Player to Watch: Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois

Arrelious Benn is a big physical receiver, with all the tools to make an impact at the next level. He is entering his Junior season at the University of Illinois and has already left his mark. He had a standout Sophomore season including 1,055 yards and five touchdowns (three pass, and two rush). He also has several awards to go along with the numbers.

Benn posted 1,668 all purpose yards last season, which is third all time in Illinois history. He also became one of only four Illinois players to ever reach 1,000 yards in a season. Their is a good chance he could be headed to the NFL after this season so let's look at what he could do this year to improve his draft value.

Benn has a similar build and skill set as former North Carolina University standout and now New York Giant Hakeem Nicks. Both have great hands along with good straight line speed and the ability to go up and get the ball. NFL teams drool over players like this hoping they can turn them into a red zone threat as well as a deep option.

He runs well in open space as he only makes moves when need be, he finds the open spaces and runs through them. This is another attribute that will be helpful in the NFL as players are faster and holes close quickly. He is not a player that will blow you away with speed, that being said his routes are very precise and he finds himself open often because of this.

Benn has a knack for adjusting to the ball while it is in the air, this helps him to make the tougher plays down field. This also gives the QB a lot of confidence when throwing Benn's way. Benn uses his strength to shed defenders after the catch and get extra yards.

Benn has a very versatile quarter back in Juice Williams, and will be the number one option in Illinois passing game this season. Illinois has at least three other solid wide outs to take attention away from Benn. If players like Jeff Cumberland, Chris Duvalt, and Jarred Fayson can have good years then it will be tough to double Benn. If Williams can manage to find Benn in one on one coverage then Benn will be near impossible to stop.

Illinois is not really getting a lot of talk as far as the early top 25 is concerned, and for good reason, but they will certainly have an offense that will be able to give teams trouble. If Illinois has other players step up along side Benn he should be able to put up even better numbers then last year. Benn already has NFL size, hands, and instincts if he can put together another year like last NFL scouts will be all over him. Look for Benn to make big plays all year long and be talked about as one of the best wide outs in the NCAA at years end.

(The play that starts at 20 seconds is a joke...as a scout you can just leave after that play)


(Shouts to DraftParty)

The King of Pop, and Billy Mays

Three tragic losses in the past couple of days, I just wanted to recognize them here. We all know about MJ, he was an incredible performer and one of the greatest artists ever. Also from the entertainment world we lost actress Farrah Fawcett.

I could not make this post without including Billy Mays who passed away today. We are sad to see these people go. I have two videos below in remembrance.

(You can find many other videos here)

Golf Carts, Bats, Baskets, and Murse...

A drunken golfer thought it would be a good idea to drive forty miles in a golf cart after his playing partners left him because he was too drunk. He got pulled over after driving an entire mile, and thought he was still on the course. [JSonline]

Two sweet videos dropped recently. Both of them are picking up steam on youtube, and I guess your not cool unless you have seen them. Here they are. [Deadspin]

Vernon Davis is a beast, he has a skill set rivaled by few. His potential is through the roof and he can do things like this. But he also apparently does some things we did not know about. [Honeymag]

(Somebody find this kid and start giving him money...great form...)

Player to Watch: Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State

Jacquizz Rodgers has been underestimated much of his life, even when he continues to put up numbers he is still told that he is to small. This year might be the year where everything changes. Rodgers is coming off of a season where he rushed for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Oregon State and Rodgers had it's moment in the sun last year when they beat USC. People talked about Rodgers for a while but he was soon forgotten. This year Jacquizz should be looked at as one of the premier backs in college football. He has the tools for success and if he can have a sophomore season similar to his freshman one then he will certainly get noticed. Let's take a look at why Rodgers demands attention.

Rodgers graduated from Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated in Texas. He was not recruited by any major programs, this has to be because of his size, because he ran for 136 touchdowns in his four years there. 136 touchdowns is absolutely unheard of, I still can not believe that no major schools took a look at Rodgers. So Rodgers ended up with his brother at Oregon State.

You hear it all the time, but Rodgers certainly had something to prove his freshman year at Oregon State. Rodgers certainly proved that he can be one of the best running backs in the country with his breakout freshman season. When you think of smaller running backs you always think of quickness, because if your small you have to be quick to be successful. Rodgers is quick through the hole and side to side. He has great awareness and is able to avoid contact when running downhill.

Along with outstanding quickness Rodgers reads blocks very well. He takes advantage of defenders that attempt to arm tackle as he always keeps his legs moving. Rodgers is 5'7" and runs even lower giving defenders very little to tackle.

