Like many college graduates pounding the pavement searching for a job these days, Everette Brown keeps plugging away and hoping to land with another NFL team.
The Beddingfield High graduate was cut by the Carolina Panthers just before the season (the same Panthers who made the former Florida State All-American defensive end their top draft pick in 2009). Most recently Brown was reported by Aaron Wilson of scout.com to have worked out with the Washington Redskins. That makes at least four teams — New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans and Detroit Lions being the other three — that have given Brown a tryout. Of course, tryouts of free agents are held each Tuesday in the NFL so that doesn't mean the Redskins are about to offer Brown a contract.
But considering Washington is the second-closest NFL city to Wilson, it'd be nice to see Brown wearing the burgundy and gold.
Showing posts with label pro football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pro football. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Brown gets workout with Titans
Former Carolina Panthers defensive end Everette Brown had a workout this week with the Tennessee Titans but hasn't been signed, as of Tuesday afternoon.
Brown, the Panthers' top pick in the 2009 NFL draft, was an All-American at Florida State after graduation from Beddingfield High. Carolina, under new head coach Ron Rivera, waived Brown a few days before the season began last week.
Brown, the Panthers' top pick in the 2009 NFL draft, was an All-American at Florida State after graduation from Beddingfield High. Carolina, under new head coach Ron Rivera, waived Brown a few days before the season began last week.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Change in D.C.? Not really
Mike Shanahan is the latest NFL coach to take Daniel Snyder's money and try to turn his dismal Washington Redskins into the winner they once were.
Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in the 1990s, was fired by Denver after missing the playoffs for the third straight year following the 2008 season. He fits Snyder's mold of having a past resume of greatness but I see no reason to believe he will fare any better than the other six guys who have had the job since Snyder bought the team in 1999.
From Norv Turner to Terry Robiskie to Marty Schottenheimer to Steve Spurrier to Joe Gibbs.2 to Jim Zorn, they have all failed to put the Redskins back in the Super Bowl where they practically lived in the 1980s. Shanahan will be no different. Hey, I know this time the Skins have a real general manager in Bruce Allen and not Vinny Cerrato, who Snyder finally dumped. But Cerrato wasn't the problem and neither were any of those coaches (except maybe Zorn).
The problem is Snyder and is insistence on throwing money at whatever free agent he thinks will be a good player. The Redskins are notoriously overpaid and when people collect a greater wage than even they think they're worth, they don't produce like they do when they're hungry.
I grew up a Redskins fan. They were the first team I ever liked, mainly because they had a player whose last name I thought was "Hamburger," which seemed tré cool to a 7-year-old in 1973. (It was really Chris Hanburger, who played collegiately at North Carolina but so what?). I've followed them through thick and thin but over the past 5 years, I just can't get excited anymore. Once Gibbs, who is the greatest NFL coach in my lifetime (that's right, Bill Walsh had Joe Montana; Gibbs had Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien!) failed in his second coming in D.C., I knew that Snyder was the problem.
The sad thing about Snyder is that we are roughly the same age and he grew up a Skins fan, too. So I'm sure most of his formative experiences as a sports fan are similar to mine. I remember standing on the field in Candlestick Park back in December of 1999, shortly after Snyder became the owner. I had a field pass from the San Francisco 49ers office and was hanging out watching the teams warm up. At the time, I was not a Norv Turner fan at all and hoped Snyder would get rid of him. I watched Snyder making his rounds, chatting with various coaches and official-looking men and wondered if I should just go up to him, shake his hand and explain that we were both Skins fans since we started school and implore him to not let our team turn into one of the league's laughing stocks.
But I didn't do it and now if I had the chance to speak to Snyder directly, I'd let him know the past decade of failure lies squarely at his feet. But I have to believe he understands that now. Still, I don't expect the Redskins to go back to the Super Bowl until Snyder's association with the franchise is completely severed and that's not going to happen until he's dead or runs out of money.
Good luck, Shannie. You're going to need it!
Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls as the head coach of the Denver Broncos in the 1990s, was fired by Denver after missing the playoffs for the third straight year following the 2008 season. He fits Snyder's mold of having a past resume of greatness but I see no reason to believe he will fare any better than the other six guys who have had the job since Snyder bought the team in 1999.
