Where are they now?

[backrow]

after signing Zach Hilton last week yesterday Jets added two more white players linebackers Cody Spencer and Ryan Riddle (former Titan and Raider).
unfortunately to make room on a team for them they cut LB Ryan Myers.

Chris Cooper, DL got picked up by Arizona Cardinals earlier this week

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

this is Troy Bergeron...

sadly, the following blurb from the Sporting News never came to fruition:

Sporting News: "You probably have heard about top receiver prospects in the 2006 draft such as Miami's Sinorice Moss and Oklahoma's Travis Wilson. You might not have heard of Troy Bergeron, but you'll hear about him on draft day. Bergeron never played college ball, but has been a star for the Georgia Force of the Arena League. Bergeron is a 6-2 receiver with speed (he's expected to run a 4.4 40 yard dash at the Scouting Combine) and toughness. Scouts say he has very good hands and the ability to adjust to the ball. He also has been a standout on kickoff and punt returns. If Bergeron works out well at the Combine, he could be a second round pick."

The Sporting News wasn't the only folks who had taken notice. DraftDaddy had a big profile on him, but it was to no avail.

For those who haven't seen him play, or likely even heard of him, Bergeron started his professional football career in 2004 with the Columbus Wardogs of af2, becoming the youngest player ever to play in the league at 20 years old. He caught 77 passes for 1,220 yards with 26 touchdowns, despite not playing in the team's first four games. As only the third Wardog player to reach 1,000 yards receiving, he went on to become the league's Offensive Player of the Week on two separate occasions.

The following year, 2005, Bergeron was the youngest player in the AFL at 21 years old. He ended his amazing, storybook season with 105 receptions for 1,372 yards and 31 touchdowns. His 1,372 receiving yards set new League single-season record (1,335 by Oronde Gadsden- Portland, 1998), while his 105 catches are tied for 2nd all-time in a single-season for a rookie. Named AFL Rookie of the Year in 2005. A true speedster having been clocked by Atlanta Falcons scouts at a 4.3 in the forty-yard dash.

So Troy gave the NFL a shot... but the gun still hasn't fired. After failing to even get an invitation to the NFL Combine (compare that to the parallel story of black QB Adrian McPherson who had a similar outstanding 1-year stint in the AFL before being invited to the Combine and drafted in the 5th round by the Saints), Bergeron was signed to a rookie free-agent contract by the Falcons.

Despite looking very impressive in training camp, link 1, link 2, Bergeron got virtually no playing time in the pre-season and was purged from the Falcons in order to make for room for the "dominant" receiving corps of roddy white, michael jenkins, ashley lelie, and adam jennings.

so far this season, jennings hasn't caught a ball, white has 2 catches for 23 yards, lelie has 5 for 75, and jenkins has 7 for 114 and a TD. that's a whopping grand total of 14 catches for 212 yards and 1 touchdown combined!

now i see why they cut Bergeron.

Troy is currently un-signed, but was last seen trying out for the Vikings and the Giants...

this is Troy headed into oblivion but with 4.3 speed...Edited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Travis McGriff, most recently known for calling out University of FLorida qurterback chris leak

"Chris Leak has no guts."

after the QB repeatedly avoided contact, was actually a dominant receiver in the SEC despite being *gasp in horror* white before going on to get a cup o' joe in the NFL.

see for yourself!

now a football coach at Oak Hall in Gainesville, Florida, McGriff's shot at the NFL came and went with barely a whimper: 5 career catches, 88 yards (a very strong average) and 1 touchdown. he also had 7 punt returns for 50 yards. he "played" for the Broncos from '99-'01.

for a lesser player, that might be the story of a lifetime... but for a talent of McGriff's caliber it seems an oddly abbreviated novella.

consider this: as a senior at UF, Travis was completely unstoppable by the most afaletic defensive backs in the nation. in 11 games, he compiled 70 catches for 1357 yards and 10 TDs. that's right. the short, white "over-acheiver" averaged nearly 20 yards per catch and over 120 yards per game!

he did things like this a lot!

not satisfied that he couldn't play, McGriff signed on with the Orlando Predators of the Arena League.

where he did this a lot.

in 2003, McGriff won AFL Rookie of the Year honors after posting 81 catches for 1216 yards and 25 TDs, and returning 66 kicks for 1042 yards and 1 touchdown. strangely, the NFL never called...Edited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

sorry, surfsider. i jez be da messanja, suh. i jez be reportin' da fax...

don't hate the game, hate the System.

