New Staff Member: Dwight Freeney

[OrangePA]

Csonka is the greatest FB in history - in my opinion.

Jim Brown - Greatest RB
Jim Ringo - Greatest Center
John Mackey - Greatest TE
Marvin Harrison - Top Five WR
Freeney
Walt Sweeney
Gary Anderson

What a great football legacy.

 

[wfschrec]

Csonka is the greatest FB in history - in my opinion.

Jim Brown - Greatest RB
Jim Ringo - Greatest Center
John Mackey - Greatest TE
Marvin Harrison - Top Five WR
Freeney
Walt Sweeney
Gary Anderson

What a great football legacy.

Daryl Moose Johnson was the best modern day FB in my opinion. Obviously Czonk all time but Moose was so critical to those Cowboy championship teams and never given the credit he deserves.

 

[JustPherU]

Daryl Moose Johnson was the best modern day FB in my opinion. Obviously Czonk all time but Moose was so critical to those Cowboy championship teams and never given the credit he deserves.

I’d consider Csonka in the modern day NFL era.

 

[Ozone!]

 

[SU68]

Czonka is rarely even mentioned as a “Cuse guy” because he didn’t wear 44 and has not been around the program visibly. I have autographed Cuse stuff, (balls, helmets, etc) from lots of guys, but no Zonk stuff available (that I have seen). Most college football fans over 50 know Jim Brown and Ernie Davis went to Cuse, but most still have no idea Zonk did.

Him attending a real game would be like Melo for hoops. Hope he comes back More often.

Larry lives in Alaska, so it's a trek for him to visit SU.

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Csonka is the greatest FB in history - in my opinion.

Jim Brown - Greatest RB
Jim Ringo - Greatest Center
John Mackey - Greatest TE
Marvin Harrison - Top Five WR
Freeney
Walt Sweeney
Gary Anderson

What a great football legacy.

Walt Sweeney was also the SU player who roughed the ND kicker on the final play of the game in 1960. At that time, the game was considered over but ND got their usual home cooking in the most blatant way possible. The refs marched off 15 yards and give them a 5th down. The kicker got off the longest FG of his life and thus was born the animosity towards ND by any SU fan (i.e. me) that was alive at the time.

 

[GoSU96]

Hopefully he’s going to be a swing coach for the edge guys

Huge to have Kevin Coyle on staff to coach the defensive coaches

Scouting and game planning

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Csonka is the greatest FB in history - in my opinion.

Jim Brown - Greatest RB
Jim Ringo - Greatest Center
John Mackey - Greatest TE
Marvin Harrison - Top Five WR
Freeney
Walt Sweeney
Gary Anderson

What a great football legacy.

It is a helluva legacy.

The problem is that only one of those guys played at SU in this century and he barely did that.

 

[baggerbob]

Walt Sweeney was also the SU player who roughed the ND kicker on the final play of the game in 1960. At that time, the game was considered over but ND got their usual home cooking in the most blatant way possible. The refs marched off 15 yards and give them a 5th down. The kicker got off the longest FG of his life and thus was born the animosity towards ND by any SU fan (i.e. me) that was alive at the time.

An honest team would have forfeited that game because it was so blatant an issue.

 

[orangefog]

Csonka is the greatest FB in history - in my opinion.

Jim Brown - Greatest RB
Jim Ringo - Greatest Center
John Mackey - Greatest TE
Marvin Harrison - Top Five WR
Freeney
Walt Sweeney
Gary Anderson

What a great football legacy.

 

[RoysRunts]

Zonk # 1

 

[Dinkyspond]

Larry lives in Alaska, so it's a trek for him to visit SU.

He sends stuff out on X after big Cuse fb wins. He's very engaged with the program, at least from afar.

 

[sufandu]

Czonka is rarely even mentioned as a “Cuse guy” because he didn’t wear 44 and has not been around the program visibly. I have autographed Cuse stuff, (balls, helmets, etc) from lots of guys, but no Zonk stuff available (that I have seen). Most college football fans over 50 know Jim Brown and Ernie Davis went to Cuse, but most still have no idea Zonk did.

Him attending a real game would be like Melo for hoops. Hope he comes back More often.

I don't think most college football fans outside of Syracuse even know who Ernie Davis is, unless they're old enough to have watched him play. That's so sad because he was so great. Maybe better than Brown according to some of the old timers. How amazing would it have been had he been able to have a pro career (not to mention along happy life) and have people debating who the best ever was, Brown or Davis.

 

[sufandu]

I’d consider Csonka in the modern day NFL era.

If you delineate between when FB's were used as primary ball carriers and when they primarily became blockers, he wasn't. In today's game maybe he plays in 1 back sets and is Derrick Henry.

