EmotionallyUnstable Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) Played Division-III ball for my four years in school. Awesome experience, as everyone there was playing because they loved the game, and had no other motivations. My freshman year was spent as the LS and 3rd string TE. I was thrust into a starting role at TE due to an injury early in my sophomore year and held onto the job through my Senior season, when I was a team captain. I played with a couple of stud players (LB, WR, QB) who had pro-days of sorts and some went on to play elsewhere after graduation (professionally in Germany, indoor, semi-pro). I also played against Ali Marpet. We scrimmaged Hobart before the season started. Well, I didn’t actually play against him given that I was an offensive player, but collectively we did. Kind of a cool thing IMO. I had no shot at football after college, but it was a really great time while it lasted. Met my best friends there that I still have to this day, and made connections with players/coaches that still come in handy every once and a while. Another random factoid for those UB Bull fans out there: I was a member of the team that broke Lance Leipold’s 36-0 win streak with DIII national champions Wisconsin Whitewater. Craziest game I’ve ever been a part of. Edited October 3, 2019 by EmotionallyUnstable 2 1
BillsFan4 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 I played hockey at a pretty high level. I played a lot of organized sports as a kid but once I started playing organized ice hockey it pretty quickly became my favorite. Then I got pretty serious about hockey when I got a tryout offer from a tier II travel team after my 2nd year in the House league and things kind of just took off from there. Hockey pretty much consumed most of my time after that.
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 4 hours ago, The Jokeman said: He was playing for the Buccaneers then. I get it--just wish he'd been a Bill that much sooner, is all. Great career! 1
TitansPerspective Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Everyone in the nfl, and yours and our past 40 qbs. 1
Agent 91 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 9 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said: A few searches through the forums yielded no results, so I’ll start a new topic. Who has played at a professional level, or tried out at that level? Semi pro counts as well. In the spirit of total disclosure, I never played higher than pick up street or playground football, and usually was among the last to be picked. ? Moderators, my apologies if this was better posted in ‘Off the Wall’. Semi pro doesnt count... why? Because I played it lol. 1
Agent 91 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 3 hours ago, EmotionallyUnstable said: Played Division-III ball for my four years in school. Awesome experience, as everyone there was playing because they loved the game, and had no other motivations. My freshman year was spent as the LS and 3rd string TE. I was thrust into a starting role at TE due to an injury early in my sophomore year and held onto the job through my Senior season, when I was a team captain. I played with a couple of stud players (LB, WR, QB) who had pro-days of sorts and some went on to play elsewhere after graduation (professionally in Germany, indoor, semi-pro). I also played against Ali Marpet. We scrimmaged Hobart before the season started. Well, I didn’t actually play against him given that I was an offensive player, but collectively we did. Kind of a cool thing IMO. I had no shot at football after college, but it was a really great time while it lasted. Met my best friends there that I still have to this day, and made connections with players/coaches that still come in handy every once and a while. Another random factoid for those UB Bull fans out there: I was a member of the team that broke Lance Leipold’s 36-0 win streak with DIII national champions Wisconsin Whitewater. Craziest game I’ve ever been a part of. I really like Leipold! Hope he sticks
BuffaloSol Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 10 hours ago, RyanC883 said: great topic! and for those who say "played in college," let us know where. Anywhere is impressive! I played in middle school, had # 82 for Don Beebe. Then did cross country and track in HS. Sometimes wish I continued football. "Played in college" is mush more impressive than semi-pro. I've done both d1 football and semi pro, semi pro is a kind of a joke it's a bunch of old guys and a few super athletic dudes playing pick up football with pads. College football like others have said is a grind, it consumes your life, I was dumb and let partying also consume mine instead of school. I wish we had the option to do that league in california where you can play competitive football after high school without going to school 10 years ago. 1
Buffalo Barbarian Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 10 hours ago, Beach said: i played 1 year of semi pro. i was a punter so most will say that doesnt count. We have an opening 2
Buffalo Barbarian Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 8 hours ago, Mango said: Used to be pro in a different, MUCH LESS lucrative sport for a number of years. Years later, working 9-5 in my 30’s, I wish my parents pushed me towards a sport that paid a whole lot better. The football paycheck equivalent of me in my sport would have set me for life. ? what sport is that?
