I played from junior high through high school. Although I was on the smaller side at the time, I played DE on defense and slotback on offense. I couldn't catch the ball to save my life, but I could block. It was funny, they'd take me out on most passing plays and back in on running. The other teams caught on, but most times we were good enough that it didn't matter.

I then went on to play at a small D-III school, St. Francis College. It is now DI-AA and is St. Francis University. Anyways, Coach put me at WR my freshman year. I told him, "Uh, Coach, I can't catch." He said not to worry, they'd work with me. They did and I got a little better, but not much. Sophomore year, I switched to SS. I loved it! I started there and had a decent year, but the Coach was an idiot and was starting to play mind games with players. He would sit starters to try to get them to work harder and a bunch of other B.S. After that I had enough and decided to concentrate on my studies instead.

I think with how my years playing went, I like the defensive side more. One thing I can't stand now is how guys "tackle" nowadays. I hate how they just try to hit guys down instead of wrapping up and tackling. Maybe there just wasn't the publicity about injuries back in those days, but it sure seems like now that guys are trying to hit(and lead with the head) guys down, there are a lot more injuries.

Ok. Sorry for the little soapbox about tackling.

Played 7th grade through HS as LT, DT.
Was looking at playing Division III ball, before injury.
meh

played from pee-wee through HS.


Played TE.
Always was the tall guy til some guys started to catch up with me late in HS

Was fun but lost interest in it due to becoming more interested in having colored hair and playing music.

Still an avid fan of the game.

(06-03-2015, 09:05 AM)c12schleyer Wrote: You went to HS in Western PA? Which school?

I went to East Allegheny. Believe it was my sophmore? year we played Terrell Pryor.

Thanks all for sharing your stories and views. I was traveling internationally and wasn't around to see responses until now. I was fanatic about football since a kid - even coached high school as a volunteer position coach. I moved to Ohio in 1986 and was a Dolphins fan. When Marino retired I couldn't get into them as much and switched to the Bengals. Yes, I switched during the lowest of low points for Bengals football - you can call me a reverse bandwagon fan, or someone needing to see a shrink ;-)

(06-03-2015, 08:41 PM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: I went to East Allegheny. Believe it was my sophmore? year we played Terrell Pryor.

Yikes.  He must have been pretty unstoppable in high school.

I played flanker but all we ever did was run the option and throw it MAYBE once a game. I considered myself a very good blocker at the position but got bored with it and quit and stuck to baseball.

I walked on FSU. Played LBer. We were stacked late 90's early 2000's. So I road alot of bench but every spring I'd work my way up to near the top of the depth chart. Could never figure out why when we came back in the fall I'd be passed up again. Could've been a scholarship political thing or sometimes I'd get myself in some good cleanish fun as one might do in Tallahassee. On well had alot of fun and played for the legend Bowden.

As for how it affects how I watch the Bengals I think I'm way less hard on the coaches and players than most on here. I think I understand pretty well that a coach isn't an idiot if he calls a play and 10 guys do it right and one guy ruins the play. And players don't always win their matchups. The other team gets paid too.

(06-05-2015, 08:39 PM)bonesaw Wrote: I walked on FSU.  Played LBer.  We were stacked late 90's early 2000's.  So I road alot of bench but every spring I'd work my way up to near the top of the depth chart.  Could never figure out why when we came back in the fall I'd be passed up again.  Could've been a scholarship political thing or sometimes I'd get myself in some good cleanish fun as one might do in Tallahassee.  On well had alot of fun and played for the legend Bowden.  

As for how it affects how I watch the Bengals I think I'm way less hard on the coaches and players than most on here.  I think I understand pretty well that a coach isn't an idiot if he calls a play and 10 guys do it right and one guy ruins the play.  And players don't always win their matchups.  The other team gets paid too.

Well said.

(06-05-2015, 08:39 PM)bonesaw Wrote: I walked on FSU.  Played LBer.  We were stacked late 90's early 2000's.  So I road alot of bench but every spring I'd work my way up to near the top of the depth chart.  Could never figure out why when we came back in the fall I'd be passed up again.  Could've been a scholarship political thing or sometimes I'd get myself in some good cleanish fun as one might do in Tallahassee.  On well had alot of fun and played for the legend Bowden.  

As for how it affects how I watch the Bengals I think I'm way less hard on the coaches and players than most on here.  I think I understand pretty well that a coach isn't an idiot if he calls a play and 10 guys do it right and one guy ruins the play.  And players don't always win their matchups.  The other team gets paid too.

I played a a very small school, and I realize that the coaches there see so much more in a game than almost all of us.  My coaches in high school were clueless.  I'll never forget going to one of my first film sessions in college and the coach showed us how a CB lining up with inside leverage on the receiver instead of outside lead to a long completion down the opposite sideline that did not even involve the guy who lined up out of position.  The entire defensive backfield had their adjustments affected by one guy lining up about a foot out of position. That ended up stretching open a gap in the coverage outside deep. Playing for those coaches taught me how little I really know about the game.

So I try to give NFL level coaches the benefit of the doubt when fans call them stupid.

(06-06-2015, 09:59 AM)fredtoast Wrote: I played a a very small school, and I realize that the coaches there see so much more in a game than almost all of us.  My coaches in high school were clueless.  I'll never forget going to one of my first film sessions in college and the coach showed us how a CB lining up with inside leverage on the receiver instead of outside lead to a long completion down the opposite sideline that did not even involve the guy who lined up out of position.  The entire defensive backfield had their adjustments affected by one guy lining up about a foot out of position.  That ended up stretching open a gap in the coverage outside deep.  Playing for those coaches taught me how little I really know about the game.

So I try to give NFL level coaches the benefit of the doubt when fans call them stupid.


Yes.  I remember at MLB as a newbie always trying to make the tackle.  They'd scream at me it wasn't my job to make the tackle. I was always eating up blocks while that diva WiLL got to wrap around me and make tackles.  I feel your plight Rey.  Haha.

Played football & baseball for Mount Vernon High School in Knox County.

Played offensive guard on varsity, and 1st base for baseball.

(06-05-2015, 08:39 PM)bonesaw Wrote: I walked on FSU.  Played LBer.  We were stacked late 90's early 2000's.  So I road alot of bench but every spring I'd work my way up to near the top of the depth chart.  Could never figure out why when we came back in the fall I'd be passed up again.  Could've been a scholarship political thing or sometimes I'd get myself in some good cleanish fun as one might do in Tallahassee.  On well had alot of fun and played for the legend Bowden.  

As for how it affects how I watch the Bengals I think I'm way less hard on the coaches and players than most on here.  I think I understand pretty well that a coach isn't an idiot if he calls a play and 10 guys do it right and one guy ruins the play.  And players don't always win their matchups.  The other team gets paid too.

Being the HUGE FSU homer that I am.....I wish I could rep more than I did.  That's awesome man....Go 'Noles!