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Who had the best College and Pro career combined?

Best Overall Career

  • Ted Hendricks

    Votes: 47 13.4%

  • Ray Lewis

    Votes: 69 19.6%

  • Michael Irving

    Votes: 68 19.3%

  • Russell Maryland

    Votes: 5 1.4%

  • Cortez Kennedy

    Votes: 7 2.0%

  • Ed Reed

    Votes: 236 67.0%

  • Jim Kelly

    Votes: 18 5.1%

  • Warren Sapp

    Votes: 22 6.3%
  • Total voters
    352
rsa coral gables said:
Michael Irving? shake my head.

this entire thread should be deleted as a matter of principle and the OP should be banned for life.

@TheOriginalCane
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HA!

I've been making the Michael Irving joke for years, but it's an evergreen because people just keep ******* it up...

IRVIN! 5 freakin' letters! Come on, OP, you had ONE JOB, to spell all the nominees' names correctly!




I keed, I keed...
 
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This is a very interesting question. Since we are talking both college and NFL careers and the pro career is longer and incorporates a players peak years of performance, I would say the first hurdle a player would have to pass to be considered the greatest UM football player is that he would have to be included on the recent greatest 100 players in NFL history. The Canes that are on this list include Otto, Hendricks, Lewis, reed, and Hester. So, this knocks out Irvin and the D lineman. Hester being on the list as a returner is out. Otto was never an all American in college, so I am going to toss him out.
It is very hard to choose between reed, Lewis and Hendricks. Reed was two times All American in college and won a NC. Lewis was fresh AA and two time AA before leaving before senior year. Hendricks was a AA all three years he played in college.
In the pros, all were all-pro about the same number of years. Hendricks won the most Super Bowls. Both Lewis and reed have a reasonable case as best at their position ever. That is not the case for Hendricks.
I give the college nod to Hendricks and Lewis. Both were honored nationally every year they played. Reed was not his first two years. I do not penalize Hendricks or Lewis for playing on less talented college teams than reed.
I give the pro nod to reed and Lewis, but put Lewis a little ahead since middle linebacker has traditionally been a more important position on the team than safety. Lewis was the quarterback of the ravens defense not reed.
So, I guess I put Lewis first than reed and Hendricks tied for second.
 
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Reed on Defense.

Maybe Edge on Offense. Special shout out to OJ Anderson who had a good College career before the U became very good and had a solid NFL career (Super Bowl MVP).

Special Teams Jeff Feagles.
 
keyseasy said:
Ted Hendricks was a walking highlight film!
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TedHendricks.gif
 
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Colombie said:
Reed on Defense.

Maybe Edge on Offense. Special shout out to OJ Anderson who had a good College career before the U became very good and had a solid NFL career (Super Bowl MVP).

Special Teams Jeff Feagles.
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Devin Hester probably taking special teams!
 
Kempo Cane said:
Devin Hester probably taking special teams!
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I hesitated to say Hester because he played two seasons and the first one he was good but still raw. I also think Kevin Williams had a good two year run at returner so I put him ahead barely.

NFL career for Hester was out of this world though.
 
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TemplarCane said:
Hendricks. 3x AA (?), has 4 SB rings, NFL HOF
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He would’ve been my 2nd choice behind EReed. But Edgerrin James should be on the list too. Best RB in Canes history and is in the Pro Football HOF. Penalized for never having the luck of being on a great Canes team. If he played here a few years earlier or later, he’d probably be viewed like Michael Irvin is at UM.
 
Ted Hendricks, imo.

Don't sleep on Jim Otto either. He's second behind Jerry Rice on all pro teams, multi time SB winner, HOF, widely considered to be the best center who ever lived.

He never missed a game due to injury, and was a true ironman at the University of Miami, playing both Center AND Linebacker.
 
AllAboutTheU13 said:
He would’ve been my 2nd choice behind EReed. But Edgerrin James should be on the list too. Best RB in Canes history and is in the Pro Football HOF. Penalized for never having the luck of being on a great Canes team. If he played here a few years earlier or later, he’d probably be viewed like Michael Irvin is at UM.
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I’d rank Lewis, Reed, and Irvin in the 2nd group right behind Ted. All three have a combination of individual awards and championships in college and in the NFL.
 
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TerragonSix said:
Ted Hendricks, imo.

Don't sleep on Jim Otto either. He's second behind Jerry Rice on all pro teams, multi time SB winner, HOF, widely considered to be the best center who ever lived.

He never missed a game due to injury, and was a true ironman at the University of Miami, playing both Center AND Linebacker.
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Otto was great, maybe the greatest Center, but never won a SB. He did win an AFL championship in 1967 (lost SB to Packers). He was an All-AFL all time player, first team All-AFL all nine years of the league’s existence. NFL 100th anniversary team.

Good call, some us tend to forget him.
 
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