The 1983 NFL Draft: 30 Years Later

This week is the NFL Draft, where the lives of young men that have played football at the collegiate level are about to change forever.  Everybody that's declared for the draft--from quarterbacks to defensive ends to tight ends to placekickers are anxious to hear if their name will be called starting Thursday night.  But 30 years ago, the 1983 NFL Draft forever sparked debates of a whole lot of "what-ifs," which center mostly around two highly coveted quarterbacks: John Elway and Dan Marino.

On April 26, 1983, the NFL's 28 teams convened at the New York Sheraton Hotel, hoping to decide the future of their teams, with the Baltimore Colts holding the first overall pick in the draft.
Elway, who was a standout quarterback at Stanford, was obviously the primary choice of the Colts, and Elway steadfastly refused to play in Baltimore if the Colts drafted him and wanted to play baseball for the New York Yankees system instead if this happened.  But the team drafted him anyway, hoping he would change the path of a franchise that had not been to the NFL postseason since 1977 and had gone through five straight losing seasons, including a winless 1982 season where the team went 0-8-1 during the strike-shortened season.

As the Elway saga was beginning to take off, the draft had to continue.  Six picks later, the Kansas City Chiefs had their turn to make a draft pick.  The team was on the fence between Marino, who starred with his hometown Pittsburgh Panthers, and Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge, who had led the Nittany Lions to the national championship in 1982, along with running back Curt Warner, who had been drafted earlier by the division-rival Seattle Seahawks.  In astounding fashion, the Chiefs selected Blackledge over Marino.  Blackledge proceeded to struggle throughout his NFL career and was never a consistent starter in the league before leaving the league in 1989.

While Marino was still available, let's transition to another quarterback on the table: Jim Kelly of the Miami Hurricanes.  He had a list of teams that he did not want to play for largely because they played in cold weather: the Green Bay Packers (who hosted the famed "Ice Bowl" for the 1967 NFL Championship against the Dallas Cowboys), the Minnesota Vikings (they actually started playing their home games in the climate-controlled Metrodome during the 1982 season, after spending their entire existence beforehand at The Met in Bloomington), and the Buffalo Bills (who always play in unpredictable weather).  After the team selected tight end Tony Hunter with the 12th overall pick,  they selected Kelly two picks later.  But instead of playing for the Bills right away, Kelly took his talents to the USFL and thrived in Mouse Davis' run & shoot offense with the Houston Gamblers, winning league MVP honors in 1984.  When the USFL folded, Kelly eventually did come to Buffalo, and had a Hall of Fame career, guiding the Bills to four straight Super Bowls (all losses).

The next pick after Kelly belonged to the Bills' AFC East rival, the New England Patriots.  The Pats took their chances with undersized Illinois quarterback Tony Eason (likely a backup to veteran Steve Grogan).  Eason would lead the Patriots on an improbable run to Super Bowl XX, which included three road playoff wins (Jets in the Wild Card, Raiders in the Divisional game, and Miami in the conference championship) before getting crushed by the Chicago Bears and their powerful 46 Defense, and thus sending Eason to the bench in the second quarter of the game after getting to an 0-for-6 start.

There was still the possibility that Marino's hometown Steelers would select him, likely as the heir apparent to veteran quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who was entering the twilight of his career.  Steelers owner Art Rooney loved watching Marino play in the Steelers' backyard, as the Pitt Panthers played their home games at Three Rivers Stadium much like the Steelers did.  However, Steelers coach Chuck Noll wanted to build for the future with defense, and passed on Marino.  The team selected defensive tackle Gabriel Riviera out of Texas A&M instead.  Riviera was beginning to hit his stride in the league until an automobile accident during the 1983 season rendered him paralyzed for life from the chest down.

Then came the New York Jets.  Their fans were hoping the team would draft a quarterback, and thought Marino would be the answer, even though the Jets already had Richard Todd.  But the team pulled a rabbit out of its hat, and went with Ken O'Brien, who starred at UC Davis, a Division II power at the time.  Jets fans, like they always are on Draft Day, were far from pleased.  Yet the Jets fans shouldn't have had anything to be ashamed of with O'Brien, who was regarded as one of the league's most underrated quarterbacks in the 1980s, and had two games where he recorded a perfect passer rating during his career.

