Small-School Stigma? Or Something More Obvious?

[Colonel_Reb]

Great article by JC! Share it with your friends.

Small-School Stigma? Or Something More Obvious?</span>

pictured: Nate Kmic. What does Nate lack that his former college teammate Pierre Garcon has?

by Jimmy Chitwood

(8/30/09)
NFL announcers, media pundits, and other assorted talking heads
frequently assure the audience that NFL scouts look everywhere in their
quest to find potential players. They scour the most remote locales to
seek out talent ... even in some cases, tiny Division III colleges,
where football programs don't even offer scholarships. This recently
led me to ponder the story of second-year Indianapolis wide receiver
Pierre Garcon.

Although he's well put together, Garcon is
certainly not a big guy. He stands a shade under 6 feet tall. He's
fast, but not incredibly so. He ran a 4.42 and a 4.45 forty-yard dash
at the NFL Combine. Furthermore, he played at a VERY small school,
Division III Mount Union. Yet despite playing at such a tiny program
and not possessing any outlandish physical tools, he was not only
invited to the Combine, he was also drafted by the Colts in the 6th
round a year ago. It gave me pause, especially when I realized he
wasn't even the best player on his own college team. That distinction
went to tailback Nate Kmic.

Without a doubt, Pierre Garcon was a
dominant wideout at the small school level, and he put up big numbers
throughout his 4-year career. His best season for the Division III
powerhouse came in 2006, when he had 67 catches for 1,212 yards (an
18.1 avg) and 17 touchdowns. His long reception was 82 yards. What is
odd, though, is that there have been numerous other wideouts who've
played for the Purple Raiders who have also put up huge numbers, often
surpassing Garcon's ... and were completely ignored by the NFL.

Let's
look at some of the best recent seasons compiled by other Mount Union
wide receivers; those who never even got a smell of the NFL ...

2008 -- Cecil Shorts (black): 77 catches for 1,484 yards (19.3) for 23 touchdowns with a long of 69.

2005 -- Scott Casto (White): 78 catches for 1,223 yards (15.7 avg) for 11 touchdowns with a long of 64.

2003 -- Randell Knapp (White): 69 catches for 1,467 yards (21.3 avg.) for 16 touchdowns with a long of 77.

2002 -- Jason Candle (White): 62 catches for 1,277 yards (20.6 avg.) for 12 touchdowns with a long of 84.

2000 -- Adam Marino (White): 110 catches for 1,643 yards (14.9 avg.) for 18 touchdowns with a long of 72.

When
looked at in context, Garcon's most notable talent was his durability.
He played well, but he played a LOT. But despite his longevity and
so-called "elite" NFL-level talent, Garcon doesn't hold a single
receiving record at Mount Union.

Not one!

White
receivers hold the school records for most catches in a game, season
and a career, yards in a game, season and career, yards-per-catch in a
season, and touchdowns in a game and career. Another black wideout (in
his only season to contribute) holds the single-season record for
touchdowns. The case can easily be made that there have been numerous
White receivers at Mount Union who were bigger, faster, more
productive, and otherwise more talented than Garcon.

Yet none of those receivers even got looked at by the NFL.

Garcon's
teammate Nate Kmic, who is White, was even more dominant as a tailback
than Garcon was at wide receiver. Kmic finished his Mount Union career
as the all-time leading collegiate rusher in NCAA history (just one of
his numerous all-NCAA records). Take a look at Kmic's numbers:

2005
-- as a freshman, Kmic split carries and still had 202 carries for
1,219 yards (6.0 avg.) for 18 touchdowns, averaging 110.5
yards-per-game, with a long of 95. He added 16 catches for 197 yards
and 1 touchdown.

2006 -- 336 carries for 2,365 yards (7.0 avg.)
and 26 touchdowns, averaging 157.7 yards-per-game, with a long of 80.
He added 20 catches for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns.

2007 -- 274
carries for 1,700 yards (6.2 avg.) for 38 touchdowns, averaging 113.3
yards-per-game, with a long of 70. He added 14 catches for 117 yards
and 1 touchdown.

2008 -- 377 carries for 2,790 yards (7.4 avg.)
for 43 touchdowns, averaging 186.0 yards-per-game, with a long of 67.
He added 25 catches for 262 yards and 1 touchdown.

Kmic's speed
and incredible productivity didn't even get him an invitation to an NFL
camp, much less selected for the Combine or drafted ... Kmic played on
the same team at the same time as Garcon against the same competition,
and was an even better player, yet he was completely ignored by the
same scouts who fell in love with Garcon. Apparently the "small school
stigma" wasn't part of the problem, else Garcon wouldn't be playing for
the Colts right now.

