Walk-ons

[PonyPride]

Looking over the roster, there are a number of guys listed as redshirt freshmen who were not recruited as scholarship players. Some of them I've seen at practices, some are complete mysteries.... When walk-ons make it as viable contributors, they often become fan favorites who have an interesting story behind them.

#45 DE Bobby Babc.ock (6-2 240) - Glen Allen (Deep Run), Va.
#23 DB Russell Burgess (5-10 175) - Plano (Dallas Bishop Lynch), Texas
#20 DB Chase Courtney (5-10 180) - Alexandria (Menard Central), La.
#82 DE Calvin Crockett (6-2 255) - Grand Prairie (South Grand Prairie), Texas
#96 DE Josh Geldert (6-3 230) - Dallas (Lake Highlands), Texas
#34 WR Bruce Greenberg (5-7 165) - Columbia (Hammond School), S.C.
#90 DE Rush Hughes (6-3 220) - Richardson (J.J. Pearce), Texas
#30 LB Jason Jackson (6-0 220) - Little Rock (Episcopal Collegiate), Ark.
#24 P Russ McCary (6-1 180) The Woodlands, Texas
#39 LB Ryan Moczygemba (6-1 215) - Bulverde (Smithson Valley), Texas
#29 WR Shaun Moore (6-1 180) - Lake Forest, Ill.
#55 LB John Nwisienyi (5-11 220) - Dallas (Jesuit), Texas
#31 WR Kyle Sullivan (6-0 160) - Mission Viejo, Calif.

[mrydel]

I have seen the Greenberg kid on the sidelines and if he is 5-7 165, Vic has been working wonders. One of the tiniest players I have ever seen. I actually thought he was a coaches kid in a uniform.

Please know that none of this is a comment on his ability. I have witnessed very good, small players. He may turn out to be the kid that turns the program around. But he is very tiny.

[ponydawg]

I remember standing in front of my High School Coach when he reffered to me as a 6'1" point guard.........guess my Doctor didn't go to a very good medical school, he always said I was 5'10".

[jtstang]

See, now that was funny. Nice job ponydawg.

[westexSMU]

Coach Bennett has mentioned that #39 LB Ryan Moczygemba (6-1 215) - Bulverde (Smithson Valley) Texas should see some playing time at LB this year. I remember hearing his name called out several times by PA during the spring game. Is he on scholarship ? If he did not get a Division 1 scholarship somewhere, I don't know why. He was 1st team All State 4-A, and All San Antonio area.

[PonySnob]

Do we have an abnormally high number of walk on players compared to other programs? Does this mean that we have not been able to fill all of the allowed scholarships?

[Grider]

I'm not sure, but I would guess that SMU has less walk-ons than an avg D1 program. Not everyone that wants to play a little football in college has over $25K to pony up every year (pun intended).

[originaloverthehilltop1]

25k? isn't that rather underestimated?

[perunapower]

I'm not sure, but I would guess that SMU has less walk-ons than an avg D1 program. Not everyone that wants to play a little football in college has over $25K to pony up every year (pun intended).

Haha. I wish it was $25K. Try close to $30K before room & board, books, parking, etc.

[Grider]

Damn, i said OVER $25k But yeah, you're both right looking at the smu website, it's over 27K at 13.7k a semester just for tuition. Dorms were like 4k, 1k for meal plan plus books, parking.....your in the mid 30's real quick.

[Ikus]

Do we have an abnormally high number of walk on players compared to other programs? Does this mean that we have not been able to fill all of the allowed scholarships?

Hate to burst your "we suck" bubble, but the number of walk-ons has nothing to do with the ability of a school to make use of the full allotment of scholarships. Nebraska traditionally has as many walk-ons as just about any school in the country -- some years, they've had as many as 50 or more -- and I'm pretty damn sure they find quality players to fill up their scholarships. The walk-ons are guys who either didn't quite merit a scholarship in a coach's eyes, or wants to play at a school when there just weren't enough scholarships to go around, or they want the academics offered at a particular school, or any of a number of other reasons. At a lot of schools, guys walk on just for the honor of being on the team, knowing that the moon will have to align with the stars to ever get a single play in a game, and that they'll spend four (or five) years serving as nothing more than tackling dummies and scout teamers in practice. Those guys often are the players with the highest character, the highest grades, and the greatest senses of satisfaction when their playing days are over. Those are the guys who appreciate everything they get and everything they earn, and who remain most loyal to a program after graduation. Bobby Bowden once said he wasn't a good coach until he had a good group of walk-ons who showed his scholarship guys how to work hard. You can't have enough guys like that.

[Stallion]

They've had some recent rules in the last few years which have cut down on the number of walkons. For example you can only invite something like 15 non-scholarship players to any practice before the first day of classes at that university. These guys are generally referred to as "invited walk-ons". In the old days Tech and Nebraska had the biggest walkon programs with both schools approaching 100 players in the walkon program.There may even be a limitation on the number of walkons that can even be issued football equipment these days although I'm not sure about that. Private schools like SMU are at big disadvantage in getting walkons because of the tuition.

[abezontar]

Do we have an abnormally high number of walk on players compared to other programs? Does this mean that we have not been able to fill all of the allowed scholarships?

Hate to burst your "we suck" bubble, but the number of walk-ons has nothing to do with the ability of a school to make use of the full allotment of scholarships. Nebraska traditionally has as many walk-ons as just about any school in the country -- some years, they've had as many as 50 or more -- and I'm pretty damn sure they find quality players to fill up their scholarships. The walk-ons are guys who either didn't quite merit a scholarship in a coach's eyes, or wants to play at a school when there just weren't enough scholarships to go around, or they want the academics offered at a particular school, or any of a number of other reasons. At a lot of schools, guys walk on just for the honor of being on the team, knowing that the moon will have to align with the stars to ever get a single play in a game, and that they'll spend four (or five) years serving as nothing more than tackling dummies and scout teamers in practice. Those guys often are the players with the highest character, the highest grades, and the greatest senses of satisfaction when their playing days are over. Those are the guys who appreciate everything they get and everything they earn, and who remain most loyal to a program after graduation. Bobby Bowden once said he wasn't a good coach until he had a good group of walk-ons who showed his scholarship guys how to work hard. You can't have enough guys like that.

Ruuudy...Ruuudy...Ruuudy

[mrydel]

Ruuudy...Ruuudy...Ruuudy

Thought of you as more of a Hillary supporter.

[abezontar]

Ruuudy...Ruuudy...Ruuudy

Thought of you as more of a Hillary supporter.

Mike Gravel, gotta love those crazy yelling senators from Alaska.