I took a long walk to get some perspective.
But here are just a few things to think about. If one defensive player could make-or-break a team, then:
- Aaron Donald would've taken Pitt to the national championship.
- Lawrence Taylor would've taken north carolina to the national championship (yes, I'm going back a few years).
- Ndamukung (sp?) Suh would've taken nebraska to the national championship.
- Khalil Mack would've taken univ of buffalo to the national championship.
- J.J. Watt would've taken wisconsin to the national championship.
- Luke Kuechly would've taken boston college to the national championship.
- On and on and on.
I am STILL hopeful that somebody can offer Smalls some useful guidance and show him that his best chance for development as a football player and a man is at the University of Washington, and that he can still "be his own man" and "do something different" without having to leave Seattle.
But if we (sadly) don't get Smalls, then looking at the above list of names I know that UW's defense can still be championship caliber if we can continue to recruit strong across the board, develop guys like Laiatu Latu and Bralen Trice into stellar pass rushers, and if we can keep Lake, Kwiatkowski and Malloe in place for a few years.
This program can reach the highest peaks without one player. But if this losing stellar-in-state-player shit becomes a pattern under Petersen like it did under his predecessors (Jonathan Stewart, Foster Sarrell, Garnett, Banner, Taylor Mays, David DeCastro) then that's another story.
We better fucking get that JT Tuimoloau guy, or no long walk will help me.
Comments
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No one player besides MAYBE an ascendant QB like Lawrence or Tua can bring a national title just by signing. For fucks sake.
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None of those defenses had every piece besides the one in question though.
UW does.
One defensive player can’t get a mediocre defense a ring.
One elite defensive player at the right position can make an already very good to great defense ring worthy though.
That was Smalls.
Now he gone.
FYFMFE -
91 had Stan
92 did not
The difference was huge
All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it -
Plus if Smalls did go to Oregon with the other 5 star rush in they would be in the playoffs and our retarded offense would be lucky to score
Or we run into him in the playoffs and get worked -
Here's the deal. I think even the most suicidal among us right now agrees that UW is not going to be bad under Pete. In fact, I think we all agree we'll be good and continue to compete for conference championships, make NY6 games, hell, maybe even win one big bowl game. John Cooper followed that track. Lots of good seasons, many NFL-bound kids. But guess who he missed out on and it came back to bite him in the ass? 1997 Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson, an Ohio native.
The problem here is that without Smalls, JT, etc we are never going to compete for a natty (I like to call it that). I don't think anyone is worried about the team sucking or underachieving. -
Believe me, I know. I was at both Rose Bowls. Replacing Emtman with Steve Hoffmann was like playing with 10 players instead of 11.RaceBannon said:91 had Stan
92 did not
The difference was huge
All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it
But what if we would've replaced Emtman with Larry Tripplett? Or perhaps Greg Gaines? I think the results would've been completely different. Not as dominant, but not as tragic.
Losing Smalls matters, but it doesn't have to kill us. -
I agree. We will go on without him and hopefully the guys we do have make it happenPassion said:
Believe me, I know. I was at both Rose Bowls. Replacing Emtman with Steve Hoffmann was like playing with 10 players instead of 11.RaceBannon said:91 had Stan
92 did not
The difference was huge
All of a sudden the middle of the 46 was exposed and in the very first game of 92 an ASU running back ran wild through it
But what if we would've replaced Emtman with Larry Tripplett? Or perhaps Greg Gaines? I think the results would've been completely different. Not as dominant, but not as tragic.
Losing Smalls matters, but it doesn't have to kill us. -
Ndamakong Suh almost single handedly won the 2009 Big12 championship game against Texas for Nebraska
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"Almost" won the "Big12 championship"?NEsnake12 said:Ndamakong Suh almost single handedly won the 2009 Big12 championship game against Texas for Nebraska
wow. -
This.BleachedAnusDawg said:Here's the deal. I think even the most suicidal among us right now agrees that UW is not going to be bad under Pete. In fact, I think we all agree we'll be good and continue to compete for conference championships, make NY6 games, hell, maybe even win one big bowl game. John Cooper followed that track. Lots of good seasons, many NFL-bound kids. But guess who he missed out on and it came back to bite him in the ass? 1997 Heisman Trophy winner, Charles Woodson, an Ohio native.
The problem here is that without Smalls, JT, etc we are never going to compete for a natty (I like to call it that). I don't think anyone is worried about the team sucking or underachieving.
Good chit, Anusboat.
