Jaylon Smith Wins
- Thread starter wicker
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Bodizephax
I've posted how many times?
Agreed.. Such a true role model both on and off the field. I think he goes pro and wish him continued success in the NFL.
Dick Butkus is 74 today. Not only he is the best linebacker to ever play the game, he is the games greatest player of all time and changed the game like no other.
I had the opportunity to meet and have a few beers with Butkus and his brother a few years ago. It was an outstanding time and his stories still ring in my ear and make me smile. A true football warrior and an all around good guy very proud of his South Side of Chicago roots.
He was a pretty good running back at Illinois too.[/Q
I think you might be confusing him with Jim Grabowski.
Dick Butkus played both ways for Illinois in the 1964 season. He was a very good running back and a first round pick as a linebacker for the Chicago Besrs. The Bears had two first round picks, the other running back from Kansas had a pretty good career, too!
I started following football at the tail end of his career - big time idol for me as a child. Saw a story one time where he wanted to go to ND but ND didn't offer rooms for married players so he went to Illinois instead. He was dedicated to his high school sweetheart more than playing for ND.
I disagree and believe he is just that ridiculously talented. Again I've never seen a player as quick in the first seven yards. Notice I said player as that covers everyone.
But I don't think he was used properly whatsoever. Had he been used properly there would be no mistaking he would probably be the #1 overall pick in the draft. He is that freakishly talented!
Either way congrats to Jaylon
Butkus, Lambert, 1, 2
Then distantly
Lewis, singletary, urlacher in any order make up 3,4,5
I do not blame him for leaving. Money aside, BVG did not showcase his talent enough on defense. Why he kept blitzing Schmidt when that was so unproductive all year still astonishes me.
define unproductive ? blitzing is not necessarily done for the sole reason of sacking the quarterback. quite the contrary. the primary reason for a blitz is to disrupt the rhythm of the play and force the qb to make a decision before he's prepared to make it. if it results in a sack all the better but the sack is rarely the primary goal.
Did you tell him that you were "hopnored" at ND?
PS Watching reruns of "My 2 Dads" while getting sauced doesn't count as hanging out with him. I like how you threw in a brother... I will await tiny Tim's support of your lunacy.
I was defining it by the number of sacks. I see what you are saying but I prefer pressure resulting in sacks because that gets into the QB's head. The less time they have back there to make a decision the better IMO.
Jaylon is One of the very best sideline to sideline linebackers I've seen at the college level. Incredible speed and athleticism. Kelly played him in position to maximize this, and in context of the overall strengths and weaknesses of our front seven. Suggesting he won the Butkus award inspite of this is way off base in my opinion.
From the Butkus award site:
http://www.thebutkusaward.com/news.aspx
- 12/8/2015JAYLON SMITH OF NOTRE DAME WINS 31st COLLEGIATE BUTKUS AWARD®
Smith becomes second to win at high school and collegiate level
SOUTH BEND, Ind. – (December 7, 2015) – The 31st annual collegiate Butkus Award® honoring the nation’s best collegiate linebacker was presented today to Jaylon Smith, a junior at Notre Dame.
The award was presented at a surprise event before coaches, players and family at a football practice today involving Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus and his son Matt, who was on hand to present the trophy.
Smith of Notre Dame received 89 overall points in the Butkus voting, followed by senior Reggie Ragland of Alabama (61 points) and sophomore Raekwon McMillan of Ohio State (20 points).
Others receiving votes included Leonard Floyd of Georgia and Deion Jones of Louisiana State University, and write-in votes for Tyler Matakevich of Temple, Kentrell Brothers of Missouri, Anthony Walker of Northwestern and Antonio Morrison of Florida.
Smith becomes just the second person to have won the high school and collegiate Butkus Award, along with Notre Dame alumnus Manti Te’o who currently is a starting linebacker for the San Diego Chargers.
The selection committee stated: “Jaylon Smith is an exceptional athlete with the instincts, explosion and striking ability that can tilt the field. He can rush the passer, cover receivers and consistently makes his presence felt all over the field against the run. He's an impact player who leads by example and is as talented as any college linebacker to win the award the last decade."
