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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 334655, member: 289"] 2000 (30) PJ Alexander, BE, FA Will Allen, BE, D, AP RJ Anderson, FA Dee Brown, D Charles Burton, FA Chris Davis, D Giovanni DeLoatch, AFL Eric Downing, BE, D Christian Ferrara, BE, D Willie Ford, BE, FA Dwight Freeney, BE, AA, D, PB, AP Louis Gachelin, BE, FA Morlon Greenwood, BE, D Quentin Harris, BE, FA Mark Holtzman, FA Will Hunter, FA Maurice Jackson, FA JR Johnson, FA Kyle Johnson, D Kwaze Leverette, FA James Mungro, BE, FA Sean O’Connor, BE, FA Duke Pettijohn BE, FA Rich Scanlon, BE, FA Mike Shafer, BE, FA Richie Simpkins AFL Clifton Smith, BE, FA David Tyree, BE, D, PB Keon Walker, AFL Pat Woodcock, FA BE only- Nick Romeo 2001 (29) PJ Alexander, BE, FA RJ Anderson, FA Charles Burton, FA Chris Davis, D Giovanni DeLoatch, AFL Christian Ferrara, BE, D Diamond Ferri, BE, FA Willie Ford, BE, FA Dwight Freeney, BE, AA, D, PB, AP Louis Gachelin, BE, FA Quentin Harris, BE, FA Mark Holtzman, FA Will Hunter, FA Maurice Jackson, FA JR Johnson, FA Kyle Johnson, D Jared Jones, D Kwaze Leverette, FA Johnny Morant, D James Mungro, BE, FA Sean O’Connor, BE, FA Jamel Riddle, CFL Kevin Sampson, D Rich Scanlon, BE, FA Mike Shafer, BE, FA Clifton Smith, BE, FA Josh Thomas, FA David Tyree, BE, D, PB Keon Walker, AFL BE only: Colin Barber, Walter Reyes, Nick Romeo 2002 (24) PJ Alexander, BE, FA RJ Anderson, FA Thump Belton, D Chris Davis, D Christian Ferrara, BE, D Louis Gachelin, BE, FA Steve Gregory, FA Jose Harris, AFL Will Hunter, FA Jared Jones, D Ryan LaCasse, BE, D Johnny Morant, D Damien Rhodes, BE, FA Jamel Riddle, CFL Kevin Sampson, D Rich Scanlon, BE, FA Mike Shafer, BE, FA Clifton Smith, BE, FA Matt Tarullo, FA Adam Terry, BE, D Josh Thomas, FA David Tyree, BE, D, PB Keon Walker, AFL James Wyche, BE, D BE only: Colin Barber, Walter Reyes, Nick Romeo 　 2003 (25) RJ Anderson, FA Thump Belton, D Brendan Carney, BE, FA Kader Drame, FA Christian Ferrara, BE, D Diamond Ferri, BE, FA Steve Franklin, FA Louis Gachelin, BE, FA Steve Gregory, FA Greg Hanoian, FA Jared Jones, D Daryl Kennedy, D Joe Kowalewski, FA Ryan LaCasse, BE, D Johnny Morant, D Damien Rhodes, BE, FA Kevin Sampson, D Rich Scanlon, BE, FA Anthony Smith, BE, D Kelvin Smith, BE, D Matt Tarullo, FA Adam Terry, BE, D Josh Thomas, FA Thomas Whitfield, CFL James Wyche, BE, D BE only: Colin Barber, Walter Reyes, Nick Romeo 2004 (21) Brendan Carney, BE, FA Kader Drame, FA Diamond Ferri, BE, FA Joe Fields, BE, FA Steve Franklin, FA Steve Gregory, FA Greg Hanoian, FA Tanard Jackson, BE, D Jared Jones, D Joe Kowalewski, FA Ryan LaCasse, BE, D Jerry Mackey, FA Quinn Ojinnaka, D Perry Patterson, FA Damien Rhodes, BE, FA Anthony Smith, BE, D Kelvin Smith, BE, D Matt Tarullo, FA Adam Terry, BE, D Thomas Whitfield, CFL James Wyche, BE, D BE only: Colin Barber, Walter Reyes 2005 (25) Jamar Atkinson, FA Curtis Brinkley, BE Brendan Carney, BE, FA Paul Chiara, FA DoWayne Davis, FA Kader Drame, FA Ryan Durand, BE, D Tony Fiametta, D Joe Fields, BE, FA Steve Franklin, FA Steve Gregory, FA Tanard Jackson, BE, D Joe Kowalewski, FA Ryan LaCasse, BE, D Jerry Mackey, FA Carroll Madison, FA Jameel McClain, BE, FA Quinn Ojinnaka, D Perry Patterson, FA Damien Rhodes, BE, FA Alex Shor, FA Anthony Smith, BE, D Kelvin Smith, BE, D Thomas Whitfield, CFL James Wyche, BE, D There were no all-conference players who were not drafted or signed by a