He made a big mistake transferring. He would have been the feature back and a major part of the offense at PSU under BO’B. Zwinak reaped the benefits of him transferring.
That’s quite a list. I always thought Jerome Hayes was a pretty good player. Unfortunately, I think he blew out both knees during his time at PSU. Oakman was a beast…..at Baylor. Sickels was a solid contributor in 2016. Hailes had to retire due to a medical condition if I remember correctly?
I never got the JB Walton love. Hes from southern md and I saw him play. Beat up on crap teams, didn't have a good body frame, sloppy in the middle. Moved well for a big guy but never thought of him as a mauler OG.
Yeah, he played his butt off in that game. Nothing better than seeing him cream Clausen a few times. That game is one of my favorites. They owed ND from the year before and I’m not a Charlie Weis fan.
Jay was the recruiting coordinator during those years you speak of. He only held that title for a short time after this.
Shawn Oakman did have 11 sacks in a season at baylor though.
He may have been the kid with severe learning disabilities - but my memory could be less than 100% there.
I thought Justin was a better WR than DB.
Absolutely agreed. I wonder how much of that, like for 95% of our DB’s lack of success, was/is due to the technique. An 8 yard cushion with a turn and run style doesn’t lend itself to many big plays.
Yes that was him. He played at Lackey HS in southern MD, not much of a football power and really back then none of those teams outside of 1 or 2 in their whole conference were any good. Back then SoMd was still all tobacco, beef, soybean, oyster farming, a lot of those kids just got passed through the system because they were just going to go back to the family farm or work on someones farm. Moved very well and was 'country' strong but it was all natural, nothing from work out stuff. Tape was him beating up on scrubs and he had no technique.
Holler transferred to Delaware and couldn't make it there. The guy just didn't have the football mentality or toughness. Just a huge guy so everyone assumed he should love football. He eventually left the UD team early as well. Story I heard is that he got so broken down that he sat on the practice field at UD and started crying. His locker was cleaned out the next day.