 

[backrow]

"After failing to even get an invitation to the NFL Combine (compare that to the parallel story of black QB Adrian McPherson who had a similar outstanding 1-year stint in the AFL before being invited to the Combine and drafted in the 5th round by the Saints), Bergeron was signed to a rookie free-agent contract by the Falcons.

Despite looking very impressive in training camp, link 1, link 2, Bergeron got virtually no playing time in the pre-season and was purged from the Falcons "

fixed that for ya

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

jeez! everybody's a critic!

you could've just sent me a PM or let me re-read it later. jeez, again!

*grumbles as he goes to edit his post*

frankly, i'm surprised i didn't have a few more typo's on there... that's a lot of writing! i guess i'm just better than i thought!

 

[backrow]

lol, you know i have nothing but love for your posts Jim

i just want ya to be perfect.

and yeah, you are pretty good

Edited by: backrow

 

[JD074]

Thanks for the Derek Abney vid, Jimmy. I haven't seen him in a while. I love how he tore right through the middle of the field, and especially how he and his teammates pushed the defender into the end zone with them! That was so cool!

 

[Don Wassall]

The Chargers cut a CB today and signed Steve Gregory from their practice squad. Maybe he'll play some at safety and/or cornerback, or maybe he'll justplay the more "racially appropriate" role ofspecial teams demon.

 

[Realgeorge]

Hey, Marty Schottenheimer "stood up" to Daniel Snyder, maybe in his capacity as San Diego head coach, he will put a white cornerback on the field

I ain't holding my breath!

 

[white is right]

Usually a reserve cb is used in the dime packages. I hope he works his way up the depth charts and can be used in the nickle or maybe start. Dime backs are really safety's that lack size.

Edited by: white is right

 

[backrow]

Seahawks cut their 7 year veteran LB Isaiah Kacyvenski... he did well enough in 2004 as a starter but after that was mostly special teams demon and a captain...

 

[backrow]

The Chargers cut a CB today and signed Steve Gregory from their practice squad.  Maybe he'll play some at safety and/or cornerback, or maybe he'll just play the more "racially appropriate" role of special teams demon.  <!-- Message ''"" -->

i've noticed him on special teams... he might see the field on defense let's wait and see

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

do you remember Brock Olivo?

after a stellar high school career that saw him rush for 5,030 yards and 70 touchdowns and signing a scholarship with the University of Missouri, Brock became the Tiger's all-time leading rusher (3,026 yards) and all-purpose yardage leader (3,475). he almost single-handedly transformed Mizzou from the doormat of the then-Big Eight conference into a solid collegiate football program. Brock put up impressive numbers on a team that went 3-8 in both his frosh and sophomore seasons, and didn't post a winning record until his senior year. additionally, Olivo won the Mosi Tatupu Special Teams Player of the Year Award in his senior season (1997).

not blindingly fast, Olivo was just phenomenally good. always criticized as being too slow, too small, and too white to be a tailback at a Division I program, Olivo never silenced his critics despite his 4 all-conference selections and all-time performance. even the retirement of his number at Mizzou is controversial.

undrafted coming out of college, Brock played one game for Detroit in '98, but played as a full-time White Special Teams Demon for the following 3 seasons, twice leading the team in special teams tackles (he placed third the other time).

much like current Arkansas "fullback", Olivo was one of only a select few "fullbacks" who have ever been full-time kick returners, as he was early on for the Lions. curiously small for a "fullback," Brock was a tailback-like 6'0" 225-pounds.

here's a very in-depth article that covers the Italian's football career.

 

[backrow]

haha, i remember Brock, although mostly as special teams demon... he had a knack of playing pretty well vs Tampa Bay... shame he retired so early!

