Will there ever be another two-way player? The former Buckeye defenders rose up this weekend around the NFL, as the playoffs draw nearer and the weather becomes colder.
It was an overall lackluster performance by the wideouts this week, as Micheal Jenkins' 3 catches for 55 yards led the group, in Atlanta's 13-10 overtime win over Tampa.
Santonio Holmes (3 for 22) wins the clutch award, catching a controversial game winning 4 yard touchdown with :50 seconds left, making up for his 2 earlier fumbles in Pittsburgh's 13-9 win over Baltimore, clinching the AFC North.
Nate Clements started things on D with a team-leading 5 solo tackles, helping hold Miami to 150 yards passing in a 14-9 loss. AJ Hawk also lead the Packers with 8 solo tackles and a sack in Green Bay's 20-16 road defeat at Jacksonville.
In his second game back from a separated shoulder, Donte Whitner recorded 10 tackles in Buffalo's heartbreaking 31-27 loss at NY Jets. In winning efforts, Mike Vrabel had 5 tackles and his 4th sack of the season in New England's 49-26 road win against Oakland, while Antoine had 5 tackles and a forced fumble on Arizona's second possession, leading to a 14-0 Minnesota lead and an eventual 35-14 win.However, for a league-leading third time this year, Chris Gamble takes home the award for his efforts during Carolina's 30-10 home drubbing of Denver. Gamble registered 7 tackles, giving him a career high 82 on the season, which ranks 1st amongst NFL corners. He ranks 10th with 19 pass deflections.
He also picked off his third pass of the season, at Denver's 27 with 1:55 left in the first. It lead to a field goal and the Panthers went on to score another 20 unanswered in their win. The win ties Carolina with the Giants atop the NFC at 11-3 and these two just happen to be meeting this Sunday in New York.
The game will be in primetime on NBC at 8:15 and could pit Gamble against either Michigan product Armani Toomer or Columbus native Domenik Hixon.
Comments
Gamble is such a beast. I thought it was incredible how he played both sides of the ball for us, AND returned kicks and punts, AND still managed to be ridiculously efficient.
The more praise we can give this guy, the better. He was every bit as important to our perfect 02 season as that one freshman RB whose name I'd rather not mention was.
I'm with you on that one, flip. An incredible playmaker in so many facets of the game. I think he was the most important piece of that 2002 title team, but only by just a hair, since there were so many big-time contributors to that truly amazing, 14 game, definition of "team effort."
With so many great players on that '02 team, it is easy to forget the impact Gamble had on that team. I don't recall seeing too many, if any, two way players in college since then.
It is great to see him settle into one role in the NFL. I would not be surprised to see him in the Pro Bowl.
BTW, anyone know the last Pro Bowler the Buckeyes have produced? I'm just being lazy, but only Orlando pace comes to mind.
The only real blemish on Gamble is that play in Madison '03. Blame it on a mental lapse.
Mike Vrabel would be my guess
Hasnt Winfield made it recently? While with the Bills?
Mike Vrabel last year.
Vrabel made the Pro Bowl last year. Wil Smith in '07. Orlando was in '06 with LeCharles Bentley. That is as far back as I went...man I miss those guys on our O & D Lines!
Why does this years bowl game feel like a dentists appointment for a root canal??
Im really excited about this years bowl game. Maybe its the nitrious oxide I got before my dentist appointment?
In case anyone cares:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/...
Little Animal made the All American 1st Team
It's actually Amani Toomer. I used to make this mistake all the time around my Michigan "friend". Berman's "Well-dressed Amani" Toomer is a reference to the whole Armani/Amani thing
3rd straight year. Still pissed he won't be consensus. But first Buckeye linebacker in history to be a 3 time All-American.
Fuck him in his ear for going to scUM in the first place....and I'm a Giants fan saying this. You can all see where my true allegiance lies.
Gamble is from the South Florida area and he has a nice family. His step-father was the UPS driver at my old office and he took my 2002 National Championship game commerative book and got Chris to sign it... . right on the picture of him being held at the goal line by Glenn Sharpe---the play that resulted in the so-called controversial flag.
He is one of my all-time favorite Buckeyes because he was money during crunch time on O or D. I bought my #7 jersey because of him.
Also, Buckeyes just landed a commitment from Jamal Turner, the #1 junior recruit in Ohio, although my sense was he had been trending that way for a while. Go Buckeyes.
Boy the bashing has begun on ESPN Conversations about JL. These MF's really need a bowl win against Texas.
Once again any chance we ditch these jersey's and go back to the old stripes? Maybe we wear red socks like they did in the 97 scUM Game?
from the OZONE-- some good news (hopefully)
December 16, 2008 3:30 PM
Football: OSU Head Coach Jim Tressel said today that freshman defensive end Nathan Williams will make the trip to Arizona with the Buckeyes for the Fiesta Bowl. Williams status was in some doubt due to his involvement in a shop lifting incident recently. According to Tressel, it is yet to be determined as to whether Williams will play in the game.
Tressel also reported that six OSU underclassmen have filed papers for NFL evaluation. They are wide receiver Brian Hartline, safety Kurt Coleman, safety Anderson Russell, tight end Jake Ballard, offensive lineman Jim Cordle and corner back Donald Washington. Tressel also added that he advised Beanie Wells that there was no need for an evaluation since his talent level and the interest level from the NFL is obvious.
