[Rocketfan]

You're all wrong about the best football player at LU, ever.

Gus Condon.

Correction best practice player ever ED........if i had a nickel for everytime i heard that......

[paradox]

James McKnight was the best athlete that I can remember and I'm talking prior to his serious knee injury that he sustained while playing at LU. I feel that he may have gotten the nod as the best ever had he not had injuries. He was a good character guy as well.

Guys like Gado and Green proved that they could hang in the NFL, but both saw limited action until their senior seasons.

LU had a few really decent QB's back in the NAIA days. From what I remember, most of them were undersized with the lone exception of Phil Basso who had good size for a QB. Basso had a big-time arm and put up some huge numbers. Basso had a big time college career and his talent level was good enough that he had a cup of coffee or two with the NFL's NY Jets.

[paradox]

Perhaps LU will finally actually win something in football and a truly great one will lead the way, but until that happens, it seems that we're left with NFL comparisons.

Banks was a big-time wide reciever in his college days and he was Dan Marino's third reciever back in the Clayton/Duper days. He was definetly at least as good as anyone that has been mentioned so far.

[flameshaw]

Yea, Green could hang just a little bit- like in All Pro.

[paradox]

There's no doubt that Green was a big-time pro talent, but he was mostly a poject at LU until his senior year when Sam took over. He definetly had his moments during his senior year, but he was mostly drafted for his potential and I agree, he lived up to it. From what I remember, Rutigliano still had strong ties with the Browns organization and persuaded them to draft Green. Cleveland's rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers surprised everyone and took Green a couple of spots before Cleveland, and the Browns lost out on Green, but he ended his with Art Modell and Ozzie Newsome in Baltimore after the Browns relocated there.

Without a doubt, Green is the most recognized and accomplished NFL talent to ever suit up at LU.

[Baldspot]

It should have been that QB from FL. I think his name was Jon Stark. He was at least 6'5 and had an NFL arm. He was one of the top QB's coming out of high school and literally could have played anywhere but his Dad had LU connections and wanted him at LU. I think he redshirted a year and then a controversy with another student ensued and he tranferred to Florida State, but ended up playing his senior year at some small NAIA school in the midwest. Trinity, I think?

Despite all of his bouncing in and out of colleges and the fact that most of his limited college action had been at the NAIA level, Stark was the first QB ever to be drafted by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens who still had connections with Rutigliano at the time.

From what I can remember, the kid had all of the skills to play QB in the NFL, but controversies emerged again in the NFL and he eventually lost his opportunity.

Stark was from TN. He got caught gambling on games while on the Ravens practice squad and banned for life from the league. A complete waste of a human being and the type of person we do not need to recruit. Student support for the football team fell off a cliff with the way Rutigliano handled the Stark's situation. To his credit, JF sent a letter to the student body explaining (apologizing) why he did not reign in Sam's antics sooner. I just hope the current coaching staff doesn't get greedy like Sam did and make the same mistakes.

[paradox]

Baldspot:

Thanks for clearing that one up for me. I was just an outsider looking in on that one and not a part of the student body.

I was aware that controversy followed him everywhere, and I was only referring to his talent level in terms of what he could have been, had he been more focused and stayed out of trouble.

[Baldspot]

You are right, he certainly had the talent. He was born to be an NFL QB. I saw him play for Fla St after he unceremoniously left LU and he looked really good. Bobbie Bowden could only stomach him for one year I guess. Unfortunately for Starks and those he came in contact with, his parents and coaches coddled him since he was a youngster until the felonies eventually caught up with to him and they could not cover for him anymore.