 

[surfsider]

As great a college player as he was the typical Mizzou fan won't acknowledge his accomplishments. They treated him as an stop-gap replacement until a faster, more "athletic" back could be found. I don't think there have been too many tougher runners than Olivo. People are more inclined to remember him for his incredible workout routines. The guy was a beast.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Meet R.J. Bowers, the NCAA's all-time rushing yardage leader.

The 6'0", 245-pound old-school running-fullback's detractors will insist that his accolades at tiny Division III Grove City College should have been completely ignored. His fans point out that no one else has even come close to matching his production... even at that level.

His potential was more likely somewhere in between had he not been screwed by the caste system.

A brief history... Bowers tried to play baseball for five years and didn't cut it. So, at the age of 23, he gave football a shot. And the rest, as they say, is history. In four seasons at Grove City, Bowers rushed for an NCAA-record 7,353 yards and also established NCAA records with 562 points, 92 touchdowns and 35 100-yard rushing games. In all, Bowers set eight NCAA all-divisions records and 11 Division III marks.

Following his senior season, he was invited to play in two all-star games. The Blue-Gray Classic in Montgomery, AL, on Christmas Day, 2000, forecast his pigeon-holed NFL. Being switched to the role of new-school fullback, the bruising-running feature back was type-cast as just a blocker, but still managed to catch three passes for 34 yards, including a one-yard TD grab. Appearing in the Hula Bowl (just the 7th Division III player to ever do so), again he was lined up as a blocking fullback. He still managed to have the longest run from scrimmage in the game: a 15-yarder.

His performance at the all-star games even caught the eye of noted caste system supporter Mel Kiper, who had these "kind" words to say: "With his focused, hard-working approach, Bowers has a chance to make the transition to FB in the NFL." Bowers was, of course, undrafted, but his talent earned him a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers active roster by the end of his rookie season. He finished the year with 84 yards on 18 carries, for an impressive 4.7-yard average that included a 21-yard touchdown run. He even received the forbidden praise "a playmaker" by his black teammates after running over perennial Pro-Bowler Joey Porter in practice.

For a team that loved the physical running style of Jerome Bettis, it appeared Bowers had secured a chance at a bright NFL future. Wrong. He was cut the next preseason.

He was picked up by the Browns and scored a TD on a two-yard catch but never again got much playing time, much less a chance to be a featured back. He was always listed as a "fullback" or H-back.

He is now coaching a minor-league football team.

In an interesting bit of irony, coming out of college Bowers was the #2-rated "fullback" in the country behind Caste Football favorite Heath Evans.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Another small-school back that was shunned, this one a prototypical tailback except for his lack of skin pigment, was the previous all-time NCAA rushing leader: Emporia State's Brian Shay.

At 5'9" 208-pounds, Shay was "too small" to be a successful college football player. NCAA Division I schools turned their backs on him. All that Shay did during a four-year career at Emporia State University (1995-98) was become college football's all-time leader in rushing yards (6,958), all-purpose yards (9,301), touchdowns (88) and points scored (544). Shay ended his spectacular career at Emporia State with 17 records and won the 1998 Harlon Hill Trophy - signifying the top player in NCAA Division II - with the most first-place votes ever. His 2,265 yards rushing in 1998 was an all-time Division II record and he was named first-team Division II All-American in 1997 and 1998.

After impressing at the Senior Bowl, where Shay showed he can play with the big boys. Shay rushed for 75 yards while leading the South to a 31-21 victory. South coach Tony Dungy said, "(Shay) proved he can play with this caliber of players."

Evidently, his skin shone too brightly because he never made an active NFL roster despite a cup o' joe with Kansas City and an impressive stint in NFLEurope.Edited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

It's like it's a broken record, but South Dakota State's Josh Ranek could tell you the same story.

At 205-pounds, but just 5'7" somehow he's "too short." I don't need to list the many black backs who were short of stature but big on ability do I? At Division II SDSU, Ranek rushed for 6,794 yards, averaged 6.0 yards per carry and scored 426 points on 69 touchdowns and six two-point conversions. He also was third in the voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy, which goes to the NCAA Division II Player of the Year.

Impressive stuff, but not impressive enough to overcome his debilitating skin condition.