From Norv Turner to Terry Robiskie to Marty Schottenheimer to Steve Spurrier to Joe Gibbs.2 to Jim Zorn, they have all failed to put the Redskins back in the Super Bowl where they practically lived in the 1980s. Shanahan will be no different. Hey, I know this time the Skins have a real general manager in Bruce Allen and not Vinny Cerrato, who Snyder finally dumped. But Cerrato wasn't the problem and neither were any of those coaches (except maybe Zorn).
The problem is Snyder and is insistence on throwing money at whatever free agent he thinks will be a good player. The Redskins are notoriously overpaid and when people collect a greater wage than even they think they're worth, they don't produce like they do when they're hungry.
I grew up a Redskins fan. They were the first team I ever liked, mainly because they had a player whose last name I thought was "Hamburger," which seemed tré cool to a 7-year-old in 1973. (It was really Chris Hanburger, who played collegiately at North Carolina but so what?). I've followed them through thick and thin but over the past 5 years, I just can't get excited anymore. Once Gibbs, who is the greatest NFL coach in my lifetime (that's right, Bill Walsh had Joe Montana; Gibbs had Joe Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien!) failed in his second coming in D.C., I knew that Snyder was the problem.
The sad thing about Snyder is that we are roughly the same age and he grew up a Skins fan, too. So I'm sure most of his formative experiences as a sports fan are similar to mine. I remember standing on the field in Candlestick Park back in December of 1999, shortly after Snyder became the owner. I had a field pass from the San Francisco 49ers office and was hanging out watching the teams warm up. At the time, I was not a Norv Turner fan at all and hoped Snyder would get rid of him. I watched Snyder making his rounds, chatting with various coaches and official-looking men and wondered if I should just go up to him, shake his hand and explain that we were both Skins fans since we started school and implore him to not let our team turn into one of the league's laughing stocks.
But I didn't do it and now if I had the chance to speak to Snyder directly, I'd let him know the past decade of failure lies squarely at his feet. But I have to believe he understands that now. Still, I don't expect the Redskins to go back to the Super Bowl until Snyder's association with the franchise is completely severed and that's not going to happen until he's dead or runs out of money.
Good luck, Shannie. You're going to need it!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Brown won't be in N.Y. for NFL draft
The NFL front office, at least, doesn't think former Florida State and Beddingfield High defensive end Everette Brown will be one of the first nine picks in its draft on April 25-26.
Brown wasn't among the nine players invited by the league to attend the first day of the draft in New York City's Radio City Music Hall.
So instead of waiting for his name to be called in the infamous "green room," perhaps Brown, the 2005 Wilson Daily Times Ironman of the Year, will await the phone call from his future employer from his parents' house in Stantonsburg.
Depending on what mock draft (and there are dozens on the Internet) you've seen, Brown could go anywhere in the first round from ninth to Green Bay to 11th to Buffalo to 13th to Washington to 14th to New Orleans or 19th to Tampa Bay. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. doesn't even have Brown in his top 16 and since I'm not an ESPN Insider, I can't check out the rest of Kiper's draft to find out who he thinks will take Brown, who ended his Seminoles career as one of the nation's top pass rushers.
The consensus does seem to suggest that Brown, who has played DE for his entire career, might end up as an outside linebacker in the NFL's current favorite 3-4 defense.
Brown wasn't among the nine players invited by the league to attend the first day of the draft in New York City's Radio City Music Hall.
So instead of waiting for his name to be called in the infamous "green room," perhaps Brown, the 2005 Wilson Daily Times Ironman of the Year, will await the phone call from his future employer from his parents' house in Stantonsburg.
Depending on what mock draft (and there are dozens on the Internet) you've seen, Brown could go anywhere in the first round from ninth to Green Bay to 11th to Buffalo to 13th to Washington to 14th to New Orleans or 19th to Tampa Bay. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. doesn't even have Brown in his top 16 and since I'm not an ESPN Insider, I can't check out the rest of Kiper's draft to find out who he thinks will take Brown, who ended his Seminoles career as one of the nation's top pass rushers.
The consensus does seem to suggest that Brown, who has played DE for his entire career, might end up as an outside linebacker in the NFL's current favorite 3-4 defense.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Brown blowing up as NFL Draft nears
Former Florida State and Beddingfield High School defensive end Everette Brown's stock is rising as the 2009 NFL Draft approaches.
