Today: Where the Big Green has ranked in scoring, total offense, rushing and passing:
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The website 247Sports IlliniInquirer has a piece under the headline Top-16 rated Illini QB prep recruits of the last 16 years and it includes this (LINK):
Here's the text going with the Jimmy Fitzgerald capsule:
Champaign Centennial graduate Jimmy Fitzgerald didn't travel far from home for his first college destination. But Fitzgerald, who suffered an ACL tear as a high school senior, struggled to move up the depth chart early in his career despite a few flashes during training camp. Originally, Fitzgerald signed with Tim Beckman and Bill Cubit in the Class of 2015. But he transferred to Dartmouth after just one season under Lovie Smith, and he served there as a backup.
Green Alert Take: This is a little unfair to Fitzgerald. With more research the writer would have learned that after a year playing behind Jack Heneghan, who would go to camp with the San Francisco 49ers and earn a spot on an AAF roster, Fitzgerald was primed to be a major factor for the Big Green only to have his career ended by another ACL. While he was never able to show his big arm on the field, he spent his final two seasons as a well-respected student-coach.
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The Ivy League football season has been called off as has the Patriot League season. Curiously, the Pioneer Football League, which more than either of the other two requires teams to fly to games and stay in hotels, is still hoping to play. The Northwest Indiana Times has a story about one PFL team under the headline, Fox prepares Valparaiso football team to be flexible that includes this (LINK):
(Valparaiso coach Landon Fox will) split his team in two groups for social distancing reasons.
“We’re going to be unique with our practices,” Fox said. “We’re going to have a group of seniors and freshmen and then we’re going to have a group of juniors and sophomores. It will be like having two different teams. With Zoom, we can have one group in live meetings and then have another group on video.”
Fox’s ideology is he wants his older players to take the freshmen under their wing and then see the juniors and sophomores compete against one another in the early stages of training camp. Valparaiso has 121 players on the roster for the coming season, including 60 newcomers.
And . . .
“Don’t be surprised if someone decides not to play a game because of how the other university may, or may not, be testing their players,” Fox said. “We’ve done a really good job with Mark LaBarbera trying to be proactive in our approach. You knew some of these games would be difficult to keep. Everyone is trying to find games that they can bus to right now.”
Green Alert Take: Deciding on whether to play based on how the other guy is testing or not testing players? Yikes.
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Elsewhere in the Pioneer, the San Diego Union Tribune writes (LINK):
USD head football coach Dale Lindsey said the coaching staff has discussed protocols the team will take in an effort to protect players, coaches and staff. He said coaches will wear face shields and masks. In order for the fewest number of athletes to be in the locker room at once, players will dress for practice at varying times and meals will be staggered.
At 77, Lindsey is the NCAA’s oldest Division I head coach. He said he plans to coach this season, while taking precautions. He said he will wear a scarf, face shield and gloves.
Green Alert Take: More power to the Torero coach for wanting to give it a go, but a scarf, a face shield and gloves might be a hint that a tipping point has been reached.
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EXTRA POINT
Our secret camping spot yesterday was in the woods looking down at New Hampshire's Wild Ammonoosuc River, about 20 miles from here and 45 miles north of Hanover. We were surprised driving our '84 VW bus along the winding road that follows the river to see so many people in the water but without fishing poles or bathing suits.
As we drove along we also saw (and heard) at least a half dozen mechanical devices dredging the edges of the river and several other mechanical setups being unloaded from pickup trucks and being readied for carrying down to the river.
You know that saying, "There's gold in them thar hills?" Turns out there's gold in the Wild Ammonoosuc. While some of the precious mineral can be found in other rivers in the north country as well, the Wild Ammonoosuc is a gold panner/dredger's, uh, goldmine. New Hampshire Public Radio ran a story in 2013 about the "the gold-speckled Wild Amonoosuc River in Bath." (LINK)
Green Alert Take: Maybe I've watched too many old westerns, but I've got to believe if someone says in 10 years he found $20,000 worth of gold, he probably found significantly more than that. Gotta keep those claim jumpers guessing, right?