 

[OrangePA]

Walt Sweeney was also the SU player who roughed the ND kicker on the final play of the game in 1960. At that time, the game was considered over but ND got their usual home cooking in the most blatant way possible. The refs marched off 15 yards and give them a 5th down. The kicker got off the longest FG of his life and thus was born the animosity towards ND by any SU fan (i.e. me) that was alive at the time.

I think he roughed the holder.

Am I right about that?

 

[Dick_in_MI]

I think he roughed the holder.

Am I right about that?

I think you may be right.

The other thing I recall from reading Dave Meggyesy’s book many years ago was that Ben called for the block despite the spot being well beyond 50 yards and the kicker never having made one from anywhere near that range.

I can vividly recall my Dad yelling at Sweeny through the radio. Maggyesy implied that the block should have never been called and Sweeny was just being hung ho. Of course, it is all moot because ND got a 5th down (and 15 yards) that shouldn’t have happened according to the rules.

 

[OrangePA]

I think you may be right.

The other thing I recall from reading Dave Meggyesy’s book many years ago was that Ben called for the block despite the spot being well beyond 50 yards and the kicker never having made one from anywhere near that range.

I can vividly recall my Dad yelling at Sweeny through the radio. Maggyesy implied that the block should have never been called and Sweeny was just being hung ho. Of course, it is all moot because ND got a 5th down (and 15 yards) that shouldn’t have happened according to the rules.

It was a colossal mistake - by the Orange - and the referees

 

[hplare]

Ben played many time with his son-in law in our annual three day member guest. In one of our matches against them he told me he had adamantly instructed the defense it was too far and to let them kick it.
Years had passed but Ben still recalled it with disbelief. Not only did Sweeny wipe out the holder, but ran off the field shouting, "Did you see that, Coach! Did you see me? I creamed that guy!

Flags flew, they made the new try and we lost.

But in the hours that followed controversy arose. There was nothing in the rule books at that time that mentioned a penalty for roughing the holder. It was debated in the press for several days, then finally decided to let the penalty stand.

During the delay for a ruling and even afterwards Father Hesburgh, the President of Notre Dame proclaimed if the rule was wrong they would concede the loss.

We're still waiting

 

[Dick_in_MI]

Ben played many time with his son-in law in our annual three day member guest. In one of our matches against them he told me he had adamantly instructed the defense it was too far and to let them kick it.
Years had passed but Ben still recalled it with disbelief. Not only did Sweeny wipe out the holder, but ran off the field shouting, "Did you see that, Coach! Did you see me? I creamed that guy!

Flags flew, they made the new try and we lost.

But in the hours that followed controversy arose. There was nothing in the rule books at that time that mentioned a penalty for roughing the holder. It was debated in the press for several days, then finally decided to let the penalty stand.

During the delay for a ruling and even afterwards Father Hesburgh, the President of Notre Dame proclaimed if the rule was wrong they would concede the loss.

We're still waiting

Yep, and Hesburgh was a Syracuse native.

Agree about roughing the holder, but the bigger issue was that, in those days, the game ended when time expired despite a defensive penalty. That is not the case now, but it was then. The game was over, end of story, and even if Sweeny clubbed the guy with a baseball bat, time had expired.

Eventually, some lower level ND person said that they would abide by the ref's decision. Of course they would.

 

[wfschrec]

I’d consider Csonka in the modern day NFL era.

The 90s ushered in an entirely new style to the game ... an explosion in 3000 yard passers and faster pace. For Moose to have the impact he had during those Cowboys championships is very impressive and during a different era then that of Larry.

 

[JustPherU]

The 90s ushered in an entirely new style to the game ... an explosion in 3000 yard passers and faster pace. For Moose to have the impact he had during those Cowboys championships is very impressive and during a different era then that of Larry.

The 1970 AFL-NFL merger is usually considered the modern day NFL, but to each their own.

 

[wfschrec]

The 1970 AFL-NFL merger is usually considered the modern day NFL, but to each their own.

Yeah that was the line 20 years ago ... you are comparing players from totally different eras.

 

[JustPherU]

Yeah that was the line 20 years ago ... you are comparing players from totally different eras.

Modern day baseball is considered after 1901

 

[wfschrec]

Modern day baseball is considered after 1901

And I care why? Don’t you have some Rutgers blog to go read?

 

[wfschrec]

Modern day baseball is considered after 1901

And just so we are clear

“When evaluating the "best" modern fullback in pro football, it's important to recognize that the position's role has evolved. Fullbacks are less likely to be primary ball carriers like in previous eras, and are now used more for blocking and receiving.”

Even google will tell you this.