MAC Talent [All in one place]

[Captain Kangaroo]

I believe there are eleven MAC players left on the four NFL playoffs teams.

Don't you mean "...scattered amongst the remaining 4 NFL playoff teams?"

11 is an impressive number for the top 4 teams. Anyone who dismisses it as some irrelevant fractional value really doesn't know what they are talking about.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Was anyone else at K.e.n.t. that game where we had K.e.n.t. at a 4th and 39...and Edelmann scrambled for 40 yards?

I remember a story in the K.e.n.t. paper about him wearing heavy chains around his body as he walked back and forth to all his classes, so he could strengthen his legs. That guy put the work in to be where he's at. If I ever had a favorite K.e.n.t. player, it would be him. Jose Davis @ #2.

[johnnyzip84]

Was anyone else at K.e.n.t. that game where we had K.e.n.t. at a 4th and 39...and Edelmann scrambled for 40 yards?

I remember a story in the K.e.n.t. paper about him wearing heavy chains around his body as he walked back and forth to all his classes, so he could strengthen his legs. That guy put the work in to be where he's at. If I ever had a favorite K.e.n.t. player, it would be him. Jose Davis @ #2.

I remember it well - too well

But I also remember Bowser's exceptional TD reception and the Rowdies getting inside K.E.N.T's PK to clinch the W. That may have been the Rowdies' finest hour in terms of influencing the outcome of a football game.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I am going to try my best to forget I ever read this.

C'mon, Keener...you gotta respect the game. He was the football equivalent of Marylin Munster in K.e.n.t.

[K92]

C'mon, Keener...you gotta respect the game. He was the football equivalent of Marylin Munster in K.e.n.t.

[johnnyzip84]

I had to go over that game again at lunch - I had forgotten how much we had no business winning that one

That result exemplified Doogie Martin's coaching prowess in a nutshell.

[skip-zip]

To me, here's the most interesting fact about MAC players in the NFL.

Through many, many of the downright horrible years on Ken+ State football in the 90's and 2000's, who do you think had the most MAC players in the NFL? Yes, Ken+ State.

That says a lot about the caliber of the rest of their players.

I sure wish seeing MAC players in the NFL, starters, etc., ....even in relative comparison to other conferences.....meant that the MAC should be better. It doesn't. I think that tells us (along with the Ken+ example above) that the depth of your talent means far more than having a few standout players.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Maybe the Zips get a player in the NFL in 2015-16?

[pitside]

How about Pugs is he still with the Chiefs?

[Dr Z]

Steelers sure do like their MAC players, signed Roosevelt Nix.

Former Zip Shawn Lemon about to sign NFL contract.

Listed at six-feet-two and 250 pounds, Lemon almost certainly will line up as an outside linebacker rather than a defensive end. Lemon racked up 13 sacks and forced eight fumbles in 2014 for the Stampeders, the latter of which was a CFL record. Still only 26-years old, Lemon is still a young player with room to grow. Although Lemon bounced around the Arena League and the CFL, playing for a total of six teams in his short career, Mitchell reported as many as 14 teams were interested in Lemon's services, indicating his game tape was worth a shot.

His strip-sacks remind me of another NFL MAC outside linebacker.

@SLemonator

[Dr Z]

Two Mac players on senior bowl roster this week. Casey Pierce (TE), Ken+ State, Quinten Rollins (CB), Miami (Ohio).

Pat Kirwan is in Mobile Alabama and will be reporting all week long from 3-7 on NFL radio. I know a lot of Browns fans are skewed on Phil Savage, but give a listen to him this week, as I'm sure he will be a guest multiple times. Let me know if he doesn't amaze you with his knowledge. I guarantee you will be smarter for listening to him.

Game 3 pm on Saturday.

PS Lots of Mac impact in the NFL championship games yesterday.

[K92]

I'll never forget the blindside hit Lemon put on the Can't qb in 2010.

[Dr Z]

Two Mac players on senior bowl roster this week. Casey Pierce (TE), Ken+ State, Quinten Rollins (CB), Miami (Ohio).

Mike Mayock is on the NFL channel now talking about how excited he is to see another basketball player's skills (Quinten) transfer over to the NFL.

The Detroit Free Press has a piece on him too:

CB Quinten Rollins, Miami (Ohio): Rollins played four years of basketball before starring for the RedHawks in football last year. He's raw but has enormous upside and, at 6 feet and 203 pounds, he has ideal NFL size. The Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year, Rollins had seven interceptions and 16 passes defended. His stock could soar if he makes strides in his technique and play this week and throughout his draft prep.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Mike Mayock is on the NFL channel now talking about how excited he is to see another basketball player's skills (Quinten) transfer over to the NFL.

The Detroit Free Press has a piece on him too:

CB Quinten Rollins, Miami (Ohio): Rollins played four years of basketball before starring for the RedHawks in football last year. He's raw but has enormous upside and, at 6 feet and 203 pounds, he has ideal NFL size. The Mid-American Conference defensive player of the year, Rollins had seven interceptions and 16 passes defended. His stock could soar if he makes strides in his technique and play this week and throughout his draft prep.

Wonder if McAdams would be interested in a year of football after his hoops career is over?

[Sergeant Zip]

Contract signed.

[Sergeant Zip]

Julian Edelman's growing pats

[Dr Z]

Two Mac players on senior bowl roster this week. Casey Pierce (TE), Ken+ State, Quinten Rollins (CB), Miami (Ohio). Pat Kirwan is in Mobile Alabama and will be reporting all week long from 3-7 on NFL radio. I know a lot of Browns fans are skewed on Phil Savage, but give a listen to him this week, as I'm sure he will be a guest multiple times. Let me know if he doesn't amaze you with his knowledge. I guarantee you will be smarter for listening to him. Game 3 pm on Saturday.

