White WRs 2008

[Colonel_Reb]

Glad to help JC! I am really surprised at how well Weber State played against Utah yesterday. I could be wrong, but it seems that with yesterday's upsets being just the latest examples, parity is becoming a more common thing in college football.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

once again, i've found i missed a very talented receiver.

Middle Tennessee State's Patrick Honeycutt is the best wideout for the Blue Raiders. as even his bio states, he is the team's "Is clearly the number one option at receiver following a great spring ... Best blocker, best hands, and best route runner among the receivers ..."

in tonight's game against Florida Atlantic, Honeycutt had game-highs with 9 catches, 113 yards, and 1 touchdown.

he is what every receiver should be: a guy who can get open and catch the ball. he was the only wide receiver in the game to not drop at least one ball thrown his way.

also in the game, i noticed FAU's Rob Housler, a 6-5, 215-pound "tihgt end." needless to say, he looked like a wide receiver when he ran, but he had to block an awful lot.

Housler is rarely used, but when he is thrown (or handed) the ball, he makes a lot of big plays. for example, he had FAU's longest run of the year last year, a 68-yard touchdown. in tonight's game he had 3 catches for a team-high 44 yardsEdited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

DraftDaddy once again draws attention to the pigeonholing of an incredibly talented, but almost unknown, white athlete.

Jameson Konz is a 6-3, 223-pound junior "tight end" for lowly Kent State. he injured his ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. however, the question is: why is Jameson Konz a tight end at Kent State University?

While this may seem like a insignificant prospect to many draft followers, Jameson Konz became extremely popular with NFL scouts when he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds at 6' 3" and 223 pounds for National Scouting last spring. Even though Konz never was a star for K.S.U., we have to wonder if he was used properly, as it's very hard to believe a mid-major school, which hasn't played in a bowl game since 1972, would take a player with this sort of size and speed and force him to bulk up to play linebacker and H-Back, instead of using him at defensive back or wide receiver right from the start?

a very good question, indeed. especially, when you see from this article that he spent three years (including his redshirt) as a linebacker.

from this glaring personnel mis-use, one shouldn't have to guess why Kent State is never any good.

Edited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I remember Honeycutt and Houslerfrom last year, but a sad story indeed about Konz. No doubt as to Kent State not being good. That is one of the sad things about the Caste System and the way it is utilized. It really does hurt the game. That is another reason why I want to see it end.

 

[Don Wassall]

DraftDaddy once again draws attention to the pigeonholing of an incredibly talented, but almost unknown, white athlete.

Jameson Konz is a 6-3, 223-pound junior "tight end" for lowly Kent State. he injured his ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. however, the question is: why is Jameson Konz a tight end at Kent State University?

While this may seem like a insignificant prospect to many draft followers, Jameson Konz became extremely popular with NFL scouts when he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds at 6' 3" and 223 pounds for National Scouting last spring. Even though Konz never was a star for K.S.U., we have to wonder if he was used properly, as it's very hard to believe a mid-major school, which hasn't played in a bowl game since 1972, would take a player with this sort of size and speed and force him to bulk up to play linebacker and H-Back, instead of using him at defensive back or wide receiver right from the start?

a very good question, indeed. especially, when you see from this article that he spent three years (including his redshirt) as a linebacker.

from this glaring personnely mis-use, one shouldn't have to guess why Kent State is never any good.

I wonder if many (any?) Draft Daddy readers even notice the many times DD points out how "overachievers" have been miscast and stereotyped. Does the Caste System have to bementioned overtly, as we do, or do you think fans can eventually catch on from the subtle approach, repeated over and over?

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

dang, this week of college football started early.

wide receivers and tight ends: Week 6

Air Force - Kevin Fogler 1 catch for 53 yards
Keith Madsen (t.e.) n.s.a.
Kyle Halderman game-highs with 3 catches, 62 yards, and 1 touchdown, added 4 carries for 32 yards

Arizona - Rob Gronkowski (t.e.) game-highs with 5 catches, 109 yards, and 3 touchdowns

Arizona State - Chris McGaha game-highs with 6 catches for 52 yards

Arkansas - Lucas Miller d.n.p. injury - concussion
Crosby Tuck 1 for 6

Ball St - Briggs Orsbon game-highs with 6 catches for 76 yards
Daniel Ifft 3 for 44