I've seen the 2005 Wilson Daily Times Ironman of the Year projected to go in the top five overall which would be something else. I knew Everette was a special player but had no idea his stock would rise this quickly.
Here's a great interview Everette did last week on ESPN, conducted by Jay Crawford. He talks about what position he would like to play as some teams are pondering using him as a linebacker in their 3-4 defensive formations as well as mentions the questions he's been asked by NFL teams, such as "What is the most childish thing you've done recently?"
Given the current off-field problems NFL teams have had to endure with some players in recent years, Everette's response indicates one reason he's become so attractive to future employers.
I've seen the 2005 Wilson Daily Times Ironman of the Year projected to go in the top five overall which would be something else. I knew Everette was a special player but had no idea his stock would rise this quickly.
Here's a great interview Everette did last week on ESPN, conducted by Jay Crawford. He talks about what position he would like to play as some teams are pondering using him as a linebacker in their 3-4 defensive formations as well as mentions the questions he's been asked by NFL teams, such as "What is the most childish thing you've done recently?"
Given the current off-field problems NFL teams have had to endure with some players in recent years, Everette's response indicates one reason he's become so attractive to future employers.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Super memories
Neither time nor space permitted me to run a Super Bowl column in Saturday's print edition of the Wilson Daily Times but I have a few things to say about America's Greatest Sporting Event.
I'm not that enchanted by this year's matchup, to be honest. Sure, there are some angles out there. The lowly Cardinals' possible rise to the top or the Steelers winning an unprecedented sixth championship. But nothing about this one really speaks to me the way the Super Bowls of my youth do. You see, me and the Super Bowl go way back. It started right after I was born. I can always remember what Super Bowl it is by simply remembering my age (which isn't as simple as it sounds at times).
The first one remember watching was the Redskins-Dolphins in Super Bowl VII but all I recall are grainy sequences from my grandparents' old black-and-white television. I must admit here that I have been a lifelong Redskins fan; at least up until the current ownership and free agency warped my sentiments. I only follow the NFL in a professional sense now but my affinity towards the Burgundy and Gold have certainly colored my past.
So, if you will, I am here to proclaim my top 10 all-time Super Bowl memories in somewhat orderly fashion.
10. Super Bowl X, Pittsburgh vs. Dallas, Miami — As an avowed Cowboys-hating fourth-grader, I was a huge Steelers fan that day. Will never forget the acrobatic catches Lynn Swann made and the end zone interception by Glen Edwards to seal Pittsburgh's 21-17 win. Can you believe the Super Bowl used to begin early Sunday afternoon, like any other regular-season game, back then?
9. Super Bowl XXXIV, Tennessee vs. St. Louis, Atlanta — The one play that puts this one on the list is the touchdown-saving tackle by Rams linebacker Mike Jones of Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the one-foot line to end the game and give the Rams a 23-17 win. It's the only Super Bowl that ended with a team stopped a foot short of the tying TD on the last play. Years later, the Oiler-Titans are still searching for their first Super Bowl title.
8. Super Bowl XXXII, Denver vs. Green Bay, San Diego — Nobody thought the Broncos had a chance against Brett Favre and the Packers but I had been following Denver's run all season. In fact, the Broncos had two great seasons in a row but were derailed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs the previous year. I spent the whole week telling a buddy who was a Packers fan that an upset was imminent. And it crystallized into one unforgettable moment when 37-year-old quarterback John Elway got helicopter-flipped by a vicious dual hit from Packers defensive backs LeRoy Butler and Mike Prior. Elway bounced up, fired up his teammates and got them into the end zone two plays later as Denver pulled off the 31-24 upset.
7. Super Bowl XXV, New York vs. Buffalo, Tampa — The Pre-Bobby Brown Whitney Houston sang the national anthem as the fighter jets flew over in missing-man formation as the first Gulf War was in full swing. But that's not what I remember most. I remember being the only guy at the Super Bowl beach party insisting the Giants would win and (normally I don't root for the 'Skins NFC East opponents in a SB) my prediction came to fruition when Buffalo's Scott Norwood missed a potentially game-winning field goal at the final gun. The Giants won 20-19 on the first Super Bowl that I had seen to come down to the final play.