Nice article on Quinten in the PD. The Quinten Rollins story is a little different. Rollins was a four-year starter as a point gaurd on the Miami (Ohio) basketball team before a suggestion from a Baltimore Ravens scout made him decide to use his fifth, and final year of athletic eligibility to give football a shot. At the end of that season, Rollins now finds himself impressing people at Senior Bowl practices, which concluded Thursday in Mobile, Alabama. The game is Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.

Very good interview with Quinten. I like him. "hips don't lie"

Pierce gets small mention in PD article on the game as it pertains to the Browns.

[Dr Z]

I wish somebody covered Akron/Cleveland sports with the passion, information and intelligent opinion that Dejan does. He does the job of multiple people in this area, and loves every minute of it. One of the best in the business IMO, even though he forgot to answer Cameron Wake to Joshua's question.

Dejan writes about the Lemonator.

Joshua Wolf: Any thoughts on Shawn Lemon, the CFL player the Steelers signed recently? I know that some CFL players have successfully transitioned to the NFL on the offensive side of the ball, but have there been any defensive players who have made a career in the NFL after starring in the CFL?

DK: Glad someone brought this up. Lemon is a neat case. He’s 26, he’s 6-2, 250 and basically built for a 3-4 outside linebacker, and he finished his season in Calgary with 13 sacks and a league-record-tying eight forced fumbles.

Stop right there. I don’t care if you’re playing in a Bloomfield flag league, if you’ve got eight forced fumbles, you’ve got a nose for the football. And hands. And aggressiveness.

And, oh, yeah, he calls himself the Lemonator!

I’m not suggesting he’ll jump right onto the field, but given the highly uncertain statuses of Jason Worilds, James Harrison and Arthur Moats, it’s kind of important that the Steelers add depth beyond Jarvis Jones. This seems like an inspired start.

[zippy5]

I've liked Dejan's work since he left the trib. When he was there, he was borderline sensationalist, writing to get a response. Which is the vibe I got from a lot of their writers. He was great before that as the Bucs beat writer at the PG, so I was hoping he still had that in him.

[ZachTheZip]

Jalil Carter signed to a reserve/future contract with the Vikings.

[johnnyzip84]

I'll never forget the blindside hit Lemon put on the Can't qb in 2010.

Probably my favorite Lemon play (and one of the strangest in memory) was his 98 yard return of a blocked PAT (thanks to fellow CFL'er Sewell) in a win over Toledo at the Rubber Bowl in 2008, just before JD's dreams started to fade.

[Dr Z]

Nice article on Quinten in the PD. The Quinten Rollins story is a little different. Rollins was a four-year starter as a point gaurd on the Miami (Ohio) basketball team before a suggestion from a Baltimore Ravens scout made him decide to use his fifth, and final year of athletic eligibility to give football a shot. At the end of that season, Rollins now finds himself impressing people at Senior Bowl practices, which concluded Thursday in Mobile, Alabama. The game is Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.

Very good interview with Quinten. I like him. "hips don't lie"

KC Chiefs beat writers are mocking Quinten in the first round. IMO, I don't see him in the first, but you never know now a days. I'm always interested in what players visit what teams pre-draft. I'll be interested as to who schedules him for a visit. I only follow one teams visits. Ten years ago, they didn't mean a thing, recently I would say forty percent of their draft comes from the visits.

Three out of three at CBSSports have Quinten going round 1. My boy Kirwan, to boot!?!?

For anybody that puts any validity in what Mel Kiper "mocks", here is five years of throwing darts at a board. Anybody remember the episode of Cheers when Norm got a monkey to do Cliff's job?

[Dr Z]

Dejan writes about the Lemonator.

Joshua Wolf: Any thoughts on Shawn Lemon, the CFL player the Steelers signed recently? I know that some CFL players have successfully transitioned to the NFL on the offensive side of the ball, but have there been any defensive players who have made a career in the NFL after starring in the CFL?

DK: Glad someone brought this up. Lemon is a neat case. He’s 26, he’s 6-2, 250 and basically built for a 3-4 outside linebacker, and he finished his season in Calgary with 13 sacks and a league-record-tying eight forced fumbles.

Stop right there. I don’t care if you’re playing in a Bloomfield flag league, if you’ve got eight forced fumbles, you’ve got a nose for the football. And hands. And aggressiveness.

And, oh, yeah, he calls himself the Lemonator!

I’m not suggesting he’ll jump right onto the field, but given the highly uncertain statuses of Jason Worilds, James Harrison and Arthur Moats, it’s kind of important that the Steelers add depth beyond Jarvis Jones. This seems like an inspired start.

Lemonator, one step closer to a roster spot in the NFL.

[Captain Kangaroo]

For Colts, The Price is Reitz

[Dr Z]

KC Chiefs beat writers are mocking Quinten in the first round. IMO, I don't see him in the first, but you never know now a days. I'm always interested in what players visit what teams pre-draft. I'll be interested as to who schedules him for a visit. I only follow one teams visits. Ten years ago, they didn't mean a thing, recently I would say forty percent of their draft comes from the visits.

Three out of three at CBSSports have Quinten going round 1. My boy Kirwan, to boot!?!?

Quentin ends up going number sixty-two to GB.

Rollins (5-11, 195) was the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year in his lone season on the gridiron, which is certainly a good start as he tries to transition to the NFL game. The question now is how much the Packers can reasonably expect in his first pro season with so little football foundation.