Rodgers only downside might be that sometimes he dances to much and gets himself in trouble in the backfield. I don't think that this is anything to worry about as he is still very young. If Rodgers can learn to hit the hole immediately all the time you will see an even better runner in 2009.

Rodgers can also play wide out and return kicks and punts, because of his size he might be able to do more of this immediately as a pro. The NFL is a long way away for Rogers as he will only be a Sophomore this season. Look for Rogers to rack up the yards early and get mentioned as a Heisman candidate. If he can run well all season then look for Oregon State to have a solid season and Rodgers to be on the Heisman list at the end of the year.



(This is his little brother, I think I know where he got his quickness from...)

Irrelevance, Grass, and T's

Time to give Mr. Irrelevant his time in the sun, for at least a day or two. Ryan Succop is about to sign for 1.2 mill. Pretty good for the last pick in the draft, job well done Mr. Succop. [Deadspin]

This is just ridiculous, I don't have any pictures or videos for this one just enjoy the read. [With Leather]

From the "really" department here is LBJ, being LBJ I guess. I really wish he would just be the LBJ we all want him to be. [TMZ]

Along the same lines, we have Kobe, making it clear that his teammates don't matter and his individual accomplishments do. I don't know anyone who is surprised here, but still, really? Maybe someone should do this again, just a thought. [Waiting For Next Year]

To be honest, I didn't like the shirt, but that does not mean I can't post some sweet videos of him prior to the whole shirt thing...

Player to Watch: Navorro Bowman, LB, Penn State

Penn State has a history of producing top college linebackers. With this years class of linebackers and one player in particular this again is the case.

Sean Lee who will be an All-American candidate along with Bowman this year, tore his ACL before the season started last year, leaving Bowman to fill the void. Bowman did just that as he lead Penn State in tackles with 106 and tackles for loss 16.5. Let's take a look at why this year might be even better for Bowman, and why people are talking about him as one of the top linebacker in the country.

Remember when I said that he led Penn State in tackles, and tackles for loss, well how much more impressive would it be if I told you he did not start in the teams first three games.

Bowman was a first team All-Big Ten selection and was also placed on the watch list for the 2009 Lombardi Award. Bowman had six pass deflections, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Looking at these statistics you can clearly see that Bowman has an all around game.

His speed allows him to make plays all over the field, and his strength helps him to get into the backfield and disrupt the opponent. Bowman certainly has special talents that make him standout from other linebackers. It is rare to find a linebacker who has the speed to defend the pass and also the strength to dominate the run game.

Sean Lee is extremely talented and will be a huge addition to this years Penn State team. Bowman will be welcoming the addition because it will open things up for him. Teams will no longer be able to double team Bowman, this will obviously allow Bowman to freely roam the outside a lot more often.

Bowman had a great season last year, and with Lee returning he should be ready for another. Bowman has a skill set that has NFL scouts drooling, if he can have another solid season he will surely be one of the most talked about linebackers heading to the NFL next year.

Doors, Gators, and 9.69...

On this roundup we have some very interesting stories, and if you got the hint a very fast man is set to run again.

First we have this, apparently Bob Huggins was walking around early in the morning and ran into a door. He now looks as if he was in a fight, and lost badly. I don't wanna say it but someone has to, maybe he was drunk.

The Orlando Sentinel has released a list of all the Florida University football players that have gotten in trouble. When you have to "page down" five times to get to the bottom of the list, you have a problem.

Usain Bolt is getting back on the track tonight to run the 100 meter dash. This just in I hope he wins because he is really awesome.
UPDATE: He won.

Alabama is in trouble. This seems to happen more then it should, but no one really ever seems to care.

Video time...do video's of people getting jacked up ever get old?...



...no

The Annexation of Puerto Rico

I gave this post a ridiculous title because the first link is, well, ridiculous. For those of you who can't quite remember the Annexation of Puerto Rico, it is one of the greatest and most ridiculous plays ever created. It just so happened to be the winning play in this memorable flick.

So picture this, you go to UCLA to play football, your good so you think you can play significant minutes. One thing leads to another and you find yourself on the outside looking in. You are pretty upset over the fact that UCLA no longer needs your services, so you do what anyone would do and write a ridiculous press release explaining your discomfort. Wait, what, yea this is one crazy kid, and family for that matter. I picture this kid and his family being the "crazy family" that everyone tries to explain but never can.