6. Super Bowl XXIII, Cincinnati vs. San Francisco, Miami — This one stamped, in my mind, the 49ers' Joe Montana as the greatest quarterback to ever play as he led the team on a 92-yard game-winning drive, culminating in a TD pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left in San Francisco's 20-16 win.
5. Super Bowl XLII, New England vs. New York, Glendale, Ariz. — No way were the Patriots going 19-0. As I had done in 1991, I went against my enmity for Redskins rivals and took the Giants to pull off the upset — and did they ever. I know it's only been 12 months since it happened but who will ever forget Eli Manning spinning out of what looked like a sure sack and finding wide receiver David Tyree 32 yards downfield. All Tyree did was make a circus grab, holding the ball against his helmet. Four plays later, the Giants were in the end zone for a 17-14 stunner. (Edited to correctly name David Tyree, not David Patten — who never even played for the Giants! — made that awesome catch. Apologies to Tyree and mucho grande 'preesh to V!)
4. Super Bowl XXXVIII, New England vs. Carolina, Houston — The Carolina Panthers have never been my favorite team but as I watched from my apartment in El Cerrito, Calif., I was certainly rooting for my home state to enjoy its first world championship. When Carolina QB Jake Delhomme hit that ancient Demon Deacon Ricky Prohl for the tying TD with about a minute to go, I thought the Panthers would get it done in overtime. But then John Kasay, who has done so much in his Carolina kicking career, committed the Cardinal sin — he sent the kickoff out of bounds. From there, it didn't take much for the Pats to get in Adam Vinatieri's range and the diminutive kicker won another Super Bowl on a last-second kick 32-29. Of course, the other memorable thing about this game was Janet Jackson's notorious "wardrobe malfunction," which somehow I noticed from the balcony outside the apartment from 30 feet away. Funny how that works.
3. Super Bowl XXVI, Buffalo vs. Washington, Minneapolis — This one is memorable to me mostly because it's the only one I've ever watched outside the United States. I was on a post-collegiate backpacking trek through New Zealand and watched the Redskins win their third Super Bowl in a pub in Auckland. Kickoff was Monday at noon, in local time, and luckily it was a national holiday in N.Z. so the pub was packed with curious Kiwis there to imbibe as much as watch American-style football. But by the time the 'Skins had won 37-24 and sent the Bills to their second straight Super Bowl lose, I think I had taught several locals and some German tourists the words to "Hail to the Redskins!"
2. Super Bowl XXII, Denver vs. Washington, San Diego — This one was weird because really, the Redskins didn't belong. They'd had a solid season but the 49ers had gone 15-1 and were clearly the best team in the NFL that year. But the wild-card Minnesota Vikings tripped up San Francisco in a huge first-round upset and the 'Skins edged the Vikes in the NFC championship. Denver wasn't that great but the Broncos had just been to a Super Bowl, losing to the Giants the previous season. So when John Elway led Denver to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, I was dangerously close to breaking my TV set. But before I knew it, Washington QB Doug Williams donned his Superman suit and fired four TD passes in the second quarter and the 'Skins took a 35-10 lead at halftime on their way to a 42-10 victory. I just remember that by Washington's fifth TD of the quarter, I was laying on my back, too tired to even cheer, much less sing "Hail to the Redkins!"
1. Super Bowl XVII, Miami vs. Washington, Pasadena, Calif. — Easily the best one because it was the first time I'd experienced Super Bowl Sunday as a fan of the winning team. The moment that lives forever, still to this day as my favorite as a fan of any team, came early in the fourth quarter, about 10 minutes to play. Washington had trailed the Dolphins all game and it was 17-13 and the 'Skins faced a fourth-and-inches at the Miami 43-yard line. Everyone watching the game knew the ball was going to John Riggins but it wasn't clear which way he was taking it. As the Washington wide receiver went in motion before the play, Dolphins cornerback Don McNeal went with him, then realized he'd been pulled out of position so as he reacted, he slipped. Riggins took the ball through a hole on the left side, picking up the first down but "The Diesel" was only in first gear. But the time the late-to-arrive McNeal got to Riggins turning the corner, all he got for his efforts was No. 44 shrugging off his diving attempt at a tackle before chugging the rest of the way into the end zone. There was still a lot of time left in the game but as I bounded off the living room floor in ecstasy, I knew then the 'Skins were on their way to the championship. I still get chill bumps thinking about it.
