stevewin

I saw the topic for the first time and saw OTA and 6 pages and got excited and thought oh good must be some good info - then after a minute of reading it was "oh"

Tolbert's next

It took me a minute to understand - I thought initially it was just a superimposed picture, then it was Oh Snap

Seems like a genuinely good Dude - excited and ready to go - Draft night - Was the best moment of my life. I can't even describe it. It was awesome. It was such a huge blessing and I'm so excited to be here - Journey - Dad going to ECC and living in Buffalo watching the Bills - It's crazy. It's like a dream come true for me and for him. It's so wild that I ended up here in Buffalo. It's cool because he knows the area, where he used to eat, where he used to go - it's been great - Playing Madden as kid - how did you get hooked on football - Really from that game - play with different teams learn different coverages different route concepts - just learning the game of football in and out, all the positions - and I started playing football after that and it just took off. - Originaly WR and Safety - Allows you to see the game from a different perspective than the DL, so I thought it was cool that I got to play the positions in HS - sometimes you can even even use some of the moves - not exactly - like you'd use as WR at DE, like trying to shake somebody or get off a jam - Graduating early from HS - It was tough for sure. If you want something you have to go after it so I attacked it. I took it really seriously because I knew I wanted to enroll early at U Miami. So I enrolled in Jan - I knew I wanted to gain some weight before the season started because I was a little on the small side to play DE. It was something I took super seriously and the decision paid off for sure - People talk about work ethic and relentless nature - how much from watching parents - All comes from that. Seeing them grind and hustle and go to work and come back late and leave early in the morning, it really motivated me to be able to help some ways. it really instilled hard work in me at a very very early age - Mom says when you were young folding shirts, cleaning etc - I'm just like a neat person, I like to have everything under control. Really at a young age I just like to keep my room neat and the house clean. - Manny Diaz convinces you DE is position for you - It was great when I committed to it. I was an awesome move for me knowing the way my body was projecting and me knowing I could add the weight. Also coach compared me to Manny Lawson [ed. note - not John McCargo] bc he coached him at NC State - told me we were similar - Manny also played receiver in HS and became a first rd pick. IHe said I see a lot of his game in your game - Bruuuuuuce call - It was amazing. Definitely a blessing - it was awesome. I can't wait to meet him hopefully pretty soon and get and knowledge or tips he has for me - This oppty - Bills compete for SB - It's amazing - had a great year last year - can't wait to contribute - What are Bills getting - Someone who's going to bring it every day on and off the field in the media room, in the weight room. Maximize my potential, learn from the older guys - trust my teammates, trust my coaches, be the best player I can be year one - Tough call to sit out year - Tough process for sure - took a lot of time to make the decision with my family. At the end of the day I had to do what I had to do. I'm glad to be where I'm at right now and I'm just so excited for the future

On GMFB they were arguing that being a small market team could work against Jax/Bills for PT game. I don't get it - small market could affect regional viiewership, but for national games it has no effect. Doesn't make any sense. The overall ratings for entire country has nothing to do with local market size - it's about how good/interesting the teams that are playing are, that people are going to want to tune in to see. Esp. with proiferation of NFL info/coverage today it's not like people aren't going to know about Josh Allen and the Bills or Lawrence/ETN if they don't live in that market.

I liked Mayne and the other classic hosts "back in the day" - back then the format was more relaxed and focused on sports. In the golden era SC the hosts injected humor and personality into the broadcast subtly, it seemed natural and not forced. The opposite of the unwatchable trash that exists today. Nothing is worse to me than the insipid bantering between the male-female hosts on Sportscenter now. I rarely watch anymore, and don't even know their names, but it seems every time I do turn it on to just catch some highlights I'm assaulted by endless forced cringeworthy Good Morning America style 'energy"/"dialogue". I almost always end up turning it off.

High level training

There's been a lot of talk about the whole inside/outside thing - I think the biggest advantage is how they can use him in stunts - not necessarily how he will always line up initially.

I was actually at that game - visting my brother. It is crazy how good Cowart was playing at that point, then to just have it all end on one play - so sad.

If we had it - then the same people would have just complained about the player that would have been selected

The Ettiene pick had a Russ Brandon vibe to it

Or Mahomes who does it 10-12 times a game or >

Got very dusty here near the end When he was on the phone all I could think was Pegs on the other end asking "How's the weather?" lol

Nice story - thanks for sharing. Anyone else picture Matt and his girlfriend in his apartment w/ no furniture sitting on the mattress on the floor reading books?

Good article - nice explanantion of exactly how opting out helped his family and the reasons behind it. Like the quote from his brother how the other AFC East teams that passed on him are going to regret it. Phillips (who took his college number) going before him might fuel him a little more against the Dolphins too.

Back in the 90s there was an ECHL team in Raleigh - the Raleigh IceCaps - who played in an old 5000 seat arena on the State Fairgrounds originally built to show livestock. It was straight out of Slap Shot. They had a fan favorite player by the name of Lyle Wildgoose. Those were good times. https://funwhileitlasted.net/2011/11/27/1991-1998-raleigh-icecaps/

Coached by Jim Leonhard Guy on ESPN said "home run type of pick in the 6th round"

Lot of nice things to say from ESPN guys - one guy "guaranteed" he'd make the roster on ST's alone

What a story - Holy Crap

only 4.4? - not 4.2? WTH!

Is he taller than 6'8"?

I love it when people scream "but we need interior OL!" and then I picture Beane and all the FO and coaches and scouts who literally dedicate their lives to this going "Awwwwwwwwwwwww Crap! We forgot about interior OL!"

Some real awkward exchanges there: First dude (as an afterthought before he hands phone over) - "Hey man- you're healthy right? No issues I assume" 🙄 Pegs: "How's the weather there?" 🙄

Its crazy - he gives real meaning to "The Josh Allen of Linemen" - small blue collar town, work on the family farm, play football/basketball/baseball in HS, go to small college program, etc. And we all know Josh could bench 500 if he put his mind to it