via Bruce Feldman of The Athletic (sorry if link does not work)
'Over the past few weeks, I reached out to around three dozen coaches, TV analysts and NFL scouts. I had a simple question to ask that proved to be more complicated than expected: Who do you think is the best college player over the past 25 years?
My experts came at it from a bunch of different perspectives. Can one amazing season overshadow an excellent body of work? How much should stats, level of competition or the players around them factor in? How do you compare offensive linemen to quarterbacks or defensive tackles to wide receivers?'
highlights:
24) Honey Badger
23) Brock Bowers
22) Sean Taylor
20) Aaron Donald
19) Julius Peppers
16) Chase Young
14) Baker Mayfield
12) Andrew Luck
11) Larry Fitzgerald
9) Travis Hunter
8) Tebow
7) Vince Young
3) Ndamukong Suh
2) Reggie Bush
1) Cam Newton
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AD
Career: 181 tackles, 67 TFLs, 29.5 sacks, 10 PBUs, 6 FFs
Best season: 2013; 59 tackles, 29 TFLs, 11 sacks, 3 PBUs, 4 FFs
Everything Donald was doing in the NFL for the Rams he first did for Pitt. He had at least 16 tackles for loss in three consecutive seasons, capping his career by winning just about every college award a D-lineman can get in 2013: the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.
“His production was off the charts,” said NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks, a former NFL scout. “It was ridiculous for a D-tackle to have that kind of stuff. He dominated.”
In all, his 67 tackles for loss lead all defensive tackles in the 2000s.
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LFitz
Career: 161 catches, 2,677 yards, 34 TDs
Best season: 2003; 92 catches, 1,672 yards, 22 TDs
The Panthers were hardly known for prolific passing attacks in the early 2000s. Fitzgerald’s QB at Pitt, Rod Rutherford, never threw a pass in the NFL. In the year before and the year after Fitzgerald’s two seasons, Pitt wideouts caught a combined 32 touchdown passes — two fewer than the 6-3, 220-pounder from Minnesota had in his record-setting two seasons in college.
In 2003, Fitzgerald often faced double and triple coverage but became the first sophomore to win the Walter Camp Award for national player of the year. He finished second in the Heisman vote to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White.
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www.nytimes.com
'Over the past few weeks, I reached out to around three dozen coaches, TV analysts and NFL scouts. I had a simple question to ask that proved to be more complicated than expected: Who do you think is the best college player over the past 25 years?
My experts came at it from a bunch of different perspectives. Can one amazing season overshadow an excellent body of work? How much should stats, level of competition or the players around them factor in? How do you compare offensive linemen to quarterbacks or defensive tackles to wide receivers?'
highlights:
24) Honey Badger
23) Brock Bowers
22) Sean Taylor
20) Aaron Donald
19) Julius Peppers
16) Chase Young
14) Baker Mayfield
12) Andrew Luck
11) Larry Fitzgerald
9) Travis Hunter
8) Tebow
7) Vince Young
3) Ndamukong Suh
2) Reggie Bush
1) Cam Newton
------------------------------
AD
Career: 181 tackles, 67 TFLs, 29.5 sacks, 10 PBUs, 6 FFs
Best season: 2013; 59 tackles, 29 TFLs, 11 sacks, 3 PBUs, 4 FFs
Everything Donald was doing in the NFL for the Rams he first did for Pitt. He had at least 16 tackles for loss in three consecutive seasons, capping his career by winning just about every college award a D-lineman can get in 2013: the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award, Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award.
“His production was off the charts,” said NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks, a former NFL scout. “It was ridiculous for a D-tackle to have that kind of stuff. He dominated.”
In all, his 67 tackles for loss lead all defensive tackles in the 2000s.
-------------------------------
LFitz
Career: 161 catches, 2,677 yards, 34 TDs
Best season: 2003; 92 catches, 1,672 yards, 22 TDs
The Panthers were hardly known for prolific passing attacks in the early 2000s. Fitzgerald’s QB at Pitt, Rod Rutherford, never threw a pass in the NFL. In the year before and the year after Fitzgerald’s two seasons, Pitt wideouts caught a combined 32 touchdown passes — two fewer than the 6-3, 220-pounder from Minnesota had in his record-setting two seasons in college.
In 2003, Fitzgerald often faced double and triple coverage but became the first sophomore to win the Walter Camp Award for national player of the year. He finished second in the Heisman vote to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White.
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Ranking college football’s top 25 players of the 2000s: Cam Newton tops Reggie Bush at No. 1
Who has been the best college football player of the 21st century thus far? Bruce Feldman talked to dozens of experts to form his top 25.
www.nytimes.com