His agent, Jack Wirth, after Ranek went undrafted, delusionally claimed that "If he were three inches taller, he would have been a second-round choice." Citing Ranek's workout numbers for the Cleveland Browns, where Ranek bench-pressed 225-pounds 30 times and ran a 4.49-40, as proof. But of course, Ranek is white so those numbers are completely irrelevant. As was his performance in college.

After attending a Dallas Cowboys training camp for a couple of wasted days in 2002, Ranek signed with the Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League and has been one of the most dominant running backs in the league ever since.

 

[Kaptain]

Jimmy, great stuff. I started a thread on Ranek a while ago. Lamar Gordon was Ranek's black counterpart running for conference rival NDSU. Gordon compiled far less yardage, less yards per carry, and timed slower than Ranek in the same year(s) as Ranek against the same competition. Gordon was drafted and has been given every opportunity to play even start at times, in fact, he probably is still on someone's roster. Ranek was cut by the Cowboys because he didn't have "break away speed."

 

[devans]

What has happenned to Jerheme Urban, formerly of the Seahawks?
He only had 7 receptions last year in limited playing time - but all seven went for first downs, and his avreage yards per catch was about 21. He has had injury problems so maybe he retired?

 

[Don Wassall]

Urban was waived by the Seahawks (for at least the 10th time) in the middle of last season and given an injury settlement. Haven't heard anything about him since.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

He was big (6'3", 220-pounds) and big-play (20 catches for 420 yards and 8 touchdowns as a rookie), but it hasn't been enough to keep Marc Boerigter from tiny Hastings College in the big-time.

In fact, his impressive combination of size, speed, and playmaking ability is actually being forced to consider returning to play in the CFL. Go figure with the NFL...

It would appear that Boergiter had everything an NFL receiver needs to make a big impact: sticky hands, size, knack for the big play, and the all-important speed, as evidenced all on one play in 2002 when he caught a short pass, broke a tackle, and outran the defense en route to an NFL record-tying 99-yard touchdown. But, sadly, Boergiter suffers from a debilitating skin condition that prevents NFL teams from being overly interested.

Since his break-out performance in '02, he has been kicked out of locker rooms in Kansas City (where he signed as an un-drafted rookie in '02), Green Bay (where quarterback Brett Favre hasn't completed a pass to a white wide receiver since Bill Schroeder in 2001), and Indianapolis (where he was cut in favor of "dominant" playmakers Aaron Moorehead and Terrence Wilkins).

In fairness, he did miss the '04 season with KC due to a knee injury, but that doesn't explain his lack of playing time when healthy in both the prior and following seasons, or his purging to make room for Samie Parker, Jeff Webb, Dante Hall, and Rod Gardner. But, hey, I'm not an NFL general manager, so what do I know?

Currently Boerigter is hoping for another shot.

Boerigter hasn't been this happy in quite a while.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

The talented but overlooked Matthew Tant.

As highly touted as they come out of high school, Tant was Mr. Everything in Tennessee. Named first-team all-state, all-region, all-conference and Nashville Tennessean All-Midstate in addition to picking up Class 2A Back of the Year recognition, even played in the 2000 National High School All-Star Game in Dallas after gaining 1,374 yards with 22 touchdowns on 176 carries (7.8 avg.) as a tailback his senior year. As junior, Tant ran for 1,122 yards (8.8 avg.), earning 2A Athlete of the Year, All-State, All-Region and All-Midstate.

Tant was even ranked in the Top 50 nationally! Vandy was drooling all over their surprise catch, hyping the "Mike Alstott clone" as the future of their program. Instead, they turned him into a blocking back.

Tant declared for the NFL draft early, where despite measuring out a 4.5-40, a 4.4 short shuttle, benching 225 pounds 24 times and maxing out at 500-pounds, and a 33-inch vertical at 5'9" and 230-pounds he went completely un-drafted. The Chargers signed him as a rookie free agent to be nothing more than training camp fodder and now he is completely out of football.

the last known sighting of Tant carrying the ball...

 

[devans]

Good article on Chas Gessner


http://www.buccaneers.com/news/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=5262