Biggest Overachievers to play for the vols

#52
#52
(therealUT @ Jun 28 said:
Using Hat's Logic
You can't fail to do something you are capable of doing, because by not doing it you prove that you are not capable.

Therefore, everyone is an achiever!
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Obviously, comprehension is not your long suit.
 
#54
#54
jj mcleskey

fred powell

chris white

mark hovanic

daryl dickey

preston warren

von reaves

joey kent

pete panuska

not will overstreet

bubba miller

david johnson

tim priest

jim maxwell

andy spiva

 
#55
#55
Nice to see a mention of Billy Ratliff on page 1. Billy is one of those guys, along with his fellow "Golden Boy" Ron Green, who you wish could clone themselves and play any position....you'd never lose a game. Ratliff came back from more injuries than I can count, including a bruised spinal cord, to be front and center for some huge plays during the '98 championship season. That includes a sack and fumble recovery in the Fiesta Bowl as well as singlehandedly saving the Vols' season against Arkansas.

Ron Green, if I remember right, had virtually no meniscus in either knee. I know how painful a small tear in one section can be, so for him to be out there in that condition never ceases to amaze me.

Scott Galyon was a lightly-regarded prospect who was regarded as being a throw-in on his recruiting class.

Jason Witten was an unknown commodity at defensive end before going on and becoming probably UT's greatest tight end.

How about two of the greatest of the 1990s, Joey Kent and Peerless Price? Price was so lightly regarded that OSU never bothered him with anything more than a standard form letter (of course, given John Cooper's tendency to overlook anyone in the state of Ohio, that's not surprising). Kent was, I believe, being looked at as a DB at Auburn and Alabama (in a strictly depth role, not even as a down-the-road starter). Hard to imagine having the success of the 90s without either of those guys.
 
#56
#56
(Ohio Vol @ Jun 28 said:
Nice to see a mention of Billy Ratliff on page 1. Billy is one of those guys, along with his fellow "Golden Boy" Ron Green, who you wish could clone themselves and play any position....you'd never lose a game. Ratliff came back from more injuries than I can count, including a bruised spinal cord, to be front and center for some huge plays during the '98 championship season. That includes a sack and fumble recovery in the Fiesta Bowl as well as singlehandedly saving the Vols' season against Arkansas.

Ron Green, if I remember right, had virtually no meniscus in either knee. I know how painful a small tear in one section can be, so for him to be out there in that condition never ceases to amaze me.

Scott Galyon was a lightly-regarded prospect who was regarded as being a throw-in on his recruiting class.

Jason Witten was an unknown commodity at defensive end before going on and becoming probably UT's greatest tight end.

How about two of the greatest of the 1990s, Joey Kent and Peerless Price? Price was so lightly regarded that OSU never bothered him with anything more than a standard form letter (of course, given John Cooper's tendency to overlook anyone in the state of Ohio, that's not surprising). Kent was, I believe, being looked at as a DB at Auburn and Alabama (in a strictly depth role, not even as a down-the-road starter). Hard to imagine having the success of the 90s without either of those guys.
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Jason Witten was never an "unknown" anything. He was a big time recruit who was going to be a star wherever they played him. He was scary his freshman year on kickoff coverage, and the defense had plenty of depth. They knew he was going to fit in somewhere, and they were right.
 
#58
#58
Maybe not and overachiever because I don't know about his recruiting status but I think Greg Amsler deserves a nod. Just my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.
 
#60
#60
I respect everyone's opinion about Overstreet. However, what he did in the NFL or the lack thereof is irrelevant verse the topic of the thread as a Vol.
Did Overstreet exceed his expectations during his 4 years at UT? I think he did an admirable job when healthy and his best year was his jr. year, but he was alongside Haynesworth and Henderson. I think he was able to get more pressure due to the opponents concerns of the other 2 lineman mentioned.
He achieved but did not overchieve IMO.
 