Next we have another post from the hilarious life of University of Connecticut football player Robert Lunn who now plays football in Austria. Let's just say the game is quite different over there.

I give this prediction a 4.8% chance of actually happening, yea that's right I am not even willing to go as high as five percent.

MMA training, because signaling in the plays is really hard if your not in top condition.

Today's video is a good one, I don't think you could hang your receiver out to dry worse if you tried every play the entire season. They are probably still on bad terms.

This is Getting Ridiculous

Ok, so you can measure strength in the bench press, and speed in the forty yard dash. You can watch a players footwork, and see how he moves in and out of his breaks. If none of these help you make your decision you can take them to the classroom and see how they understand the X's and O's, and if you want after that you can see how they watch and understand film.

Sure watching someone bench press and sprint is fun, but not to the point that you want to keep watching it, and not to the point where even people who don't watch football are impressed. A video found its way on to the internet this morning and since then has had the blog world on fire. I have the video and you will see it, but you will also see some other ridiculous videos that you have to see to believe.

Hit the jump if you are ready to see humans do things that humans should not do. I can't even do some of these things in my dreams let alone real life. These guys are still playing football while we write and read about it for a reason.

This first video is the most recent video, this is Redskins rookie wide receiver Keith Eloi jumping into the bed of a truck. His vertical is somewhere between 41'-44' aka high and high. You do not get to see players do things like this very often because they are usually worried about getting hurt, Eloi seems to be care free. Oh, I forgot one thing, he is wearing sandals...



Next we have the video mentioned in the first video. This is the Chicago Bears third round pick Jarron Gilbert jumping out of a pool. This video is not as hyped up as the first, but go try to jump in a pool. Personally getting out of pools without a ladder has always been kind of annoying, well for normal people. As you can see Mr. Gilbert has no problem with it at all.



Here we have one of my personal favorites, this is Adrian Wilson safety from the Arizona Cardinals. Just wait until he stands next to the bar after he jumps. This is just plain crazy. Apparently he is not the only one who can do this, but he is famous, so watch and be impressed.



Calvin Johnson has a skill set that is unmatched. Tall, strong, fast, and great hands. This video makes me think that he actually might be a robot or some sort of superhuman programmed to play football. Just keep in mind that the longest broad jump in this years combine was 11'3", by a corner back.

Player to Watch: Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State

Anyone who watches college football knows about Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy, and Tim Tebow. Those are the big names. Sometimes I like to shine a light on some players you might not know as well. I introduce to you Zac Robinson, quarterback from Oklahoma State.

Robinson was fifth in QB rating in 2008, and finished the season with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completed 65% of his passes and threw for 3,064 yards. Robinson also showed that he can run the ball if need be rushing for seven touchdowns.

If Robinson can have another season like this he will be one of the top QB's heading into the 2010 NFL draft. Oklahoma State has an explosive offense and can score in bunches, this being said their defense is lacking. If Oklahoma State can improve on the defensive side of the ball they will be a threat this season, and Zac Robinson might become a household name.

Everyone knows that a good tight end can be a quarterbacks best friend, this is the only thing that will be missing from the Cowboys offense this season. Among other things tight ends can make the short catch on third down, and provide backup blocking when the defense brings to many people for the line to handle. Brandon Pettigrew will certainly be missed, but good quarterbacks make it work with the tools they have.

What Zac Robinson does have is a solid running back in Kendall Hunter, and an elite WR in Dez Bryant. Bryant was second in the nation with 1,480 yards, and 19 touchdowns. Bryant helps Robinson elevate his game to new levels. Bryant is quick enough to get open on crucial short down conversions, and also possess the straight line speed to be a deep threat for Robinson.

With these weapons Robinson will certainly be someone you will want to keep an eye on. They have games against Texas, Texas Tech , and Oklahoma this season so you will be hearing about Robinson for sure, especially if they can knock off Texas or Oklahoma.

Robinson has showed that he can be the QB that leads Oklahoma State and it's program to new heights. Mark Schlabach has them at #10 in his early rankings, so a couple of big wins and we could see Robinson in the spotlight in a BCS bowl game.

(This just in, Robinson is tough)

Hmmmm...Interesting

This story just broke and I figured I would give it a post. Janoris Jenkins is a good football player on a great team. He is a lock down corner, and well a tough guy. Reports say that after being tased he got up and ran away.

This incident gives me an opportunity to post this, and this (another Florida student, although for very different reasons). Have a good rest of the day, and try not to do anything this stupid.