pro team this year. 2006 (19) Jamar Atkinson, FA Curtis Brinkley, BE Brendan Carney, BE, FA Delone Carter, BE, D Paul Chiara, FA DoWayne Davis, FA Ryan Durand, BE, D Tony Fiametta, D Joe Fields, BE, FA Tanard Jackson, BE, D Terrell Lemon, FA Jerry Mackey, FA Carroll Madison, FA Jameel McClain, BE, FA Eugene Newsome, AFL Perry Patterson, FA Kelvin Smith, BE, D Taj Smith, FA Mike Williams, BE, D There were no all-conference players who were not drafted or signed by a pro team this year. 2007 (13) Curtis Brinkley, BE Paul Chiara, FA DoWayne Davis, FA Ryan Durand, BE, D Tony Fiametta, D Joe Fields, BE, FA Doug Hogue, BE, D Arthur Jones, BE, D Jameel McClain, BE, FA Carroll Madison, FA Eugene Newsome, AFL Taj Smith, FA Mike Williams, BE, D BE only: Rob Long, Derrell Smith, Max Suter 2007 is the last year for which the record is complete at this time. For quick reference here is the number of future NFL draftees and free agents who lettered on each team from 1980-2007: 1980 11 1981 10 1982 14 1983 14 1984 13 1985 21 1986 18 1987 24 1988 27 1989 26 1990 25 1991 23 1992 31 1993 24 1994 23 1995 24 1996 29 1997 29 1998 36 1999 30 2000 30 2001 29 2002 24 2003 25 2004 21 2005 25 2006 19 2007 13 If you take the interest by the pros as at least symbolic of the number of good players on each team, (even if they were not the only good college players, we built up during the McPherson era to a peak. The biggest jumps was actually in 1985, when we went from 12 to 20. The 1987 had 24 future pros among it’s lettermen. Fully nine teams in the next 18 years had more than that and four more. The collapse in overall talent level didn’t really begin until after the 2005 season as we went from 25 in 2005 to 19 in 2006 and only 13 in 2007, the same as we had in 84. Our most talented team was 1998 with 36 future pros, half again as many as 1987. That team went 8-4. Of course, the quality of a team is based on more than a head count. Our collapse began before 2006. The 1999-2000 teams were mediocre. The 2001 team was out-gained on the year but went 10-3 because we of a +15 turnover margin, courtesy of Dwight Freeney. We were 4-8 the next year and had to rally from a 1-6 start to achieve that. We returned to mediocrity the next two years and then the G-Rob era opened with a 1-10 disaster with a team that had the same number of future pros as the 11-0 team of 1987 did. A big factor for a mid-level school like Syracuse is whether we have any truly “special” players that can elevate a team. Players like Tim Green, Don McPherson, Donovan McNabb, Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney, etc. The 2002-2005 teams just didn’t have anyone like and just having a lot of good players wasn’t enough. Other factors are the experience of the player, their health, the degree of difficulty of the schedule and things you can’t control like the officiating, the weather and the bounce of the ball. Still, the reasons we were not able to duplicate the ’87 season in subsequent years don’t seem to have to do with the overall talent level of the roster. I do think the things Donnie McPherson was talking about in his reply to my question in CNY Sports Magazine have something to do with it. He called it “chemistry” and “communication“. I call it “confidence” and “focus“. Whatever you choose to call it, that 1987 had something extra that subsequent teams just haven’t had. 　　 [/QUOTE]

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