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Did you play football, at any level?


Ray Stonada

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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 ;)

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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. 🤢

 

 

 

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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.  

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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!

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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. 

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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....)

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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.)

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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 by Augie
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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....👍👍👍

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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. 

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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.

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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. 😉

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