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Did you play football, at any level?


Ray Stonada

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Back in the day,  growing up we did not have  midget , peewee or Tyro football.  We just played in the yard, full tackle and no equipment.

In 9th grade the school started its first freshman team and I played on that. It was the first time any of us

used equipment.  Those shoulder pads were huge.   Played 2 more years then blew out my knee on the

FIRST day of practice senior year.  

I am not a fan of the little kids playing full tackle games until they are 12-13 years old.

 

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30 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:


Impressive - How did your career go?

 

Were you waiting by the phone on NFL Draft Day 2002?

Lol it was a true honor to play for Pitt, however, there was ZERO chance of me getting drafted lol!! I walked on freshman year, and was given a partial scholarship for my junior and senior years.  I got to be a part of some phenomenal ass-whuppins; we lost to Ohio State by 60, Penn State by 58, 63, and 48, Miami by 55....😄  

 

We were legendary bad, Johnny Majors was our coach for the first two years, until Walt Harris took over...

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1 hour ago, smuvtalker said:

I played for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers....96 - 01....FB my freshman year, RG sophomore through senior year...

 

Side note:  Pitt was so bad when I got there, they were recruiting students to walk on in the SCHOOL PAPER...("Do you weigh over 250 pounds, play ball in high school? Then COME ON DOWN!!)

 

😄

Did you win more than 3 games your entire collegiate career? If so, you beat me 😂

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I played Freshman and JV, in High School, before realizing that a 140 lb, 5 ft. 6.5 inch kid is NOT made to play football. I was only good because I was very quick (played soccer since I was 6, so I had footwork that translated well to RB). Mostly played RB, kickoff and return gunner, and what our coaches called a "Monster Back" (which is ironic, seeing as I was a pipsqueak). Basically, they had us cover a 5-yard zone from one hash to the sideline. Looking back, it was cool that we actually played zone in HS! Some of my favorite moments:

 

-Blitzed all the way around the OT, once, and caught an opposing RB from behind and horse-collared him. Didn't get a penalty, BUT I broke my nose, gave myself a concussion, and saw stars (I didn't have a middle-bar on my helmet, and the RB was so surprised at being tackled behind the line, from behind, that his forearm whipped back and cracked me in the nose)... That was cool. Stayed in the game because... hey... it was the 90's. Also, never missed a practice with the broken nose. Just got a visor/shield installed on my helmet.

 

-Once was gunner while playing against the younger brother of Syracuse Orange Hoops' legend, John Wallace. The kid was probably 220 or more, and maybe 6 ft. 2. I had one play where he pancaked me three different times on a return, and I kept getting up. Ended up tackling the return man. Again... I was fast, but that's about it.

 

-Once made a tackle, playing gunner, where I started on the far side of the field, looped around, caught up to the KR (running alongside him about 5 yards away), then turned and slammed him into the opposing cheerleaders. Looked up at the ladies and winked. That was cool.

 

-Last one: On a RB play, I carried 7 kids into the endzone. I refused to stop or go down, and the refs let the play roll because they couldn't stop forward progress. 

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Started playing little league when I 8 through Sr year of HS. Played almost every position other than QB at some point during that time but settled in at WR/TE and DB in HS. I played for a 3 yards and a cloud of dust kind of coach who I hated. We ran the same plays over and over and they rarely worked more than once. We threw maybe 20 passes all season. 

After HS I never expected to strap on the pads again but the spring semester of my freshman year in college (D3 school) I meant to sign up for a lifeguard class so I could do that as a summer job but accidentally typed in 1 wrong number and signed up for spring practice class with the football team. I played WR and played good enough for the coach to ask me to walk on the next year. I decided to pass on the offer, was more into having fun at that time and didn’t want to put in the work. I played 3 years of rugby instead. I don’t regret that decision but every once in awhile I wonder what if because I still love football so much. 

 

I definitely learned a lot of technique type stuff when I played but nothing about play design or concepts. I learned way more about that by playing Madden. 
 

8 hours ago, Bobby Hooks said:

 

 

Long story short, I became a hotshot lawyer. Got in a little trouble with the law and was forced to be of service to my community and became a sandlot coach. Ended up playing against my old coach in the championship and won! 

 

That experience made me remember my love of the game. Thinking about giving it another shot in the arena league. But first things first I’m coaching my team in the junior goodwill games in Los Angeles. 

 

Wish me luck! 

