Chambers is a Griz

[GrizSweeper]

Craig Chambers a WR from Washington will be a junior next fall at UM. It's a great get for the Griz. This kid has the height and speed to be a HUGE threat for Montana starting next season. Last year he led the Huskies in touchdown receptions and avg. yards per catch while starting just 6 games. Montana could now be shaping up into a legit title with transfers at QB and now WR to go along with a solid D and one of the best RB in all of I-AA. Look out for the Griz next season.

Bio
http://gohuskies.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/chambers_craig00.html

[elkmcc]

WR from Washington will be a junior next fall at UM. It's a great get for the Griz.

Bio
http://gohuskies.collegesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/chambers_craig00.html

I Can't wait for spring ball. Swogger to Chambers. We could be hearing that quite often next fall. As a Griz fan I just hope that they both live up to the billing they seem to have been getting.

[Ronbo]

Major get for the Griz. He looked amazing on his UW highlights on the KPAX news tonight. No wonder UW posters were crying the blues when he announced he was leaving.

2005 at Washington

31 grabs for 573 yards, 6 TD's. 18.5 yards per catch. Had half the teams receiving TD's in just 6 starts.

High School Bio

Ranked No. 27 among wide receivers by TheInsiders.com ... an Associated Press all-state pick in 2002 ... named to Seattle Times all-area team in 2002 ... earned second-straight Seattle Times 'Star Times' honor in 2002 ... named to Tacoma News Tribune's 2003 Northwest Nuggets team ... was the picked the Seattle Times' 'North Athlete of the Year' for preps in 2002 ... received eight (of 10) stars on Long Best Press Telegram's "Best of the West" poll to earn first-team honors ... had a 267-yard receiving game against Edmonds-Woodway, the 16th-most by a prep receiver in the United States in 2001 ... caught 35 passes for 863 yards and eight touchdowns in 2001 ... an All-WesCo and Seattle Times All-Area pick as a junior ... selected by the Tacoma News Tribune for its Western 100 Team ... rated the No. 15 wide receiver in the nation by Tom Lemming for ESPN.com ... named to SuperPrep's 2002 All-America team ... ranked No. 24 wide receiver in the nation, and the No. 4 player in Washington, by SuperPrep ... ranked the No. 16 wide receiver by Prep Football Report ... a Student Sports Junior All-American in 2001 ... brother, Richie, was a linebacker at Washington from 1990-1995 ... named to PrepStar's Dream Team (top 100) ... ranked the No. 9 wide receiver in the nation by PrepStar.

[Bub]

Ok, I'll bite. Why's he leaving?

[Ronbo]

Rift between him and Willingham that couldn't be mended I hear. Wanted to be the go-to receiver and didn't think he was getting quality playing time.

Well he'll be the go-to guy here.

[Bub]

The kid was a redshirt freshman and he wanted to be the go-to guy. SMH :confused:

[Ronbo]

The kid was a redshirt freshman and he wanted to be the go-to guy. SMH :confused:

He was a sophmore in 2005. He'll be a junior this next season.

[TulsaBobcat]

Rift between him and Willingham that couldn't be mended I hear. Wanted to be the go-to receiver and didn't think he was getting quality playing time.

Well he'll be the go-to guy here.

Yeah that shouldn't be too hard!

[Bub]

My bad, misread the Wash. bio. :doh: thought it said 2005 was his 1st year on the field. :o

[Slackjaw]

Yeah he might have to beat out a short, slow dude.

[Ronbo]

Actually our 4 top receivers next year will go 6'5", 6'4", 6'3", and 6'1". They all ran 100 meter track in HS. What school do you root for slack and are we going to see you in 2006?

[Slackjaw]

I root for the Cats and this is our new d-lineman. He ran the 100m in highschool also. So he must be fast. I mean **** look at those legs. He will crush flex dilliard.

http://eul0000562.eu.verio.net/boreme/media-pictures/i-body-builder.jpg

[Tailbone]

Josh Swogger
From Youngstown, Ohio, Swogger was arguably the top quarterback in the state as a senior playing for Ursuline High. Swogger was voted a team captain as a sophomore in 2004, and began the season as the starter for the Cougars. After injury sent him to the sidelines midway through the season, Swogger was replaced in the lineup by Alex Brink. Swogger's return was hampered in spring by his inability to fully take part in drills. In August, Swogger appeared to be battling at least even with Brink for the starting spot for the 2005 season.
It has been reported that Swogger can throw the ball 70 yds in the air.