Baylor - Thomas White 3 for 22

Boise State - Tyler Shoemaker n.s.a.
Vinny Perretta 1 for 9, and 2 carries for 10
Tanyon Bissell 1 for 7
Richie Brockel (t.e.) 3 for 23
Chris O'Neill (t.e.) 1 for 44 and 1 touchdown

Bowling Green - Corey Partridge team-highs with 6 for 60, 1 punt return for 8, and 1 kick return for 10
Jimmy Scheidler (t.e.) 2 for 12 and 1 touchdown

BYU -Austin Collie game-highs with 8 catches, 132 yards, and 2 touchdowns
Dennis Pitta (t.e.) 6 for 70
Andrew George (t.e.) n.s.a.
Luke Ashworth 1 for 31

Central Florida - Ricky Ross d.n.p. injury

Central Michigan - Bryan Anderson d.n.p. injury ---
Joe Bockheim ---
Sean Skergan ---

Clemson - Tyler Grisham ---

Colorado - Scotty McKnight 2 for 8

Connecticut - Brad Kanuch 1 for 10, and 1 interception

Florida - Riley Cooper 1 for 15
Tate Casey (t.e.) n.s.a.

Florida Atlantic - Rob Housler (t.e.) 3 catches for a team-high 44 yards

Fresno St - Bear Pasco (t.e.) team-high 4 catches for 60 yards
Devon Wylie d.n.p. injury

Georgia - Kris Durham ---

Houston - Mark Hafner (t.e.) ---

Indiana - Andrew Means 2 for 19

Iowa - Andy Brodell game-highs with 5 catches and 79 yards for 1 touchdown, and 4 punt returns for 37
Trey Stross 1 for 11
Colin Sandeman n.s.a.
Brandon Myers (t.e.) 3 for 38
Allen Reisner (t.e.) n.s.a.

Kansas - Kerry Meier team-high 7 catches for game-high 125 yards and 2 touchdowns

Kansas State - Jeron Mastrud (t.e.) 2 for 25

Kentucky - Dicky Lyons 6 for 63 and 1 touchdown, and 2 punt returns for 14

Louisiana Tech - Philip Beck 2 for 64, and 1 kick return for 18
Josh Wheeler n.s.a.
R.P. Stuart 1 for 13, and 1 carry for 21

LSU - Richard Dickson (t.e.) ---

Marshall - Cody Slate (t.e.) game-highs with 7 catches and 96 yards, for 1 touchdown

Michigan St - Blair White 3 for 38
Charlie Gantt (t.e.) 2 for 37 and 1 touchdown

Middle Tennessee State - Patrick Honeycutt game-highs with 9 catches, 113 yards, and 1 touchdown

Minnesota - Eric Decker game-highs with 13 catches and 190 yards, added 1 carry for 2
Ben Kuznia 1 for 13

Missouri - Chase Coffman (t.e.) tied for team-high 5 catches for 71 yards

Nebraska - Nate Swift 5 for 45 and 1 touchdown
Todd Peterson game-high 7 catches for team-high 81 yards

Nevada - Mike McCoy 4 for 21, and 1 rush for -3

Northern Illinois - Matt Simon d.n.p. injury

North Texas - Sam Dibrell n.s.a.

Northwestern - Andrew Brewer ---
Ross Lane ---
Jeremy Ebert ---
Eric Peterman ---

Notre Dame - Robby Parris n.s.a.
Kyle Rudolph (t.e.) 5 for 70 and 1 touchdown

Ohio - Andrew Mooney (t.e.) team-highs with 5 catches, 67 yards, and 1 touchdown
Riley Dunlop 2 for 28

Ohio State - Brian Hartline team-highs with 3 catches and 57 yards
Dane Sanzenbacher 2 for 40
Jake Ballard (t.e.) n.s.a.

Oklahoma St - Bo Bowling 1 for 11

Oregon - Jeffery Maehl 4 for 11

Oregon St - Shane Morales 4 for 61 and 1 touchdown

Penn St - Mickey Shuler (t.e.) n.s.a.
Brett Brackett 2 for 31
Graham Zug 2 for 39

Rice - James Casey (rb/t.e.) game-high 9 catches, for 120 yards and 1 touchdown, 10 carries for 31 yards, and 1-1 passing for a 2-yard touchdown

San Diego State - Darren Mougey d.n.p. injury
Matthew Kawulok (t.e.) n.s.a.

