Walk On

[CrazyCat]

I thought this article was interesting and a poignant view on FCS football. Many players on are level don't make the headlines but play important roles on are football teams. If anyone else has a "walk on" story or memory, I for one would enjoy reading about it. :) The whole article can be found on the link below.



MONTANA STATE FOOTBALL
In touch with his roots
By TIM DUMAS Chronicle Sports Writer

For McDonald, agriculture, not football, is his ticket to success
The belt buckle tells only part of the story.
View it from a distance, and you start to learn why he was once mistaken for a bus driver. Study it from up close, and you begin to realize there’s more to Ty McDonald than his small-town, ranch-reared roots.
When the Montana State senior wears the large silver-plated, football-shaped buckle along with boots, jeans and a Stetson hat, you have him pegged: cowboy.

http://www.bobcatnation.com/bobcatboard/viewtopic.php?t=9988

[griz37]

Sounds like a good Montana kid who has priorities straight. xthumbsupx

[phillyAPP]

IMPRESSIVE

I am glad i read the post.

APP has a few stories also but I love to read about GREAT kids.

[Walkon79]

IMPRESSIVE

I am glad i read the post.

APP has a few stories also but I love to read about GREAT kids.

His dad Lenny is one of my best friends. We played high school ball and graduated together from another little town nearby, Stanford.

I can attest that Ty is a Great Kid!!
Wonderful Article on a superior young man!!

[Pauly LB]

Even more important than being a great football player -- Ty McDonald is headed toward being a great human being. Thanks for the post !!!

[GaSouthern]

I'm sure CCU has some pretty awesome walk on stories as well, I know GSU has/had alot too.

[Mod11]

Link the story, please do not post the entire article

[UNHWildCats]

David Ball was a walkon at UNH

[Mr. C]

One of the best walk-on stories for me was Matt Stevens of Appalachian State. Stevens was a 160-pound WR who walked on with NO fanfare at ASU. He redshirted for a year and became the project of strength coach Mike Kent and a year later, Stevens was playing CB and was a terror on special teams as a redshirt freshman. By the time he finished his career as a 210-pound speedster, Stevens was one of the top CBs EVER in I-AA/FCS. He was among the interception leaders in ASU and SoCon history. Stevens was projected as a middle-of-the-first-round draft choice following the 1995 season until some UTC WR cheap-shotted him with a cut block on a meaningless play in a blowout game, tearing up everything in Stevens' knee. Without Stevens, No. 2 ranked ASU was upset in the playoffs (the winning play coming agaist Stevens' replacement) and Stevens fell to the third round. But despite the knee injury, Stevens became an NFL starter at strong safety as a rookie for the Buffalo Bills and carved out an eight-year career as in the NFL that included a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots.

[UNHWildCats]

Patriots have gotten a lot of people rings :p

in 2005 they had a roster spor open for the Super Bowl and gave it to someone who spent the whole season on the practice squad

[Mr. C]

Matt Stevens was the nickle back for the Pats and started the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams. He was also a key special teams player throughout his career. His ring was well earned. And it looks pretty, too. One of three Super Bowl rings I've seen in person. Marv Fleming let me hold his Super Bowl I ring (with a beautiful big emerald in the middle) and I also got to see Bob Griese's ring from the Miami Dolphins perfect season.

[UNHWildCats]

yea Robert Kraft has had some very very nice rings designed for his players.

[UNHWildCats]

Super Bowl XXXVI
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/super-bowl-ring.jpg

[UNHWildCats]

Super Bowl XXXVIII

http://z.about.com/d/jewelry/1/0/x/4/patriots_XXXVIII.jpg

[UNHWildCats]

Super Bowl XXXIX

http://z.about.com/d/jewelry/1/0/_/5/SuperBowlXXXIX.jpg

[UNHWildCats]

Matt Stevens was the nickle back for the Pats and started the Super Bowl against the St. Louis Rams. He was also a key special teams player throughout his career. His ring was well earned. And it looks pretty, too. One of three Super Bowl rings I've seen in person. Marv Fleming let me hold his Super Bowl I ring (with a beautiful big emerald in the middle) and I also got to see Bob Griese's ring from the Miami Dolphins perfect season.

I wasnt discounting his performance.

When I said they got a lot of people rings I was referring to the philosphy of adding a lot of lower priced veterans over the past several years that helped them win the Super Bowls.

It was different groups each year and a lot of rings for some deserving veterans who contributed greatly to the team.

I added on the last bit about the practice squad player cause I thought it was a kool move by belichick as oppposed to leaving the spot empty.

[Tribe4SF]

W&M maintains a Walk-on Hall of Fame, which counts some of the Tribe's greatest players as members. The 2004 Semifinal team featured 9 starters who were walk-ons, including both Captains....DE Wade Harrell, and QB Lang Campbell who won the Payton Award that year.

[citdog]

someone said that Kevin Richardson from App was a walk-on.xlolx xnodx :D xrolleyesx

[SoCon48]

Actually, he ran on, and has been doing so ever since. Ask UMass.