Craig Chambers
Unquestionable talent, has great speed (4.45), great hands, and at 6’5” presents a large target. Chambers reasons for leaving Washington are likely (indirectly) due to instability at the coaching position. Recruited by Rick Neuheisel, Craig’s first coach at UW was Kieth Gilbertson, followed by Ty Willingham.
In 2004 Chambers watched half the season from the bench because of what Gilbertson’s staff considered casual practice habits. When he was finally allowed onto the field, he proved to be a gamer – the big-target, big-play guy the offense had lacked. After belatedly winning the confidence of one coaching staff, Chambers would have had to convince another staff predisposed to the idea that he didn’t practice hard . However, in the words of Huskies receivers coach Eric Yarber ”Craig is a smooth athlete – sometimes he is so smooth that it looks like he’s not going hard.”

Reggie Bradshaw
Louisville had the fourth ranked D-1 backfield (running backs) in 2004. Louisville has too many great backs for one team. Anyone would be happy to have one back the caliber of Gates, Shelton or Bush much less all three. Add to the mix Reggie Bradshaw, who's the fastest of the bunch, and this backfield has everything but sufficient playing time to satisfy everyone. Louisvilles loss is Montana’s gain, a different type of runner with 4.3 speed, Bradshaw should complement the bruising speed of Lex Hilliard very nicely.

[Tailbone]

I root for the Cats and this is our new d-lineman. He ran the 100m in highschool also. So he must be fast. I mean **** look at those legs. He will crush flex dilliard.

http://eul0000562.eu.verio.net/boreme/media-pictures/i-body-builder.jpg

Griz envy.
It's an ugly, ugly, thing.
xazzx

[youwouldno]

The 70-yard throw bit was kind of odd. I would hope a QB with a reputation for arm strength would be able to throw that far.

[kalm]

Attitude problems can be fixed by a change of scenery. Take T.O. for example :)

But seriously, nice get Griz, your expectations should be running high as usual.

[Tailbone]

The 70-yard throw bit was kind of odd. I would hope a QB with a reputation for arm strength would be able to throw that far.

Yeah, but that's the point.
There are lots of QB's who can't throw that far.
A deep threat receiver needs a deep threat QB.
Swogger to Chambers make a nice deep threat combo.

[mineral griz]

Slacker

Your picture is just red X on my computer..

[Ronbo]

In this article you'll get a feel for why a rift developed between Chambers and Willingham. A UW season ticket holder posted on Dawgman.com that he didn't understand the "dropped balls" quote by Willingham. He said he was at every home game and watched every away game and Chambers maybe dropped 3-4 balls all season that he should have caught. I'd be pissed at a Coach too if he uses lame excuses for not playing me to the press.

From the Missoulian this morning:
Missoulian Article on Chambers (http://missoulian.com/articles/2006/01/12/sports/sports02.txt)

“I liked Eastern,” he said. “They throw the ball and stuff, but I'm leaving U-Dub, and I want to play in front of a big fan base like Montana's. I know a lot of the coaches there, and I love (tight ends coach and former UW strength coach) Pete Kaligis. We had a good relationship when I was at the U.

“I just went with my gut, and my gut said Montana.”

Chambers was the big-play receiver last year at Washington, catching 31 passes for 573 yards. His 18.5-yard per catch average and six touchdown receptions led the team. But he started just six games, and was plainly unhappy with his playing time.

“My freshman year I was a starter,” Chambers said. “Then I came into this year, and coach (Ty) Willingham told me all the things I had to do. I felt like I did everything I needed to do.

“The big thing everybody talks about is how hard I worked in practice. He said my work ethic was fine, but that I wasn't consistent enough, route running and dropping balls, stuff like that.”

[Ronbo]

Josh Swogger quote from the same article:

Swogger was excited early in the week, when signs were pointing toward Chambers coming to the Griz.

“It's just really exciting to think you could get a weapon like that at that level,” Swogger said. “I played against him a couple years. I never really had a chance to talk to him, but I thought he was one of the most athletic receivers in the Pac-10 this past year.”