San Jose St. - Kevin Jurovich d.n.p. illness

Stanford - Ryan Whalen game-high 8 catches for team-high 91 yards
Coby Fleener (wr/t.e.) 1 for 12

T.C.U. - Shae Reagan (t.e.) team-highs with 4 catches and 53 yards for 1 touchdown
Ryan Christian 10 carries for 56 yards and 1 touchdown

Tennessee - Austin Rogers 2 for 14

Texas - Jordan Shipley 4 for 47 and 1 touchdown
Blaine Irby (t.e.) d.n.p. severely broken leg

Texas A&M - Ryan Tannehill game-high 7 catches, for 49 yards and 2 touchdowns

Texas Tech - Eric Morris 7 for 98, and 2 punt returns for 8

Tulane - Cody Sparks (t.e.) 2 for 20

Tulsa - Jesse Meyer n.s.a.

UCLA - Logan Paulsen (t.e.) d.n.p. injured
Ryan Moya (t.e.) 6 for 57 and 2 touchdowns
Gavin Ketchum n.s.a.

UNLV - Ryan Wolfe 4 for 24, added 1 rush for 18 yards and 1 touchdown, and 1 punt return for 10
Casey Flair team-highs with 5 catches, 47 yards, and 1 touchdown

Utah - Bradon Godfrey 5 for 52 and 1 touchdown
Colt Sampson (t.e.) n.s.a.

Wake Forest - Ben Wooster (t.e.) ---
Chip Brinkman ---

Washington St - Devin Frischknecht (t.e.) 1 for 4

Western Michigan - Branden Ledbetter (t.e.) 3 for 36

Wisconsin - Garrett Graham (t.e.) d.n.p. injury



small school players:

Bucknell - Shaun Pasternak game-highs with 6 catches and 100 yards for 1 touchdown

Central Washington - Johnny Spevak team-high 6 catches for game-highs of 122 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 1 punt return for 7

Colgate - Pat Simonds team-highs with 2 catches for 31 yards

Eastern Washington - Tony Davis d.n.p. injury
Nathan Overbay (t.e.) 4 for 64 and 1 touchdown

Holy Cross - Brett McDermott 3 for 21, 3 kick returns for 54, and punted 3 times for an average of 44.3

Montana - Mark Mariani 4 for 71
Mike Ferriter 3 for 45 and 1 touchdown

New Hampshire - Mike Boyle ---
Scott Sicko (t.e.) ---

Northern Arizona - Conrad Meadows 3 for 41, and 2 punt returns for 21
Shaun Fitzpatrick (t.e.) n.s.a.

North Dakota State - Kole Heckendorf 1 for 6 (has now caught at least one pass in 30 staright games, and 37 of 38 in his career)

North Dakota - Brady Trenbeath ---

San Diego - John Matthews game-highs with 7 catches, 144 yards, and 2 touchdowns

South Dakota - Dan Skelly 3 for 26

Southern Utah - Tysson Poots 3 for 29

Texas St - Cameron Luke team-highs with 5 catches, 162 yards, and 2 touchdowns

Weber St - Tim Toone 2 for 31

West Texas A&M - Charly Martin 7 catches for game-highs of 176 yards and 3 touchdowns

Hartwick (Division III) Jack Phelan 3 for 92 and 1 touchdownEdited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Colonel_Reb]

DraftDaddy once again draws attention to the pigeonholing of an incredibly talented, but almost unknown, white athlete.

Jameson Konz is a 6-3, 223-pound junior "tight end" for lowly Kent State. he injured his ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. however, the question is: why is Jameson Konz a tight end at Kent State University?

While this may seem like a insignificant prospect to many draft followers, Jameson Konz became extremely popular with NFL scouts when he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds at 6' 3" and 223 pounds for National Scouting last spring. Even though Konz never was a star for K.S.U., we have to wonder if he was used properly, as it's very hard to believe a mid-major school, which hasn't played in a bowl game since 1972, would take a player with this sort of size and speed and force him to bulk up to play linebacker and H-Back, instead of using him at defensive back or wide receiver right from the start?

a very good question, indeed. especially, when you see from this article that he spent three years (including his redshirt) as a linebacker.

from this glaring personnely mis-use, one shouldn't have to guess why Kent State is never any good.

