Syracuse to Honor 1996-98 Big East Championship Teams

[OrangeXtreme]

Players from one of the most successful eras in Syracuse football history will reunite in Central New York the weekend of Sept. 14-16.

Members of the Orange's 1996, 1997 and 1998 BIG EAST championship teams are returning to Syracuse to celebrate their run of three straight conference titles, as well as the 20th anniversary of the 1998 squad that earned a berth in the Orange Bowl and finished No. 15 in the inaugural BCS standings. Alums of those teams will be recognized at the Carrier Dome during the second quarter of the Orange's ACC opener versus Florida State on Saturday, Sept. 15 and make appearances on the Quad before the game.

Among those expected to return for the celebration are NFL Pro Bowlers Donovan McNabb, Olindo Mare and Keith Bulluck, as well as Rob Konrad – the last player to wear the fabled No. 44 – and 1997 BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Donovin Darius.

Syracuse to Honor 1996-98 BIG EAST Championship Teams - Syracuse University Athletics

 

[GoSU96]

Two first round picks at Safety in the same year, #3 overall pick at QB, 1st round multiple pro bowl LB on those teams.

It would be nice to get back there, need to in order to have a chance against Clemson, FSU, Miami

 

[ForCuseSake]

Two first round picks at Safety in the same year, #3 overall pick at QB, 1st round multiple pro bowl LB on those teams.

It would be nice to get back there, need to in order to have a chance against Clemson, FSU, Miami

Don't forget a couple of NFL TEs in Roland Williams and Kaseem Sinceno. Incredible talent level across the board.

 

[cuse10]

Perfect time for throwback uniforms. Just saying.

 

[RF2044]

Wasn't McNabb the #2 overall pick, behind Tim Couch?

 

[GoSU96]

Wasn't McNabb the #2 overall pick, behind Tim Couch?

I had three stuck in my head, that's right.

 

[GoSU96]

Don't forget a couple of NFL TEs in Roland Williams and Kaseem Sinceno. Incredible talent level across the board.

There were more players than the four I mentioned and those two.

Freeney, KJ, Will Allen, Konrad, Dee Brown, Greenwood, Mungro off the top of my head.

But as good as that is, the 2001 Miami team had 17 1st rd guys on that team. Currently Clemson and FSU routinely have I'm guessing 8 to 10 future first rounders on the roster at any one time. We will never get there, but as this program has shown in the past, with a couple of guys that play at that level it's possible to win games against those teams.

 

[ForCuseSake]

There were more players than the four I mentioned and those two.

Freeney, KJ, Will Allen, Konrad, Dee Brown, Greenwood, Mungro off the top of my head.

But as good as that is, the 2001 Miami team had 17 1st rd guys on that team. Currently Clemson and FSU routinely have I'm guessing 8 to 10 future first rounders on the roster at any one time. We will never get there, but as this program has shown in the past, with a couple of guys that play at that level it's possible to win games against those teams.

Yep, I mentioned Roland because he's #85 in the pic (as you probably knew). And Kaseem was the other bookend on the two TE set they ran so effectively. Great teams to watch.