[Slackjaw]

Yeah it is on mine now also. I don't know what happened. The picture was there. Oh well, anyway............Chambers was a good signing for the griz, congrats. I'm holding on to faith that Kramer will one up it though.

[Tailbone]

...... A UW season ticket holder posted on Dawgman.com that he didn't understand the "dropped balls" quote by Willingham. He said he was at every home game and watched every away game and Chambers maybe dropped 3-4 balls all season that he should have caught. I'd be pissed at a Coach too if he uses lame excuses for not playing me to the press.
....

Also on Dawgman, references were made to limiting Chambers playing time as some sort of disciplinary action for what Willingham felt were poor efforts at practice. The thing that disturbed many fans (and quite possibly Chambers) was the apparent hypocrisy of sending him in when the Huskies needed a big play.
Some players don't practice well.....I'll take on-field performance any day.

[Ronbo]

There are a lot of unhappy campers in Husky land since Willingham came aboard. He gets another couple years to turn it around, or else :anim_chai

[Ronbo]

Another article about the Griz new faces.

http://missoulian.com/articles/2006/01/13/sports/sports01.txt

Drop-downs bring buzz to Grizzlies

It's fair to say that spring football at the University of Montana, which begins March 13, just got a whole lot more interesting.

The addition of three Division I-A transfers - three well-regarded drop-downs - may just make the Montana Grizzlies, 8-4 last season, the team to beat in the Big Sky Conference.

Recruiting being the inexact science it is, it's easy to overstate the impact Washington State's Josh Swogger, Washington's Craig Chambers and Louisville's Reggie Bradshaw will have on Griz football.

Full article at the link.

[PhantomCAT]

I will take this guy over Chambers. Mike Jefferson from Arizona Wildcats! :hyped:
Arizona: 2L ... Expected to play a significant role in the Wildcat receiving rotation entering 2005 fall drills... Played in 10 games and started three during the 2004 season ... Ended the season with 16 receptions for a total of 249 yards and a 15.6 yards-per-reception average ... Also had three touchdowns on the season and a 24.7 yards-per-game average ... A member of special teams ... Had two catches for 49 yards vs. ASU, including his season-long catch of 47 yards ... In the same game he scored two touchdowns ... Recorded one catch for 25 yards at USC ... Recorded three receptions for 36 yards vs. Oregon State ... Had two catches for 13 yards vs. California ... Tallied 25 yards on one reception at UCLA ... Posted nine yards on one catch vs. Washington State ... Scored one touchdown and tallied 46 yards on two catches vs. Wisconsin ... Caught the ball three times for 35 yards vs. Utah ... In season-opener vs. NAU, recorded an 11-yard reception ... Played in 11 games for the Wildcats in 2003 ... Started the final four games of the season ... Finished his redshirt freshman season with 16 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns ... Had a 13.4 yards-per-catch average ... Also returned three punts for 24 yards during the season ... Member of UA's special teams unit and ended the year with four solo tackles ... Had a career-high nine receptions for 115 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch, in the final game of the season at Arizona State ... His effort more than doubled his season totals and was the Wildcats' third 100-yard receiving game of the year ... His nine catches at ASU were a team single-game best in 2003 and tied for No. 15 on the UA single-game chart ... Had two catches for 33 yards in the USC game and two receptions for 42 yards in the win over Washington ... Caught a nine-yard TD pass from Kris Heavner at Oregon State ... Caught one pass for 14 yards at California ... Returned two punts for 18 yards in the season opener vs. UTEP ... Redshirted in 2002 and was a member of the offensive scout team.