I wonder if many (any?) Draft Daddy readers even notice the many times DD points out how "overachievers" have been miscast and stereotyped. Does the Caste System have to bementioned overtly, as we do, or do you think fans can eventually catch on from the subtle approach, repeated over and over?

I think that some undoubtedly catch on, while others never really think about it. As with pretty much anything, I think it is better to come out and say exactly what is going on, but you always need examples to prove what you are saying is true. Because Draft Daddy provides tons of examples,even without sayingthat there may be racial discrimination involved, does a good thing. I think they might help the light bulb come on in some folk's minds, but sadly many peoplerefuse tothink deeply about anything or even question the "reality" they are presented with.

 

[backrow]

the more i watch Eric Decker, the more i like this guy! another great game, so far 133 yards in 3rd quarter.

Michigan State's Blair White is having a good game as well. Charlie Gantt scored a TD for Spartans.Edited by: backrow

 

[Freethinker]

Out of all of these WRs who do you guys see getting drafted? We only had 2 of our boys get picked last year and I'm hoping for a great deal more in 09. I know Brian Hartline should be a mid rounder. How bout guys like Brandon Godfrey, Andy Brodell or Kerry Meier?

Thoughts guys...

 

[backrow]

Meier, Decker, Brodell and Shipley should definitely get drafted.


on a related note, last week Rob Gronkowski had 3 catches for 32 yards and 2 TDs in his first game of this season, tonight he has over 100 yards and 3 TDs already! he is probably top receiving TE in the nation and can only get better!

 

[blue_mentos]

those four listed by backrow is a great place to start. decker had another monster game today. austin collie is the guy im focused on the most. hes a jr so probably wont go pro after this season, but the way hes playing this year coupled with the fact that byu is a top 10 team makes him astrong candidate for all america and national reciever awards. he had 132 yds off just 8 catches today for 2 touchdowns. hes the real deal.

 

[white lightning]

Gronkowski is the man. I am a huge U of A Wildcats Fan as I live in Arizona. He is the best tightend in the nation. His speed, power and hands are incredible. This kid will be the next Witten in the NFL He is simply a man amongst boys. The whole family is as athletic as I've ever seen. Talk about great genetics.

 

[Gi-15]

Eric Decker lead the nation in yards, Austin Collie is 11th
Kery Meier is 14th, TE Ryan Pitta is 15th, UNLV Ryan Wolfe is 18th, Mizzou Chase Coffman is 24th, 6 guys in the top25

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

backrow, thanks for the info on Michigan St's players. they've now been added to the list.

Out of all of these WRs who do you guys see getting drafted? We only had 2 of our boys get picked last year and I'm hoping for a great deal more in 09. I know Brian Hartline should be a mid rounder. How bout guys like Brandon Godfrey, Andy Brodell or Kerry Meier?

Thoughts guys...

many of the players i list on the weekly update are underclassmen, so keep that in mind when thinking about the Draft. and it's Bradon Godfrey, not Brandon.

the quartet backrow mentioned (Meier, Decker, Brodell, and Shipley) certainly have the talent (timed measurables and size) and productivity to be drafted, as do Dicky Lyons at Kentucky, Brian Hartline at Ohio State, Eric Peterman at Northwestern, Darren Mougey at San Diego State, Ryan Wolfe at UNLV, Chris McGaha at Arizona State, and Bryan Anderson at Central Michigan. all meet the criteria, if they were black, of course.

UConn's Brad Kanuch, Arkansas' Crosby Tuck, and Kent State's Jameson Konz have the elite speed college/NFL team's covet in black wideouts, but ignore when whites have it. none are getting a chance to shine with their collegiate programs. and Konz has tremendous size, as well. Georgia's tall Kris Durham also has enough speed at 6-6 to be an NFL draft pick, but of course lacks the required amount of melanin in his skin, and is rarely used in college as a result.

