FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[CBE]

Will everyone join in and sing Happy Birthday to Kid if I start?   Happy Birthday Kid!!!   

[beenhit2hard]

In ref to being 6'6' AND 330 IN D 3 FOOTBAL,,, Mount Union made a living taking kids that were big, a little slow etc and were passed over,,,coached them up and they became pretty good,,, big Bob Bradley came in at 6'  6 and 350,,,,,worked hard, dropped to 305 and was a very good player on 2 ncaa champ teams . He was from VA and was overlooked by the big schools,,and many more like him who played fpr Mount Union. D 1 needs them to be ready to play right out of HS,,, d 3 can coach them for a year or two and get them ready,,,so maybe E&H is going to try to do the same. I hear they have 7 or so over 300 lbs coming in on the o line

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

In ref to being 6'6' AND 330 IN D 3 FOOTBAL,,, Mount Union made a living taking kids that were big, a little slow etc and were passed over,,,coached them up and they became pretty good,,, big Bob Bradley came in at 6'  6 and 350,,,,,worked hard, dropped to 305 and was a very good player on 2 ncaa champ teams . He was from VA and was overlooked by the big schools,,and many more like him who played fpr Mount Union. D 1 needs them to be ready to play right out of HS,,, d 3 can coach them for a year or two and get them ready,,,so maybe E&H is going to try to do the same. I hear they have 7 or so over 300 lbs coming in on the o line

I'd think it's better to have shorter and mobile offensive line in an offense where you run a lot and the QB is an option-type player.  For instance, BC had only four 300+ pounders on the roster last year (two of which weren't in the rotation), and the average height of the five starters was 6'1''.  The reason why I think it's better (on the D3 level) to have smaller offensive linemen, is because you don't have overly huge defensive linemen pushing against you ... so you don't need to have an equal (or more) amount of weight and strength to block.  That's why I think D3 offensive linemen are looked over by D1 schools ... because on that level, there are a lot of 6-3, 265 lb defensive linemen ... so a 6-1, 260 lb offensive lineman usually won't cut it.  And that's why I think there is usually something "wrong" with a lineman when he's 6'6'', 330 lbs heading to a D3 school.  Sure he might be a project, but D1 schools take on projects too if they think they have potential.

I'll admit, though, that I used to look at recruiting lists and see how many 300+ lb linemen are coming in, or how tall the WRs are ... but now I know that neither really means much.  Shoot, our coaches usually encourage any linemen that come in at 300+ down to the 270-280 size ... I know our best returning lineman (Anthony Cotton) was 320+ to start the 2005 season, and he got better as he lost weight (I believe he's under 300 now).

But anyway, I guess there are sometimes diamonds in the rough with a 6'6'', 330 lb lineman playing D3.  Not saying it never happens.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Here are the heights and weights of the 10 offensive linemen who earned D3football.com AA 1st and 2nd team last season;

6-5, 320 - Jason Lewis, Mount Union 
6-2, 260 - Jim Masso, Union
6-6, 290 - Brady Ramseier, UW-Whitewater
6-0, 295 - John Schultz, St. John Fisher
6-0, 270 - Damien Ciecwisz, Delaware Valley
5-10, 250 - Josh Knox, Hardin-Simmons
6-1, 280 - Shawn Papp, Capital
6-1, 270 - Paul Getty, Bridgewater (Va.)
6-3, 295 - Ryan Johnson, Central
6-1, 235 - Mike Zeifert, Augustana

Average height is 6-2, average weight is 277.  And as you can see, only one 300+ lb guy.

[pakownr97]

Here are the heights and weights of the 10 offensive linemen who earned D3football.com AA 1st and 2nd team last season;

6-5, 320 - Jason Lewis, Mount Union 
6-2, 260 - Jim Masso, Union
6-6, 290 - Brady Ramseier, UW-Whitewater
6-0, 295 - John Schultz, St. John Fisher
6-0, 270 - Damien Ciecwisz, Delaware Valley
5-10, 250 - Josh Knox, Hardin-Simmons
6-1, 280 - Shawn Papp, Capital
6-1, 270 - Paul Getty, Bridgewater (Va.)
6-3, 295 - Ryan Johnson, Central
6-1, 235 - Mike Zeifert, Augustana

Average height is 6-2, average weight is 277.  And as you can see, only one 300+ lb guy.

Good post, Kid.  I kinda doubted your point about OL size, but I think the above chart shows your point is valid.  BTW, that guy from HSU must be awesome to make All-American at 5-10. 

I guess it must be true.  Size doesn't matter.

(At least that's what I tell my wife!)

P.S.  Happy Birthday to you! Apparently a day late.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

[...] BTW, that guy from HSU must be awesome to make All-American at 5-10. 

Shoot, how about the guy from Augustana weighing 235 lb?  Perhaps that isn't accurate (the Augie website didn't have a roster, so I got his ht/wt from the AFCA AA press release).

P.S. Happy Birthday to you! Apparently a day late.

Thanks!!

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Will everyone join in and sing Happy Birthday to Kid if I start?   Happy Birthday Kid!!!   

How sweet ...   lol

Actually, Lauren surprised me by coming to Harrisonburg and taking me out to dinner ... little did I know she had asked a group of friends to join us for a double surprise dinner party ... Coach Clark was even in attendance!  Man is Lauren good...

