1997

[allvol]

I was listening to the local sports talk guys last night talk about college football teams that could play against some of the bad NFL teams. They just listed National Championship teams.... but I thought more along the lines of talent and thought of the Tennessee 1997 team.

The following players were listed as "active" in the current Tennessee media guide.... and you can almost build an entire starting squad from the list.... maybe if Dwayne Goodrich wasn't in jail?


OT Chad Clifton
OT Reggie Coleman
C Trey Teague
OG Fred Weary
OG Cosey Coleman
QB Peyton Manning, Tee Martin
RB Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Travis Stephens
FB Shawn Bryson, Phillip Crosby
WR Peerless Price
WR Cedric Wilson
WR Eric Parker
TE David Martin

DE Shaun Ellis
DT Darwin Walker
DE Leonard Little
LB Al Wilson
LB Raynoch Thompson
LB Eric Westmoreland
LB Dominique Stevenson
DB Deon Grant
DB Andre Lott
DB Terry Fair

And if you want to add "inactive" NFL or players in other leagues....

OT Reggie Coleman, played for Redskins
WR Jermaine Copeland, all-star in NFLE, XFL and now CFL
WR Andy McCullough, 7th Rd, played for Saints, Cardinals, Raiders
WR Marcus Nash, 2nd Rd, played for Broncos, Ravens and currently AFL all-star
PK Jeff Hall, played for the Rams
DE Jon Brown, played for Packers, Broncos and Rams... currently in CFL
DT Bill Duff, played for the Browns
DB Steve Johnson, 6th rd draft choice played for Packers
DB Mikki Allen, played for 49ers
DB Tori Noel, played with Broncos
DB Dwayne Goodrich, played with Cowboys (currently in prison)

 

[volmanjr]

I'd take that team against the 49ers, Lions, Browns, Miami, and several others

 

[rwemyss]

Isn't Tee playing in the CFL? I thought one of those teams picked him up towards the beginning of the year...

 

[allvol]

Originally posted by rwemyss@Dec 15, 2004 3:10 PM
Isn't Tee playing in the CFL? I thought one of those teams picked him up towards the beginning of the year...

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

 

[BWeller18]

McCullough is playing AFL I think. I think Goodrich is appealing the verdict, he was originally given 27 years (I think).

 

[allvol]

Goodrich was sentenced to 7 1/2 years.

Here is a good explanation of the the case... linky

Here's what I know.

He was NOT drunk

He was NOT driving 100 mph (defense attorneys proved it was less than 50 mph when he braked at the scene)

He swerved onto the shoulder to miss a stalled vehicle in the middle of the interstate, hitting what he said he thought was debris.... but turned out to be 2 people. He did not stop at the scene of the crime... but instead turned himself in later.

Goodrich was convicted with criminally negligent homicide... it is a state jail felony and carries with it a maximum of two years in a state jail. The plain english definition of "negligence" is simply "normal stupidity" as opposed to "incredibly stupid" which would have been termed "reckless".

However, they also termed the vehicle a "deadly weapon" which ups the maximum sentence allowed to 10 years. Basically, his punishment is based upon the deadly weapon and not the actual conviction?

If he had been sentenced to the harsher penalty that the prosecution wanted... he would have been eligible for probation... but for some reason, Texas state law does not allow the jury to select probation for state felonies... only for the harsher penalties?!? State Jail Felony is the lowest level of felony in the state of Texas.

He was out of jail pending his appeal... but there was some problem with his bail bond, and he is currently in jail awaiting his appeal.

 

[GAVol]

Amazing that Goodrich is in jail, but Leonard Little is free as a bird.

 

[orangetd88]

Originally posted by GAVol@Dec 15, 2004 6:46 PM
Amazing that Goodrich is in jail, but Leonard Little is free as a bird.

Goodrich needs to get LL's lawyers' number!

 

[allvol]

Originally posted by orangetd88+Dec 15, 2004 11:00 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (orangetd88 @ Dec 15, 2004 11:00 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-GAVol@Dec 15, 2004 6:46 PM
Amazing that Goodrich is in jail, but Leonard Little is free as a bird.

Goodrich needs to get LL&#39;s lawyers&#39; number&#33; [/quote]
the difference is not in the actions... its in the sympathy


Leonard Little was drunk and struck the side of another vehicle.

Dwayne Goodrich was not drunk, put hit 3 people who had stopped to help get someone out of a burning vehicle. He left the scene of the accident. 2 of them died. The men have since been honored by the Governor of Texas.

If you look simply at the actions... what Little did was more than stupid.... while Goodrich may have not had very good judgement.... however the consequences for Goodrich&#39;s actions were worse than Little&#39;s actions.

With Goodrich not being drunk and driving a respectable speed (less than 50 mph according to the defense) most of those kinds of cases are settled in a civil lawsuit. Because he was an NFL player, the prosecution wanted the high profile case.