Andrew Means at Indiana, Riley Cooper at Florida, and Kyle Hudson (formerly of Illinois' football team), will all likely be playing pro baseball in a couple of years.

small school wide receivers who have the speed and size/productivity that should put them on the NFL's radar include North Dakota's Brady Tenbreath, North Dakota St's Kole Heckendorf, San Diego's John Matthews, and Weber St's Tim Toone, among others.

but the thing you have to remember is that when it comes to the NFL, white receivers might as well be invisible. only two were drafted last year, despite the inconvenient fact that many white candidates were better than their black counterparts who WERE drafted.

tight ends Rob Gronkowski at Arizona, Dennis Pitta at BYU, Mark Hafner at Houston, Brandon Myers at Iowa, Richard Dickson at LSU, Cody Slate at Marshall, Chase Coffman at Mizzou, James Casey of Rice all appear to be certain locks for the Draft.

 

[GreatLakeState]

Charlie Gantt has showed his wheels two weeks in a row with YAC TDs. From one of the great white powerhouses of Michigan h.s. football, Birmingham Brother Rice ... although the power has shifted drastically to West Michigan, with all white teams except for Muskegon.

 

[whiteCB]

I wonder if many (any?) Draft Daddy readers even notice the many times DD points out how "overachievers" have been miscast and stereotyped. Does the Caste System have to be mentioned overtly, as we do, or do you think fans can eventually catch on from the subtle approach, repeated over and over?

Haha...come Don we're talking about Americans here. A guy like Ron Paul tells them to their faces the truth about the Fed Reserve and so on and they still don't realize crap. I'd say maybe 5-10% of the DD.com readers will maybe at one point question things and see what's up.

 

[Freethinker]

many of the players i list on the weekly update are underclassmen, so keep that in mind when thinking about the Draft. and it's Bradon Godfrey, not Brandon.

My mistake with Godfrey. Thanks Jimmy and everybody else too for the info. I will definitely keep an eye out for these players when their teams are on. Decker seems phenomenal, wish he wasn't on such a lousy team so he could get some better exposure.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

no worries, Freethinker.

and welcome to Caste Football.

now onto other matters ...

Austin Collie is one of my favorite receivers, and i'm guessing that many of you haven't seen him in action. here's a series of photos from his 76-yard touchdown catch-and-run against Utah State University on Friday. it's the next best thing to watching video.

Max Hall hits Collie on a short hook.

Collie spins to his left,

leaving two Utah State defenders in his wake,

turns up field and picks up a block,

then he hits the gas.

En route to the endzone, he sees a USU safety with the angle,

but bitch slaps him with a stiff arm (that's the safety on the ground in the background), and lopes into the endzone

where he is joined for the celebration.

Collie has 3 straight games with 2 touchdowns and at least 100 yards receiving.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Stanford's Ryan Whalen has gone from walk-on to go-to-guy for the Cardinal. a 6-2 sophomore, Whalen gets nothing but praise from his coach ...

"He's a go-to-guy. Making the tough catch, loved the hit he took across the middle and on the very next play he went back across the middle and caught a critical third-and-two pass. He just continues to get better and better.

"Ryan has always been the kind of player that takes full advantage of every single workout, every single weightlifting session, of every single practice," Harbaugh said. "[He's got a] gold-standard attitude. He works hard to get better everyday, and that's what he does. He's improved a lot as a player, and he was pretty good to start with."

and his quarterback ...

"I have a lot of trust in Ryan Whalen. He catches everything."

Whalen leads Stanford in catches and receiving yards, despite not starting a game until the match-up against Washington.

here are a couple of very complimentary articles. the first recounts how Whalen arrived at Stanford, and what he has done since walking-on. the second tells of how dominant the two-sport star was in high school.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

white receivers currently hold 5 of the top 10 spots nationally in receptions (including #1 and #2), as well as the #1 spot in receiving yardage. here's some news regarding some of those outstanding athletes.

Eric Decker: currently #1 in receiving yardage and #2 in catches.

article about Decker hoping to get national attention, complete with traditional negative qualifiers.

In 2005, the Gophers ran a moderate Heisman Trophy campaign for running back Laurence Maroney, now with the New England Patriots, when he led the nation in rushing through four games. The steps they're taking to get Decker national attention aren't close to that level, but the program definitely wants to make sure its star player's name gets out there ...

"If he's not in the top 10 (of the Biletnikoff Award) when they whittle it down, then I'd ask for a recount," said Big Ten Network college football analyst Charles Davis, who compared Decker to former Oregon State receiver Mike Haas, the 2005 Biletnikoff winner.