I'm not that enchanted by this year's matchup, to be honest. Sure, there are some angles out there. The lowly Cardinals' possible rise to the top or the Steelers winning an unprecedented sixth championship. But nothing about this one really speaks to me the way the Super Bowls of my youth do. You see, me and the Super Bowl go way back. It started right after I was born. I can always remember what Super Bowl it is by simply remembering my age (which isn't as simple as it sounds at times).
The first one remember watching was the Redskins-Dolphins in Super Bowl VII but all I recall are grainy sequences from my grandparents' old black-and-white television. I must admit here that I have been a lifelong Redskins fan; at least up until the current ownership and free agency warped my sentiments. I only follow the NFL in a professional sense now but my affinity towards the Burgundy and Gold have certainly colored my past.
So, if you will, I am here to proclaim my top 10 all-time Super Bowl memories in somewhat orderly fashion.
10. Super Bowl X, Pittsburgh vs. Dallas, Miami — As an avowed Cowboys-hating fourth-grader, I was a huge Steelers fan that day. Will never forget the acrobatic catches Lynn Swann made and the end zone interception by Glen Edwards to seal Pittsburgh's 21-17 win. Can you believe the Super Bowl used to begin early Sunday afternoon, like any other regular-season game, back then?
9. Super Bowl XXXIV, Tennessee vs. St. Louis, Atlanta — The one play that puts this one on the list is the touchdown-saving tackle by Rams linebacker Mike Jones of Titans wide receiver Kevin Dyson on the one-foot line to end the game and give the Rams a 23-17 win. It's the only Super Bowl that ended with a team stopped a foot short of the tying TD on the last play. Years later, the Oiler-Titans are still searching for their first Super Bowl title.
8. Super Bowl XXXII, Denver vs. Green Bay, San Diego — Nobody thought the Broncos had a chance against Brett Favre and the Packers but I had been following Denver's run all season. In fact, the Broncos had two great seasons in a row but were derailed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs the previous year. I spent the whole week telling a buddy who was a Packers fan that an upset was imminent. And it crystallized into one unforgettable moment when 37-year-old quarterback John Elway got helicopter-flipped by a vicious dual hit from Packers defensive backs LeRoy Butler and Mike Prior. Elway bounced up, fired up his teammates and got them into the end zone two plays later as Denver pulled off the 31-24 upset.
7. Super Bowl XXV, New York vs. Buffalo, Tampa — The Pre-Bobby Brown Whitney Houston sang the national anthem as the fighter jets flew over in missing-man formation as the first Gulf War was in full swing. But that's not what I remember most. I remember being the only guy at the Super Bowl beach party insisting the Giants would win and (normally I don't root for the 'Skins NFC East opponents in a SB) my prediction came to fruition when Buffalo's Scott Norwood missed a potentially game-winning field goal at the final gun. The Giants won 20-19 on the first Super Bowl that I had seen to come down to the final play.
6. Super Bowl XXIII, Cincinnati vs. San Francisco, Miami — This one stamped, in my mind, the 49ers' Joe Montana as the greatest quarterback to ever play as he led the team on a 92-yard game-winning drive, culminating in a TD pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left in San Francisco's 20-16 win.
5. Super Bowl XLII, New England vs. New York, Glendale, Ariz. — No way were the Patriots going 19-0. As I had done in 1991, I went against my enmity for Redskins rivals and took the Giants to pull off the upset — and did they ever. I know it's only been 12 months since it happened but who will ever forget Eli Manning spinning out of what looked like a sure sack and finding wide receiver David Tyree 32 yards downfield. All Tyree did was make a circus grab, holding the ball against his helmet. Four plays later, the Giants were in the end zone for a 17-14 stunner. (Edited to correctly name David Tyree, not David Patten — who never even played for the Giants! — made that awesome catch. Apologies to Tyree and mucho grande 'preesh to V!)
