Did you play football, at any level?

[smuvtalker]

2 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

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

Hey, it was all about the experience right??  🙂   wouldn't trade it for the world 

 

BTW, my sophomore year, we beat Miami, (Pete Gonzalez was our quarterback), 21-17. It was Walt Harris rookie year as HC, and Miami was ranked 22nd in the nation.  We had just come off a 2 win season the year prior, and we were picked to finish dead last in the Big East that year. 

 

We tore down the goal posts after that win 😄

Edited February 18, 2021 by smuvtalker

[4BillsintheBurgh]

3 hours ago, smuvtalker said:

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...

Hail to Pitt! Good stuff getting some money, I know it isn't the easiest thing to do.

 

I walked on for a couple years in 86 and 87 as a kicker. We were pretty successful, beat Penn state at home, went to bowl games both years. Some good players and coaches were on those teams.  It was the first two years of Mike Gottfried era. Then walked on the soccer team but that didn't work out. 

[Mr. K]

Middle through high school. I've considered joining some kind of flag league. Seems like it'd be fun.

[Ray Stonada]

52 minutes ago, Mr. K said:

Middle through high school. I've considered joining some kind of flag league. Seems like it'd be fun.

 

Me too. But at 45 with a bad knee I haven't taken the plunge...

[Wayne Cubed]

I started in Pop Warner but was a bit late to the game as there were kids that had been playing together for a couple years already. I kept at it all the way through High School but my Senior year I just didn't want to do it anymore. Couldn't stand the politics and the favoritism that happened. Unless you kissed the Varsity coaches @$$ you couldn't get any sort of playing time. Didn't matter if you were a better athlete if one of the coaches sons or nephews or cousin was on the team. And initially he didn't like players that came up through Pop Warner, cause it wasn't "his system" and would go to the kids that played Modified instead. Which soon backfired because most of the talent was coming up through Pop Warner. They had more funding and better equipment in comparison to the Modified public school programs.

 

Funny enough more than 30 years later, he is still coaching at the same High School despite only ever winning a division title back in the early 90s. Furtherest they ever got was regionals and he's had 1 player go to a D-1 school. Still worshipped as a god tho.

[BritBill]

19 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I have played precisely 1 game in the UK University league (which looks absolutely nothing like football and is a ramshackle amateurish joke to be honest). I am told it has professionalised a bit since but at the time I am not even sure it was safe there was no proper governing body, no proper officiating it was a shambles. 

 

Anyway I played safety and slot receiver. It was kind of fun but I learnt absolutely nothing about the game from that and all of my knowledge has come from watching, reading, listening and generally committing a lot of my spare time to it.

 

I've been to watch the York University football team play a couple of games over the last couple of years. If nothing else it was fun to watch. 

 

The play was disciplined and there was enough officialdom for it to be refereed to a standard where the game was watchable and enjoyed. Not much punting and almost every 4th down is a "go for it" situation so it was like a Bills regular season game 🙂

 

I also went to watch an under 19's match between Great Britain and Norway on Saturday morning. Neil Reynolds' son was playing QB for GB. That looked a slightly higher standard than the university games I've been to. 

 

My son plays (well he was) flag football on a Saturday morning at Leeds Carnegie Uni and he loves it it. They have flag football for 8-13 year olds then a it turns contact after that.

 

As for me, I've never touched a football in any organised way at all. And at 41 I don't want to. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by BritBill

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, BritBill said:

 

I've been to watch the York University football team play a couple of games over the last couple of years. If nothing else it was fun to watch. 

 

The play was disciplined and there was enough officialdom for it to be refereed to a standard where the game was watchable and enjoyed. Not much punting and almost every 4th down is a "go for it" situation so it was like a Bills regular season game 🙂

 

I also went to watch an under 19's match between Great Britain and Norway on Saturday morning. Neil Reynolds' son was playing QB for GB. That looked a slightly higher standard than the university games I've been to. 

 

My son plays (well he was) flag football on a Saturday morning at Leeds Carnegie Uni and he loves it it. They have flag football for 8-13 year olds then a it turns contact after that.

 

As for me, I've never touched a football in any organised way at all. And at 41 I don't want to. 

 

Yea I think it has got much better than when I went to Uni. That was before any sort of leagues existed and it felt very amateurish. I'm a few years younger than you but same generation and the opportunities kids have now to play American Football in the UK are way greater than anything we had. If you get into the NFL as a kid of 10/11/12 now and want to have a go at playing the game for fun there are routes available to you. I actually didn't get into the NFL until much later anyway I was 18 before I became a fan of the sport but certainly where I live in London now the interest is way up on what it was 15 years ago. 