"I think his offensive coordinator does a good job of scheming to give him some space. He's crafty running his routes and gets good separation. He runs faster than you think. He's physical enough to run through jams at the line and is more than willing to catch the ball in traffic. You know he's coming and you know he's getting it, and he still does."

at least Indiana's head coach no longer doubts Decker's talent, as shown in another article.

"He's a guy as a coach, you appreciate how he plays," Indiana coach Bill Lynch said during Tuesday's Big Ten teleconference. "He can get behind you, make the tough catch in a crowd, he runs well afterward. He's just an outstanding athlete."

Lynch should know. Decker burned Indiana with 13 catches for 190 yards in Minnesota's 16-7 victory last Saturday.

Decker has another chance to shine, matching up with Illinois' Vontae Davis, one of the nation's top-rated cornerbacks and a "legit NFL prospect."

James Casey: currently #1 in the nation in catches and #4 in yards, Casey shares Decker's lack of exposure by ESPN and other "media" outlets.

however, as noted by rotoworld: Rice tight end James Casey not only caught nine balls for 120 yards and a touchdown, but also rushed ten times (one for a score) and threw once for a touchdown (last week against Tulsa). Casey's heroics were not enough for Rice to overcome Tulsa, but it might be time to proclaim him as THE tight end of 2008."

Kerry Meier hauled in seven balls for 125 yards and two scores last week, and he tied the school record with his third straight game with more than 100 yards receiving. Meier now ranks #5 in the NCAA in catches and #13 in yards. not bad for a converted quarterback who still only spends about 20 minutes a day working out with the receivers, huh?

speaking of 3-straight 100-plus receiving games, Austin Collie is also in that club. he's also caught 2 touchdown passes in each of those three games, and he now ranks #9 in catches and #11 in yards in the NCAA.

a guy we've not talked about much is UNLV's Ryan Wolfe. barring injury, Wolfe who is tied for #7 in catches, will shatter school records for receptions and yards before he graduates next year. senior teammate, and fellow white wideout, Casey Flair is likely to set the record himself this season (he needs just 7 more catches).

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Kent State's Alan Vanderink has appeared in 5 games for Kent State this season, but despite being the team's top deep threat (26.8 yards per catch), he is barely used (just 5 catches). you'd think they would find more gametime for a guy who has an 81-yard catch and run for a touchdown on so few opportunities, but you'd be wrong. but it shouldn't surprise anyone, seeing as how they mis-"caste" Jameson Konz, and his 4.3 speed, at tight end (and linebacker for 3 years

).

Vanderink ran a personal best 10.8 100-meters in high school, which is faster than some of the "real" sprinters on KSU's track team.

Alan VanderinkEdited by: Jimmy Chitwood

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

a very complimentary article about Austin Collie that touches on many of the same issues we talk about here.

Speed gamer: BYU's Collie average on the track, unbeatable on the field
By Dick Harmon
Deseret News

How fast is Austin Collie?
Well, that's something of a joke among his teammates for the past six months because on the field, when geared up from head to toe, Collie is blazing quick.

He runs precision routes with little or no wasted motion.

He explodes off the line and can get deep and open in defensive secondaries.

He's as good a hawk as any receiver BYU has ever had with the ball in the air.

And he's closing in on passing many of the legendary names in the school's record book.

But there was a day this past June, when Collie wore nothing but shorts, a flimsy shirt and shoes and socks, that he ran the 40-yard dash in something more than 4.6 seconds  a mark considered a bit slow or average.

It was a 40 time that is unacceptable to Collie. He knows he's faster than the clock showed. And true, hand-held 40 times can vary as much as half a second and are not considered all that accurate.

Still, it bugs Collie. "I'm a low-4.5 guy."

Really?

"We always kind of make fun of him because he didn't run the 40 time he wanted to run," said BYU quarterback Max Hall.

"He feels like he's a 4.4 guy; he's Austin. But he runs just as fast as a 4.4 guy with pads on when on the field, and that's what makes him special. He's tough, he's big, he's strong, and then when he gets his pads on, he doesn't change or slow down. If anything, he might get faster because he's in game mode."

And that's called football speed, something Collie definitely possesses.
"I'm not a 4.6 guy," said Collie. "It was just one day. It all depends. I can run in the low 4.5s. I know I didn't test that. At the time, I was weighing 209 to 210, and now I'm 197. That's a huge difference."

