SOTT Draft Profile : Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin
Ricky Wagner added 80 lbs and changed positions to become next in a long line of notable Wisconsin left tackles. He is atheltic and versatile, but how does that translate to the next level? We once more check in with Andrew Rosin for answers on what we can expect for the success from the man following Joe Thomas and Gabe Carimi out of University of Wisconsin to the NFL. What path did Ricky Wagner take to get to Wisconsin? Ricky Wagner? He didn’t even receive a scholarship offer from the Badgers. He was more of a basketball player, with…
SOTT Interview: The Wade Smith Foundation Grows and Gives
Walking into a room, you would never know the unassuming 6’4″ Wade Smith is a Pro Bowl-caliber professional football player. But the modest and reserved Smith offers a bright, welcoming smile and shakes hands with those in attendance at an autograph signing at Buffalo Wild Wings to benefit his charity, The Wade Smith Foundation. He often looks downward but always catches your eye when speaking. He is an honest and humble-appearing man. The Houston Texans left guard has been a revelation on the field the past three years, as well as in the charitable sense more recently….
SOTT Draft Profile : Ryan Swope, Texas A&M
Ryan Swope had humble freshman year beginnings on special teams but became a phenom his sophomore year, breaking TAMU’s single season reception record. Swope continued his record-breaking streak into his junior year, earning second-team All Big XII accolades. His senior year, he broke the Aggie all-time receiving record. So what does Swope look like in the pros? We ask TexAgs recruiting intern Brandon Wheeland to share his very knowledgeable insight on what makes Swope special. Tale of the Tape Class: Senior Height: 6’1″ Weight: 206 lbs. 40 time: 4.55 (projected) How was Ryan Swope recruited to A&M and…
SOTT Draft Profile : DaMontre Moore, Texas A&M
DaMontre Moore had 12.5 sacks in 2012 and was one of the most consistent pass rushers in the country according to a number of outlets. Moore also led the Aggies with 85 tackles, 21 TFL, 2 PDs, and more. He is highly decorated, young, raw, and has been mentored by Von Miller. It’s looking as though Moore will go in the top 10 of the 2012 draft. For a balanced picture of this talented player, we once again ask TexAgs recruiting intern Brandon Wheeland to help wrap our minds around what a team will potentially get with DaMontre Moore. Tale…
SOTT Draft Profile: Sheldon Price, UCLA
A cornerback who possesses great athleticism and instincts, Sheldon Price has 45 starts at the CB position while at UCLA and tied the school record for INTs in a single game with 3 versus University of Houston in 2012. Price played in the East-West Shrine game where he received accolades from former NFL great Al Harris, who nicknamed Price “Deuce-Deuce” after his number 22. We checked in with Greg Burcham from Bruins Nation, a UCLA centered community on the SB Nation network. Greg has great love for his Bruins and is very knowledgeable on his alma mater’s football squad. Greg was…
SOTT Draft Profile: Datone Jones, UCLA
As NFL offenses typically focus on the passing game, DCs have been focusing on hybrid defenders, capable of lining up inside and out depending on the down and distance. Datone Jones meets this criteria, playing highly effective football at both DT and DE. He could be valuable to a 4-3 or 3-4 defense and is expected to go off the board in the first round of the 2013 draft. For more information on the impressive Jones, we turn once more to Greg Burcham of Bruins Nation. You can follow the Bruins Nation blog, as well as their twitter account @bruinnation…
SOTT Draft Profile: Johnathan Franklin, UCLA
Doak Walker finalist and a top NCAA rusher in 2012, Johnathan Franklin has made a name for himself beyond UCLA. Franklin has three 200+ yard games in his career and is the all-time leading rusher in UCLA history, as well as the most all-purpose yards in a season for UCLA. Once more, we seek knowledge on Franklin from Greg Burcham of Bruins Nation, a UCLA centered community on the SB Nation network. Greg was kind enough to share his insight with us at State of the Texans. Tale of the Tape Height: 5’11″ Weight: 195 lbs. Class: Senior What is…
Know Your Opponent with Derek Havens
Divisional Round of the AFC Playoffs. The Houston Texans head back to Foxboro, MA for the second meeting versus the New England Patriots in 5 weeks after the initial 2012 meeting in week 14. What have the Texans learned, what new wrinkles will we see from Belichick, Brady and crew, and who will show up who may not have been so influential in the game’s outcome in December. We can always count on Derek Havens of PatsFans.com and @PatriotsHaven on Twitter, for answers to all our burning questions – some serious, some not-so-much. Read below to get Derek’s valuable…
Know Your Opponent with Cincy Jungle’s Joe Goodberry
Wildcard weekend. Texans fans know we “shouldn’t” be here. We were “supposed” to be the 1-seed in the AFC. And yet, after a 1-3 final quarter of the season, here we are, facing the Bengals in the same weekend as last year. Same Bengals, same Texans, but different. This Bengals defense is bigger and badder in every way. This Texans defense is more decimated. Andy Dalton is surprising many of us. So is Matt Schaub but in a totally opposite manner. Both teams have questionable running attacks which is odd to say with Arian Foster and BenJarvus Green-Ellis in their…
Know Your Opponent with Colts Authority
As we enter the final week of the 2012 NFL regular season game, the Houston Texans meet their old (in Texans existence terms, that is,) foes the Indianapolis Colts for the second time in three weeks. Having just met two Sundays ago, both teams have a really good idea of what to expect from the other. Game planning and player motivation will be at fevered pitch, fans of each team hope, as Colts HC Chuck Pagano plans to play his starters in a game of little consequence to the Colts who are locked into the 5 seed in the…