[Mr. K]

6 hours ago, Ray Stonada said:

 

Me too. But at 45 with a bad knee I haven't taken the plunge...

I'm approaching my 40s and starting to feel what my dad spoke of when he told me "getting old sucks." Maybe give it a shot as long as the cost is something you're fine with walking away from. Cant replace being competitive.

[SoCal Deek]

I had an electric football game as a kid...does that count? It was really great until two players would lock arms and go round and round in a circle like a square dance. 

[Ray Stonada]

1 minute ago, SoCal Deek said:

I had an electric football game as a kid...does that count? It was really great until two players would lock arms and go round and round in a circle like a square dance. 

 

Counts. Had the same game! Can hear that buzzing whirring now.

[SoCal Deek]

2 minutes ago, Ray Stonada said:

 

Counts. Had the same game! Can hear that buzzing whirring now.

Did your version have the felt football that the kicker would put into the next room? It’d go so high over the goalposts that there was no way anyone knew if it went between the uprights.

Edited February 18, 2021 by SoCal Deek

[NoHuddleKelly12]

9 hours ago, smuvtalker said:

Hey, it was all about the experience right??  🙂   wouldn't trade it for the world 

 

BTW, my sophomore year, we beat Miami, (Pete Gonzalez was our quarterback), 21-17. It was Walt Harris rookie year as HC, and Miami was ranked 22nd in the nation.  We had just come off a 2 win season the year prior, and we were picked to finish dead last in the Big East that year. 

 

We tore down the goal posts after that win 😄

That’s awesome man!! And yes, I couldn’t agree with you more that I wouldn’t trade the overall experience of those years and the friendships forged on and off the field—going through miserable sweltering camps in August and freezing cold October/Nov. practices while the rest of the campus enjoyed an easier life (I was just north of you in NW Pa, Thiel College) has a way of building camaraderie...

[Bulldog]

I played JV & Varsity in high school & D3 in college. But since I am an old fart - that was back in the 70's. The game has changed so much since then that my "experience" is pretty much completely not applicable to today's game. Back then three yards & a cloud of dust & the wishbone were common schemes. O-lineman couldn't use their hands, & we were still taught to lead with our heads when tackling. It was just a different world back then ... but the cheerleaders where still appealing, glad some things never change!

[mabden]

4 years HS varsity football at RDE and LT in GO League. 

 

Played no pads tackle football in 6th - 8th grade after school pickup games in local park.

Edited February 18, 2021 by mabden

[Royale with Cheese]

HS.

 

We ran a Wing T offense and no playbook.

It was a numbers based offense.  The first number was where you lined up, the last number is where you run the route.  We had a lot of crossing patterns, slants and outs.

 

At the time it was great because the offense was easy to pick up.  But I wish I was in an offense that ran a more traditional offense so I could understand the X’s and O’s better.

[Bobby Hooks]

21 hours ago, teef said:

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can’t see the pic. I’m assuming it’s something about how proud you are of me. 

[machine gun kelly]

23 hours ago, HOUSE said:

I would never play that game, you could get all dirty

Primadona.

 

Im not sure if the relevance as lots of guys are great at DS football and coaching who didn’t play.  See Andy Reid, and BB.

 

I played youth and HS, and coached my kids and others for flag which was a great coaching experience with youngins considering this was an ultra competitive league (I thought too much as they recruited and scouted but it’s florida.  They are nuts down here).  My kids went into tackle and coached that fir a few years.  They were great but loved lax more.  Then I had pressure off me as I was just dad.

 

they were awesome and I could just sit back.  As a dad, playing is one thing but coaching you to help the, be their best. As a dad, you just sit back and just let them have fun.

 

I don’t know if it helps you with analysis.  I have spoken to so many guys (unisex phrase as women can do just as well) who’ve never played, but are guys I value.  GB is one of those as my guy from another pond loves the game and really never played.  I know there are a ton of other examples.  To me, I don’t care if you never played.  You’re opinion is just as important unless you write something that shows you don’t know the game.  I don’t think you have to play it to know it.

 

I could be wrong.  Bottom line is I value any solid opinions whether you played or not.  As my brother you used to say, don’t be a dumb ars.  Brothers.

Edited February 18, 2021 by machine gun kelly

[bobblehead]

High school Football.  College Rugby. Professional Techmo Bowl. 

[ROCBillsBeliever]

12 hours ago, Augie said:

 

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. 

 

@Augie Wow, that's a heck of a story! Thank you for sharing. That comment from your co-worker's kid was pretty hilarious! Love it.

[Golden*Wheels]

Played Pop Warner one year. Quit before the season started. Team won the national championship that year and got to go to Florida. D'oh.