The first round of the draft was winding down, and the Miami Dolphins had the 27th pick of the round.  The team had just played in Super Bowl XVII, losing to the Washington Redskins on the running of John Riggins.  They drafted Marino anyway, and the opinions were mixed since the Dolphins already had a young quarterback in David Woodley.

Marino would come in handy for the team just five games into the season.  Woodley, who was having a decent start to the 1983 season, struggled mightily during the team's game against the New Orleans Saints and was benched in favor of the rookie.  The Dolphins lost the game 17-7, but the following week, head coach Don Shula decided to insert Marino as the starting quarterback, and the rest they say, is history.  Marino would have a breakthrough season in 1984 that would forever cement him as an elite quarterback in the NFL, as he threw for a record-setting 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns (those records have since fallen).

There's a whole lot of what-ifs about Elway and Marino and how the fortunes of many franchises would have changed for the better, but that's a story for another blog post.

Previewing the 112th Brawl of the Wild

It's almost that time.  The 112th Brawl of the Wid between the Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats is just around the corner.  Tomorrow, Montana's equal to the Super Bowl will be played in Missoula, and both teams will be playing with totally different mindsets.

Last year, the Bobcats entered their big battle with the Grizzlies with the #1 ranking in the nation and home field advantage.  The ingredients were there for the Bobcats to enter the FCS playoffs as the top seed.  Instead, the Grizzlies spoiled the party, as Montana (literally) ran away with the game and cruised to a share of the Big Sky title with the Bobcats.

But things will be different this year.  The Bobcats have all but wrapped up a spot in this season's FCS playoffs, as they enter tomorrow's contest ranked 2nd in the nation behind defending national champion North Dakota State.  Montana, on the other hand, has struggled for much of the season (mostly with late game leads), and their defensive bugaboos have all but knocked them out of the playoff picture.

The Bobcats to watch on Saturday: The Bobcats have played to their expectations this season.  The great play of fleet-footed quarterback Denarius McGee and the running back tandem of Cody Kirk and Orenzo Davis have made Montana State's running game one of the best in all of FCS football this season.  Also, wide recever Tanner Bleskin has had a great season as well, as he leads the Bobcats in receptions (54) and receiving yards 693).

But their defense hasn't been too shabby, either.  Among their defensive stars this season is senior defensive end Caleb Schreibeis (pictured right, #49), who leads the FCS in forced fumbles (7, a Montana State school record) and is the Big Sky's leader in quarterback sacks (11) entering the Brawl.  Another star worth mentioning is senior linebacker Jody Owens, who is leading the team in total tackles (70) for the second year in a row, while senior defensive back Darius Jones leads the teams in interceptions with four.

Head coach Rob Ash recently became Montana State's all-time winningest head coach, after the Bobcats mauled Portland State 65-30.  With that win, Ash passed Sonny Holland with his 48th victory at the helm of the Bobcats' football program.  And a win on Saturday would mark his second career win against the Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies to watch on Saturday: The 2012 season has been nothing more than a disappointment for the Grizzlies, as number of factors, including inconsistency on defense and giveaways have led to the team missing the postseason for the second time in three years.  Ever since the Grizzlies installed Shay Smithwick-Hann at quarterback, the fortunes of their passing offense have made a turn for the better.  Unlike the Bobcats, the Grizzlies use a three-headed monster with their running game.

Among that trio of talented running backs is senior Peter Nguyen, who leads the Grizzlies in net rushing yards with 812 (needs 188 to reach 1,000 on the season) is also one of the Big Sky's top return specialists.  The team's second-leading rusher is sophomore Jordan Canada with 550 yards.  But bruising senior Dan Moore is expected to play on Saturday, and could give the Bobcat defense problems much like he and Nguyen did last season in Bozeman (the duo combined for 239 rushing yards against the Bobcats defense, with 116 of those yards coming from Moore).

