Nov 29, 2012; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver Mark Harrison (81) runs for a long pass during the second half against Louisville Cardinals cornerback Jordon Paschal (22) at High Point Solutions Stadium. Louisville Cardinals defeat the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Mark Harrison, WR

Height/Weight: 6-3 231

4.46 40, 38.5″ vertical jump. 4.33 shuttle

School: Rutgers | Conference: BIGE

College Experience: Senior | Hometown: Stratford, CT

Harrison has the size, speed, and vertical leaping ability all scouts look for. He has strong hands and knows how to use his big frame to shield defenders from the ball. He has good feet and lateral ability. He is a strong runner and hard to tackle in the open field because of his ability to break tackles. He helps QB’s by coming back for the football. If you combine his height, arrm length and vertical leaping abilty he can go up and catch a pass that’s over 12′ in the air. There are not too many NFL CB’s that can beat him on the jump ball making him a deadly red zone threat.

He didn’t have a stud QB at Rutgers and the offensive line was suspect which didn’t help his numbers. If you just look at his stats you wouldn’t be impressed. When watching him on tape, I was impressed with his physical style of play and his athletic ability. I think with some NFL level coaching and a better QB he has the potential to be a “Megatron” type receiver. Either way as a late round to undrafted prospect the potential outweighs the risk.

I included an interview in an article by By Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

INDIANAPOLIS — Mark Harrison has met with 12 teams so far, including the Packers, and gets the same question every time.

“What am I going to offer as a player? What can I bring to their team and organization,” he said.

His answer: “They’re going to get a big wide receiver that can go up top and make big plays.”

He said he can hear Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall’s voice in his head with every route he runs. The two have been working out together in the offseason and Marshall, who is of comparable size, has been helping him develop his game.

“A lot of coaches want to see me catch the ball, and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said.

Harrison also sought out some help from former teammate and current Bengals wideout Mohamed Sanu, calling him a few minutes before his combine media session this afternoon.

“He told me to stay focused and lock in — do the little things, stretch at night, be so prepared out there that you leave everything on the field,” he said.

He hasn’t had time to track down Greg Schiano just yet, though.

According to NFL Draft Tracker

Nov 29, 2012; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights wide receiver Mark Harrison (81) gets by Louisville Cardinals safety Calvin Pryor (25) for the touchdown during the first half at High Point Solutions Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

In high school, Harrison was a three-time letter winner, who started for two seasons at wide receiver and averaged an astonishing 27.4 yards per catch. Harrison won two state championships, and was an All-State selection in his senior season. Harrison also ran track and was named Connecticut Post First Team Spring All-Star in his senior season.

As a true freshman, Harrison appeared in eight games, making his debut against Howard. His first career touchdown reception went for 20 yards at Connecticut. In 2010, Harrison had a breakout season with 829 yards receiving and nine touchdowns on 44 receptions. Harrison posted a receiving touchdown in six of the final eight games of the season and recorded second-best receiving day in Rutgers history with 240 yards receiving on 10 receptions and four touchdowns against Cincinnati. He was voted Offensive Most Valuable Player at team awards banquet. In his junior season, Harrison appeared in 12 games, missing one due to a head injury. He only caught 14 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. In his senior year, Harrison caught 44 passes for 583 yards and six touchdowns.

Your entitled to your opinion, but I think for a “Guy No One Is Talking About” the Cowboys should at least bring him in for a look.

I included some video. I hope you enjoy watching him play as much as I did.

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Erik George Williams was born on September 7th 1968. He started out as a dominant defensive lineman at John Martram High School. As a result of poor grades, he wasn’t able to obtain a Division-I scholarship, so he enrolled at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. At CSU they converted him to the offensive left tackle position, and groomed him to become a prolific player at the NAIA level and an All-American.

During his college career he played a major role in the Marauders getting to the NAIA national championship in 1990. Williams helped the offense average 492 yards and 54.8 points per game and to set an NAIA record for most points in a singe season with 594. Williams was inducted into the Central State University Sports Hall of Fame In 2010.

