Non-Aq Conferences And The Nfl

[Lurker]

Peter King had a couple of interesting comments in his Monday Morning QB column on SI.com. King tends to note the number of players that the NFL has that are not from the major schools.

"Here in Chicago, Green Bay running back James Starks, a sixth-round rookie from a Mid-American Conference school (Buffalo) who rode the bench most of the year, scored a first-quarter touchdown and rushed for a game-high 74 yards. In Pittsburgh, Steeler wide receiver Antonio Brown, a sixth-round rookie from a Mid-American Conference school (Central Michigan), caught the clutch pass of the game ... for the second week in a row.

Starks: draft pick number 193. Brown: 195."

"You go, Mid-American Conference. On the Green Bay Packers' 53-man roster, the two conferences with the most players are the SEC (11) and the MAC (eight). Need to get more Ohio Bobcats in the mix."

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/peter_king/01/23/championships/index.html#ixzz1ByNQ0256

And by my count, 2 from the Belt (1 on active roster, 1 on the practice squad) and 6 from non D1-A programs. Maybe the NCAA can figure out like the NFL has that not all the talent is located that AQ schools and give everyone an equal shot. But then again, I talking about the NCAA...

[golfingomez]

James Harrison is from kent State

[FloMoGrad]

Ben Roethlisburger is from Miami(OH), MAC school.

[UNTLifer]

Green Bay Starters:

WR - Donald Driver: Alcorn State

WR - Greg Jennings: Western Michigan

OG - Daryn Colledge: Boise State

OG - Josh Sitton: Central Florida

RB - James Starks: Buffalo

DE - Cullen Jenkins: Central Michigan

CB - Tramon Williams: La Tech

OLB - Erik Walden: MUTS

FS - Ben Collins: Bethune-Cookman

to name a few.

[Quoner]

I remember hearing someone (maybe Florio) talk about how talent from smaller programs can be coached up and improved more nowadays because they don't have the same degree of resources as the bigger, semi-proffesional programs. This was in regard to how guys from Texas and Ohio State seem to be pretty much a finished package while guys like DeMarcus Ware or James Harrison become dominant once they have a level of coaching and training never offered them before.

It's not a perfect explanation, but I think there's something to it.

[drex]

I have advocated for years that once an athlete signs with a professional team the pro team gives an automatic recruiting bonus to the school from where the player played. That would really help athletic budgets since the universities or colleges are basically providing a farm system for the pros.

[FloMoGrad]

I have advocated for years that once an athlete signs with a professional team the pro team gives an automatic recruiting bonus to the school from where the player played. That would really help athletic budgets since the universities or colleges are basically providing a farm system for the pros.

I think this is a bad idea upon execution. Good in theory, but only widens the margin of haves and have nots.

[eppy4life]

I've often wondered how just about every school it seems has had a solid pro come from their program in the last 10 years except North Texas. Our biggest claim is PC. What are the chances we don't come across some late bloomer even once?