GunnerBill Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 9 hours ago, matter2003 said: I had a chance to play semi pro soccer but i decided it wasnt worth it due to constant nagging soft tissue injuries i dealt with my last 2 years of college...i felt a little like Andrew Luck lol Know that feeling. I played a pretty decent semi-pro level but had a knee cartilage opp at 19, a hernia at 21 and then a number of hamstring niggles so I retired from playing at 24 and coached for about 8 years after that.
Gugny Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 17 minutes ago, GunnerBill said: Know that feeling. I played a pretty decent semi-pro level but had a knee cartilage opp at 19, a hernia at 21 and then a number of hamstring niggles so I retired from playing at 24 and coached for about 8 years after that. The Hamstring Niggles would be an awesome band name.
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted October 3, 2019 Author Posted October 3, 2019 4 hours ago, BuffaloSol said: "Played in college" is mush more impressive than semi-pro. I've done both d1 football and semi pro... Yes, by all means if you were a player on an organized collegiate program, your experience is welcome in the thread.
Bookie Man Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Played from from 4th - 12th grade. I played for the same school Kim Pegula graduated from.
Cripple Creek Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 15 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said: I played HS and some college until I hurt my knee and then left college early to pursue some business opportunities. Was never going to have a real shot at going pro, I wasn’t fast enough before I hurt my knee let alone after lol. I did later also play in a flag football league with former NFL guys like Chris McCalister and also some lesser ex players and former college guys too. Damn Chris was so fast still. Imagine some middle aged average joes who were never very fast even in their prime trying to cover Chris and his friends lol, it wasn’t pretty hahaha. Let’s just say we changed leagues to the Venice co-Ed two hand touch league instead where we became champs lmao. Do you enjoy Italy? I’m surprised Venice has real estate to support League’s.
HardyBoy Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 43 minutes ago, Cripple Creek said: Do you enjoy Italy? I’m surprised Venice has real estate to support League’s. Must run a lot of flood routes 1 1
billsfan_34 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Furthest I got was Junior year in HS. Played WR and CB. It was fun but life got in the way and 8-9 years of beatings was enough for me. Mad respect for people who understand how violent the game is and were able to continue on to College and above!!!
wolfpack78 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 I walked on at Ohio State the year after they beat the U for the National Championship (2003) as a 6'2 280 lb guard. I had offers from smaller division schools but was considered too small for larger D1 schools. Blew out my ACL in camp of my sophomore season, rehabbed for a year and toiled on scout team for two years before being put on scholarship and playing in eight games my senior (5th) year. Got to play on field goal team in a win at Michigan but my last game was unfortunately a loss to LSU in the national championship game. Had a blast playing and would have loved to continue after college, but my size was kind or prohibitive (I got up to 293 at one point in college) for the NFL game. The interesting thing I never appreciated while in the thick of it is the doors being a college athlete opens up for you after the fact. The CFO at my current employer has told me a number of times he loves hiring college athletes because of the time management skills, drive and work ethic that they have that most folks don't. For the reason I will always encourage my children (child as of now) to pursue athletics in addition to academics for the various life lessons it teaches. 6 1
MiltonWaddams Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 Played high school, poorly, backing up OJ Santiago who was a TE at Notre Dame and played in the NFL with Mike Vick’s Falcons and later the Browns. Seeing the level of player firsthand that it takes to play in the NFL was pretty impressive. Unfortunately I didn’t learn sufficiently through watching or obtain skills through proximity.
Alphadawg7 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, Cripple Creek said: Do you enjoy Italy? I’m surprised Venice has real estate to support League’s. Venice, CA lol, but I wish it was Italy ha Edited October 3, 2019 by Alphadawg7
pennstate10 Posted October 3, 2019 Posted October 3, 2019 The semipro discussion got me to thinking about how loose with the rules some teams are. My cousin (from Boston) tells a story about the time his team got hammered in an age 14 and under league. They were feeling pretty down. Then they saw guys from the other team get in cars and drive away.
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