Williams, was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd round of the 1991 NFL Draft (with a choice from the Steve Walsh trade), another brilliant move by Jimmy Johnson. Williams didn’t see much playing time as a rookie, because Nate Newton was playing right tackle. His dominant play during the 1992 training camp forced the Cowboys to move Nate Newton to left guard in order to have all of their best players on the offensive line.

In 1992, after becoming the Cowboy’s starting right tackle, he earned the respect of his peers and the fans alike when he held Reggie White without a sack in a 20-10 Dallas win, earning the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week award. From then on he was nicknamed “Big E” and by 1993 his physical, dominant, and aggressive style of play, made him the top offensive lineman in the NFL.

Williams got in a serious one-car accident on October 24, 1994, and it caused him to miss most of the 1994 season. (Ironically the year the Cowboys didn’t make the Super Bowl during their ’90′s run). It took a long time before he was 100%. He suffered an injured right knee as well as a broken rib, torn ligaments in his left thumb and facial lacerations that needed plastic surgery. An MRI of the knee showed he had two torn ligaments. The MCL (medial collateral) and PC (posterior cruciate) as well as a torn muscle.

Nov 21, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys former running back Emmitt Smith (left) smiles after being presented his hall of fame ring at halftime of the game against the Detroit Lions at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons- US PRESSWIRE

Williams returned in 1995. He wasn’t his old self, but he was still good enough to help the team win Super Bowl XXX and earn his 3rd trip to the Pro Bowl. Williams was a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, playing in the 1993, 1996, 1997, and 1999 Pro Bowls. His ability to protect quarterback Troy Aikman and to run-block for running back Emmitt Smith helped the Cowboys win Super Bowls in 1992, 1993 and 1995. From 1992 to 1995, together with Nate Newton, Mark Tuinei, Mark Stepnoski and Larry Allen, he was part of what was probably the best offensive line in NFL history.

Bryan Broaddus: Erik Williams was always a thorn in the side of the great Reggie White in Green Bay. There were not many players that Reggie ever feared playing but Williams was one of those guys. I will never forget the battles they had, with Erik usually coming out on top. It wasn’t that Williams was a technically sound player, he was just the nastiest that White would ever face. I remember being on the sideline of a play off in Dallas, when White was in the bench area complaining about his eye and the trainers were trying to figure out what was wrong. Reggie said that on the first play that Williams jammed his thumb in White’s eye causing him not to rush as hard because he couldn’t see. It was Williams’ way of slowing down White. There were other times where Williams would hit him in the throat or dive in the back of his legs. There was never anything pretty about Erik Williams’ game, but when the Cowboys and Packers got together, one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history turned into just another player when he faced him.

I asked Bryan what he would write for his notes to turn in to the staff of a football team if he was scouting Erik Williams. Here is what it would look like in a scout’s language:

Poor technique but nasty Toughness, knows how to hold trip and clip. Doesn’t have great lateral range but works to finish blocks. Gets movement in the running game with power. Outstanding upper body strength. Hard guy to move if you rush him down the middle. One of those guys that keeps coming after you. Plays to the whistle and beyond. Tries to beat his man up throughout a game. Not always pretty but effective.

Many (myself included) believe that if not for the injuries he suffered in his near-fatal accident, he would have finished his career as the greatest offensive lineman in NFL history. Williams dominated on the offensive line for the Cowboys from 1991-2000 and started 133 games. He was a major factor in the Cowboys’ success.

Erik has also made it a point to give back to the community. He started his own foundation. I included the bio from the web page:

Erik Williams is the founder and president of The Erik Williams Foundation. Erik Williams is a former member of the Dallas Cowboys and a 3-time Superbowl champion. Mr. Williams is personally aware of the importance of youth sports as a means of furthering one’s education and career goals. For Mr. Williams, football was the vehicle that enabled him to attend college and to go on to build a successful career, first as a professional football player and more recently as a businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

The Erik Williams Foundation believes that youth sports have a value beyond simply being fun or entertaining for kids. Youth sports also provide an opportunity for children to learn sportsmanship, discipline, team work and the importance of hard work and perseverance to achieve a goal.

