Big Sky LB Gets Bowl Invite

[smallcollegefbfan]

Portland State LB Andy Schantz got a Texas vs. Nation invite. I really think those who don't select him as an All-American are going to look dumb when he gets drafted and has a great career in the NFL. Congrats to Schantz!

[Jerbearasu]

Portland State LB Andy Schantz got a Texas vs. Nation invite. I really think those who don't select him as an All-American are going to look dumb when he gets drafted and has a great career in the NFL. Congrats to Schantz!

Congrats to him but IMO AA status should not be given to players just because they will get drafted and have a good NFL career. Being an All-American is about having the stats to back up your play for the year. Not saying that he doesn't have the profile to get the honor but it shouldn't be based on other things like the NFL combine...

[smallcollegefbfan]

Congrats to him but IMO AA status should not be given to players just because they will get drafted and have a good NFL career. Being an All-American is about having the stats to back up your play for the year. Not saying that he doesn't have the profile to get the honor but it shouldn't be based on other things like the NFL combine...

Agreed but if it is between two productive players and one is going to have a NFL career then I would give the tiebreaker to the NFL kid. One thing I think people overlook is that you select the best players to be on an All-America Team right? Well, would you want a slow LB who just gets clean up tackles on your AA team or one who flies around and can run sideline to sideline with great speed and strength? I think we all know who everyone would want on the AA team and it just so happens that is who the NFL wants too.

[FCSbacker]

Agreed but if it is between two productive players and one is going to have a NFL career then I would give the tiebreaker to the NFL kid. One thing I think people overlook is that you select the best players to be on an All-America Team right? Well, would you want a slow LB who just gets clean up tackles on your AA team or one who flies around and can run sideline to sideline with great speed and strength? I think we all know who everyone would want on the AA team and it just so happens that is who the NFL wants too.

Having played LB and having been a Buck Buchanan finalist, I can tell you that your argument is flawed. Slow LBers do not make a lot of tackles of any kind, they are usually on their but or tied up with and getting blocked by a lineman. Also, your 40 time has very little to do with how fast you play inside the box. The box is only about 8 yards deep and no one runs a 40 yd dash by the time they read a down block by a front-side guard that is chipping to the 2nd level on a combo block letting you know that you cant get washed and have to get over the top because you know the backside guard is pulling around and you need to wrong-shoulder that guard to spill the ball out to your alley player while keeping outside arm free. That speed is determined by knowing pre-snap alignment, down and distance, personnnel groupings ( is it 20, 21, 22, 10, 11) reading your keys (either man flow away or G/C combo flow to). Again, All-Americans do not become All-Americans by getting "clean-up tackles"

[smallcollegefbfan]

Having played LB and having been a Buck Buchanan finalist, I can tell you that your argument is flawed. Slow LBers do not make a lot of tackles of any kind, they are usually on their but or tied up with and getting blocked by a lineman. Also, your 40 time has very little to do with how fast you play inside the box. The box is only about 8 yards deep and no one runs a 40 yd dash by the time they read a down block by a front-side guard that is chipping to the 2nd level on a combo block letting you know that you cant get washed and have to get over the top because you know the backside guard is pulling around and you need to wrong-shoulder that guard to spill the ball out to your alley player while keeping outside arm free. That speed is determined by knowing pre-snap alignment, down and distance, personnnel groupings ( is it 20, 21, 22, 10, 11) reading your keys (either man flow away or G/C combo flow to). Again, All-Americans do not become All-Americans by getting "clean-up tackles"

I see what you are saying and you are right about the inside tackles. Those players who roam sideline to sideline and also get the tackles in the box are better to me than those who lack the range to get to the sidelines. There have been All-America LBs who racked up stops in the trenches area but could never get to the sidelines. If your team is weak at DT and teams run at you a lot and you don't have the range you could get 10-12 tackles a game possibly because of where teams are running.

One example I can give you is Norfolk State LB Kevin Talley who was slow and he still had huge numbers because of that and nobody else on his team tackling anyone.

Sometimes schools pad stats and give players way too many assists which is what I call clean-up tackles and those players earn AA honors because of stats but in reality they aren't athletic.

I am just saying that Schantz deserves to be an All-American even though he doesn't have the gaudy tackle numbers like others have and his NFL stock only backs up the fact he is that good.

Now, we all know you can be 5'10 215 pounds and an All-America caliber LB but never get a shot from the NFL because of your size. I'm just saying when you find a LB who is productive, big, can run, has good range, is fluid in his drop-back, and tough you will find a player I would want on my All-America team and a player that the NFL will like to have.

[already123]

I liked him as a LB, but wasnt that impressed (all-american wise) when we saw him up here in Flag...maybe he just didnt have that good of a game against us...

[smallcollegefbfan]

I liked him as a LB, but wasnt that impressed (all-american wise) when we saw him up here in Flag...maybe he just didnt have that good of a game against us...

Jerry Glanville thinks he is a mid round selection and I agree. He has been banged up some and thus had some games he did not play well when injured. One problem Schantz has is that injuries which sideline most guys don't sideline him and thus there are times he doesn't look as good because he is hurt.

[FCSbacker]

I see what you are saying and you are right about the inside tackles. Those players who roam sideline to sideline and also get the tackles in the box are better to me than those who lack the range to get to the sidelines. There have been All-America LBs who racked up stops in the trenches area but could never get to the sidelines. If your team is weak at DT and teams run at you a lot and you don't have the range you could get 10-12 tackles a game possibly because of where teams are running.

One example I can give you is Norfolk State LB Kevin Talley who was slow and he still had huge numbers because of that and nobody else on his team tackling anyone.

Sometimes schools pad stats and give players way too many assists which is what I call clean-up tackles and those players earn AA honors because of stats but in reality they aren't athletic.

I am just saying that Schantz deserves to be an All-American even though he doesn't have the gaudy tackle numbers like others have and his NFL stock only backs up the fact he is that good.

Now, we all know you can be 5'10 215 pounds and an All-America caliber LB but never get a shot from the NFL because of your size. I'm just saying when you find a LB who is productive, big, can run, has good range, is fluid in his drop-back, and tough you will find a player I would want on my All-America team and a player that the NFL will like to have.

point taken xpeacex

[madisonfan87]

Good for him. Wonder if anyone from the FCS will make the senior bowl like Flacco did last year.

[smallcollegefbfan]

Good for him. Wonder if anyone from the FCS will make the senior bowl like Flacco did last year.

Yes! Domonique Johnson of Jackson State has a Senior Bowl Invite. Also, Jennings of Liberty could be invited as well.

[smallcollegefbfan]

point taken xpeacex

Just curious are you Scott Belcher who had 181 tackles in 95 and was a 3rd team All-American and 129 as a senior in 1996? You were a media 1st team all-socon pick in 95?