[MommaG]

Happy Birthday Kid (late) and Wedding Congratulations (early)!

[beenhit2hard]

o line recruiting depends on the style of "O" that you run,,and D 1 is limited by numbers by the NCAA,,,so they must be very specific in recruiting an average player that is a big guy . D 3  numbers (MUC usually has 200 or so ) are unlimited in most cases(some leagues  like wisconsin league have limits)  so D 3 can bring those kids in and work with them . One of the few that I coached in high school/college that made it to the NFL for 6 years was my 3rd best o lineman as a senior ,,a big school took a chance on an average player ,,but  a big kid  at 6' 5" 290  and developed him to an all big ten  in his 4th and 5th years,,  my starters were 6,,'220,, and 6' 1"  210  ,,they were more athletic,, .

as a coach  it is easier to make a big kid good,, than it is to make a good player (6"1) into a kid who is 6' 6"  and good

[WLU78]

NEWS FLASH-----BCAC ISSUES APB FOR BRIDGEWATER ATHLETIC DEPT!!!!

Two news flashes---- Neither mention the vaunted Bridgewater athletic juggernaut for top spot.........

http://www.ferrum.edu/athletics/vasid/Releases/6-14-06.htm 

Let's see 65% is just about 2 out of 3 everytime you step on the field, not to shabby!

And 10 out of 12 ain't bad for #14 is it?

http://www.odaconline.com/comm_cup.htm

But hey, it's only country club sports isn't it?

[hasanova]

NEWS FLASH-----BCAC ISSUES APB FOR BRIDGEWATER ATHLETIC DEPT!!!!

Two news flashes---- Neither mention the vaunted Bridgewater athletic juggernaut for top spot.........

http://www.ferrum.edu/athletics/vasid/Releases/6-14-06.htm 

Let's see 65% is just about 2 out of 3 everytime you step on the field, not to shabby!

And 10 out of 12 ain't bad for #14 is it?

http://www.odaconline.com/comm_cup.htm

But hey, it's only country club sports isn't it?

Congratulations to W&L!  It's great when a school can combine both academic achievement and athletic prowess.  That's a dual feat not easily accomplished and I'd like to see my school earn that distinction as well.  Yes, not too shabby.

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

Neither mention the vaunted Bridgewater athletic juggernaut for top spot.........

http://www.ferrum.edu/athletics/vasid/Releases/6-14-06.htm 

Odd ... I just tallied our overall record for all sports, and we were 187-102-5 for the 2005-06 season.  That gives us a 64.5 winning percentage.  Looks like (if I did it correctly), W&L and BC aren't all that different

And 10 out of 12 ain't bad for #14 is it?

http://www.odaconline.com/comm_cup.htm

Congrats ... W&L has an excellent overall athletic program.  BC coming in second (overall) is amazing considering our women's soccer (5-10-3), men's basketball (9-16) and women's lacrosse (4-11).

We're the only school in the nation that can say our football (No. 12), women's basketball (No. 23) and baseball (No. 25) teams finished the season ranked in the final polls.  Not shabby, either.

[WLU78]

"Odd ... I just tallied our overall record for all sports, and we were 187-102-5 for the 2005-06 season.  That gives us a 64.5 winning percentage.  Looks like (if I did it correctly), W&L and BC aren't all that different"

Just different enough to make the podium, or not!!

Good job to the Eagles as well!!!

Now if the Generals can just break the stranglehold on King Football order will be restored in the valley!!!!

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

NEWS FLASH-----BCAC ISSUES APB FOR BRIDGEWATER ATHLETIC DEPT!!!!

Head-to-head (W&L and BC), the Eagles won eight of the games/matches while the Generals won six:

Baseball BC 11, W&L 10 BC 6, W&L 2 Men's Basketball BC 70, W&L 47 BC 64, W&L 56 Women's Basketball BC 71, W&L 46 BC 70, W&L 47 Field Hockey W&L 7, BC 0 Football BC 17, W&L 13

Women's Lacrosse W&L 17, BC 2 Men's Soccer BC 3, W&L 2 Women's Soccer W&L 9, BC 0 Men's Tennis W&L 7, BC 0 Women's Tennis W&L 8, BC 1 Volleyball W&L 3, BC 0

And if you want to take into account the non-head-to-head sports, W&L "won" six and BC two:

Men's Cross Country W&L 26, BC 109 Women's Cross Country W&L 25, BC 100 Men's Indoor Track & Field BC 70, W&L 67 Women's Indoor Track & Field W&L 106, BC 46

Equestrian W&L 19, BC 16 Golf W&L +32, BC +41 Men's Outdoor Track & Field BC 106, W&L 45 Women's Outdoor Track & Field W&L 119, BC 68

Really not that big of a difference.  We're better in the big boy sports ... and you guys are better with a racket and stick, with jogging and with riding horses.

[WLU78]

"Really not that big of a difference.  We're better in the big boy sports ... and you guys are better with a racket and stick, with jogging and with riding horses"

Good breakdown Kid.  Now back to the question I posited a while back that nobody will address;

Does the difference in admission standards mean larger recruiting pools (especially in "big boy sports") for the Eagles?