Players That Make You Wince

[Riddickulous]

In the midst of all the preseason topics, I thought I'd drop in a topic completely unrelated to all of the other ones...players that were so bad, so clumsy, or so embarassing that they are barely worth remembering. There are a LOT of them in recent years, so let's hear 'em.

Ambrose Wooden: Sure, he's probably a great guy and he was very loyal to his university, but he was one of the worst cover corners I have ever seen. Although the play everyone remembers (4th and 9) could've been avoided, Wooden made far worse plays in his career. Players like Michigan's Mario Manningham and Ohio State's Ted Ginn breezed past Wooden.

Terrail Lambert: Even worse than Ambrose Wooden. Sure, he had great speed, but he just could not COVER. There are soooooo many times in his career where I stood there and thought, "Why doesn't he turn his head once in a while so he knows where the ball is?" His one redeeming moment, against Michigan State in 2006, was a lucky tip that landed right in his lap. Horrible.

John Ryan: Terrible linebacker. Terrible. The only play anyone remembers is when he ran into his coach and made Charlie the laughing stock of college football for a week.

Preston Jackson: Terrible corner.

Carlyle Holliday: Captain Fumble. In addition to sucking it up at passing, he couldn't hold on to the ball to save his life.

Rhema McKnight: Surprised? Had some of the worst hands in history. The only reason he looked so good during the 2006 season was because of the double and triple coverage being put on Samardzija. Horrible.

Justin Brown: Was saying "get off the field" during every play he appeared.

 

[notredomer23]

I disagree with Lambert and Brown. Lambert wasnt a good Corner, but if it wasnt for him, we would have lost that MSU game, and he has come up big in other situations. Let me ask you this. If all these players were starters, do you really think their backups could do any better...minus john ryan cuz he isnt a starter anymore

 

[IrishAddiction]

alright, im gonna be someone to say dont bash former notre dame players. they are part of the ND family still and all did represent ND with 4 or 5 years of their life. makes the site look bad. all just IMHO.

 

[notredomer23]

alright, im gonna be someone to say dont bash former notre dame players. they are part of the ND family still and all did represent ND with 4 or 5 years of their life. makes the site look bad. all just IMHO.

agreed

 

[NDinL.A.]

CtoF, not trying to disrespect your thread, but I'm on a recruiting high right now, and I'm looking forward to this new chapter in ND history that I really believe is about to happen. Those players definitely made many ND fans wince, but I prefer to look forward to the players that are going to make me pump my fists next year and the years to come...

EDIT: You beat me to it IA!!!

 

[WabashFalcon]

Then I'll toss out some pro love... Jason David, former Colt. Got toasted at LEAST twice a game.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

IA, NDinL.A., ND23 - couldn't agree more. Pointless to talk about past players that may or may not have been as productive as we would have hoped. Does not serve a purpose to bash these guys.

I think it is very easy for observers to look at these players and be overly critical especially when their time has passed. If you want to point out individual plays where you say that was not smart or he got smoked, or whatever, that is fine. Every player has bad plays that you could point out. Even Brady Quinn had some, I am sure. But to imply that an entire career was not productive or they did their team a disservice is not appropriate.

Unless you have played college level athletics (and CtoF, I have no idea if you have or haven't, but I can say that I have) you don't have a complete appreciation for what these players have to go through on a daily basis. We only get to see them for a few hours one day a week, but they put in 20 times that or more every week and it is a huge sacrifice. There were days I would wake up and wonder what the hell I was doing to myself. I am sure Wabash probably had days like that too. Days where you think it would be so much easier to just be a regular student. Juggling school and sports and, heaven forbid, some semblance of a social life was incredibly difficult.

If these players you listed succeeded and made it out alive with a degree, I applaud them and tip my hat because that is something very impressive to me. If they didn't make All American, that's okay. I am with NDinL.A. in welcoming the new batch and pinning my renewed hope on them.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

I also agree that we shouldn't bash former (and current) ND players. They suit up every Saturday in the Fall and give everything they have for our favorite team.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

My favorite Carlyle Holiday play was the first play of the Florida State when he tosses a rainbow to.... Don't remember... But they came out thinking we'd run right at them.
We were heavy underdogs, and it was just a tremendous moment.

