Tom Rathman-like players?

[JPostSam]

Remember the 49ers FB Tom Rathman?
Here's what Bill Walsh had to say about his role in the offense:
http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=650
How important was Tom Rathman to the offense you designed? He put up numbers no other "west coast" fullback has even got close to. Is this because you valued the fullback more or was he just more talented than the rest?
BW: Well, Tom was the ideal fullback for any system but particularly ours. He had excellent hands. He was fine pass receiver. But, most importantly, he was a great blocker. He was the best blocker of his time at the fullback position. Also, as a ball carrier, he had better speed than people thought. And, he could walk right through certain (players) - he liked defensive backs as tacklers. So, Tom fit in beautifully with Roger Craig - two Nebraska football players - to give us the best backfield of that era.

Yeah, when Parcells talks about a "change of pace" guy, I think about what a guy like Rathman could do for Julius Jones and the Dallas running game in general.
Any thoughts on whether some of these guys could add something like that?

Nehemiah Broughton
The Citadel6-02404.53
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/playerprofiles/rb/nehemiahbroughton.html

Strengths: Has excellent size and a solid frame...Has good speed for his size...Is a powerful runner...Is very strong...Is a decent receiver out of the backfield...A workhorse who gets stronger as the game goes on...Also a good blocker.Weaknesses: Has dealt with some injuries in his past so durability is a big concern...Has not played against much elite competition...Isn't a threat to break the long one...Lacks agility...Looks stiff.Notes: Sleeper prospect who has some intriguing physical tools and could turn out to be a steal...Will be an interesting player to watch out for on day two.

Brandon Jacobs
SeniorSouthern Illinois6'42604.50
http://www.draftshowcase.com/BrandonJacobs.htm
Jacobs obviously has rare physical tools for a running back. His speed considering his size is excellent and he is a scary player to see in the secondary. He must play "up to his size" more and be a little more physical as a runner, but Jacobs will be a great short yardage option at the next level and should be a late 1st day, early 2nd day selection.

Manuel White
U.C.L.A.6-22394.58
http://www.nflfans.com/draft/2005/showplayer.php?key=Manuel%20White
He is called a silent leader. He has been called humble, wanting to lead by what he does rather than what he says. After seeing many of his peers lose focus on what is important, he wants to maintain perspective. Off the field, if he doesn't have an NFL career, his goal is to be a fire-fighter.

His career numbers: 408 carries for 1893 yards. A bog one here though, he's been nailed for 79 yards in losses. His net average is still a solid 4.44 yards per carry. He's also no stranger to the end zone, with 19 of those carries being good for a score. He has 52 receptions for 518 yards, which breaks down to 9.46 yards average. 3 of those catches resulted in touch downs.

 

[Rack]

he was a great blocker. He was the best blocker of his time at the fullback position

Moose was a better blocker.

 

[Roughneck]

Moose was a better blocker.

Walsh is obviously going to be a little biased. For my money, I'd take Daryl as well.

 

[Nors]

6-4 260 converted DE

Hedgecock - North Carolina is a super athlete

 

[dbair1967]

Remember the 49ers FB Tom Rathman?
Here's what Bill Walsh had to say about his role in the offense:
http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=650
How important was Tom Rathman to the offense you designed? He put up numbers no other "west coast" fullback has even got close to. Is this because you valued the fullback more or was he just more talented than the rest?
BW: Well, Tom was the ideal fullback for any system but particularly ours. He had excellent hands. He was fine pass receiver. But, most importantly, he was a great blocker. He was the best blocker of his time at the fullback position. Also, as a ball carrier, he had better speed than people thought. And, he could walk right through certain (players) - he liked defensive backs as tacklers. So, Tom fit in beautifully with Roger Craig - two Nebraska football players - to give us the best backfield of that era.

Yeah, when Parcells talks about a "change of pace" guy, I think about what a guy like Rathman could do for Julius Jones and the Dallas running game in general.
Any thoughts on whether some of these guys could add something like that?

Nehemiah Broughton
The Citadel6-02404.53
http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/playerprofiles/rb/nehemiahbroughton.html

Strengths: Has excellent size and a solid frame...Has good speed for his size...Is a powerful runner...Is very strong...Is a decent receiver out of the backfield...A workhorse who gets stronger as the game goes on...Also a good blocker.Weaknesses: Has dealt with some injuries in his past so durability is a big concern...Has not played against much elite competition...Isn't a threat to break the long one...Lacks agility...Looks stiff.Notes: Sleeper prospect who has some intriguing physical tools and could turn out to be a steal...Will be an interesting player to watch out for on day two.

Brandon Jacobs
SeniorSouthern Illinois6'42604.50
http://www.draftshowcase.com/BrandonJacobs.htm
Jacobs obviously has rare physical tools for a running back. His speed considering his size is excellent and he is a scary player to see in the secondary. He must play "up to his size" more and be a little more physical as a runner, but Jacobs will be a great short yardage option at the next level and should be a late 1st day, early 2nd day selection.

Manuel White
U.C.L.A.6-22394.58
http://www.nflfans.com/draft/2005/showplayer.php?key=Manuel%20White
He is called a silent leader. He has been called humble, wanting to lead by what he does rather than what he says. After seeing many of his peers lose focus on what is important, he wants to maintain perspective. Off the field, if he doesn't have an NFL career, his goal is to be a fire-fighter.

His career numbers: 408 carries for 1893 yards. A bog one here though, he's been nailed for 79 yards in losses. His net average is still a solid 4.44 yards per carry. He's also no stranger to the end zone, with 19 of those carries being good for a score. He has 52 receptions for 518 yards, which breaks down to 9.46 yards average. 3 of those catches resulted in touch downs.

