By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. That is, make like Wally and release your inner James Joyce. Show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
I was number one, and I would easily trade to be number two. Let me explain. I was an overall number one pick in the draft, but I would do anything to go for the ride that number two enjoyed. I’m not sure why I went before him. He won the Heisman and the national championship. In a decade when a bunch of teams won the national championship with one loss, he played for an undefeated national champion. In his rookie season, he played for the Super Bowl champion. I’m not sure if anyone has done that since him – win the national title one year and the Super Bowl the following – but no one had done it prior to that year. In his first nine seasons, only a strike could keep him from rushing for 1,000 yards. He’s got a bust in Canton. I think he was the only hall-of-famer in our entire draft. Me? I rushed for a thousand in one of my six seasons in the NFL. We won two games my first season. Believe it or not, that was an improvement over the previous season. Man, there’s not enough cream cheese in the world for the bagel they hung the season before I arrived.
Who am I?
That last clue about the cream cheese and the bagle did it for me, Casey. This running back was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccanneers the year after they went winless for an entire NFL season. So immediately I thought of USC’s Ricky Bell, a much ballyhooed runner who got lots of Heismann consideration. So around ’76-77, there was also a great running back who did win the Heismann and the national title in the same year …. for Pitt. )That was Pitt’s finest hour … moment of silence for Wanny). That RB was Tony Dorsett, who certainly had a great pro career with Dallas. So there you have it … I believe the name you’re looking for is Ricky Bell of USC and then Tampa Bay.
This guy played for TB. Was he picked ahead of a USC Heisman winner? Ricky Bell? But who is he? I have no idea!
Dang! I thought Bell won the Heisman, and Dorsett never occurred to me. I thought we were looking at a date later than TD. Oh well. I think (obviously) that Wally nailed it. I think Bell came to my mind because somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind I connected him to TB. Unfortunately, that stayed in those recesses while I James Joyced it. Again, oh well!
All I could come up with was the ’76-’77 Tampa Bay Bucs, based on that last clue. When Wally said Ricky Bell it was an a-ha moment. You should have known better Casey…I’m sure failed USC players are REALLY in Wally’s wheelhouse. 😉
Chas —
That’s a little harsh on Bell. I wouldn’t say he “failed” … he had a 6 year career which is probably 50% more than the average halfback career in the NFL. And his production was almost certainly influenced by being the ONLY offensive threat on mostly terrible TB teams … save for one of the Doug Williams years. Can you say “stack the line of scrimmage”?
OK, Wally. How about “USC players who had disappointing NFL careers”? Is that kindler and gentler enough for you? 😉
Never be kind and gentle to a USC player. They failed just by going there (except maybe Mike Garrett and Ron Yary)!
LOL … helmet stickers for Chas and Pete!!! You guys are killing me 🙂
Here’s a fun fact from the South Bend Tribune:
Notre Dame’s 2010 football schedule ended up being rated as the nation’s toughest by the NCAA’s strength-of-schedule formula. It’s the sixth time since the NCAA started charting strength of schedule in 1977 that the Irish have come out on the top of the heap, and the first time since 1995. ND’s opponents have a .650 winning percentage heading into bowl season. That’s the highest percentage accrued by Irish opponents collectively since .655 in 1989.
Who knew?
Go figure! And I still say we could have been 11-1! I do not count Navy as a game we should have lost, even though it was not close. Only Stanford was a legitimate loss, but even taking the loss to Navy, you couldn’t fault 10-2 against the #1 SOS in nation. But alas; 7-5 and Sun Bowl! Woulda, coulda, shoulda, but wait until next year. I’m going with Kelly getting a national championship in a double digit year (1966, 1977, 1988), rather than waiting for his 3rd season (as did Leahy, Parseghian, Devine, and Holtz)!
Urban Meyer??? 🙂
hahahahaha
Yes, Ricky Bell is the answer. Great discussion. Helmet stickers for all.