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With ShanD most likely out for the year, who will get the playing time behind Kinkaid or take over in the very unfortunate event that he gets injured?

Fitzgerald

What is Fitzgerald's height/weight?

26 Johnnie Fitzgerald DB 6-2 195 FR-HS Red Oak, Texas (Red Oak)

From the 2002 Roster... they don't seem to have a 2003 Roster posted yet. I hear he's gained some weight, and at 6-2, he was supposed to be a DB. He may look a lot like Eric if he's that tall...

JF runs like dickerson as well. Very upright and I hear it hurts to hit him....

I like Fitsgerald but he is not Dickerson. I'm not slamming the kid. I like him. He looks like he will be a good player. He has good size and he has some speed, but to compare him with one of the all-time greats in college and pro football is a little, shall we say, premature. Let's wait until he has played his first game.

I think when someone is making such a comparison, they are simply comparing form, mechanics, etc. Obviously, no one has seen him play in a real game yet.

Fair enough. I have seen him in a couple of scrimmages. At no time did I say to myself, Good golly Miss Molly there goes the next Eric Dickerson! I'm just messing around with you. As I said above, I like Fitzgerald. Probably will be a good player. Better than good? Who knows? Runs a little upright. Has some tools. When I see him take pitch after pitch and run for 80 yars a pop I will be on the Fitzgerald for Heisman bandwagon. I hope that didn't come across as negative. I like the guy. I slam some things about SMU but I never slam players.

I thought he got on the field a few times last year.....I may be thinking of someone else, but I do think he got a couple of carries...nothing like KK but still he has seen the field.

You must be thinking of someone else. I just looked at the 2002 stats and he is not listed as having any carries or receptions.

He was listed as a DB last year. I think he red-shirted.

[This message has been edited by Nacho (edited 07-18-2003).]

I will really go out on a limb here and guess that Massey will come in here with every intention of earning playing time as a true frosh. In the recuiting stories, he was quoted as saying he intends to come in here and break Dickerson's records. No time to waste if he's going to have any chance of doing that. Of course, Eric did have to "share" the ball with that Craig James character.

Barring injury or difficulty learning the offense I feel reasonable sure he's going to get playing time. We ain't building for 2003 but rather 2005-he needs to get on the field.

Several players have said FitzGerald is the hardest-hitting player they've ever had to tackle. He might run upright, but that doesn't make him easy to bring down.

Fitzgerald brings a load. He may not run for thousand of yards like ED, but I tell you, it seems like everytime I see him get the ball, he runs for 5-7. The guy does not like to go to the ground.

Coaches love him.

Could it be that Fitzgerald and Massey are so talented that they'll actually take carries away from Kincade, after the great season KK had?
What a wonderful problem for our coaches to have. It's been a while since SMU has had so many talented players at a single position.