#63
#63
(hatvol96 @ Jun 28 said:
If his speed and strength numbers weren't good at UT, he must have been Jaking it. He certainly put up impressive numbers when a paycheck was dependent on those numbers. Why was he overrated? Simple. People talk about him like he was a game changing pass rusher. He couldn't carry the bags of Leonard Little or Shaun Ellis. He should have been tabbed as what he was, a slightly above average player who benefitted greatly from being the third or fourth best player on his own defensive line. Instead, some UT fans choose to remember him as if he were the Volunteer equivalent of Richard Dent.
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On two separate occasions, Overstreet worked himself into the starting role for the Atlanta Falcons, only to be sidelined by season ending injuries. There is alot of criticism of players on this message board from alot of people who never strapped on a helmet in the NFL.
 
#64
#64
(allvol @ Jun 29 said:
On two separate occasions, Overstreet worked himself into the starting role for the Atlanta Falcons, only to be sidelined by season ending injuries. There is alot of criticism of players on this message board from alot of people who never strapped on a helmet in the NFL.
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I agree allvol. However, I don't think you have to strap on a helmet to critize. Otherwise, we would all have to have coached in order to criticize the coaches. :lol:
 
#66
#66
(allvol @ Jun 29 said:
On two separate occasions, Overstreet worked himself into the starting role for the Atlanta Falcons, only to be sidelined by season ending injuries. There is alot of criticism of players on this message board from alot of people who never strapped on a helmet in the NFL.
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There's also criticism of George Bush by people who have never been President. So what?
 
#67
#67
Regardless what he did in the nfl like shuler. The main point of the thread is did he overachieve while playing at UT?
 
#68
#68
(vol_freak @ Jun 29 said:
I agree allvol. However, I don't think you have to strap on a helmet to critize. Otherwise, we would all have to have coached in order to criticize the coaches. :lol:
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:biggrin2: agreed.

My point about the criticism is leveled more at those who analyze a player's situation without really know what they are talking about. How disheartening is it for a football player to be on the brink of being a starting player at the highest level of your favorite sport.... only to have it dashed from a career ending injury. An injury I might add was a result of playing hurt in college when he didn't have to.... when no money was involved. I think that is why so many Vols fans like Overstreet, because when other players give half-a$$ effort (ie Kelley 'the future' Washington) in college... Overstreet gave his all for the Vols.... and in my opinion ultimately cost him a future in the NFL.
 
#70
#70
(allvol @ Jun 29 said:
:biggrin2: agreed.

My point about the criticism is leveled more at those who analyze a player's situation without really know what they are talking about. How disheartening is it for a football player to be on the brink of being a starting player at the highest level of your favorite sport.... only to have it dashed from a career ending injury. An injury I might add was a result of playing hurt in college when he didn't have to.... when no money was involved. I think that is why so many Vols fans like Overstreet, because when other players give half-a$$ effort (ie Kelley 'the future' Washington) in college... Overstreet gave his all for the Vols.... and in my opinion ultimately cost him a future in the NFL.
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How disheartening is it to pay milllions of dollars to a malingering stiff who plays in 6 games and makes 9 tackles in three seasons?
 
#72
#72
(hatvol96 @ Jun 29 said:
How disheartening is it to pay milllions of dollars to a malingering stiff who plays in 6 games and makes 9 tackles in three seasons?
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hat you act like Overstreet is the only one who ever had this happen. It's business and it happens all the time. Football is a physical game and that's why these guys have guaranteed contracts.
 
#74
#74
(hatvol96 @ Jun 29 said:
How disheartening is it to pay milllions of dollars to a malingering stiff who plays in 6 games and makes 9 tackles in three seasons?
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If you get hurt lifting a box at work and your company has agreed ahead of time to compensate you should you get injured on the job.... how is that not fair?

I agree that it would be disheartening to pay for services based upon past experience... only to have the employee injured on the job and unable to perform the duties. However, in the NFL, that is part of the business and the business models they use include paying players that are injured, cut, retired, etc. I think Jerry Jones is still paying for players from his Super Bowl teams.
 
#75
#75
I guess I should answer the initial question. The UT players who came closest to fully realizing their potential were, in no particular order: JJ McClesky, Andy Kelly, Craig Swanson, Tony Thompson, and Scott Galyon.
 
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