 

Is that you coach Bombay??? 

Edited by Maybe Someday
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Couldn't  because of medical reasons.  Has my kidney out at 4 (1961). Doctors said I could do anything except where I could het hit in the back (Tackle football, hockey and high diving). When playing with my friends, I let them know that if I had the ball, ut was 2 hand touch (rarely got the ball). Also I peaked at 5'4" and that was in senior year.

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Just now, Wacka said:

Couldn't  because of medical reasons.  Has my kidney out at 4 (1961). Doctors said I could do anything except where I could het hit in the back (Tackle football, hockey and high diving). When playing with my friends, I let them know that if I had the ball, ut was 2 hand touch (rarely got the ball). Also I peaked at 5'4" and that was in senior year.

 

Could have maybe got a transplant if you really wanted to play?

 

Just joking...😷

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Too small/Would have been steamrolled.  I think being smart and small  saved ne from bring bullied. Remember I was friends with a lot of the jocks.  The basketball star was smart too ( we were both in the top 15 in the class. He  became an Asst DA in Erie Couny.

 

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23 minutes ago, ROCBillsBeliever said:

I played Freshman and JV, in High School, before realizing that a 140 lb, 5 ft. 6.5 inch kid is NOT made to play football. I was only good because I was very quick (played soccer since I was 6, so I had footwork that translated well to RB). Mostly played RB, kickoff and return gunner, and what our coaches called a "Monster Back" (which is ironic, seeing as I was a pipsqueak). Basically, they had us cover a 5-yard zone from one hash to the sideline. Looking back, it was cool that we actually played zone in HS! Some of my favorite moments:

 

-Blitzed all the way around the OT, once, and caught an opposing RB from behind and horse-collared him. Didn't get a penalty, BUT I broke my nose, gave myself a concussion, and saw stars (I didn't have a middle-bar on my helmet, and the RB was so surprised at being tackled behind the line, from behind, that his forearm whipped back and cracked me in the nose)... That was cool. Stayed in the game because... hey... it was the 90's. Also, never missed a practice with the broken nose. Just got a visor/shield installed on my helmet.

 

-Once was gunner while playing against the younger brother of Syracuse Orange Hoops' legend, John Wallace. The kid was probably 220 or more, and maybe 6 ft. 2. I had one play where he pancaked me three different times on a return, and I kept getting up. Ended up tackling the return man. Again... I was fast, but that's about it.

 

-Once made a tackle, playing gunner, where I started on the far side of the field, looped around, caught up to the KR (running alongside him about 5 yards away), then turned and slammed him into the opposing cheerleaders. Looked up at the ladies and winked. That was cool.

 

-Last one: On a RB play, I carried 7 kids into the endzone. I refused to stop or go down, and the refs let the play roll because they couldn't stop forward progress. 

 

For some reason, this reminds me of a funny old story. A guy I worked with had kids at the same school as our son. Our son was a solid QB his senior year, a better runner than passer, first team all-area (despite Manatee High being #1 in the country that year and eating up most of the spots) and getting recruited by a bunch of schools. The last game of the year we played the weakest team on the schedule. My son was not allowed to throw after the first quarter even though he would have been the first kid in school history to run and pass for over 1,000 yards. 

 

SO, early in the second half they bring in my friend’s son. He is ALL puffed up to see his son in at RB rather than just a rare ST play. Our HS OL averaged about 285 LB and on the first run he gets about 5 yards. His dad is exploding with pride!  It was a fluke. He may have been small, but he was a slow little dough ball. For the next two quarters he just gets beaten like a piñata! He could NOT handle the contact even against a smaller school. He would get the ball and immediately just duck. It was awkward! My son would pull the ball out and head to the sideline before sliding to keep the clock running. 

 

After the game the parents and kids came together to talk. His son said “&*^%$! I used to be jealous seeing him (my son) get all those carries, but I want no part of that $#%@!”  There was a reason my son came home every Friday night with two bags of ice and went straight to the tub (while the rest of the team was drinking beer and smoking weed around a bonfire somewhere). 

 

The dad later “left” the bank after he allowed a teller with a sick kid to come to work and bring the sick kid with her and play behind the teller line so mom didn’t miss work and leave them short handed. Unfortunately, that was the day bank robbers decided to hit that branch, jumping over the teller line with guns in hand with a 6 year old in the middle of things. 

 

Some families have all the (bad) luck. Sometimes it’s self induced. 

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