Denard Robinson To Jim Thorpe: Comparing College Football's Stars To Past Greats
Denard Robinson, Cameron Newton, Mark Ingram, Terrelle Pryor and LaMichael James.
Kellen Moore, Andrew Luck, Taylor Martinez, Patrick Peterson and Adrian Clayborn.
These are the names that have risen to the top of conversations recently. These players are the cream of the crop in NCAA football.
People my age tend to compare them to NFL players and recently graduated college players.
For example, when attempting to piece together the following list, my roommate and I started listing Stanford players, which prompted me to this: How about Trent Richardson and Toby Gerhart?
While that may be apt, we cannot ignore the amazing amount of talent that has come through the NCAA throughout the years, many of whom left greater legacies and provide better bases of comparison than recent graduates.
So, without further delay, here are today's college football stars and the all-time greats that they have come to resemble.
The Incomparable: Jim Thorpe
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The players that transcend the game are so rare that they are practically the stuff of myth.
The leader of this small group of game-changing athletes was a not just a football player.
He was an Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon and pentathlon.
He was a professional baseball player.
He was a professional basketball player.
He was a professional football player.
His name was Jim Thorpe, and he is to this day considered not only one of the best football players ever, but also one of the greatest athletes. If his background doesn't prove it, than his role on the field did. He was not only a running and blocking back, but he was also a kicker, punter, and linebacker.
Thorpe did it all, and can almost be directly attributed with the creation of the NFL.
For all that, Thorpe joins the ranks of people like Ted Williams and Jim Brown.
Jim Thorpe is beyond comparison.
Denard Robinson - Pat White
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This clip of Pat White during his time at West Virginia about says everything that needs to be said.
Not enough proof? Watch Denard Robinson tear up the University of Connecticut.
Watching these clips side-by-side would make almost anyone wonder if they were watching the same player.
During his four years at West Virginia, Pat White averaged a fantastic 63.8-percent completion rating while posting 6,051 yards through the air as well as 4,480 yards on the ground, with 56 touchdowns and only 23 interceptions.
Hard to believe for an option quarterback, even one who played all four years.
But wait, it appears to be happening again.
In Denard Robinson's first year as the starter for the Michigan Wolverines, he has posted 1,319 yards through the air and 1,096 yards on the ground in the span of four-and-a-half games (I'll count Bowling Green as a half-game, since he managed to rack up 189 total yards and two touchdowns before going down to injury in the first half).
The two are both very quick, very fast, and very shifty, but they both also possess unique accuracy and arm strength for running quarterbacks.
Trent Richardson - Emmitt Smith
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It's hard to compare any player to the great Emmitt Smith, who will be considered one of the best college and NFL running backs ever for quite some time, to anyone. But Alabama running back Trent Richardson might be on to something.
Watch Trent Richardson's breakout game against Florida International in Week 2 of last season. Then tell me that there isn't a little bit of the Emmitt Smith who made similarly great plays at Florida, like his stellar performance against the Fighting Illini in the 1988 All American Bowl.
They both have the speed, the shiftiness, the power, and the style. It is apparent in any highlight from the both of them.
The question that I'm sure many of you might be asking right now is why Richardson and not Mark Ingram? The answer is simply that, after watching the film, not only is the comparison to Emmitt Smith more believable, but, believe it or not, Trent Richardson is simply a better back.
If Richardson continues to play the way he is playing right now, he could very well be the next Emmitt Smith.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Jacquizz Rodgers - Darren Sproles
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It's hard to deny that Jacquizz Rodgers could very well be the next 'Lightning Bug' at the end of his NCAA career.
Jacquizz has racked up an impressive 3,314 yards and 42 touchdowns over his three years at Oregon State, and speculation is that he will continue to add to that stat total next year, although predicting early draft declarations can be tricky.
Darren Sproles was much like Rodgers in this case, where his performance through the 2003 season could have earned him fair draft status. However, he chose to return to Kansas State for the 2004 season, posting another impressive year and earning himself the fourth round selection from the San Diego Chargers.
Watching both of these players is a lot of fun. Sproles and Rodgers are both lightning fast, quick as mice, and are surprisingly strong for players of their stature, which makes both of them prone to huge plays.
They are both very polished pass-catchers as well, considering that they made the screen play effective for both of their teams.
Just watch this highlight reel of Darren Sproles at Kansas State and this Jacquizz for Heisman promotion video from Oregon State University Athletics. These two have to be considered the prototypical college scatter backs, but they are both able to combine that so well with deceptive power.
Patrick Peterson - Charles Woodson
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What can I say that hasn't already been said?
The biggest similarity between these two has to be the fear that they inspire in opponents.
Opposing teams throw towards Patrick Peterson at their own risk, and teams just never threw against Charles Woodson.
What happens when teams make that mistake? Well, this is what happens with Patrick Peterson.
This is what happens with Charles Woodson.
These two join the ranks of some of the best pure athletes ever to touch a football, and you can see exactly why.