 

[WabashFalcon]

We only get to see them for a few hours one day a week, but they put in 20 times that or more every week and it is a huge sacrifice. There were days I would wake up and wonder what the hell I was doing to myself. I am sure Wabash probably had days like that too.

There were three times I wondered why the hell I was still doing this. My first time came with my Freshman camp... a month of hell. Get up, lift, run, practice, run. Lord... I wanted to jump off a fucking cliff. Second came after I tore both my quad and pec in the same season. The pain wasn't the problem with me... it was the rehab. To this day I can't get near my 400 pound bench max. But... learning how to walk and run again was hell. The last one was after I got benched after a terrible game. Coach turned the line over to a Freshman and I worked my ass off to get back to where I was. Took two weeks... and the thing was... I KNEW I was better than this kid. Coach was proving a point... and I was back before the Bell game.

After the pain, the sweat, the tears of frustration... what it boils down to is that now that I am done with it all... I miss it. So... freaking much.

 

[BGIF]

My favorite Carlyle Holiday play was the first play of the Florida State when he tosses a rainbow to.... Don't remember... But they came out thinking we'd run right at them.
We were heavy underdogs, and it was just a tremendous moment.

Arnaz Battle.

80,000 Nole fans lost their chop.

 

[Brown]

I don't see anything wrong with the topic. This isn't a site that pays respect to former or current players. This is a site for fans to talk all things ND football. The idea that we don't want to "disrespect" former players is laughable. I'm sure they can care less what a bunch of notre dame fans on a message board think about their careers here.

 

[notredomer23]

I don't see anything wrong with the topic. This isn't a site that pays respect to former or current players. This is a site for fans to talk all things ND football. The idea that we don't want to "disrespect" former players is laughable. I'm sure they can care less what a bunch of notre dame fans on a message board think about their careers here.

It doesnt matter though. We are all part of the ND family and its not like your gonna bash your brother, well atleast you shouldnt

 

[NDinL.A.]

I don't see anything wrong with the topic. This isn't a site that pays respect to former or current players. This is a site for fans to talk all things ND football. The idea that we don't want to "disrespect" former players is laughable. I'm sure they can care less what a bunch of notre dame fans on a message board think about their careers here.

Recruits, family members of recruits, and coaches read these types of boards. Hell, Badger's older brother just posted here. It does no good to disparage former players just for the sake of saying how bad they sucked. It's one thing if your remarks are hidden in some random thread, but to start a thread about it is something different. I, like other posters, would rather not participate in that type of discussion. I'd personally rather focus on the positive, especially seeing how damn bad the football has been the last 2 1/2 years...

 

[irishfan]

Jim Sanson anyone? I remember the LSU game in 98 when neither team could make a kick, and sanson missed two extra points and two field goals. was the game when jarious jackson took the safety with about 10 seconds left and got injured (cost us bcs bowl next week with the loss to USC without him)

always felt good for him the next year when they had that close win against usc and he recovered a late fumble on the kickoff.

 

[Junkhead]

I think this thread sucks. Good or bad, they all played as hard as they could. I just don't see much benefit to it.

 

[Brown]

so we only say positive things because we don't want to remember the bad times? what are we, 5 yrs old?

if a player sucks, and somebody wants to talk about it, they should be able to.

i doubt some recruit is going to let some random anonymous message board community's comments, weight into their college decision.

 

[NDinL.A.]

so we only say positive things because we don't want to remember the bad times? what are we, 5 yrs old?

if a player sucks, and somebody wants to talk about it, they should be able to.

i doubt some recruit is going to let some random anonymous message board community's comments, weight into their college decision.

Ummm, think again. Read this:

Wisconsin Recruit Decommits Because of Message Boards « Tar Heel Fan

It's exactly what I was talking about...

