sutomcat
No recent Cali or Iggy awards; Mr Irrelevant
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2011
- Messages
- 26,689
- Like
- 116,388
I am temporarily filling in for OE as he continues his recovery from surgery. Get well soon Dan.
SU News
Sr DE Robert Welsh (94)
So DE/DT Isaiah Johnson (91)
How the SU DL is Taking Shape Midway Through the Summer (PS; Bailey)
Throughout the spring, Tim Daoust shuffled his line, and then shuffled it again. The Syracuse defensive line coach has focused on finding the ideal combination of players since losing unquestioned leader Jay Bromley to graduation, and the NFL draft.
And as the Orange continues to chug through summer workouts, some progress has been made. But there will undoubtedly be playing time to be earned during training camp.
"We really want to get the four best players on the field and don't get handcuffed by their position titles," Daoust said on Tuesday.
Syracuse returns three starters to its defensive line — defensive tackle Eric Crume, who is rehabbing from minor left knee surgery, and defensive ends Robert Welsh and Micah Robinson. Defensive tackle Marcus Coleman lined up with the first teamers in Bromley's stead during the spring while Robinson and defensive ends Isaiah Johnson and Ron Thompson saw snaps there as well.
On Tuesday, Daoust said the 6-foot-4, 276-pound Johnson will definitely see time this season at defensive tackle.
...
Scott Shafer is 106th on College Football Coaching Tenure List (See Where All 128 Coaches Rank; PS; Stevens)
This time a year ago, Syracuse coach Scott Shafer had been on the job less than six months, a slim stint even by the vagabond nature of major college football.
Only two other coaches in the 2013 season got the call that they'd have a program of their own later than Shafer — Oregon's Mark Helfrich and New Mexico State's Doug Martin. But thanks to a typical level of turnover (20 jobs changed hands this offseason), Shafer sits at 106th in coaching tenure in the awkwardly named bowl subdivision.
That places him 12th in the ACC, a league that features the longest-tenured coach at college football's highest level (Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer) and six of the top 36 nationally. That's not quite as impressive as the conference's showing on the basketball tenure list, but it still hints at more stability than either the Big Ten (four of the top 44) or especially the Pac-12 (two of the top 54).
...
SU TE Coach Bobby Acosta
Tales From the Recruiting Trail: Bobby Acosta Recounts When Divorced Parents Got Into a Fistfight (PS; Mink)
If Bobby Acosta had the choice between studying offensive football and hitting the recruiting trail building relationships with prospects, he would choose the latter.
"I love recruiting," he said this week. "And I love relationships."
He is the primary recruiter for Dontae Strickland, one of the jewels of Syracuse's 2015 class, and has several more targets still on the board.
Over the course of his 16-year coaching career, Acosta has been in plenty of living rooms looking to close the deal on such coveted players. And just about every time there is nothing unusual about such an encounter.
...
Bobby Acosta on Recruiting New Jersey: 'I Think I've Accomplished a Lot' (PS; Mink)
Syracuse has not hidden its intent to build a bridge to New Jerseyand regain a recruiting foothold in the border state.
Tight ends coach Bobby Acosta is the program's main liaison to Jersey after he spent the majority of his 16-year coaching career at the high school and college level in the state and surrounding region.
Acosta's legwork throughout the spring evaluation period manifested itself in a verbal commitment from Dontae Strickland earlier this month, one of the jewels of a 2015 recruiting class that is at 17 players eight months before signing day.
Acosta reflected on his first few months on the recruiting trail in an interview earlier this week with syracuse.com.
"I think I've accomplished a lot," Acosta said. "But in the year's worth of work, I think I'm going to accomplish so much more, and eventually I think we can almost be a year ahead in recruiting, so we can start looking at the 2016 commits and things like that."
...
...
"I also think there's a door open for us to walk in and take some kids," Acosta said. "Penn State is doing a tremendous job, but they're going to fill up fast, usually. And I'm not saying where Rutgers is right now, but I think we're in better shape."
...
Former Players
Quinn 'Moose' Ojinnaka Signs Pro Wrestling Contract (PS; Mink)
Former Syracuse offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka has signed a pro wrestling contract with Ring of Honor Wrestling, according to a release this week.
It's a significant breakthrough for Ojinnaka, who started taking a serious run at pro wrestling last year after his seven-year NFL career appeared to have ended.
Drafted in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2006, Ojinnaka's pro football career also included stints with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.
The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder goes by "Moose" in the ring.
...
Other
Teresa "T" Cleland Will Also be Inducted
Bob Snyder, Ger Schwedes Will be Inducted into Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in October (PS; Poliquin)
Well, he made it. After decades of writing about all of the splendid athletes who've thrilled Central New York and its many sports fans with their exploits, Bob Snyder has joined them.
Rightfully, that is. Rightfully.
Now, I don't make the rules. And it's a matter of record that if I did, I wouldn't necessarily grant entrance to halls of fame for any of us on this side of the fence. Indeed, I once wrote that Dick Vitale's exuberance for college basketball didn't merit a seat for him in the Basketball Hall of Fame. And, boy, did he let me know how wounded he was by my words.