After taking over the football program on an interim basis on March 30 and assuming the full position on July 29, head coach Mick Delaney has had a pretty eventful year after beginning the 2012 calendar year as a retiree from the coaching ranks.  But now he has a chance to beat his former employer on Saturday, as he served as an assistant coach at Montana State from 1976 to 1980.  And a win for Montana will have the Grizzlies entering the 2013 season with some confidence for the returning players, as well as a three-game winning streak.

Photo credits: Bozeman Daily Chronicle/AP

2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Montana

It's time to conclude the countdown by taking a look at the Grizzlies and Lady Griz of Montana.  The Grizzlies enter this season as the reigning Big Sky Conference champions and are the prohibitive favorites to win the conference again.  The Lady Griz on the other hand, are looking for their 20th NCAA Tournament appearance over the last 31 years, after finishing the 2011-12 season with a 16-14 record.

MBB: What a spectacular 2011-12 season the Montana Grizzlies had.  They set a conference record for wins in a season by winning 15 of 16 league games last season, and before falling to Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament, they had a 14-game win streak at one point.  Their 25 overall wins was the third-highest mark in program history.  Only the 1949-50 and 1991-92 seasons were better, as both those squads went 27-4.

Head coach Wayne Tinkle is back for his 7th season at his alma mater, and he returns three starters--also his top three scorers--as they make a run for another conference championship.  Tinkle also returns two of his assistant coaches in Freddie Owens and Jono Metzger-Jones, but lost top assistant Bill Evans to Idaho State, as he was named the head coach in Pocatello.  Replacing Evans is Kerry Rupp, who had previously served as head coach at Louisiana Tech and recently served as director of basketball operations at Hawaii.

One of those three starters back in the fold is senior guard Will Cherry (above left), who led the team in scoring last season at just under 16 points/game.  However, Cherry won't be back in the lineup until December at the latest, as he's out with a foot injury he sustained playing a pick-up game in late September.  In his abscence, a trio of sophomore guards (Keron Deshields, Jordan Gregory, and Kevin Henderson) are expected to pick up the slack in Cherry's place.

The other starters back are senior forward Mathias Ward and junior guard Kareem Jamar.  Ward was the team's third-leading scorer last season as he averaged just under 11 points/game, while Jamar was second on the team in both scoring (13.6 points/game) and rebounding (5.6 boards/game).  Jamar also recorded a triple-double (to match his jersey number, ironically) in the Grizzlies' Bracket-Buster game against Hawaii on February 18 (21 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists).

The starters lost to graduation were center Derek Selvig, who led the Grizzlies in rebounding (at 6.1/game) and blocks (35), and forward Art Steward, who led the team in field goal percentage (61%) in league games.  Junior center Eric Hutchison appears to be the favorite to replace Selvig at center, while junior Spencer Coleman (a JC transfer) or sophomore Mike Weisner will compete to take the place of Steward in the starting lineup.  Also back for the Grizzlies are redshirt freshmen Nick Emerson and Morgan Young (both of whom were walk-ons last season, with Emerson now on scholarship), while true freshmen Andy Martin (center) and Jake Wiley (forward) round out the roster.

Center Billy Reader is no longer on the team, as he transferred to College of Southern Idaho after academic issues caused him to miss the second half of the 2011-12 season.  Guard Riley Bradshaw will join the team at the beginning of spring semester after he transfers from Utah State (where he originally committed) at the end of fall semester.  Bradshaw can practice with the team, but he will not be eligible to play until the second half of the 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

VERDICT: Despite losing two starters to graduation, the Grizzlies are still very dangerous with their three main scorers coming back.  But with the additions of North Dakota and Southern Utah to the conference this season, it makes the conference race more interesting.  Still, the Grizzlies and Weber State are the class of the league, and the conference title will once again have to go through either Missoula or Ogden.

WBB: The Montana Lady Griz are the only team in the Big Sky Conference--men's or women's--to bring back all five of the team's starters.  The team also has the elder statesman of all league coaches in Robin Selvig, who is entering his 35th season as the Lady Griz skipper.  Selvig also has the luxury of having the most experienced assistant coaching staff in the nation, all consisting of former players that played under him.

