So, I was lying in bed the other night and had one of those “can’t get to sleep so I’ll make a sports list” nights. What? I’m the only one that has those? Oh, well, I came up with my favorite 10 college football players of all time. And by “all time” I mean since I started watching college football (around the year 2000).
10. Mike Williams- Wide Receiver, USC
This was an extremely difficult decision, with Calvin Johnson being a close No. 11. Although both were extremely athletic figures, I just liked Williams more because it seemed like he made more exciting grabs of the one-handed type than Johnson and because his moves off the line to punish press converage were beast-like. An honorable mention All-American his freshman year, Williams seemed to come down with a jaw-dropping touchdown catch every week. In two years at USC, he caught 176 balls for more than 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns! That’s incredible for someone’s first two years of college in a major conference! After winning the Biletnikoff as a sophomore, he got screwed when the NCAA appealed the three-year rule after Williams had hired an agent, but he still managed to be the 10th overall draft pick after sitting out a year and racked up some good dough before busting.
9. Sean Taylor- Saftey, Miami
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Taylor was my favorite defensive player to watch back in the day. Whether it resulted in an interception or the de-cleating of a receiver, he was always flying to the ball. Along with winning a national championship with the Hurricanes in 2001 and getting completely robbed of another in 2002, Taylor tied a Miami record with 10 interceptions in 2003 and was a finalist for the Thorpe award. Besides the one time Florida State’s Greg Jones destroyed him, Taylor always looked like the strongest player on the field. I was deeply saddened by his death last year, and he certainly was awesome enough in college to earn my No. 9 spot. Rest in peace my man.
8. Derrick Williams- Wide Receiver, Penn State
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I fell in love with this guy when he was in high school. As the No. 1 overall rated player on rivals, he was projected to eventually be the best receiver in college football. His freshman year at Penn State made that look like a promising statement, sparking the Nittany Lions to a near undefeated season, with the only loss of the season a nail-bitting defeat to Michigan. Although his numbers have never been spectacular, he always makes that all-important, game-changing play that can win a game and he is a great leader and role model on and off the field. Now a senior, I would love to see Williams play a huge role in Penn State upsetting USC in the Rose Bowl and have my eighth favorite player in college football history go out on top. With 4.3 speed and top-class agility, Williams is still a good bet to have a successful NFL career.
7. Adrian Peterson- Running Back, Oklahoma
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Peterson is one of those extremely rare players that probably would have been fine going straight to the NFL out of high school. He was arguably the best freshman in the history of college football, rushing for nearly 2,000 yards and finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting. You just had to love watching this guy run; you almost expected him to break five tackles on his way to the end zone every play. I just wish he didn’t get injured so much. As a Packers fan, I was beyond dissapointed when the Vikings drafted him. I have to hate him now, but as far as his college career goes, he was definitley up there with my favorites to watch.
6. Tim Tebow- Quarterback, Florida
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Tim Tebow hails as one of two active players, Derrick Williams being the other, on my list of favorite players. Along with his underrated ability as a passer, I absolutely love how Tebow puts his head down and tries to run through defenders. It is always a joy to watch the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner play, and I hope that he is able to be successful in the NFL (unless, of course, the Vikings or Bears draft him). Along with his unique style of play on the field, I am a huge supporter of what he does off it. As a fellow follower of Jesus Christ, it is wonderful to see an athlete use his stardom to spread the gospel, and it takes extreme amounts of faith and commitment for any college student to spend spring break ministering in a different country.
5. Mike Hass- Wide Receiver, Oregon State
Who?? Don’t panic, this guy was awesome. He was one of those guys that really didn’t get enough attention, but you loved him because of how underrated he was and because of the consistant production he accumulated. Hass was only the 10th player in NCAA history to record three straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons (first Pac-10 player), is third in Pac-10 history with 3,924 career receiving yards and had two separate games where he amassed more than 225 yards receiving, including a Pac-10 record 293-yard outing against Boise State in 2004. The most ridiculous thing about this guy though- Hass was a former walk-on! How can that happen? Esspecially considering he caught seven touchdown passes in a semi-final high school playoff game his senior year. For those of you who did not get a chance to see enough of Hass in college, or for those of you who want to relive some great memories, here’s a link to a short highlight reel.
4. Reggie Bush- Running Back, USC
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Reggie Bush was probably the most exciting college football player I have ever seen. He was a touchdown threat every single time he touched the ball. I really don’t ever remember Bush having a bad game in college. His Heisman-winning year in 2005 saw Bush rack up 222 all-purpose yards per game, including a Pac-10 record 513 all-purpose yards against Fresno State. Whether he was taking a handoff, running a route or returning a kick, Bush made the defense look like it was in slow motion. It was always a treat to watch Bush play, and I really wish he was still in college because I enjoyed watching him so much.
3. Eric Crouch- Quarterback, Nebraska
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Eric Crouch won his 2001 Heisman before I got extremely into college football, but I remember enough to know that I absolutely loved him. He is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback. Literally, when you look up dual-threat quarterback in the dictionary, his picture is right there with the definition. He is one of only three quarterbacks in NCAA history with 4,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing. Are you getting sick of seeing quarterbacks slide when defenders come their way? Well, this clip shows that Eric Crouch was definitley not that guy. Many people thought Rex Grossman deserved the Heisman over Crouch in 2001, but I say that is nonsense. For everyone’s enjoyment, here is a highlight reel. I know there’s too much passing in those highlights, but his sickest runs are also in there.
2. Larry Fitzgerald- Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh
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Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman in 2007. That feat should have been accomplished four years earlier by this man, Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Senior Jason White won the award in 2003 over him, a year in which Fitzy put up insane numbers, hauling in 87 balls for 1,595 yards and 22 touchdowns. And remember people, this is when Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College were in the Big East with Pitt. He broke the NCAA record for consecutive games with a touchdown catch (18) in only two years with the Panthers. I remember seeing Larry blanketed with triple coverage and still come down with a deep ball like it was just a walk in the park. I was very close to putting Larry No. 1 on this list; he could definitley still be considered my favorite college football player ever along with the next guy. Sadly and shockingly, I cannot find a good highlight reel for Larry at Pittsburgh. If somebody knows where one is, please share via a comment.
1. Darren Sproles- Running Back, Kansas State
It was extremely close between Fitz and Darren for the No. 1 spot, but I had to go with the 5′6” Sproles as my favorite college football player. How can you not love this guy? He is the same height as my last girlfriend but could power through Division I-A tacklers 30 times a game with no problem. And that Big 12 title game in 2003 where he put up 345 all-purpose yards in a 35-7 beatdown of undefeated Oklahoma was like sex on the gridiron. He finished fifth in the Heisman voting the same year Larry got second (2003), and Sproles hails as the Big 12’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards. Try to grasp these ridiculous numbers form Sproles’ senior year of high school: 2,485 yards rushing and 49 rushing touchdowns in 12 games. That’s an average of more than 200 yards and four touchdowns per game! And he was playing 6A, the highest level in Kansas high school football. The bottom line is this: There was no player that I ever saw in college that was cooler and more fun to watch than the little man from Kansas State. I mean, this guy may very well be the closest thing to Barry Sanders we’ll ever see. Heck, he is the reason the Wildcats are my third favorite team in college football. Check out this highlight reel from my main man, Darren Sproles.
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