Utah’s 2-year advantage

[Southern Knight]

I read an interesting article yesterday that pointed out that most of Utah's football starters are 23, 24, and 25 years old (they even have a 26 year old on the roster). They have 24 players who are older than Georgia Tech's oldest player (GT and Utah will meet in the Emerald Bowl later this week).

Most of these guys took 2 years off for a mormon mission. BYU has been accused of using the mission program to their advantage for years. But it raises a question of fairness -- there is a HUGE difference between a 20 year old and a 24 year old, in terms of muscle mass and physical maturity.

Are these guys operating on level playing field? Thoughts?

 

[JoeV]

Chris Weinke was the QB at FSU when he was 29 years old. As long as they aren't professional, I don't really see the issue of older athletes in college sports.

 

[Bart]

Most of these guys took 2 years off for a mormon mission. BYU has been accused of using the mission program to their advantage for years.

You make a good point.On the other hand, many of them have returned to play football after having wasted two years of valuable training time.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Personally, I think the missions make it much more of a challenge to stay in shape. It would be interesting to compare stats of guys both before and after to see if there is a difference.

 

[BonnieBlue]

Southern Knight, you pointed out thetwo year mission period, but then compared a 20 year old to a 24 year old, which is afour year difference. What gives? For your argument to be valid we must assume the average age of a college starterto be20.

 

[Southern Knight]

BB, I can do the math, too (20 + 2 = 22, not 24). My point was simply that Utah has a LOT of guys on their team who are several years older than the average college player, plenty enough to make up the bulk of their starters. And I understand that it is not uncommon for teams to have a player (usually a QB) who washed-out of pro baseball after a few years (a la Chris Weinke, Matt Mauck, Quincy Carter, etc.) and then returned to college football. But having more than twenty such players gives a competitive advantage that other schools simply do not have.

And while I agree that taking 2 years off and then having to get back into "game shape" is difficult, those guys are doing it with a mature physique and musculature, which makes bulking up easier. This is one reason why Utah's O-line is so huge.

 

[GWTJ]

BYU's strict policies for entrance into the school more than make up for any advantage gained from having older players.

 

[Kaptain]

Southern Knight, Utah has a roster of over 100 players. 24 older players may not be significant. How many are starters? More info needed. Maybe site the article.

I doubt that the two-year mission is an advantage at all. First a guy has to establish himself as a valuable starting player with the coaches and teammates. Then he returns after a couple of years of not playing to completely new teammates and a new team. Some never return.
Have any famous athletes had their college interrupted by mormon missions???

 

[whiteCB]

A two year advantage would be absolutly huge in say high school. Were a 20 year old would wipe the floor with some 17 and 18 yr old kids. In the late teens 18/19 is when the body really matures and you can start to see great gains when it comes to wweight lifting for example. A 24 yr old does no have that great of an advantage over a 22 year old as a 22 would have over a 20 year old. Once these kids get in a full year of playing college football then they start to add some serious muscle. That's why a juinor college would get the crap kicked out of them by a 4 year school because the 4 year players have had a lot more training. Where as a 22 year old team vs. a 24 year old there would not be that much of a difference because everybody has pretty much maxed out their speed and strenght. So to put it simply there is really not an advantage for Utah or BYU.

 

[Bart]

Personally, I think the missions make it much more of a challenge to stay in shape.

How about the challenge of staying alive?!Justmore white sheep sacrificed to wolves.


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CHESAPEAKE â€â€￾ Two Mormon missionaries were shot, one fatally, Monday night while going door-to-door in the Deep Creek area. One missionary, age 21, died after being taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. The other, 19, was in serious condition at the hospital Monday night, Chesapeake police said.


(snip )


Police described the shooter as a black male, about 5-foot-10, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and jeans. He was last seen heading toward Janice Lynn Court, which backs up to Elkhart.