4. Super Bowl XXXVIII, New England vs. Carolina, Houston — The Carolina Panthers have never been my favorite team but as I watched from my apartment in El Cerrito, Calif., I was certainly rooting for my home state to enjoy its first world championship. When Carolina QB Jake Delhomme hit that ancient Demon Deacon Ricky Prohl for the tying TD with about a minute to go, I thought the Panthers would get it done in overtime. But then John Kasay, who has done so much in his Carolina kicking career, committed the Cardinal sin — he sent the kickoff out of bounds. From there, it didn't take much for the Pats to get in Adam Vinatieri's range and the diminutive kicker won another Super Bowl on a last-second kick 32-29. Of course, the other memorable thing about this game was Janet Jackson's notorious "wardrobe malfunction," which somehow I noticed from the balcony outside the apartment from 30 feet away. Funny how that works.
3. Super Bowl XXVI, Buffalo vs. Washington, Minneapolis — This one is memorable to me mostly because it's the only one I've ever watched outside the United States. I was on a post-collegiate backpacking trek through New Zealand and watched the Redskins win their third Super Bowl in a pub in Auckland. Kickoff was Monday at noon, in local time, and luckily it was a national holiday in N.Z. so the pub was packed with curious Kiwis there to imbibe as much as watch American-style football. But by the time the 'Skins had won 37-24 and sent the Bills to their second straight Super Bowl lose, I think I had taught several locals and some German tourists the words to "Hail to the Redskins!"
2. Super Bowl XXII, Denver vs. Washington, San Diego — This one was weird because really, the Redskins didn't belong. They'd had a solid season but the 49ers had gone 15-1 and were clearly the best team in the NFL that year. But the wild-card Minnesota Vikings tripped up San Francisco in a huge first-round upset and the 'Skins edged the Vikes in the NFC championship. Denver wasn't that great but the Broncos had just been to a Super Bowl, losing to the Giants the previous season. So when John Elway led Denver to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, I was dangerously close to breaking my TV set. But before I knew it, Washington QB Doug Williams donned his Superman suit and fired four TD passes in the second quarter and the 'Skins took a 35-10 lead at halftime on their way to a 42-10 victory. I just remember that by Washington's fifth TD of the quarter, I was laying on my back, too tired to even cheer, much less sing "Hail to the Redkins!"
1. Super Bowl XVII, Miami vs. Washington, Pasadena, Calif. — Easily the best one because it was the first time I'd experienced Super Bowl Sunday as a fan of the winning team. The moment that lives forever, still to this day as my favorite as a fan of any team, came early in the fourth quarter, about 10 minutes to play. Washington had trailed the Dolphins all game and it was 17-13 and the 'Skins faced a fourth-and-inches at the Miami 43-yard line. Everyone watching the game knew the ball was going to John Riggins but it wasn't clear which way he was taking it. As the Washington wide receiver went in motion before the play, Dolphins cornerback Don McNeal went with him, then realized he'd been pulled out of position so as he reacted, he slipped. Riggins took the ball through a hole on the left side, picking up the first down but "The Diesel" was only in first gear. But the time the late-to-arrive McNeal got to Riggins turning the corner, all he got for his efforts was No. 44 shrugging off his diving attempt at a tackle before chugging the rest of the way into the end zone. There was still a lot of time left in the game but as I bounded off the living room floor in ecstasy, I knew then the 'Skins were on their way to the championship. I still get chill bumps thinking about it.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Hesmer joins a short list
When Will Hesmer takes the field in goal for the Columbus Crew in Sunday's MLS Cup final against the New York Red Bulls in Carson, Calif., he will join a very short list of area athletes to participate in a professional sports championship game.
Hesmer was the 1999 Wilson Daily Times Athlete of the Year as a senior at Hunt High School before going on to a standout career at Wake Forest University.
Without having done extensive research, I can think of four athletes who hail from the WDT readership area who played in a pro sports championship. Most notably are former Southern Nash High School star Julius Peppers and SouthWest Edgecombe product Yancey Thigpen. Peppers was a defensive stalwart for the Carolina Panthers in their 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII while Thigpen started at wide receiver and caught a touchdown pass for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 27-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX.
Former Hunt High School multi-sport star Octavus Barnes was a member of the Atlanta Falcons when they lost Super Bowl XXXIII to the Denver Broncos. I don't remember Barnes, who lettered in football and basketball at the University of North Carolina, getting into the game or if he was even on the active roster. He only played two years in the NFL.