...
SU News
Sr DE Robert Welsh (94)
So DE/DT Isaiah Johnson (91)
How the SU DL is Taking Shape Midway Through the Summer (PS; Bailey)
Throughout the spring, Tim Daoust shuffled his line, and then shuffled it again. The Syracuse defensive line coach has focused on finding the ideal combination of players since losing unquestioned leader Jay Bromley to graduation, and the NFL draft.
And as the Orange continues to chug through summer workouts, some progress has been made. But there will undoubtedly be playing time to be earned during training camp.
"We really want to get the four best players on the field and don't get handcuffed by their position titles," Daoust said on Tuesday.
Syracuse returns three starters to its defensive line — defensive tackle Eric Crume, who is rehabbing from minor left knee surgery, and defensive ends Robert Welsh and Micah Robinson. Defensive tackle Marcus Coleman lined up with the first teamers in Bromley's stead during the spring while Robinson and defensive ends Isaiah Johnson and Ron Thompson saw snaps there as well.
On Tuesday, Daoust said the 6-foot-4, 276-pound Johnson will definitely see time this season at defensive tackle.
...
Scott Shafer is 106th on College Football Coaching Tenure List (See Where All 128 Coaches Rank; PS; Stevens)
This time a year ago, Syracuse coach Scott Shafer had been on the job less than six months, a slim stint even by the vagabond nature of major college football.
Only two other coaches in the 2013 season got the call that they'd have a program of their own later than Shafer — Oregon's Mark Helfrich and New Mexico State's Doug Martin. But thanks to a typical level of turnover (20 jobs changed hands this offseason), Shafer sits at 106th in coaching tenure in the awkwardly named bowl subdivision.
That places him 12th in the ACC, a league that features the longest-tenured coach at college football's highest level (Virginia Tech's Frank Beamer) and six of the top 36 nationally. That's not quite as impressive as the conference's showing on the basketball tenure list, but it still hints at more stability than either the Big Ten (four of the top 44) or especially the Pac-12 (two of the top 54).
...
SU TE Coach Bobby Acosta
Tales From the Recruiting Trail: Bobby Acosta Recounts When Divorced Parents Got Into a Fistfight (PS; Mink)
If Bobby Acosta had the choice between studying offensive football and hitting the recruiting trail building relationships with prospects, he would choose the latter.
"I love recruiting," he said this week. "And I love relationships."
He is the primary recruiter for Dontae Strickland, one of the jewels of Syracuse's 2015 class, and has several more targets still on the board.
Over the course of his 16-year coaching career, Acosta has been in plenty of living rooms looking to close the deal on such coveted players. And just about every time there is nothing unusual about such an encounter.
...
Bobby Acosta on Recruiting New Jersey: 'I Think I've Accomplished a Lot' (PS; Mink)
Syracuse has not hidden its intent to build a bridge to New Jerseyand regain a recruiting foothold in the border state.
Tight ends coach Bobby Acosta is the program's main liaison to Jersey after he spent the majority of his 16-year coaching career at the high school and college level in the state and surrounding region.
Acosta's legwork throughout the spring evaluation period manifested itself in a verbal commitment from Dontae Strickland earlier this month, one of the jewels of a 2015 recruiting class that is at 17 players eight months before signing day.
Acosta reflected on his first few months on the recruiting trail in an interview earlier this week with syracuse.com.
"I think I've accomplished a lot," Acosta said. "But in the year's worth of work, I think I'm going to accomplish so much more, and eventually I think we can almost be a year ahead in recruiting, so we can start looking at the 2016 commits and things like that."
...
...
"I also think there's a door open for us to walk in and take some kids," Acosta said. "Penn State is doing a tremendous job, but they're going to fill up fast, usually. And I'm not saying where Rutgers is right now, but I think we're in better shape."
...
Former Players
Quinn 'Moose' Ojinnaka Signs Pro Wrestling Contract (PS; Mink)
Former Syracuse offensive lineman Quinn Ojinnaka has signed a pro wrestling contract with Ring of Honor Wrestling, according to a release this week.
It's a significant breakthrough for Ojinnaka, who started taking a serious run at pro wrestling last year after his seven-year NFL career appeared to have ended.
Drafted in the fifth round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2006, Ojinnaka's pro football career also included stints with the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams.
The 6-foot-5, 295-pounder goes by "Moose" in the ring.
...
Other
Teresa "T" Cleland Will Also be Inducted
Bob Snyder, Ger Schwedes Will be Inducted into Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in October (PS; Poliquin)
Well, he made it. After decades of writing about all of the splendid athletes who've thrilled Central New York and its many sports fans with their exploits, Bob Snyder has joined them.
Rightfully, that is. Rightfully.
Now, I don't make the rules. And it's a matter of record that if I did, I wouldn't necessarily grant entrance to halls of fame for any of us on this side of the fence. Indeed, I once wrote that Dick Vitale's exuberance for college basketball didn't merit a seat for him in the Basketball Hall of Fame. And, boy, did he let me know how wounded he was by my words.
...