So, after considering all these factors, it
makes me wonder what special quality does the black Pierre Garcon have
that is so "different" than all these other talented players? </span>

 

[Poacher]

Great article! Really puts the spotlight on why CF is here.

An irrefutable example. Great job JC.

 

[C Darwin]

i've already posted this article on a thread started by a black marxist.
my other handle is 'sock puppet'.

Link

it's on pg 3

TJR's 'arguing with youtube cornholes and a JB Cash article are posted also.

Edited by: C Darwin

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

You should post JC's Hillis article from last summer also. And add this above it.

Jimmy Chitwood a castefootball poster was proven completely correct about Hillis (a supposed 7th round scrub) even before the 2008 season started with this article I will post below.

First I should mention, Hillis went on to run for 5 YPC as a rookie in only 3 1/2 games started at tailback. Hillis ran for 5.9 and 7.3 YPC in his last two games before his hamstring injury on a ridiculous catch he made and was only getting better. The NFL record for "30" yard runs in a season is DeAngelo Williams with 8, Jim Brown-7, Gale Sayers and a few others-6. Barry Sanders never had more than 5 in a season. Hillis had 3- 19 yard runs in the game against the Jets and showed the burst to reach the 2nd level on an 18 yard TD that would have been good from 60 yards.

So what gives with Hillis? He has proven he can play RB in the NFL already unlike Beanie Wells. He is proof that a white "nobody" can play like one of the best backs in the league for 4 games. Hillis's style is reminiscent of Beanie Wells, Brandon Jacobs, Marion Barber and Jerome Bettis and he's actually faster than Moreno. Hillis ran a 4.58 and Moreno runs a 4.63 according to the NFL network reports from sites such as footballsfuture.com.

The only difference here is that all the black Powerbacks will get their shot- and although Hillis has already played like a Pro Bowler in a limited chance last season and been the best back this pre-season for Denver- he will not. I mean is it even too much to ask for the Broncos to split carries between Hillis and Moreno like the Giants did with Jacobs and Ward last year? I guess this would just "shake" things up too much, Moreno might feel "insulted" as a high and hyped draft pick. As a fact in sociology points out the first thing people notice about a person is the outward characteristics that stand out. Hillis stands out as out of place in the caste NFL because of his lack of melanin. As soon as he does something like fumble the ball once the media and drunken fans will be calling for their idol Moreno to get every carry. One mistake for a white tailback is one too many- as sociology points out- he just stands out out there as "different".

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Nice stuff, C Darwin, although its clear you are dealing with a bunch of mind-numbed intellectual lightweights.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

College Football

Heisman Candidate or Blocking Fullback? The Difference is Apparently Only Skin Deep
pictured: Peyton Hillis

by Jimmy Chitwood

(8/22/08) As an avid student and fan of the game of football, I am constantly informed (or maybe indoctrinated) that talent wins football games. I am told that coaches recruit the best talent. And play the best talent. And that the best talent will always be put in a position to make plays regardless of virtually any other criteria. Talent is all that is important, and talent will always get the opportunity it deserves. Nothing else matters.

Coaches, scouts, etc. get paid to win, after all, and not signing the most talented players and not giving said players the most opportunity would be foolish. They would lose their jobs if they didn�t sign and play the best possible talent for their team! This I am told time and time again as if by mantra. These are stated as simple, and obvious, FACTS that everyone just knows are true, told to me in tones of shock and bewilderment if I question it, akin to my wearing a bikini in church.

Yet I do have questions � because the performances I see on the field don�t make sense if the �talent� thing is true.

When trying to work out puzzles of this sort, I find that it makes things easier to understand if I compare things (players in this instance) that are similar, the more similar the better. In this scenario, if players are evaluated in the same manner, then similar players will yield similar evaluations/accolades/playing time/and so on. Many people might be surprised that this isn�t how things work, neither in college nor professional football.

In fact, there are often VAST differences in the treatment of players who are virtually identical � except for one small difference.

A case in point:

Player A, as a high school senior, was 6-1, 220-pounds, and ran a reported 4.5 40. Player B, as a high school senior, was 6-2, 220-pounds, and ran a reported 4.5 40.

Player A rushed for 2,134 yards and 27 touchdowns on 223 carries as a senior (9.6 avg.). Player B rushed for 2,631 yards and 29 touchdowns on 261 carries as a senior (10.1 avg.).

Player A was a Parade All-American and one of the top prospects in the nation. Player B was a Parade All-American and one of the top prospects in the nation.

Here is where things get interesting� and confusing� and troubling�because it is readily apparent that both of these athletes are incredibly talented. And physically, one could hardly hope to find two more similar athletes � except for one evidently all-important difference.