Former Fike High School standout Glenn Bass was part of two American Football League championship teams with the Buffalo Bills in 1965 and 1966.
Then there was Red Barrett who pitched in the 1948 World Series for the Boston Braves against the Cleveland Indians. Barrett was not a Wilson native but lived here for many years and raised a family here.
If there are any other athletes from the Wilson area who played in a pro sports championship game, please give me a shout because I would love to know who they are.
Hesmer was the 1999 Wilson Daily Times Athlete of the Year as a senior at Hunt High School before going on to a standout career at Wake Forest University.
Without having done extensive research, I can think of four athletes who hail from the WDT readership area who played in a pro sports championship. Most notably are former Southern Nash High School star Julius Peppers and SouthWest Edgecombe product Yancey Thigpen. Peppers was a defensive stalwart for the Carolina Panthers in their 32-29 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVIII while Thigpen started at wide receiver and caught a touchdown pass for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 27-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX.
Former Hunt High School multi-sport star Octavus Barnes was a member of the Atlanta Falcons when they lost Super Bowl XXXIII to the Denver Broncos. I don't remember Barnes, who lettered in football and basketball at the University of North Carolina, getting into the game or if he was even on the active roster. He only played two years in the NFL.
Former Fike High School standout Glenn Bass was part of two American Football League championship teams with the Buffalo Bills in 1965 and 1966.
Then there was Red Barrett who pitched in the 1948 World Series for the Boston Braves against the Cleveland Indians. Barrett was not a Wilson native but lived here for many years and raised a family here.
If there are any other athletes from the Wilson area who played in a pro sports championship game, please give me a shout because I would love to know who they are.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Bills fans are here and they want you!
If names such as Joe DeLamielleure, Frank Reich, Joe Cribbs, Trent Edwards, Lou Saban, Marv Levy, Bruce Smith or Marshawn Lynch have signficant meaning to you, then you're in luck.
Only a Buffalo Bills fan (and me) would know all of those people are former and current players and if you're a Buffalo Bills fan, you're going to like this. Wilson has its very own Buffalo Bills fan club — The Buffalo Bills Backers. The group likes to gather at O'Cools of Wilson in Brentwood Shopping Center to watch their beloved Bills on the big screen.
Not only does this group have its own Web site but it has its very own Buffalo Bill — sort of. As the site says, Wilson is also the birthplace of former Bills (and East Carolina University) wide receiver Glenn Bass.
Don't forget that Wilson's most celebrated high school running back also spent time in a Bills uniform. Carlester Crumpler, who helped the Fike Cyclones win three straight 4-A state championships in the late 1960s, was drafted by Buffalo in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 1974.
This Sunday at 1 p.m., the Bills are taking on the hated New York Jets in an AFC East showdown in Ralph Wilson Stadium (hey! there's another Wilson connection!) So if you bleed red and blue, get nauseous when you hear the name "Scott Norwood" and know that trailing by 32 points in the second half of a playoff game is no reason to believe the game is over, you should be at O'Cools with these folks.
Only a Buffalo Bills fan (and me) would know all of those people are former and current players and if you're a Buffalo Bills fan, you're going to like this. Wilson has its very own Buffalo Bills fan club — The Buffalo Bills Backers. The group likes to gather at O'Cools of Wilson in Brentwood Shopping Center to watch their beloved Bills on the big screen.
Not only does this group have its own Web site but it has its very own Buffalo Bill — sort of. As the site says, Wilson is also the birthplace of former Bills (and East Carolina University) wide receiver Glenn Bass.
Don't forget that Wilson's most celebrated high school running back also spent time in a Bills uniform. Carlester Crumpler, who helped the Fike Cyclones win three straight 4-A state championships in the late 1960s, was drafted by Buffalo in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 1974.
This Sunday at 1 p.m., the Bills are taking on the hated New York Jets in an AFC East showdown in Ralph Wilson Stadium (hey! there's another Wilson connection!) So if you bleed red and blue, get nauseous when you hear the name "Scott Norwood" and know that trailing by 32 points in the second half of a playoff game is no reason to believe the game is over, you should be at O'Cools with these folks.
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