(04-13-2019 05:49 PM)Dr. Isaly von Yinzer Wrote:  Yeah, that’s how it goes. The NFL history books are littered with guys just like him who came in with a lot of potential and hype and who for one reason or another failed to live up to it. Green was particularly unlucky, but dems da breaks.

Still, it’s hard to overstate how dominant he was as a collegian. He’s the most dominant defensive player I have ever seen at the collegiate level and I realize that saying a mouthful because there have obviously been some incredible defensive players over the years. For you younger guys, as a collegian, he was kind of like a cross between Jadeveon Clowney and LaVarr Airington – and he was better than both of those players!

As I said, that team had three NFL Hall of Famers on it and he was unquestionably the best player on the field just about every single week.

The winner of the 1980 Heisman Trophy was George Rogers out of South Carolina. Rogers was a fine running back and this is in no way disrespectful of him. However, Keith Jackson was so upset with that decision that he resigned his Heisman Trophy ballot. I’ve seen him talk about that. He said it was the biggest injustice he’d ever seen in the voting. I would argue that in the years since we’ve seen a few equally ridiculous decisions, but that gives you an idea of how good Green was as a defensive end at Pitt.

BTW, he is from Natchez, Mississippi and that really shows you how much times have changed. There’s no way on earth a player that good would’ve ever gotten out of the SEC in this day and age. Pitt landed from there Green and his cousin, an excellent running back named Rooster Jones.

Walter Payton chose Jackson State over Kansas.
Brett Favre chose Southern Miss over D2 Delta State.
Jerry Rice had only one D1 offer.

(04-12-2019 04:15 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Might be at least one other team that had 3 future HOFers at the same time.

Any of those with several should be checked, but just at a glance, looks like Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, and Anthony Muñoz were USC teammates.

The 1979 undefeated squad had Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, Anthony Munoz, & Bruce Matthews as well as potential future veteran committee candidates Joey Browner (1980s all-decade team, 6 time pro bowler, 4 time all pro, Vikings Ring of Honor) and Dennis Smith (6 time pro bowler, 1 time all pro, and Broncos Ring of Fame) and longtime head coach Jeff Fisher.

(04-23-2019 12:07 PM)AntiG Wrote:  

(04-12-2019 04:15 PM)Wedge Wrote:  Might be at least one other team that had 3 future HOFers at the same time.

Any of those with several should be checked, but just at a glance, looks like Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, and Anthony Muñoz were USC teammates.

The 1979 undefeated squad had Marcus Allen, Ronnie Lott, Anthony Munoz, & Bruce Matthews as well as potential future veteran committee candidates Joey Browner (1980s all-decade team, 6 time pro bowler, 4 time all pro, Vikings Ring of Honor) and Dennis Smith (6 time pro bowler, 1 time all pro, and Broncos Ring of Fame) and longtime head coach Jeff Fisher.

Great find!

FWIW, the 1979 team was undefeated, but they did suffer a tie vs Stanford, highly impactful as that tie cost them the national championship.