Regardless of what the clock says, few will argue Collie stands out on the football field when the ball is in the air. It is so in practice, and it's been that way since he earned MWC freshman of the year honors in 2004 before serving an LDS mission to Argentina.

Collie currently ranks No. 7 in the NCAA in receiving yards per game (103 ypg), just ahead of teammate Dennis Pitta (102 ypg) at No. 11.

He is five catches from tying Todd Christensen (152 catches) at No. 8 on BYU's all-time receiving list.

That BYU list is full of running backs and tight ends. Only three wide receivers rank higher than Collie  Eric Drage, Phil Odle and Margin Hooks  and the junior, barring injury, will surpass them all by the end of his career.

On the field, Collie may be faster than any of those on that list.

"It's game speed. I think it's a whole lot different on a clock than it is in a game. One day it said I'm a 4.6," Collie said. "That is what the clock said that day. I know I'm faster than that.

"But yeah, a lot has to do with game speed, you're not worrying about your start; you're just worrying about getting to the ball and playing natural. That's the difference between clock and game speed."
Perhaps the biggest example of game speed versus clock speed was former NFL star wide receiver Jerry Rice, who at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds was a similar size to Collie. Reportedly, Rice ran a 4.71 time in the 40 early in his NFL career, which is one reason he was overlooked in the draft. Steve Young ran the 40 faster than Rice, but, on the field with pads on, Rice took it to a different level.

Someone once said speed is about heart, and there are two kinds of heart: the heart that beats and the heart that beats other people.

Collie has two kinds of heart.

"You saw that in that third play of the Utah State game," Hall said of Collie. "When he got to that guy who kind of got close to him and he stiff-armed him down and, phew, he was gone. That shows how strong he is. He's a guy we can throw a deep ball to, a guy we can throw a long post to, and he'll go get it."

Hall concluded, "It's just different when you have pads on. You can be a track guy and be really fast, but when you put pads on, guys run past you. It's just a different kind of speed. Whatever it is, Austin has it."

Collie said he's taken it to heart to run precise routes  that by doing so, it enables him to get an advantage on the field.
"Definitely, that is something I pay attention to. It's something coach Higgins harps on a lot is taking different angles on the defensive backs, pushing at them with different leverage, and that's how we get open by running good routes," Collie said.

"That is why Jerry Rice was so good in the NFL. He worked angles, got leverage and got edges on people, and that made all the difference in the world for him. It's all it really takes."

Collie remains BYU's best kick-return man, even if that has not been his duty this season. A year ago, Collie had 237 yards in kickoff returns against Tulsa, and his 366 all-purpose yards against the Golden Hurricane broke a 35-year-old BYU record previously held by Pete Van Valkenburg. It was also an MWC all-purpose yards record.

A year ago, Collie had 109 and 126 receiving yards against TCU and Utah  two of the league's top secondary talents.

His seven TD catches led the league a year ago, and he currently has seven this season with seven, and possibly eight more games to play. He has a three-game 100-yard receiving streak.

Still, that day he was timed last summer sticks in his craw.

"I think I'm a lot faster than the clock showed that one day," Collie said. "You can look at guys running on the track, see them in the Olympics, and they get beat. It just wasn't their day. It just wasn't there. Same thing that happened to me, plus I was 10 pounds heavier."

Indeed, back in high school, when Collie was timed at a combine hosted by Rivals.com, he weighed 190 pounds and was clocked on the record at 4.49 seconds for 40 yards.
Game speed versus clock speed. Does it matter?

Tight end Dennis Pitta, who also is having a sensational junior year, believes there is a difference.

"I do think that it's a little different once you put pads on. Some guys who can flat out run when you have shorts on and they're flying down the field, but it's a whole new game when you put pads on," said Pitta.

"And some buys know how to handle it better. Some guys are able to control it better. Austin is one of those guys who might not have one of the most impressive times off the field, but once he straps it on, he's one of the fastest guys on the field. It's evident when he plays."

 

[backrow]

Colorado's Cody Crawford is having a good game, so far 4 catches for 433 yards and a TD

 

[backrow]

Jordan Shipley with a 96 yard kickoff return for a TD!

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Jordan Shipley's runback was awesome! I'm sure the neighbors were wondering what all the yelling was about.

That kid is fast! If Texas just had some defense. I can't stand to see Oklahoma keep winning.