DRC Cobbs beating the odds again

[MeanGreen61]

Brett Vito: Former UNT RB Cobbs beating the odds again

09:29 AM CDT on Sunday, September 3, 2006

Former North Texas running back Patrick Cobbs has never been guaranteed much of anything in his football career.

Not a Division I college scholarship, not a starting spot at UNT and certainly not a shot at an NFL career. Of course, that has never bothered Cobbs before and it didn’t appear to affect him during the NFL preseason.

Cobbs wasn’t invited to the scouting combine and was passed over in the NFL Draft. He had to earn his way to training camp with the New England Patriots.

Now he looks like a good bet to be a pro at the start of the regular season after the Pittsburgh Steelers swung a trade with the Patriots for Cobbs late last week.

The Steelers sent a conditional draft choice in 2007 for the rights to Cobbs, who is quickly becoming one of the feel-good stories of the NFL preseason. The former national rushing champion ranked sixth among players in the preseason with 188 rushing yards and had caught seven passes for 115 yards at the time of the trade.

The Patriots didn’t need another rookie running back after drafting Laurence Maroney of Minnesota and likely wouldn’t have been able to sneak Cobbs through waivers and onto their practice squad.

A conditional draft choice might not sound like much, but it was a show of respect from the NFL for Cobbs, who had just one Division I scholarship offer out of high school. The scouts might not have liked his size or his speed, but it looks like officials in the NFL are catching on to what UNT’s coaches and those who have faced Cobbs have known for years.

The guy can flat play.

And while we are talking football …

When it comes to the college game, landing on the cover of a media guide is among the highest honors a sports information department can bestow on a player.

The lucky man gets to be displayed on a publication sent across the country and stashed away in files for years to come. It also makes for one heck of a souvenir.

Here’s my suggestion for the cover of next year’s UNT media guide:

Fifth string offensive linemen of the Mean Green.

Why?

Think back on this list.

Johnny Quinn and Jamario Thomas in 2006, Thomas and Patrick Cobbs in 2005, Cobbs in 2004 and Brandon Kennedy in 2003.

I think we have a case for a curse here.

Kennedy had a bad ankle in 2003 and never was at full strength. Cobbs lasted all of two games in 2004 before a knee injury ended his season, while Thomas’ hamstring hampered him all year in 2005 when UNT shut him down three games before the end of the season. Oh yeah, and Johnny Quinn broke his hand in preseason practice this fall.

Cue the creepy music.

Injuries happen in college football, but that’s a season ender and two other major injuries since 2002 when UNT last featured more than two players on its cover.

Sports Illustrated has nothing on the UNT media guide when it comes to curses.

And speaking of publications …

There is still a long way to go, but now that the season is upon us it appears as if UNT coach Darrell Dickey could have a recruiting class that is better than advertised.

Most publications and Web sites had UNT’s class rated below just about every other Division I team in the state, but there appear to be a few good players in what could be an underrated group.

Tight end Bryant Seidle and offensive lineman Kelvin Drake will make an impact early. Victor Gill of Argyle might also contribute.

It just goes to show rankings are not always the best gauge in recruiting, especially when rating players below the top 100 in the state. UNT signed five players from The Dallas Morning News Area Top 100 list in 2004, plus Thomas, a state top 100 selection.

Two years later, Thomas has lived up to his billing, but only quarterback Daniel Meager and backup linebacker Colt Mahan remain from that group of five area top 100 players. Linebacker Brandon Monroe of Electra didn’t receive much publicity after signing with the Mean Green in the same class and is starting for the third straight year.

It just goes to show that you can’t judge a player by his ranking.

[good_ken]

Here’s my suggestion for the cover of next year’s UNT media guide:

Fifth string offensive linemen of the Mean Green.

Why?

Think back on this list.

Johnny Quinn and Jamario Thomas in 2006, Thomas and Patrick Cobbs in 2005, Cobbs in 2004 and Brandon Kennedy in 2003.

I think we have a case for a curse here.

Kennedy had a bad ankle in 2003 and never was at full strength. Cobbs lasted all of two games in 2004 before a knee injury ended his season, while Thomas’ hamstring hampered him all year in 2005 when UNT shut him down three games before the end of the season. Oh yeah, and Johnny Quinn broke his hand in preseason practice this fall.

Cue the creepy music.

I hadn't noticed that, very weird.