Was the best IHSA football prospect/player you saw that just never seemed to made it to the NFL level? Lots of names to certainly consider and I'll drop a Top 3-5 names of mine maybe over the weekend...post your fav names here.
Q of the Week: Which former IHSA football player....
- Thread starter EdgyTim
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Out of high school, JR Zwierzynski from JCA. 4 star recruit coming out of high school. Went to Penn State and played LB, just never worked out.
Mike Burden- Palatine/ Ohio State
Was the best HS player I have ever seen he had everything and was 4 year HS starter and 3 time All State player only to get derailed by off the field issues.
Was the best HS player I have ever seen he had everything and was 4 year HS starter and 3 time All State player only to get derailed by off the field issues.
Agreed. Just wish they had given him a chance to play RB/FB in college, they were just totally convinced that he didn't have the needed speed to play RB. Neither did Mike Alstott who's records he broke, but he turned out pretty good.
John Piazza from JCHS / JCA. 3 year starter at middle linebacker for arguably 3 of the best state championship teams from JCA (76, 77, 78).
2 year All Stater (maybe 3), 2 year All American, junior year awarded best junior football player in the nation.
Unfortunately he was maybe 170-175 lbs soaking wet and didn't get much D1 attention.
2 year All Stater (maybe 3), 2 year All American, junior year awarded best junior football player in the nation.
Unfortunately he was maybe 170-175 lbs soaking wet and didn't get much D1 attention.
Two that I thought would definitely make it were Ty Isaac and Jordan Westerkamp.
Matt Perez for MS was on another level. Wish things panned out different at Indiana.
Sorry not IHSA but Jerimy Finch Warren Central Indiana- Played at Florida and Indiana. Never have I seen a safety cover so much ground.
Sorry not IHSA but Jerimy Finch Warren Central Indiana- Played at Florida and Indiana. Never have I seen a safety cover so much ground.
What about the Heklinski brothers from palatine. I was a little kid, but they seemed all world.
Mike Goolsby from JC. Became a starting LB at ND. Was not drafted, but hung around some training camps for a few seasons but never made a 53 man roster. Thought he was going to make it because he was big and physical but had tremendous feet.
Isaac and Zwierzynski are good ones as well.
Chris Jeske is another guy on my radar here but it is more surprising that injuries derailed his college career. Dont know if he ever had NFL makeup, but he definitely could have started at Northwestern for 2 to 3 years if he had stayed healthy.
Isaac and Zwierzynski are good ones as well.
Chris Jeske is another guy on my radar here but it is more surprising that injuries derailed his college career. Dont know if he ever had NFL makeup, but he definitely could have started at Northwestern for 2 to 3 years if he had stayed healthy.
Well, a degree from Yale is not a bad consolation prize.
Nick Clancy was the 3rd leading tackler in the nation his senior year at BC, but met a fate similar to Goolsby.
Morris' John Dergo RB & safety.
Although he preferred wrestling and went on to a successful wrestling career at Illinois, I always thought he had what it took to have great football career.
Although he preferred wrestling and went on to a successful wrestling career at Illinois, I always thought he had what it took to have great football career.
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Jon Beutjer I thought would be a pro.
Jerry Schumacher had a solid career at U of I but see above on Goolsby and Clancy, he had similar fate. Played some in NFL Europe.
Ty Issac and Kyle Prater I absolutely thought would be playing on Sundays.
Greg Owens was the best running back I’ve seen at MC and that’s saying something. I don’t think he ever did anything at NIU.
Enoch Smith I thought had a chance coming out of MC but never took off in College.
Jerry Schumacher had a solid career at U of I but see above on Goolsby and Clancy, he had similar fate. Played some in NFL Europe.
Ty Issac and Kyle Prater I absolutely thought would be playing on Sundays.
Greg Owens was the best running back I’ve seen at MC and that’s saying something. I don’t think he ever did anything at NIU.
Enoch Smith I thought had a chance coming out of MC but never took off in College.
Boo boo Thompson. Never seen anything like him at the high school level. Absolute freak.
Jason Ford - NFL body as a freshman ... started four years, came in behind Mendenhall and started ... then there were some issues. Then the Champaign kid got the carries then and went in the draft. Ford got some looks - never made an NFL roster.
I only saw/worked one of his games, but he put up a game's worth of impressive numbers in one half against a weak opponent, and it is a performance that I can recall 20+ years later. I was surprised he did not perform better at UCLA.
Enoch is at Oklahoma State and was MVP of their bowl game this year. He still has 1 year left to play. I would bet he get a chance to play on Sunday's. So I think his a career success is still TBD.
Phil Macklin.....There was talk about him being so good that he might skip college to go pro. One of the most athletic kids I have ever seen. Also one of the most sad personal situations I have come across.
So much athletic ability wasted.
a few that show my age
- quincy woods. best dual threat QB i've ever seen in person. shocked he didnt do better at USC
- Ola Ali. Thought he was much better than Simeon Rice on the same team.
- Kenny Carrington. Best WR i ever saw. Hands down better than Tai Streets at same point in their careers.
- quincy woods. best dual threat QB i've ever seen in person. shocked he didnt do better at USC
- Ola Ali. Thought he was much better than Simeon Rice on the same team.
- Kenny Carrington. Best WR i ever saw. Hands down better than Tai Streets at same point in their careers.
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He had a fantastic mullet when he played at palatine. 10 year old me was very impressed.
Ola and Simeon weren’t on the same MC team. Rice is two years older. But he was a powerful player. Not sure how he panned out for the Illini
Brett Basanez, St. Viator and Northwestern. He never really made it in NFL. Was on Carolina’s practice squad a while and followed that up with a cup of coffee with the Bears. He could sling it and had a great football mind. I believe as a fifth year senior he was Big Ten offensive player of the year?
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