(11-13-2020 09:30 AM)OKIcat Wrote: (11-13-2020 09:17 AM)Banter Wrote: (11-13-2020 09:02 AM)OKIcat Wrote: (11-13-2020 08:12 AM)CliftonAve Wrote: Correct, it was the 1998 Draft. The Seniors on that team went to the 1997 Humanitarian Bowl, which was UC’s first bowl since the 1940s (back when there were fewer bowls). Those drafted were:
Artrell Hawkins- 2nd Round (Bengals)
Brad Jackson- 3rd Round (Dolphins)
Jason Fabiano- 4th Round (Jets)
Derrick Ransom- 6th Round (Chiefs)
Rod Monroe- 7th Round (Cowboys)
I know I'm taking this thread further astray but I will add that I believe that '97 bowl bid and subsequent victory were major breakthroughs for UC football after a 47 year absence from the postseason that ushered in the amazing success of this modern era.
97 was a bit of a breakthrough, but joining Conference USA is really what set us up for the success to follow.
No question that was an even more critical step. One could even argue that UC's Final Four appearance in '92 and Elite Eight in '93 put Cincinnati back on the national stage after a long absence. And with a red hot basketball program, Bob Goin used a home game in Boise as added leverage to get that Humanitarian Bowl bid secured. We've come a long way from those days for sure.
I agree mucho with OKI and Banter that joining the CUSA made a big difference in the Bearcats turning the program around - especially in the regards towards scheduling. Before the CUSA, in the years 1988-1991 and 1993-1995, the Bearcats schedule was only 5 home games and six games away. I don't remember alot - well I don't remember the Bearcats on TV during this era. CUSA had some good teams: SoMiss was good, Houston, Memphis, Tulane (well, they were better than UC)
and Louisville. Five home games is not enough to provide money to even fix up Nippert. In the late 1980's Nippert had a special water fall in the stadium. There was a broken drainage pipe so when it rained one of the stairways flooded with a big waterfall.
The tiny lockerroom under the stadium was a joke. A bigger joke was the tiny weightroom next to the locker room. Before one game one lady was walking down the stadium concourse and her leg broke thru the locker room ceiling. The three Bearcats football players sitting in the weightroom could only sit there quietly and stare upwards.
A recruit would visit Nippert stadium and a coach would walk him to the top of the the Nippert stairs and talk about the history of the stadium. The recruit would ask "can I visit the lockerroom" and the coach would look at his watch and say "I think we have an appointment at McMicken Hall now." The Bearcat fans big and small paid money to improve the entire program. AFL Bearcat QB Jack Lee paid over $100k to rebuild the football lockerroom.
Today's Bearcat fans stand on the shoulders of giant Bearcat fans of the past. This years extension of Coach Fickells contract was all done with private money. Great job Bearcats.