D Johnston was a better all around FB, and a much superior blocker to Rathman

David

 

[Rush 2112]

4th and 1 Hedgecock put the ball on the turf yesterday.

Hback Vincent Jackson Northern Colorado. 6-6/225 WR right now. Give him 2 camps, he'll be up 20 lbs. 21 TD's in 2003, 11 in 2004.

 

[Nors]

4th and 1 Hedgecock put the ball on the turf yesterday.

Hback Vincent Jackson Northern Colorado. 6-6/225 WR right now. Give him 2 camps, he'll be up 20 lbs. 21 TD's in 2003, 11 in 2004.

He also made a bunch of great catches and runs. He's a Vrabel like Clone 6-4 260 Converted DE who can catch the ball and run with it. He's going to be a find for someone Day 2.

Heck Greg Jones starred over Julius Jones last year in Senior bowl. Guess that nullified Jones value!


East 20, West 13

By JAYMES SONG, AP Sports Writer
January 22, 2005

AP - Jan 22, 10:46 pm EST
More Photos


WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) -- With NFL scouts watching closely, Ronald Stanley upstaged the big names at the Hula Bowl.

The Michigan State linebacker scored two defensive touchdowns Saturday to rally the East to a 20-13 victory over West in the Hula Bowl.

``I've always been an underrated guy,'' Stanley said. ``It was my time to show what I can do.''

Down 6-0, the East scored 20 straight points in the third quarter, including Stanley's 38-yard fumble return and a 50-yard interception return.

Stanley's TDs gave the East a 13-6 lead and the momentum. It also earned him the East's MVP award.

His first TD was a heads-up play.

The ball was knocked out of Hawaii quarterback Timmy Chang's hand and most players stood around believing the play was dead. But Stanley picked the ball off the grass and ran for a touchdown to put the East up 7-6.

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``I saw it rolling and rolling,'' Stanley said. ``I broke out, picked it up and was able to get into the end zone.''

Four plays later, Stanley intercepted an errant pass from Texas Tech's Sonny Cumbie at midfield, streaked down the right sideline and dove into the end zone.

``It was a great day. I enjoyed myself,'' Stanley said.

The Hula Bowl featured 92 of college football's best seniors and was played on a balmy, cloudless day on the island of Maui -- a stark contrast to the wet and windy conditions during practices.

East coach Frank Solich, of Ohio, said Stanley's big plays woke up his team.

``After the turnovers, we had confidence and we were able to complete passes and run the ball,'' he said.

The East expanded its lead to 20-6 on a 2-yard dive by North Carolina's Madison Hedgecock. The TD was setup by a 31-yard run by Troy's DeWhitt Betterson who finished with 77 yards rushing on 10 carries.

``We anticipated a strong passing game, but the running game was working great and we were able to eat up the clock,'' Solich said.


AP - Jan 22, 10:21 pm EST
More Photos


The West's biggest star was Derrick Wimbush from tiny Fort Valley State.

Wimbush ran four times for 74 yards, including a spectacular Hula Bowl record 59-yard touchdown run. The West MVP took a pitch to the left side and quickly ran into traffic. He broke a couple of tackles, reversed his field at the East's 40 and sprinted for the end zone.
The West had a chance to tie the game in the fourth, but Sam Houston State quarterback Dustin Long's pass was intercepted by North Carolina State's Dovonte Edwards in the end zone to end the threat.

The game featured aggressive defense and sloppy offense, despite several well-known quarterbacks and rules favoring the offense such as no blitzing.

``There was supposed to be a lot of offense, but we came out on defense and made big plays,'' said Penn State linebacker Derek Wake, who forced a fumble and recovered another fumble. ``It was our goal to keep the points off the scoreboard.''

The teams combined for nine turnovers, including five fumbles.

``I felt turnovers really determined the course of the game,'' said West coach Mike Bellotti, of Oregon.

Chang, the NCAA career passing leader, was 3-of-8 for 38 yards. Cumbie, who led the nation in yards passing, didn't fare much better. He was 7-of-12 for 58 yards with an interception.

``When you try to put an offense together in just a week, it's hard to get everybody on the same page,'' Cumbie said. ``But it was a lot of fun.''

The West took a 6-0 halftime lead on a pair of 46-yard field goals by Brigham Young's Matt Payne.

Payne's second field goal was setup by Oregon linebacker Jerry Matson, who intercepted Florida Atlantic quarterback Jared Allen's first pass attempt of the game and returned it to the East 25.

Allen had a dreadful showing, going 3-of-7 for 23 yard and two interceptions.

Both teams blew excellent scoring opportunities on the game's opening series.

The East marched 75 yards to the West 1, but Harvard's Ryan Fitzpatrick fumbled near the goal line on a quarterback sneak. Texas' Phillip Geiggar picked up the loose ball, broke the other way and pitched it to Fresno State's Therrian Fontenot who sprinted 70 yards into the end zone.

But the score was nullified by an illegal lateral call.

^Notes: The teams went back to the East-West format for the first time since 1996. ... Hawaii's Chad Owens was presented the Mosi Tatupu Award, given to the nation's best special team's player. Owens returned 36 punts for 531 yards and five touchdowns this past season. ... More than 50 pro scouts watched the Hula Bowl workouts this week.

 

[JPostSam]

rathman played from 86-94, while moose played from 89-99, so walsh may have been referring to the era that was the mid-late 80s, early 90s. remember, moose took about two years to really become an important part of the offense. (in 89, rathman had 73 receptions!)

but anyway, it isn't about rathman being better or worse than moose -- either way, i think we need a versatile fullback. in raising the rathman idea i was really thinking about a guy who can lay a DB out... soften 'em up for julius...

that's all.

 

[wick]

Will Matthews would be a pretty good late-round pickup. Gotta love a fullback whose nickname is Headache.