Kyle Rudolph - Mark Bavaro
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The two most important skills a tight end can have are blocking and good hands.
Mark Bavaro had them for Notre Dame in the early '80s and for the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.
He was tough. Head coach Gerry Faust once remarked that, "He plays with pain better than any player I've seen in my 37 years of coaching."
It appears though, that someone may finally be stepping up to challenge the reputation of Mark Bavaro.
He just so happens to play for Notre Dame too.
Kyle Rudolph is everything that Mark Bavaro was, with some even hailing him as the best tight end in Notre Dame history.
In all honesty, they may be right. When was the last time you saw a tight end make a play like this?
Kyle Rudolph is going to make an NFL team very happy, much like his predecessor Mark Bavaro.
Mark Herzlich - Ted Hendricks
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Football has created a culture of inspiring stories over the years.
Everywhere you look, from Vince Papale to Kenechi Udeze to Stafon Johnson, American football has given birth to some of the most uplifting tales that exist in the American canon.
Ted Hendricks is no exception to this.
While his college career may be no indication, Hendricks was never fully trusted with a starting role until he joined the Oakland Raiders in 1975.
The reason why? Hendricks stood a massive 6'8" and weighed a meager 220 pounds, earning him the nickname "The Mad Stork".
To this day, though, Hendricks is considered to be one of the best linebackers in college and NFL history, and is the namesake of the Ted Hendricks Award.
Mark Herzlich, on the other hand, had to deal with a trial of his own. In May of last year, Herzlich announced that he was suffering from a rare form of bone cancer.
He was cancer free by the end of September of 2009, but passed up the 2009 season. He has returned strong in 2010 though, raking in 21 tackles and two interceptions in Boston College's six games thus far.
While the road to recovery will be longer than a year for Herzlich, he has proven himself in the past to be a fantastic linebacker, and has a bright future ahead of him. Just look at this video made for the Butkus Award watch list. It says it all.
*As an after thought, here's an interesting look at the man, the myth, the legend that is Ted Hendricks
A.J. Green - Calvin Johnson Jr.
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It's rare to find college wide receivers with freakish athleticism, hands like fly paper, and excellent speed.
It's even harder to find all that in a big body.
Two players in recent memory embody all of that: Calvin Johnson Jr., and A.J. Green.
Georgia Tech was lucky to be graced by Johnson, who averaged just short of 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns in his three seasons as a Yellow Jacket. A rare combination of speed, strength and height, Calvin Johnson was a standout, making incredible plays, which secured him the No. 2 overall selection in the 2007 NFL Draft. (See this video, it gives the perfect breakdown)
Only one year after Johnson was drafted, A.J. Green made his debut for Georgia. It seems as though there may be another Calvin Johnson on his way to the NFL.
This catch says it all.
While A.J. Green may be one inch smaller and a few pounds lighter, no one can deny that he is just as great of a raw athlete as Johnson is. Green has returned strong from injury this year, and continues to draw comparisons not only to Calvin Johnson, but also to guys like Larry Fitzgerald.
Andrew Luck - John Elway
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Andrew Luck is the most complete quarterback in college football right now.
He has excellent pocket presence, instincts that are beyond measure, deadly accuracy and an ability to move when he needs to.
The clinic he put on against Wake Forest this year is the perfect example.
Luck completed 17 of 23 passes for 207 yards and four touchdowns in Stanford's blowout win against Wake Forest.
Oh yeah, did I forget to mention the 52-yard touchdown run as well?
This guy is the real deal, much like his predecessor John Elway.
Before Luck, there were two truly great quarterbacks out of Stanford: Jim Plunkett, the last Stanford player to win the Heisman Trophy, and John Elway.
While Luck bears some resemblance to Plunkett, Elway and Luck seem like carbon copies of each other.
Just watch this highlight reel of Elway and you will see it immediately.
With accuracy, mobility, power and down-field vision, these two are starting to create a legacy for excellent quarterback play at Stanford.
Kellen Moore - Ty Detmer
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It's hard to think of a quarterback that could evade tackles better than Ty Detmer. His highlight film, put together by KSL 5 Sports, shows just how great of an athlete Detmer was.
While Kellen Moore may not be that caliber, he certainly is close. Just watch his performance against Oregon last year.
Both have good pocket presence coupled with excellent awareness. Moore knows just as well as Detmer knew when to scramble. Moore also mirrors Detmer in his incredible accuracy on the run. Both quarterbacks constantly looked up field, and it cost defenses often.
The biggest similarity between the two, though, has to be their size. For the enormous amount of talent that both of these players displayed, they are only separated by two pounds. Detmer's official measurements were 6'0", 189 lbs., whereas Moore currently weights in at 6'0", 187 lbs.
Taylor Martinez - Fran Tarkenton
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While it's hard to compare a true freshman to an all-time great like Fran Tarkenton, Taylor Martinez sure is wowing the crowds in his debut season.
