Its Superbowl time, and the elite teams with the elite players are getting ready to square off on Sunday in Miami. Everyone assumes the big-name players like Peyton Manning, Rex Grossman, Brian Urlacher and Marvin Harrison will need to have big games on Sunday, but true football fans know that it's the unhealed players that decide Superbowls (IE Larry Brown).
So the question leading up to the game is, "Who is going to step up their game on the biggest stage." The answer very well could be one of the three former Sun Belt players in the game.
The Chicago Bears are the employer of all three and have two of the players in the starting line-up. Chris Harris from Louisiana Monroe is starting at safety, and Charles Tillman is a pro-bowl-caliber cornerback from Louisiana Lafayette. Finally, south Florida is represented with special teams player Nick Turnball from Florida International University.
This is a trend that is only going to continue with star players like tackle Nello Faulk and saftey Troy Pindell from FAU joining other Sun Belt standouts in this this year's NFL draft. So when you watch the game on Sunday and you're not a fan of either team, root for the Bears and their three Sun Belt alums, because soon you will be an alum of a Sun Belt school too...hopefully.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Two-Sport Star
We have something special brewing at FAU, and I don't know if everyone is aware of it. For the first time in the school's history we have an athlete who plays both basketball and football during the same season.
You might remember the electrifying Avery Holley flying all over the gridiron this past fall during FAU's unexpected 5-7 season. A true freshman, Holley was able to catch 18 passes for 223 yards and 2 td's and provided a much-needed spark with his big play capabilities.
That would be enough to say he was a fabulous athlete, but Holley didn't stop there. No, now he occasionally starts (8 games) for the FAU men's basketball team, while averaging 6 points and 3 assist per game.
If those numbers don't jump out at you immediately, you need to take a closer look at the 6', 175 pound freshman from the city of Pompton. First things first, to even step out on the field at his size, playing against men who are 6'7 and 300 pounds, takes courage that most of us don't' have. But Avery did more than that; he made a difference on the field with the mere threat of his speed. Coach Schnellenberger and his staff have an amazing talent to work with for three more years.
Holley takes that same speed from the football field and translates it into blinding quickness with the ball on the court. Holley flies up and down the court with the speed and quickness of Allen Iverson, and with three more years under former NBA guard and current coach Rex Walters he is only going to get better. So head out and watch Holley play football and basketball for your Owls.
You might remember the electrifying Avery Holley flying all over the gridiron this past fall during FAU's unexpected 5-7 season. A true freshman, Holley was able to catch 18 passes for 223 yards and 2 td's and provided a much-needed spark with his big play capabilities.
That would be enough to say he was a fabulous athlete, but Holley didn't stop there. No, now he occasionally starts (8 games) for the FAU men's basketball team, while averaging 6 points and 3 assist per game.
If those numbers don't jump out at you immediately, you need to take a closer look at the 6', 175 pound freshman from the city of Pompton. First things first, to even step out on the field at his size, playing against men who are 6'7 and 300 pounds, takes courage that most of us don't' have. But Avery did more than that; he made a difference on the field with the mere threat of his speed. Coach Schnellenberger and his staff have an amazing talent to work with for three more years.
Holley takes that same speed from the football field and translates it into blinding quickness with the ball on the court. Holley flies up and down the court with the speed and quickness of Allen Iverson, and with three more years under former NBA guard and current coach Rex Walters he is only going to get better. So head out and watch Holley play football and basketball for your Owls.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Howard Schnellenberger's the Man
Last week after Nick Saban left the Dolphins, only one man came to mind as a perfect replacement for the departed Dolphin - Coach Howard Schnellenberger.
The FAU coach is a proven winner, who has NFL experience as an offensive coordinator for Don Shula's undefeated '72 Dolphin team.
As for college, his resume speaks for itself. He won the first National Championship at the University of Miami in 1983. In fact, Howard is the man who turned around Miami football. That alone would be enough to get him atop of the candidate list, but there is more. He was an assistant to the legendary Bear Bryant for three national championships at Alabama. At Louisville he saved the program from dropping to D-1AA status, and he turned them around so much that he won two bowl games there.
He then took that talent of resurrecting a program to FAU where he built the Owls football from scratch, quickly leading them to Division 1A status and winning support for the creation of an on-campus, open-air stadium. And don't forget Howard has head coaching experience at the NFL level with the Baltimore Colts.
So Wayne Huizenga, while you're out interviewing everyone under the sun, don't forget to look under your nose at a man who will never abandon the team. That man is Howard Schnellenberger.
The FAU coach is a proven winner, who has NFL experience as an offensive coordinator for Don Shula's undefeated '72 Dolphin team.
As for college, his resume speaks for itself. He won the first National Championship at the University of Miami in 1983. In fact, Howard is the man who turned around Miami football. That alone would be enough to get him atop of the candidate list, but there is more. He was an assistant to the legendary Bear Bryant for three national championships at Alabama. At Louisville he saved the program from dropping to D-1AA status, and he turned them around so much that he won two bowl games there.
He then took that talent of resurrecting a program to FAU where he built the Owls football from scratch, quickly leading them to Division 1A status and winning support for the creation of an on-campus, open-air stadium. And don't forget Howard has head coaching experience at the NFL level with the Baltimore Colts.
So Wayne Huizenga, while you're out interviewing everyone under the sun, don't forget to look under your nose at a man who will never abandon the team. That man is Howard Schnellenberger.
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