High School: Parkland High School, El Paso, Texas, 2002 ... Was a Dallas Morning News Texas Top 100 pick, at No. 55, and considered the top El Paso prospect ... Caught 29 passes for 954 yards and 11 TDs ... Also returned two punts for scores, and had 60 tackles and two interceptions as a defensive back ... Rushed 10 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns ... More than 2,000 receiving yards and 1,200 return yards during his career ... Reported 4.39 speed ... PrepStar All-America honors as the No. 10 receiving prospect in the Midlands region ... Prep Football Report's No. 65 prospect as an All-Southwest pick ... Texas Football Lone Star All-Star first-team ... All-city and all-district honors his senior year ... Texas North-South All-Star game ... Basketball (19.4 ppg, 11.2 rpg) and track standout with a reported 11.1 time in the 100 meters ... Rivals100.com rated him a Top 50 receiving prospect, while Max Emfinger listed him a Top 10 national flanker and four stars ... Dave Campbell's Texas Top 300 No. 6 WR rating ... Team Texas 4A by Texashsfootball.com ... Recruited widely by Big 12 and Big 10 schools ... Who's Who Among American High School Students selection.



Personal: Academic major is family studies and human development... Lived with grandmother, Gwendolyn Craig, throughout high school ... Full name: Michael Dewayne Jefferson ... Date of birth: Dec. 28, 1982.

[Ronbo]

I will take this guy over Chambers. Mike Jefferson from Arizona Wildcats! :hyped:
Arizona: 2L ... Expected to play a significant role in the Wildcat receiving rotation entering 2005 fall drills... Played in 10 games and started three during the 2004 season ... Ended the season with 16 receptions for a total of 249 yards and a 15.6 yards-per-reception average ... Also had three touchdowns on the season and a 24.7 yards-per-game average ... A member of special teams ... Had two catches for 49 yards vs. ASU, including his season-long catch of 47 yards ... In the same game he scored two touchdowns ... Recorded one catch for 25 yards at USC ... Recorded three receptions for 36 yards vs. Oregon State ... Had two catches for 13 yards vs. California ... Tallied 25 yards on one reception at UCLA ... Posted nine yards on one catch vs. Washington State ... Scored one touchdown and tallied 46 yards on two catches vs. Wisconsin ... Caught the ball three times for 35 yards vs. Utah ... In season-opener vs. NAU, recorded an 11-yard reception ... Played in 11 games for the Wildcats in 2003 ... Started the final four games of the season ... Finished his redshirt freshman season with 16 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns ... Had a 13.4 yards-per-catch average ... Also returned three punts for 24 yards during the season ... Member of UA's special teams unit and ended the year with four solo tackles ... Had a career-high nine receptions for 115 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch, in the final game of the season at Arizona State ... His effort more than doubled his season totals and was the Wildcats' third 100-yard receiving game of the year ... His nine catches at ASU were a team single-game best in 2003 and tied for No. 15 on the UA single-game chart ... Had two catches for 33 yards in the USC game and two receptions for 42 yards in the win over Washington ... Caught a nine-yard TD pass from Kris Heavner at Oregon State ... Caught one pass for 14 yards at California ... Returned two punts for 18 yards in the season opener vs. UTEP ... Redshirted in 2002 and was a member of the offensive scout team.



High School: Parkland High School, El Paso, Texas, 2002 ... Was a Dallas Morning News Texas Top 100 pick, at No. 55, and considered the top El Paso prospect ... Caught 29 passes for 954 yards and 11 TDs ... Also returned two punts for scores, and had 60 tackles and two interceptions as a defensive back ... Rushed 10 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns ... More than 2,000 receiving yards and 1,200 return yards during his career ... Reported 4.39 speed ... PrepStar All-America honors as the No. 10 receiving prospect in the Midlands region ... Prep Football Report's No. 65 prospect as an All-Southwest pick ... Texas Football Lone Star All-Star first-team ... All-city and all-district honors his senior year ... Texas North-South All-Star game ... Basketball (19.4 ppg, 11.2 rpg) and track standout with a reported 11.1 time in the 100 meters ... Rivals100.com rated him a Top 50 receiving prospect, while Max Emfinger listed him a Top 10 national flanker and four stars ... Dave Campbell's Texas Top 300 No. 6 WR rating ... Team Texas 4A by Texashsfootball.com ... Recruited widely by Big 12 and Big 10 schools ... Who's Who Among American High School Students selection.



Personal: Academic major is family studies and human development... Lived with grandmother, Gwendolyn Craig, throughout high school ... Full name: Michael Dewayne Jefferson ... Date of birth: Dec. 28, 1982.


What happened to Jefferson in 2005? Doesn't look like he played much.