[JMF2006]

On 2/17/2021 at 10:13 AM, Brennan Huff said:

I played as a kid up to JV high school. Then I discovered weed and alcohol 

 

Plus Chicks and Cars

[JMF2006]

HS  Jr at  Safety and BU WR/ST 1972/73

 

It interfered with my hockey so I didn't play again until 1984 when I move to Winterpeg with my job. 

 

I played flag football in a church league out there that had full contact on the line I played LT/RT and DT/DE I only came off the field when we kicked.

 

Every week guys were getting broken bones.

 

I was lucky and never got injured but I did have to pay a lot of fines for language as there was no swearing allowed

 

I played in a local flag league in Niagara Falls in 90/91 but retired from football for hockey in the beer league

On 2/17/2021 at 10:20 AM, Don Otreply said:

Add in the desire for the  ladies, and I’m there... 😁 

 

sure beat the hell out of high school football... 

 

Yes chesterfield rugby is the game

[ALLEN1QB]

Starting qb in preschool.

[WideNine]

TE and DE thru HS, enjoyed the sport, but not elite enough to garner scholarships beyond the academic variety.

 

Coached and my son played both ways for a large HS and guard in college.

 

After the last one we had to have some tough concussion discussions and I respected his decision to hang up the cleats.

 

Put a dent in my wallet though over his final years. The kid is doing well now interning in DC.

 

Actually wants to go into politics. 🤢

 

 

 

[hondo in seattle]

I once scored two TDs in a high school game - both on end rounds.  Well, it was a practice game actually - a scrimmage against our own winless JV squad.  

 

Discouraged by my poor high school career that finished with a six game losing streak, I gave up on organized tackle football and switched flag football in college  instead.  One season, I led the league in receptions, interceptions, and touchdowns.  Considering all the real football players of that age were on college teams, spending time in the gym, working with position coaches, and all that - my achievement only proved that I was perhaps one of the least pathetic of the pretenders and wannabes playing flag.  A slightly bigger minnow in a little pond full of minnows.  

 

The highlight of my flag career was at a DIII school where all the black players walked off the college team (due to a racist comment by one of the coaches) and formed a flag team.  They were undefeated when we met them and I was thrilled when I lined up at wideout and found an ex (starting?) DIII DB covering me, with an ex DIII safety helping out.  This was big time competition - my personal Super Bowl.  There were 30 - maybe more - fans lining the field expecting my team to get blown out.  Dramatically, I scored 2 TDs - one on a 50 yard bomb - in the first half as we rolled on to hand them their first (and only) loss of the regular season.

 

I really want to sit down with Andre Reed one day and compare resumes.  

[UB2SF]

Interesting thread, OP.  I was an RB/DB through high school, voted first-team all-league RB for Finger Lakes East division in the mid-80s.  Pretty good player on a very bad team.  Recruited by several D3 schools, but decided that the time/energy/injuries to play D3 wouldn't be worth sacrificing the true college experience (partying, girls, music).  The thing that sticks with me as a fan/viewer is how hard you have to work to be an all-around RB, especially in the passing game (route-running, crisp play-action fakes, and pass-protection).  I literally still have dreams about trying to sort out which blitzer to block!

[Nester]

High School (for a city team not my actual school) 

i was a DT, i was terrible. 

[C.Biscuit97]

28 minutes ago, WideNine said:

TE and DE thru HS, enjoyed the sport, but not elite enough to garner scholarships beyond the academic variety.

 

Coached and my son played both ways for a large HS and guard in college.

 

After the last one we had to have some tough concussion discussions and I respected his decision to hang up the cleats.

 

Put a dent in my wallet though over his final years. The kid is doing well now interning in DC.

 

Actually wants to go into politics. 🤢

 

 

 

As someone who graduated with a political science degree, stop him haha. 

[eball]

35 minutes ago, WideNine said:

and my son played both ways

 

We're a non-judgmental board, you're safe here.

[CaliBills]

Played from Pop-warner through HS.

 

Pop-warner was a RB/LB then DE/OL as I was getting a lil chubby.

 

HS started OLB for varsity 3 years in SW Florida late 90's.  Played against Edgerin James and his brothers/cousins.

 

Loved playing though coaches stripped chance at being team captain because I wrestled. (coaches must of been jealous of the wrestling team since we were two-time state champs as a team and the football team only won districts once in 10 years....)

[WideNine]

9 minutes ago, eball said:

 

We're a non-judgmental board, you're safe here.