Player A is black and Player B is white.

And thus, their careers take DRAMATIC turns when they enter the realm of college football and beyond�

Despite the incredible similarities, Player A was considered to be an elite talent running the football as a tailback and is now considered a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Player B, on the other hand, was considered to be an elite talent � as a blocker and was never given the chance to be a tailback. He was a fullback, you see.

Player A is Chris Wells, and he plays for Ohio State.

Player B is Peyton Hillis, and he played for the University of Arkansas.

Let�s continue the comparison, shall we?

Wells, known for his powerful running style, played as a true freshman. At tailback.

Hillis, known for his powerful running style, played as a true freshman. At fullback.

Wells averaged 5.9 yards per carry last year as the featured back, behind a blocking fullback in an offense designed around him.

Hillis averaged 5.6 yards per carry last year from his fullback spot without a lead blocker, while running from much nearer the line of scrimmage, and getting the majority of his carries in short-yardage situations. (As an aside, teammate and 2-time Heisman trophy runner-up Darren McFadden also averaged 5.6 yards per carry last season for the Hogs.)

Wells is said to be an explosive playmaker and is most often compared to Eddie George, Maurice Clarett, and Jim Brown (an old school fullback). All of whom were featured backs despite not having elite speed. None were asked to be a regular blocker.

Hillis is said to be too waaaaay too slow to be a featured back. So, since his freshman year, he has been forced to add weight and block almost full time.

But let�s take a close look at the speed thing for a moment � Both players have a career-long run of 65-yard touchdowns. Both runs came against last year�s NCAA Champions, the LSU Tigers. You can�t ask for more identical comparisons, apples to apples, Buckeyes to Razorbacks.

Take a look at each of the runs.
Wells: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnuk4X6tajs
Hillis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5alq9LRUNk
Can you tell any difference aside from skin color? If anything, it appears that Wells is the slower of the two � Interesting, huh?

But there are significant differences in the two players despite their obvious similarities, differences that appear to show Hillis to be the more complete player. . .

Wells is one-dimensional. In two years as the featured playmaker at OSU, he only has 7 catches for 37 yards. He has never been a factor in the return game. Nor has he ever blocked for another back.

Hillis is multi-dimensional. Despite being miscast, he set school records for running backs in career receptions (118), receiving yards (1,195) and receiving touchdowns (11). And he was the Razorbacks top punt returner for much of his career, averaging over 10 yards-per return. And his talents are also unselfish and team-first. He also blocked for two individual 1,000-yard rushers (McFadden and Felix Jones) for the second consecutive season.

So, draw your own conclusions. It�s possible there is some �other� explanation. It�s possible that skin color �wasn�t� the determining factor. I guess anything is possible� but if so, if I am wrong, I�d like to have those facts presented to me.

And for anyone who says, �Why does it matter?� Just consider a couple of reasons, amongst the many. Hillis has suffered both physically and financially for the position change. As a fullback, he has been forced to carry more weight than his body is designed for. He has endured more physical punishment due to the rigors of the fullback position. AND, compare the meager salary a 7th-round draft pick at fullback makes to what a 1st-round tailback gets in the NFL.

Come to think of it, I�d say there are millions of reasons it matters.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

thanks for the kind words, gentlemen.

please pass the information along to anyone and everyone who might be interested, or who believes the myths of black athletic superiority and that "the best athletes play."

 

[PhillyBirds]

Terrific piece, Jimmy, as usual!

I'll be sure to share this one with my dad, who enjoyed your Heisman Candidate / Blocking Fullback and Too Small? Or Too White? pieces. He enjoyed both of them and is anxiously awaiting another. Thank you so much for your hard work, JC!

 

[Bear Backer]

thanks for the kind words, gentlemen.
<div> </div>
<div>please pass the information along to anyone and everyone who might be interested, or who believes the myths of black athletic superiority and that "the best athletes play."</div>

Great article Jimmy. I am sharing this with every DWF idiot I know. I don't expect it to make any difference to their pea sized brains, but it will certainly be fun for me to stare at them when they rattle on about their favorite affletes with their glassy eyes, and their "I love the dark meat tube steak grins".

I do however think you didn't account for the intangibles like room brightening smile and hip swivel though. Those qualities play a big role in future success in the NFL. Obviously Garcon had those in spades while Kmic is just one of those hard worker, non stop motor types who looks more like an equipment manager than a NFL running back.

 

[jaxvid]

Yes, that's good stuff Jimmy! Your Hillis article mentioned above was a classic, this is a good follow up continuing to make the case that's so obvious to us here and to which so many others are oblivious.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Hillis can be compared to Mike Alsott. I do think MIke had a quicker first step.