Senior center Katie Baker (right) is regarded as the team's best player, as she led Montana in both scoring (15 points/game) and rebounding (7.2 boards/game).  The 2011-12 season was the first time she played (and started) in all of the team's games, as a knee injury caused her to miss the second half of her freshman season and an appendectomy forced her to 6th man duty midway through her sophomore season.  Baker is one of the conference's top inside threats, and she should be in the mix for Big Sky MVP at season's end.

The two other senior starters are guard Kenzie DeBoer and forward Alyssa Smith.  DeBoer was second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points/game, but is regarded more for her defense, as she led the team in steals with 72.  Smith was third on the team in rebounding at 6.1 boards/game despite scoring only 4.9 points/game.

There are two junior starters that are back this season: forward Jordan Sullivan and guard Torry Hill.  Sullivan was second on the team in rebounding at 6.6 boards/game and was the 4th leading scorer at 7 points/game.  Hill is the team's top deep threat, as she led the team in three-pointers with 53, and with her great range behind the arc, she could be in for a huge junior season.

With all that talent in the starting lineup, there's plenty of it on the bench as well.  Top bench players for the Lady Griz include senior Alexandra Hurley and three sophomores: guard Kellie Cole and forwards Carly Selvig and Maggie Rickman.  Redshirt freshman Hannah Doran will see some playing time this season, as will a pair of true freshmen in guard McCalle Feller and forward Shenae Gilham.

Rounding out the roster are sophomore guard Haley Vining and three more true freshmen: forward Molly Klinker (who won three Class B titles at Fairfield High School), forward Rachel Staudacher (who is the cousin of former Griz guard Ryan Staudacher), and guard DJ Reinhardt (who chose to stay in Missoula and play for the Lady Griz).

VERDICT: With five starters coming back and Robin Selvig as head coach, the Lady Griz are a team that should not be counted out of the race for the conference title.  But their bugaboo in the past couple of seasons has been shooting the ball, while at the same time defense has been the team's best strength.  With an experienced team and plenty of threats off the bench, Montana is a serious threat to unseat Idaho State as conference champion.

And that concludes the basketball version of the Big Sky Conference Countdown.  It should be a great season with two new teams and an expanded conference tournament.  Enjoy the season everybody!

Photo credits: Missoulian

2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Montana State

Moving ahead with the countdown, it's time to take a look at the Montana State Bobcats.  Both teams experienced very different campaigns last season, as the women's team recorded a 19-11 record and an appearance in the conference semifinals against conference runner-up Northern Colorado.  The men's team, on the other hand, struggled during their season, which included an eight-game losing streak in the middle of conference play, and an offseason that included two players having a brush with the law.

WBB: Ever since Tricia Binford took over the women's basketball program prior to the 2005-06 season, the Lady Bobcats have gone from conference bottom-feeder to regular conference contender.  They just haven't won a conference tournament under Binford--yet.  But with four starters coming back from last year, their chances of finally getting over the hump look promising, despite losing top scorer Katie Bussey to graduation.  The Bobcats' top returning scorer is senior forward Rachel Semansky (right), who was second on last season's team at 13.8 points/game and led the team in rebounding at 8.8/game.  Another starter coming back for Montana State is junior forward Ashley (Albert) Brumwell, who is the only other top scorer to average double figures per game.  Senior guard Latisha Adams and junior center Chelsea Banis round out the returning starters for the Bobcats.

VERDICT: Tricia Binford enters her eighth season as the winningest head coach in program history.  Her teams have gotten progressively better throughout her tenure in Bozeman, and with the talent she's assembled this year, the Bobcats will definitely be in the mix with Idaho State, Montana, and Northern Colorado for the conference crown.  If the Bobcats win the Big Sky championship, it will only be their second in program history (1993 was their only conference championship).