 

Very non-judgy crowd indeed 😁

 

 

[DD4Bills]

On 2/17/2021 at 10:07 AM, Steve O said:

Just out of curiosity, when Canadians play sandlot football do they play with 3 or 4 downs?

 

Soccer in HS here, intramural flag football in college and some organized flag in my 30's and 40's.

Don't recall how we did it when just playing backyard/sandlot football, but the organized youth football played by Canadian rules (3 downs, longer field, etc.)

[Augie]

12 hours ago, ALLEN1QB said:

Starting qb in preschool.

 

My son’s best friend was the QB of our freshman team in HS because he said he had experience playing QB. He got quite a bit of grief when it was learned that his center on that team was a girl. 

 

My son and this same kid, along with one other buddy, learned that if a school didn’t have a team for both boys and girls in any sport they were required to let the other gender try out for that team. They felt compelled to try out for the girl’s volleyball team in middle school. I found it amusing, but we knew a teacher there who said the administration was extremely concerned. After making the team, they backed off. The REALLY funny part was the third kid did NOT makes the team. Talk about getting some grief!!!  

 

 

.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Augie

[Green Lightning]

I tried out for the team but the coach said I was short, but slow. 

[metzelaars_lives]

Freshman and JV.  Quit varsity after I got into Phish.

[Big Gun]

Played Pop Warner until I was 14 then played baseball in HS and college.

[smuvtalker]

21 hours ago, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

Hail to Pitt! Good stuff getting some money, I know it isn't the easiest thing to do.

 

I walked on for a couple years in 86 and 87 as a kicker. We were pretty successful, beat Penn state at home, went to bowl games both years. Some good players and coaches were on those teams.  It was the first two years of Mike Gottfried era. Then walked on the soccer team but that didn't work out. 

THAT is some good stuff my friend and fellow Panther!!!  Did u live on campus?  My freshman year I lived in Lothrop Hall, then the next year they moved me to Sutherland Hall....

 

To this day I STILL haven't gotten over them tearing down Pitt stadium and choosing to "share" Heinz Field with the Steelers.  There's something to be said about homefield advantage in college football....

12 hours ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

That’s awesome man!! And yes, I couldn’t agree with you more that I wouldn’t trade the overall experience of those years and the friendships forged on and off the field—going through miserable sweltering camps in August and freezing cold October/Nov. practices while the rest of the campus enjoyed an easier life (I was just north of you in NW Pa, Thiel College) has a way of building camaraderie...

Words of pure wisdom/experience my good man....👍👍👍

[4BillsintheBurgh]

24 minutes ago, smuvtalker said:

THAT is some good stuff my friend and fellow Panther!!!  Did u live on campus?  My freshman year I lived in Lothrop Hall, then the next year they moved me to Sutherland Hall....

 

To this day I STILL haven't gotten over them tearing down Pitt stadium and choosing to "share" Heinz Field with the Steelers.  There's something to be said about homefield advantage in college football...

I was on campus those first two years, tower b then tower c. Had to call the team the second year because in the lottery for housing and I was getting ready to come to camp and didn't have a room yet. They were able to get me that tower c room. 

I think the extra travel time would suck for practice, I've been to a couple of games and the feel is just different. I don't know how the students work it, but I know the frats on the hill used to roll into the student section feeling no pain, that was always good for the atmosphere. 😁

I have to assume it's good for recruiting, but I'm with you, it's not better on gameday. 

[Wizard]

I played in high school. The game is a lot different than the 90s. I played CB and as a weakside linebacker in some situations.

 

I understand the basic schemes and what the Bills are trying to do on defense, but the terminology and speed of the game makes me a complete but interested novice.

[ExWNYer]

On 2/17/2021 at 7:27 PM, 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!!)

 

😄

 

On 2/17/2021 at 8:57 PM, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

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

 

On 2/18/2021 at 12:14 AM, 4BillsintheBurgh said:

Hail to Pitt! Good stuff getting some money, I know it isn't the easiest thing to do.

 

I walked on for a couple years in 86 and 87 as a kicker. We were pretty successful, beat Penn state at home, went to bowl games both years. Some good players and coaches were on those teams.  It was the first two years of Mike Gottfried era. Then walked on the soccer team but that didn't work out. 

 

I had a (2nd?) cousin who played DB for Pitt from 1975-1978. The starting QB his Junior year was future NFLer Matt Cavanaugh. I know my cousin was a starter for at least his Senior year. I never met him but my family had just moved to VA his Senior year at Pitt (my Freshman year of HS) and I remember my dad pointing him out to me on TV during a game and saying, "There's your cousin." I don't know which was more odd, seeing a relative with the same last name on TV or seeing Pitt on TV in VA before we had cable. 😉