My bad, his name is Jamel. Which is the transliteration in Arabic for the masculine form of the word "beautiful", jameela being the feminine form. I trust the slobber knockers he'll put on the Big Ten receivers are beautiful, as well.
I think Donald Washington is gone, Hartline might be gone but would be a fool to do so; Coleman and Russell might think about leaving but probably stand to gain the most in the draft by staying and patrolling the middle of the field as seniors, in an otherwise young secondary. Ballard, Cordle, would be foolish to leave now.
None of those players should leave, and I'm removing the Scarlet and Gray glasses on that one. Outside of Beanie, none of them is a first day pick, and to be honest, a few of them would probably go undrafted (Washington, Ballard)
Yet all of them (outside of Beanie) would stand to make huge gains next year, especially if Heacock and Bollman are given the boot. Though I can't say I blame them for wanting to get as far as possible away from the two buffoons.
Sorry to say that I do not see Heacock and Bollman going anywhere. Tressel is loyal to the end. If one of them does leave, I think it would be Bollman. Problem is, since Tress calls the plays what offensive minded coach would want to come to OSU to give the coach 5 plays to choose from?? Any true offensive minded guru would want to run the show. OSU needs to have Earle Bruce and/or Spielman coach the O-line... they would be whipped into shape in no time.
Unfortunately, it's becoming more and more obvious that Tressel is either loyal to a fault, or that the Jokester Jims have pictures of him fucking a goat or something. Either way, you're right, nothing changes until the man actually calling the plays relents.
I usually try to stay away from the ignorant drivel that is ESPN "conversations". Any news that remotely relates to Ohio State always ends up like that: flooded by a bunch of idiots with nothing to say but the same tired crap that they hear from Mark May or . Hard to have a normal conversation on ESPN comments sections when every other comment is "OSU iz 4 overratedd n teh luckeyes/suckeyes/fuckeyes r gunna looze der bole gayme n weenie wells iz sux SEC 4 lyfe"
Antoine Winfield
Nick Mangold
2009 Pro Bowlers
CB 26 Winfield, Antoine ACT TCKL 80 SCK 2.0 FF 4 INT 2 MIN
CB 20 Gamble, Chris ACT TCKL 82 SCK 0.0 FF 1 INT 3 CAR
I think Gamble was just as deserving
CB 21 Woodson, Charles ACT TCKL 54 SCK 3.0 FF 1 INT 5 GB
Seriously?
Yeah I usually try to but sometimes I just have to look. BTW we are now up there with Duke and the Yankees. Not bad company I'd say.
A report on 1460 states that m*ch*g*n's defensive coordinator has "stepped down."
Kudos to Turner Gill for turning down Iowa State. No one deserves to coach at Iowa State, regardless of how difficult D-I jobs are to come by.
I actually dont have a problem with Tressel calling the plays, I do have a problem with the unimaginative game plans that happen ....especially big games. When you are surrounded by like minded people, you get like minded advice. Bring in a good, young offensive mind and allow him input into the game planning at least. Let him call the 5 or so plays to Tress from the Box and Tress can pick which one to call if he wants. At least there will be some new ideas coming into the program. Gotta get a new O-line coach, period. O-line has sucked since '04 probably and got worse each year. Heacock is fine if he turns the dogs loose and quits calling soft zones... you brought 5 star athletes into the program, now let them do their thing.... quit calling zones, I rewatched part of the '06 NC game the other day (blah) and it was ridiculous how much soft middle there was for Leak to throw the ball. One missed tackle and big yards, time after time-- it was all YAC. Gotta get stone age on Colt and beat him to a Woody Hayes pulp. Attack, Attack, attack....
And Michigan fans rejoice. Shafer makes Heacock look like a defensive genius.
Winfield is the man. He doesn't just bring you down like gamble he tries to kill you.
Michigan's defense this year was not what Michigan's defense was supposed to be coming into the season. While it should not have won them any games (too young/bad in the secondary, thin at LB), it certainly shouldn't have given up 48 points to an offense run by a guy who was a running back about five minutes before kickoff.
Please, UM, take Heacock off our hands.
Anderson Russell? I thought we've been playing 10 on 11.
Get Heacock the head job at Youngstown ST. Give Fickel D-Coordinator. Demote Bollman to assistant O-Line and get some young ass kicker to take his place as Head O-line coach. Tress should be O-Coordinator, the problem is not his playcalling, it's sub-par talent on the O-line.
You can dream up every crazy offense and defensive scheme in the world, but two things never change, blocking and tackling.
just to justify your statement...here is the head quote for the all american list:
Snyder0056 (12/16/2008 at 3:49 PM) Bradford & Crabtree...Yes, definitely worth of All-America status and any other award they receive.
Laurinaitis is without question the most overrated defensive player in college football history. The only thing I ever saw him doing was chasing the play; after it was ten yards down field.
That pic makes me wonder why Malcolm never got a chance on offense. I've seen him create some havoc with the pigskin in his hands. Even if only as change of pace or something for the defense to think about. Who knows maybe #2 will throw a bomb to #2 against TX...ha
Gamble caught that bomb and shut down some bum named Andre Johnson in that game.
#2 cannot throw a bomb to #2. The double number issue will not allow. Pryor and Jenkins could not be on the field at the same time.