Unlike Tarkenton, Martinez has failed to lead his team to an undefeated season during his freshman campaign.
However, Martinez, like Fran Tarkenton, leads a fierce offense by combining great passing, timely running and fantastic scrambling.
Here is a highlight reel of Tarkenton's NFL career.
Here is a highlight reel of Taylor Martinez.
Tell me these two don't look alike.
Sure, Martinez runs in an option system where he gets the chance to take some QB keepers. In the end, though, Martinez is displaying the same down-field accuracy, pocket presence, elusiveness and speed that made Fran Tarkenton popular in the days before Martinez's parents even met.
Dan Persa - Warren Moon
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Warren Moon and Dan Persa, to me, seem like perfect matches.
While Warren Moon may have been a little bigger than Northwestern's Dan Persa, he has essentially handed his style of football down to Persa.
Watch these plays from Warren Moon's career with the Washington Huskies and you can immediately see where Northwestern's standout quarterback gets his playing style.
It is because of Warren Moon, and players like him, that athletes like Dan Persa, Terrelle Pryor, Darron Thomas and Taylor Martinez are now recruited so heavily to run mobile quarterback packages like options and roll-outs.
Watching Northwestern film only makes the comparison easier to draw. Persa can pass from the pocket, he can pass on the roll-outs and on the run, and he can even turn it up field when the team needs him to. Just watch Northwestern's highlights against Vanderbilt earlier this season and you'll see the resemblance.
If that isn't enough, just look at the numbers:
Dan Persa (2008-2010):
- 1,887 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, four interceptions.
- 460 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns.
Warren Moon (1975-1977):
- 3,277 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 19 interceptions.
- 592 rushing yards with nine touchdowns
Persa and Moon are eerily similar.
Owen Marecic - Chuck Bednarik
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It has been a long, long time since college football was witness to a player who played significant time on both sides of the ball.
Owen Marecic, in that way, is considered to be one of the most complete players in college football right now. He is currently a starting inside linebacker for the Stanford Cardinal as well as the starting fullback.
Marecic can do it all, as best exemplified by his offensive and defensive touchdowns against Notre Dame, which came within 13 seconds of each other.
The only apt comparison in the case of the hard-hitting Owen Marecic is the great Chuck Bednarik, who was also known as a bruiser as both center and linebacker for the University of Pennsylvania.
While the better comparison in this case would likely be a multi-sport one between Bednarik and all-time great baseball player Ted Williams, Owen Marecic does a fine job of replicating the player that Bednarik was. Marecic is an excellent blocker, a good linebacker, a fierce pass rusher, and he truly loves the game of football.
All that and more earn him the comparison to the great Chuck Bednarik.
Darron Thomas - Jamelle Holieway
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Despite what most people think, the option quarterback is not something that has come out of nowhere and taken the NCAA by storm.
In truth, the option quarterback plants its roots much earlier. Arguably the best option quarterback played for the Oklahoma Sooners in the late '80s. His name was Jamelle Holieway.
For those of you who remember watching him play, you are lucky. Much like some modern option quarterbacks, Holieway was a lot of fun to watch.
Just watch his performance against Miami.
Does this remind you of anyone?
How about Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas?
At this point in time, Darron Thomas is the premier option quarterback in the NCAA, combining speed, quickness, toughness, accuracy and fiery determination to power the Ducks' explosive offense.
Don't see it yet? Watch this.
Convinced yet?
Adrian Clayborn - Richard Dent
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Adrian Clayborn has to be the scariest defensive end in college football right now.
He is fast, he is strong, he tracks the ball well and he is hungry to get after the quarterback.
Just watch his performance against Georgia Tech in the last Orange Bowl.
Players like Clayborn don't come along every day, which is why we have to reach all the way back to 1982 to Richard Dent.
Dent was big like Clayborn, fast like Clayborn, and hungry for the quarterback like Clayborn. Take his NFL stats as an indication. In his 15 years in the League, Dent racked up 137.5 sacks. That is unbelievable.
Watching Dent play for the Chicago Bears in the NFL is almost like watching the future career of the standout defensive end from Iowa. As an example, here is a highlight reel from the Bears' 1985 match up against the Dallas Cowboys. Tell me you don't see the resemblance.
Stephen Paea - Haloti Ngata
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While Stephen Paea is not as big as Haloti Ngata, he is certainly just as big of a physical freak as Ngata. Just watch him nearly break the NFL combine bench-press record in the Oregon State weight room last year.
Going against 311-pound defensive tackles that can bench 225-pounds 44 times is simply a scary task. When coupled with the ability to move that Paea has, it is hard to imagine even trying to stop someone like that.
Haloti Ngata was the same way. At a heavier 350 pounds, Ngata was (and remains) a terrifying target. Just imagine being Sam Keller, who, in 2005, was on the receiving end of this vicious hit.
Paea is almost a complete replica of Ngata, although he is not quite as fast.
Questions? Comments? Concerns
17 of 17Bring on the comments, I know you all have opinions.
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
