Today the North Carolina Sports Hall Of Fame added eleven members in the class of 2013 including Tarboro resident Kelvin Bryant.
I had the pleasure to do two of Tarboro's games against Ahoskie back in 1977 in Tarboro and 1978 in Ahoskie. That game in 78 was for the conference championship and in the fourth quarter Tarboro was holding on to a 14-7 lead and Tarboro tried to pitch the ball to Kelvin going around the right end at about the Tarboro 30 yard line. The pitch went over Kelvin's head and was rolling free at about the 20 yard line with three or four Ahoskie players chasing the ball and Kelvin as the only Tarboro player any where close.
Kelvin managed to kick the ball out of bounds keeping Ahoskie from getting it and at the time as a young bias broadcaster pulling for Ahoskie I lambasted Bryant on the radio for kicking the ball out of bounds and causing a penalty for an illegal kick. My color man made me see the light that Bryant just maybe had saved the game for Tarboro by keeping Ahoskie from getting it so close to their goal line and saved the game for Tarboro. In retrospect he was right on and over the years doing games on the radio it has been one of the best plays ever by a player while I was in a booth.
Bryant went on to Carolina where he is still in the top five rushers all time for the Tar Heels having rushed for over a thousand yards three straight years. 19 times Bryant rushed for over 100 in a Tar Heel game. ECU fans would like to forget 1981 when Kelvin scored 6 touchdowns against them in one game. Bryant still holds the NCAA record for scoring 11 touchdowns in two consecutive weeks and 15 touchdowns in three consecutive games. Bryant in 2002 was voted one of the 50 best football players in the history of the ACC.
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Stars of the old United states Football league and both years in Philly made the all star team and Philly won the championship in 1984. 1985 the team moved to Baltimore where they again won the championship and all three years that Bryant played in the USFL he ran for over 1,250 yards. 1986 he joined the Washington Redskins where he was a member of the Super Bowl XXLL winning team and retired from football in 1990.
Joining Bryant in the Hall Of Fame Class of 2013 is Bill Guthridge former Carolina Basketball coach, Ron Francis of the Carolina Hurricanes, Wade garrett, Tommy Helms, Marion Kirby, Rich McGeorge, Hugh Morton, Bob Quincy Mildred Southern and Marty Sheets.
Any Friday night in the fall you can find Kelvin Bryant somewhere near the Tarboro Viking football game where ever they might be playing because Kelvin Still loves those Vikings.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Mobile Quarterback Dilemma
Can the mobile quarterbacks of the world like RG 3 ever become the staple of all NFL QB's? That is the dilemma for NFL executives as if you look at the history of NFL mobile QB's they just don't last. The Washington Redskins came out of the box Sunday and RG 3 looked like a world beater and then it happened an injury. It is by the way his second of the season.
Most mobile quarterbacks when the NFL tries to make them into a pocket passing quarterback to save their health they were not brought up that way and can't do it. Vince Young being a good example. Where is he any way, what he is all of 27 years old? If the mobile QB is the rage how long will it last when quarterbacks like Peyton Manning a true pocket passer can give you 15 years and a Michael Vick gives you four years and then four years of what could have been.
My next question today is why it is that the NFL does not believe in letting the backups play until it is kneel down time. I don't care what level you play I think your backup quarterback should get playing time every game the second series of the game. He needs important time in a game to get the feel of the game. The NFL never uses backups even when the starter stinks on a particular day and somebody else you know could do better.
The perfect example was just yesterday when it was clear RG 3 could not throw the ball off his injured knee. Of all the teams the Redskins have won this year with the backup in the game. It was clear coaching lost the Redskin game by the lack of changing QB's when the starter was only able to look like he was 60%. My thinking is if you backup is not at least 75% as good as the starter you might as well not have a backup if you are afraid to use them.
Yeah, the NHL is back. Maybe we will get to see the Hurricanes around the 19th of January. I have about got to the point where I don't care one way or the other whether we ever have hockey again. If the Canes can make the playoffs maybe my interest will come back.
The ACC basketball season started this weekend and Duke won but didn't blast away on Wake like I thought they would. It will be interesting to watch this team Saturday in Raleigh against State in a truly unruly atmosphere. I think Duke is real good but not Final Four good.
N C State lost games last year when they played big men. Boston College had two big men. Maybe they weren't great basketball players but State had a hard time getting to the basket. Kansas and Carolina had great big men last season and State stayed close but lost to those big men teams. That I think is their achilles Heel again this year.
I think last night Carolina gave all their fans a reality check that this year's team has a long way to go. Their point guard play is very suspect. The good news is that could get better as the season goes on but their next problem is who is their go to guy? You know Mcadoo was a roll player last year is is better than last but I don't see him being a sophomore All American like this years team needs.
Most mobile quarterbacks when the NFL tries to make them into a pocket passing quarterback to save their health they were not brought up that way and can't do it. Vince Young being a good example. Where is he any way, what he is all of 27 years old? If the mobile QB is the rage how long will it last when quarterbacks like Peyton Manning a true pocket passer can give you 15 years and a Michael Vick gives you four years and then four years of what could have been.
My next question today is why it is that the NFL does not believe in letting the backups play until it is kneel down time. I don't care what level you play I think your backup quarterback should get playing time every game the second series of the game. He needs important time in a game to get the feel of the game. The NFL never uses backups even when the starter stinks on a particular day and somebody else you know could do better.
The perfect example was just yesterday when it was clear RG 3 could not throw the ball off his injured knee. Of all the teams the Redskins have won this year with the backup in the game. It was clear coaching lost the Redskin game by the lack of changing QB's when the starter was only able to look like he was 60%. My thinking is if you backup is not at least 75% as good as the starter you might as well not have a backup if you are afraid to use them.
Yeah, the NHL is back. Maybe we will get to see the Hurricanes around the 19th of January. I have about got to the point where I don't care one way or the other whether we ever have hockey again. If the Canes can make the playoffs maybe my interest will come back.
The ACC basketball season started this weekend and Duke won but didn't blast away on Wake like I thought they would. It will be interesting to watch this team Saturday in Raleigh against State in a truly unruly atmosphere. I think Duke is real good but not Final Four good.
N C State lost games last year when they played big men. Boston College had two big men. Maybe they weren't great basketball players but State had a hard time getting to the basket. Kansas and Carolina had great big men last season and State stayed close but lost to those big men teams. That I think is their achilles Heel again this year.
I think last night Carolina gave all their fans a reality check that this year's team has a long way to go. Their point guard play is very suspect. The good news is that could get better as the season goes on but their next problem is who is their go to guy? You know Mcadoo was a roll player last year is is better than last but I don't see him being a sophomore All American like this years team needs.
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