 

[jason_h537]

Ambrose Wooden: Sure, he's probably a great guy and he was very loyal to his university, but he was one of the worst cover corners I have ever seen. Although the play everyone remembers (4th and 9) could've been avoided,

Carlyle Holliday: Captain Fumble. In addition to sucking it up at passing, he couldn't hold on to the ball to save his life.

Zibby was supposed to cover over the top on that 4th and 9 play, hes as much to blame.

Holiday was recruited as an option QB and was forced into the West Coast offense. Can't blame him for not having the tools to fit the offense

 

[jason_h537]

Arnaz Battle.

80,000 Nole fans lost their chop.

Still remember Battle doing the tomahawk chop then the cutthroat in front of the student section. Great play and one of my favorite players. Just look at my Avatar. Pretty solid NFL career as well.

 

[tannerpw3]

I think it makes sense to make this kind of thread off-limits with current players (altho we should still be able to criticize them, or we'll really be unable to talk usefully about the team's play), but about former players? They're all grown ups, they can take it.

Also, about the 'sacrifice' thing. I've been around serious college athletes and the work they put in is amazing. The dedication it takes is amazing, and for it, however it translates to the field, they deserve our respect. But it's not a tour of duty in the army, here. It's more fair to characterize it as the opportunity of a lifetime, as Badger's older brother did in that email. What their hard work earns them is a very valuable education, a lucrative career after football, and, maybe, a shot at the pros. Meantime they get to be BMOC and national celebrities. It's not a bad deal. They don't sign on LOI day with a sigh of resignation. They seek it out.

 

[We_Are_ND]

My favorite Carlyle Holiday play was the first play of the Florida State when he tosses a rainbow to.... Don't remember... But they came out thinking we'd run right at them.
We were heavy underdogs, and it was just a tremendous moment.

I have the 2002 Return to Glory (haha) DVD and I alway re-watch that part. The Notre Dame announcer goes, "You wanna talk about lightin it up! Notre Dame on it's first offensive play from scrimmage!"

Love it, Even though Holiday threw an underthrown ball, Battle slowed down, caught it, and still out-ran everybody. Then of course the chop at the end was to cap it off! Didn't even mind the pentalty.

 

[IrishRamMan10]

John Ryan, Robby Parris, Asaph Schwapp

 

[NDOM]

Armando Allen (So far)
James Aldridge (Waaaaaay Overrated)
Duval Kamara (Mr. Butter fingers)
Sam Young (Gets used most of the time for being so big)
D.J. Hord (Was supposedly a stud receiver)
Victor Abiamiri (Never really showed up in South Bend)

 

[Junkhead]

I think this thread sucks. Good or bad, they all played as hard as they could. I just don't see much benefit to it.

I lied. Asaph Schwapp.

 

[notredomer23]

NDOM how can you say Victor A? He was one of our best DE's of the decade, not that that really means much

 

[NDOM]

NDOM how can you say Victor A? He was one of our best DE's of the decade, not that that really means much

Exactly. Ummm I think Justin Tuck was way better. Vic Ab never amounted to what they made him out to be. WAAAAY overhyped thats all.

 

[notredomer23]

Exactly. Ummm I think Justin Tuck was way better. Vic Ab never amounted to what they made him out to be. WAAAAY overhyped thats all.

Well yeah Justin Tuck was by far the best of this decade. Honestly think Victor A though is far second behind him or maybe 3rd

 

[We_Are_ND]

1. Brandon Walker
2. D.J. Fitzpatrick
3. Brandon Walker
4. Robby Parris


Why can't ND ever get a solid kicker? (setta had is down times)

And Robby Parris acted like he was Jeff Samardjiza after his 1 TD catch in 07. After the SD ST game last year when he came out after the game I just got a real cocky vibe about him that I didn't like. It seemed like he didn't even care about the game. He met with his family and was just laughing about the game and wanted to know what's for dinner.

I know they are still kids and the game was over, but I just got a real nasty vibe about him. That was after watching every single ND player come out after the game and sign for fans.

 

[We_Are_ND]

^ come to think of it i'm prolly just jealous cause he had a really hot gf