MBB: The 2011-12 season was a disappointment for the men's basketball squad, as they finished the season 12-16 overall (7-9 in conference) and failed to make the conference tournament.  Then their offseason was marred by turmoil, as forwards Tre Johnson and Jeff Budinich were both arrested & charged with two counts of criminal trespass to vehicles and theft, respectively.  Head coach Brad Huse (left) dismissed Johnson (who started 20 of the Bobcats' 26 games last season and led the team in rebounding) from the team while Budinich, who was mostly used off of the bench, was suspended.  Outside of the turmoil, Huse brings in four junior college transfers (Paul Egwuonwu, Antonio Biglow, Flavien Davis, and Calen Coleman) and five freshmen (one redshirt), but does bring back leading scorer from last season in senior guard Xavier Blount (11.7 ppg).  Other key players returning for Montana State include senior guards Jamie Stewart and Christian Moon, who both made spot starts in the Bobcats' starting five.

VERDICT: While they're no where close to being a top-tier team like Montana or Weber State, making the tournament shouldn't be a big surprise as long as the Bobcats play well in league play.

UP NEXT: Montana

Photo credits: Bozeman Daily Chronicle

2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Eastern Washington

The 2011-12 seasons for the Eastern Washington basketball teams would be considered average by most people's standards, as the men's team went 15-17 and hosted a conference tournament game against Idaho State before falling in the semifinals to eventual conference champion Montana.  The women's team, on the other hand, went 16-14 and lost in the first round of the tournament to Sacramento State.  One team is hoping to continue to build on the success they found last year with a second-year head coach, and the other is having to establish a new identity after losing two key players to graduation.

MBB: 2011-12 was a far better campaign for the Eagles' men's basketball program than past campaigns under former head coach Kirk Earlywine.  Jim Hayford is entering his second season at the helm, and his team is beginning to emerge as a team to watch this season that keeps getting better.  The team returns two senior starters in forward Collin Chiverton (pictured left) and guard Jeffrey Forbes.  Chiverton is the team's top returning scorer, as he recorded just under 14 points/game after coming to the Eagles last season from City College of San Francisco.  But the team lost most of their rebounding punch as top rebounders Cliff Ederaine and Laron Griffin graduated over the offseason, so outside of Chiverton, the Eagles' frontcourt will be short on experience when the regular season starts.

VERDICT: Combining an experienced backcourt with an inexperienced frontcourt could make for an interesting 2012-13 season, which could explain why the Eagles were voted to finish anywhere from 3rd (media) to 6th (coaches).  Still, this is a very good basketball team that could very much be in the hunt for a conference championship.

WBB: The women's basketball team is in need of a new identity this coming season, as they lost reigning conference MVP and top scorer Brianne Ryan, as well as starting point guard Chene Cooper in the offseason to graduation. Wendy Schuller enters her 12th season at the helm, which is the second-longest tenure in the Big Sky for a current women's coach, and her squad will have their work cut out for them with the losses of Ryan and Cooper.  Three starters from last season are back, among them senior forward Carrie Ojeda (right), who led the team in rebounding last season and is also the top returning scorer.  The two other starters returning this season are junior guard Aubrey Ashenfelter and sophomore forward Melissa Williams.

VERDICT: The road back to the Big Sky Tournament may be tougher than it has been in past seasons for the Eagles, as both the coaches and media picked the Eagles to finish 8th, which means if they do finish there they would be the first team on the outside looking in.  The losses of Ryan and Cooper will hurt, as younger players will have to step up.  But the Eagles are a competitive team, and it would be no big surprise if they overachieve this season, much like defending conference champion Idaho State did last season.

UP NEXT: Montana State

Photo credits: Eastern Washington athletics

2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Idaho State

One team is entering its season as defending Big Sky champions, the other is entering the 2012-13 campaign with a new head coach and a looming cloud of controversy stemming from an NCAA investigation.

