Who Do You Think Is The Best Freshman FB Player You've Seen At UT?

#27
#27
Volosaurus rex said:
First of all, Johnny Manziel was a redshirt freshman last year, not a true freshman. Yes, Herschel Walker, as a true freshman, was a most deserving Heisman candidate, but voters in those years wanted to see demonstrated productivity over more than one year before awarding the Heisman. As far as Tennessee true freshmen, it has often been said that running back is the one position at which pure talent can most quickly translate from the high school level to the college gridiron, so let’s begin there in terms of viable candidates:

(1) Chuck Webb ran for 1236 yds. and 12 touchdowns during the 1989 regular season, one in which he did not become a full-time starter until Reggie Cobb was dismissed from the team; Webb also amassed 250 yds. and two touchdowns on 26 carries in the 1990 Cotton Bowl win over Arkansas. By today’s statistical format, that would narrowly surpass Travis Stephens’s single-season record, with 1486 yds. compared to Stephens’ 1464 yds. in 2001.

(2) Reggie Cobb, in 1987, ran for 1197 yds. and 17 touchdowns, and added 13 receptions for 198 yds. and 3 more tds.

(3) Jamal Lewis, in 1997, ran for 1364 yds. and 7 touchdowns, while posting 23 receptions for 266 yds. and two additional scores.

(4) Carl Pickens was a true freshman in 1989 but had only 7 receptions for 81 yds. and 2 touchdowns, so, despite his great talent, he really doesn’t qualify for this particular award.

(5) As for Peyton, he split duty with Todd Helton and Brandon Stewart during his 1994 freshman campaign. Consequently, his stats (89-144-6 for 1141 yds. and 11 touchdowns) are excellent for a true freshman but, again, one can argue that they do not truly deserve consideration for this hypothetical award. Had he played the entire season, that would, of course, be another story.

My vote, all things considered, would probably go to Chuck Webb. Johnny Majors said that "Webb, a 5-foot-10, 197-pound redshirt freshman, was as good as Tony Dorsett, who Majors coached at Pittsburgh. ’I never had anybody any better than this young man,’ Majors said” (TENNESSEE TAILBACK RUSHES VOLS PAST RAZORBACKS IN COTTON BOWL | Deseret News). This quote raises the question, however, was Chuck a RS freshman in 1989? The stats for 1988 do not indicate his having played that year.
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Great post, thanks for sharing
 
#30
#30
As far as FR campaigns, I would have to consider Reggie White, AJ Johnson, Janzen Jackson too.
 
#34
#34
Condredge, I know he was on the freshman team before they were varsity eligble but watching him aganist Notre Dame he was awesome. Knew we had a stud.
 
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#36
#36
velovol said:
Jamal Lewis, on top of the fact that freshman back then didnt play as much as they do now
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Freshmen probably played as much then as they do now. Once the scholarship limit dropped to 85 in the 1990s, it became a little more prevalent.
 
#38
#38
Reggie Cobb's freshman year has to be near the top as far as rushing TDs go.
 
#40
#40
velovol said:
Jamal Lewis, on top of the fact that freshman back then didnt play as much as they do now
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They did for other programs, just not under Fulmer. He liked to have his RB's with their pass pro completely mastered before letting them play. If you forced me to decide between Lewis and Webb I'd go with Webb as a starter. He was powerful like Lewis but was more shifty and had better moves. I wish everyone could have seen him play, it takes a helluva back to take carries away from the likes of Reggie Cobb, who was an awesome back in his own right. Cobb had some amazing power and moves too.
 
#41
#41
i'll get destroyed for this but.....

erik ainge had a better freshman year than peyton manning
 
#43
#43
99gator said:
i'll get destroyed for this but.....

erik ainge had a better freshman year than peyton manning
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Not really that crazy an assertion to make . . . He had a good freshman year, but tough to say it was really any better than Manning's since Ainge got hurt and probably only played about 8 or 9 games.

But if you're a Florida fan, he probably seemed like he was John Elway based on the 4th quarter against you guys alone.
 
#44
#44
Volosaurus rex said:
First of all, Johnny Manziel was a redshirt freshman last year, not a true freshman. Yes, Herschel Walker, as a true freshman, was a most deserving Heisman candidate, but voters in those years wanted to see demonstrated productivity over more than one year before awarding the Heisman. As far as Tennessee true freshmen, it has often been said that running back is the one position at which pure talent can most quickly translate from the high school level to the college gridiron, so let’s begin there in terms of viable candidates:

(1) Chuck Webb ran for 1236 yds. and 12 touchdowns during the 1989 regular season, one in which he did not become a full-time starter until Reggie Cobb was dismissed from the team; Webb also amassed 250 yds. and two touchdowns on 26 carries in the 1990 Cotton Bowl win over Arkansas. By today’s statistical format, that would narrowly surpass Travis Stephens’s single-season record, with 1486 yds. compared to Stephens’ 1464 yds. in 2001.

(2) Reggie Cobb, in 1987, ran for 1197 yds. and 17 touchdowns, and added 13 receptions for 198 yds. and 3 more tds.

(3) Jamal Lewis, in 1997, ran for 1364 yds. and 7 touchdowns, while posting 23 receptions for 266 yds. and two additional scores.

(4) Carl Pickens was a true freshman in 1989 but had only 7 receptions for 81 yds. and 2 touchdowns, so, despite his great talent, he really doesn’t qualify for this particular award.

(5) As for Peyton, he split duty with Todd Helton and Brandon Stewart during his 1994 freshman campaign. Consequently, his stats (89-144-6 for 1141 yds. and 11 touchdowns) are excellent for a true freshman but, again, one can argue that they do not truly deserve consideration for this hypothetical award. Had he played the entire season, that would, of course, be another story.

My vote, all things considered, would probably go to Chuck Webb. Johnny Majors said that "Webb, a 5-foot-10, 197-pound redshirt freshman, was as good as Tony Dorsett, who Majors coached at Pittsburgh. ’I never had anybody any better than this young man,’ Majors said” (TENNESSEE TAILBACK RUSHES VOLS PAST RAZORBACKS IN COTTON BOWL | Deseret News). This quote raises the question, however, was Chuck a RS freshman in 1989? The stats for 1988 do not indicate his having played that year.
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Good post, but Carl Pickens was a redshirt freshman (Mike Strange: One redshirt size does not fit all : govolsxtra.com).
 
#45
#45
USCGVOL said:
Berry as far as I can remember and justin hunter had a pretty good freshman year.
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Justin Hunter played very, very little his freshman season. Gerald Jones & Luke Stocker & D. Moore were the main receivers that season.....
 
#46
#46
GAVol said:
Not really that crazy an assertion to make . . . He had a good freshman year, but tough to say it was really any better than Manning's since Ainge got hurt and probably only played about 8 or 9 games.

But if you're a Florida fan, he probably seemed like he was John Elway based on the 4th quarter against you guys alone.
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Didn't manning only play 8 or 9 games his freshman year?
 
#49
#49
I gotta give it to Webb too.

Since we're throwing out great freshmen performances I'll throw out Casey Clausen.

Games/Started: 10/7...The Sporting News third-team Freshman All-America, Knoxville News-Sentinel Freshman All-Southeastern Conference and The Sporting News second-team All-SEC ... Undefeated as a Vol starter in regular season games after taking over at midseason against Alabama...Finished season with 121 completions on 194 passes for a UT freshman record 1473 yards and only six interceptions.

The Ice Man.
 
#50
#50
Local news station in Nashville did a highlight film to Micheal Jackson's Bad with Reggie Cobb running all over Iowa in Kickoff Classic. Thought it was the greatest thing ever.
 
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