RECEIVING........GP...No...Yds...Avg...TD...Long.. .Avg/G
-----------------------------------------------------
Jefferson,Mike...11....4.....64....16.0....0....30 .......5.8

Hope he gets a new start and plenty of playing time with you. :nod:

[kalm]

“It's just really exciting to think you could get a weapon like that at that level,” Swogger said. “I played against him a couple years. I never really had a chance to talk to him, but I thought he was one of the most athletic receivers in the Pac-10 this past year.”[/b][/QUOTE]


Yep, being a backup at WSU affords one the opportunity to become quite the talent scout. xazzx

[Ronbo]

Oh kalm you sound like sour grapes since you guys were in the running for both Swogger and Chambers. Swogger actually was the starter in 2004 till he broke a foot and they were forced to bring in a frehman QB. The freshman and Swogger turned out to be fairly equal skills by all reports and the Coaches stuck with the younger player as they often do. I'm sure you knew this but maybe some others here didn't. I'm glad Swogger gets a chance to play instead of getting screwed because he got hurt at WSU.

Chambers quote:

“I liked Eastern,” he said. “They throw the ball and stuff, but I'm leaving U-Dub, and I want to play in front of a big fan base like Montana's."

Is that as opposed to playing in front of a High School crowd? :smiley_wi

[TulsaBobcat]

If the rumors are true, I would love to get Whitney Lewis from USC. There has been word that it is a possibility that he will transfer to MSU. He was the number #1 ranked receiver in the nation (rivals) when he came out of highschool.

This is part of Lewis' bio from the USC website



HIGH SCHOOL: He was a 2002 Parade All-American first team, Super Prep All-American, Prep Star All-American, Student Sports All-American first team, Tom Lemming All-American, CNNSI.com All-American first team, The Insiders.com All-American first team, Old Spice Red Zone All-American, USA Today All-USA second team, Tom Lemming Super Team, Super Prep Elite 50, Prep Star Top 100 Dream Team, The Sporting News Hot 100, FOX Sports 50, Tom Lemming Top 100, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Tom Lemming All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Orange County Regster Fab 15 first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Player of the Year (Mr. Football), All-CIF Southern Section first team, All-CIF Division IV Offensive MVP, Los Angeles Times Glenn Davis Award (as the top Southern California prep football player), Los Angeles Times All-Star first team and Los Angeles Times All-Ventura County/North Coast MVP pick as a senior at St. Bonaventure High in Ventura (Calif.). He had 65 catches for 1,235 yards (19.0 avg.) with 16 TDs as a wide receiver, ran for 1,059 yards on 112 carries (9.5 avg.) with 23 TDs as a tailback and scored 268 points with 42 total TDs (he scored a touchdown every 4.5 times he touched the ball) in 2002. St. Bonaventure won the 2002 CIF Division IV title, its fourth consecutive CIF crown (the others were Division XI).

As a junior in 2001, he was named to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Small Schools first team, Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first team, All-CIF Southern Section first team, All-CIF Division XI first team, Los Angeles Times All-Ventura County first team and All-League. He caught 65 passes for 959 yards (14.8 avg.) with 14 TDs and also ran for 323 yards on 20 carries (16.2 avg.) in 2001.

As a sophomore in 2000, he had 52 receptions for 879 yards (16.9 avg.) with 17 TDs. He made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Sophomore first team and Los Angeles Times All-Ventura County first team in 2000. In his career, St. Bonaventure went 55-1, including a streak of 42 consecutive wins. He also competed in basketball and track (with a best of 10.5 in the 100 meters) at St. Bonaventure. Current Trojan Rey Maualuga also prepped at St. Bonaventure.

[kalm]

Morning Ronbo. Just giving ya a hard time. I heard Tim Rosenbach (WSU QB coach and former EWU OC) was instrumental in chosing Brink over Swogger at WSU. Perhaps he thought Swogger might drop down to EWU and here you guys come with your legions of fans and bright, shiny stadium to ruin everything. :bow:

Boy, step on some Griz toes and they immediately go to the "your stadium is puny" defense. :rolleyes: I never liked bullies. :asswhip: ;)

[Ronbo]

Wow, talk about a player getting buried on the depth chart. Lewis didn't even get on the field for the Trojans, not one catch out of 312 team receptions. Hope he finds a place he can play.