WBB: The Idaho State women's basketball team made a trip to the NCAA tournament last season, their first since 2007, with a 24-8 record (14-2 in conference play).  Fifth-year head coach Seton Sobolweski returns four starters from his conference championship squad--three of them averaged more than 10 points/game last season.  Among those three top scorers is senior guard Kaela Oakes (right, in black), who was the team's second leading scorer behind the now-graduated Chelsea Pickering (but Oakes played six more games than Pickering did in 2011-12).  Oakes, along with fellow senior Ashleigh Vella and junior Lindsey Reed combined to score a total of 1064 points between them.  The other starter back this season is the team's leading rebounder from last season in junior forward Cydney Horton, who averaged just under 7 rebounds/game.

VERDICT: The prospects of repeating as Big Sky conference champion look very good, as both the coaches & media picked them to repeat as conference champions.  But they will definitely have a bulls-eye on their back coming into conference play with great teams like Montana, Montana State, and Northern Colorado nipping at their heels.

MBB: New head coach Bill Evans (left, at the podium) could be in for a very tough first season at the helm of the Bengals men's basketball program.  The program is under investigation by the NCAA, which was triggered by a letter written by former interim head coach Deane Martin to ISU athletic director Jeff Tingey.  The 2011-12 season wasn't kind to the team either, despite making the conference tournament with a 9-21 record (7-9 in conference) and losing to Eastern Washington 81-75 in the first round.  The Bengals return two starters from last season which includes senior guard Melvin Morgan, who averaged 12.2 points/game (3rd on last year's team) and junior guard Andre Hatchett, who averaged 4.5 rebounds/game (also 3rd on last year's team).

VERDICT: After spending 15 seasons at the helm at Southern Utah, and the last four years as Wayne Tinkle's primary assistant at Montana, Evans is once again back as a head coach, and he'll have a tall task at hand.  The coaches and media both picked the Bengals to finish 9th, but preseason polls won't matter at season's end.  If the Bengals can play well this season, they just might squeeze their way into the conference tournament.

UP NEXT: Eastern Washington

Photo credits: Spokesman-Review (Kaela Oakes)/Idaho State athletics (Bill Evans)

2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Weber State

Talk about a tale of two different seasons at Weber State.  One team was one game away from playing in the NCAA tournament, the other was just playing for their lives.  The men's basketball team proved they're still a force in the conference as they played to a 25-7 record and an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament.  The women's team, under first-year head coach Bethann Ord, went a dismal 2-27 and failed to record a single victory in conference play.

MBB: Oh, Damian Lillard will be missed in Ogden this season.  One of the greatest scorers in conference history was drafted 6th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA Draft, after deciding to forgo his senior season with the Wildcats.  With Lillard in the NBA now, the Wildcats return just two seniors, one of them being guard Scott Bamforth (left).  As Lillard led last year's team in scoring at 24.5 PPG, Bamforth was second at 14.5 PPG.  The other senior returning to the Wildcats is forward Frank Otis, who battled injuries throughout last season.  Otis, along with junior center Kyle Tresnak, are the top returning rebounders for an otherwise young but always talented Wildcats team.

VERDICT: Seventh-year head coach Randy Rahe again has a solid team, but with the loss of Lillard to the NBA, it remains to be seen if the Wildcats will remain one of the best in the conference.  Rahe-coached teams have traditionally been very strong, winning 20 or more games in four of his six years in charge.  Another 20-win campaign by Weber State and conference tournament appearance shouldn't be out of the question.

WBB: There's only one way to go but up for the Weber State women's basketball team.  The 2011-12 season was a rather forgettable campaign, as they failed to record a win in conference play.  And this year's team will have a lot of inexperience to fall back on, as there are more freshmen on the roster (nine) than there are upperclassmen (two seniors and three juniors).  One of the upperclassmen back for the Wildcats this season is senior forward Amanda Hughes (right), who was second on the team in scoring at 10.2 PPG and led the team in rebounding at 9.1 RPG, so the potential of her averaging a double-double per game is there for her senior season if everyone else can play well.

VERDICT: This team returns only five players from last year's team. That's right--FIVE.  It may be looking to be another long season in Ogden with a very young and inexperienced team, as they have a ways to go before they become a tournament team again.

UP NEXT: Idaho State

Photo credits: Weber State athletics