“Reggie Ragland is a very physical, well-rounded football player who also generated many first-place votes for his tenacity and playing strength. He's a hammering hitter. It became a two-man race between Smith and Ragland after Myles Jack suffered a knee injury early in the season.”
The Butkus Award® selection committee is comprised of football coaches, recruiters, talent scouts and journalists who study football talent yearlong. They follow a 3-2-1 voting procedure and are afforded write-in opportunities for any linebacker who does not make the finalist cut.
Selectors are asked to recognize the qualities that defined Butkus’ career, heavily factoring the following five traits: toughness (physicality and mental perseverance), on-field leadership (intimidating presence and respected tone-setter), competitiveness (intensity, football temperament and relentless effort), football character (work ethic, drive and determination) and most fundamentally, linebacking skills (instincts, tackling, filling, angles, balance, knee bend, blitzing, shedding, playmaking and cover skills), especially in critical situations.
Last year’s collegiate winner was Eric Kendricks of UCLA, who is now part of the Minnesota Vikings.
A Butkus Award high school winner will be named later in December, and the pro winner will be named in January 2016.
Created in 1985, the Butkus Award was expanded in 2008 to honor linebackers at three levels while spreading the word about Butkus’ I Play Clean™ initiative which encourages teens to eat well, train hard, and play with attitude instead of using performance-enhancing drugs. The I Play Clean initiative is supported in part by the NFL and NFL Players Association Research and Education Foundation. More information is available atwww.iplayclean.org and on Facebook ati.play.clean.
The Butkus Award, www.thebutkusaward.com and on Facebook at 51.butkus, is presented by the Butkus Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The Butkus Award is part of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA) which includes the 21 most prestigious awards in college football with 678 years of selection excellence. Visit www.NCFAA.org for more information.
"As a junior this season, Smith paced Notre Dame with 113 tackles including 9.0 for loss and 1 sack. Smith also recovered two fumbles and forced another. Stats do not do justice to what Smith has meant for the Notre Dame defense in 2015, however. Smith was all over the field for Notre Dame this season and his athleticism and freakish ability allow Smith to make play after play that no other linebacker could have made."
I like his comment about being that "quick in the first seven yards." Lol, what the hell is that? Why not six or eight yards? Kind of like proper zone read verification. I love pretenders.
88did you get to see Tommy Nobis , Ray Nitschke,Joe Schmidt[not the current Irish player], or Jim Lynch play? I don't believe that Lambert was even the best linebacker on his own defense. Just an old guys opinion.
So should ND have never blitzed Schmidt? Only blitzed Jaylon from the Will or Onwualu from the Sam, or a safety? Kind of limiting the blitzing ND could use don't you think? Save the "well I mean just don't blitz him as much" comment if you were going to say that.
There were plany of times where ND was successful blitzing Schmidt. There were plenty of times they were unsuccessful blitzing Schmidt. Same thing for Jaylon Smith. Same thing for every player. Should ND not blitz those players?
You want to blitz Jaylon more? I don't know if that's a good idea. He blows a lot of coverages out there, maybe he doesn't do what he's supposed on a blitz often enough?
As far as blitzing, at least against the pass, its often about beating the protection scheme or confusing the players who are in the protection scheme, so its not crucial who is blitzing. Its not going to matter a whole lot if the lineman picks him up (Jaylon or Schmidt). He probably won't be getting to the QB. Its also not going to matter a whole lot if no one picks him up (Jaylon or Schmidt) because he WILL be getting to the QB.
Its mostly about taking up space and a lot of it is irrelevant whose actually blitzing. Not that there isn't skill involved either.
Thanks for correcting me - it has completely changed my way of thinking
You got anything real to say in response besides a sarcastic remark?
Probably not. Have fun being a simpleton.
Tell me in what world does the nr. 1 LB in the nation have only one sack? And, a guy playing next to him who will probably never get drafted has twice as many sacks. If you can't see what is clearly under you nose then nothing I can say will help you.
Again, this is what simpletons do. They use one simple stat to justify their opinion. Perhaps the coaches think there is more value in not blitzing Jaylon as often?
Beaides, my original comment to you had nothing to with Jaylon's actual play. It was to point out that its ignorant to ask "why keep blitzing Schmidt"? That's all.