In spite of his multiple Pro Bowls and 3 Super Bowl championships, he still hasn’t been inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. But my question for Jerry Jones is:

Why don’t you show the man some much deserved respect, and induct him into the Dallas Cowboys Ring Of Honor, along side his long time teammate, Larry Allen?

 

“I am certain that this man would want him enshrined with him”

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Nov. 24, 2012; Logan, UT, USA; Utah State Aggies running back Kerwynn Williams (25) poses before the game at Romney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-USA TODAY Sports

Kerwynn Williams, RB

Height/Weight: 5-8 196

School: Utah State | Conference: WAC

College Experience: Senior | Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

Williams is currently projected to go in the 6th to 7th round which is perplexing because this guy can play. The main knock on him is his size. I studied him against several teams and was really impressed with his quickness. (4.3 Low 40 and 4.44 high 40). It looks to me like he plays faster than that. It may just be because he is so shifty and has an elite ability to make tacklers miss in the open field. He has been a standout kick returner as well.

When I look for a running back the first priority is durability. The fact that Williams has never missed a game due to injury speaks volumes as to how well he conditions his body. Williams uses his size to his advantage. He plays low and makes for a small target. With his quickness, rather than just trying to power his way up the field, he makes guys miss. The RB’s who have that ability are less prone to injury than the Marian “The Barbarian” Barber type back who attacked tacklers head on. These type of RB’s usually have short careers.

The second most important trait to me is a RB’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Many scouts have Williams listed as a RB/slot receiver because he does such a superior job of getting open. He has really good hands and does a great a  job of securing the football after the catch to avoid it popping out when he gets hit going  across the middle.

Oct. 5, 2012; Provo, UT, USA; Utah State Aggies runningback Kerwynn Williams (25) pushes Brigham Young Cougars defensive back Daniel Sorensen (9) away during the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-USA TODAY Sports

The third trait I look for is awareness/vision. Williams runs with patience and then hits the hole with an astonishing burst. He also has the ability to read protections and can change direction on a dime in order to run to daylight. If he gets to the edge forget about a LB running him down. He is the biggest threat when he is able to do this. With his olympic like top end speed and ability to make DB’s miss in the open field you better have a speedy DB who is a solid open field tackler keeping an eye on him. If not, he will take it to the house. He had 15 rushing TD’s and 5 as a receiver in 2012.

The 4th thing to consider is that your #2 or #3 RB needs to be able to contribute on special teams. Williams averaged over 1,000 yards a season as a kick returner. Again this speaks volumes to his value in a later round. With his elite speed and ability to make guys miss as a returner he gives special teams coordinators fits in kick coverage.

The 5th requirement for a complete RB is his ability as a blocker. This is where I wouldn’t hold my breath with him. He is not a RB I would want to use in pass protection. He is a bit too small to sustain a block on a big pass rusher. He is good to use as a chipper and he has the ability to pick up a blitzer by hitting him low, but that’s about it. He may be able to build up his upper body strength and improve his blocking ability. Either way I think he is a stud at running back and would be a great change of pace back to take some of the load off of Murray and I believe he is good enough to step in if Murray goes down again.

Oct. 5, 2012; Provo, UT, USA; Utah State Aggies running back Kerwynn Williams (25) carries the ball against the Brigham Young Cougars during the third quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Douglas C. Pizac-USA TODAY Sports

According to CBS Sports: Following a very similar career path as Arkansas running back Dennis Johnson, Williams has toiled in relative obscurity at Utah State despite establishing himself early on as one of the most electric returners in the country.

He led the WAC in kick return yardage (1,131) as a true freshman, ranking third in the country, but saw virtually no action at running back, rushing just twice for 10 yards. He saw his opportunity for playing time increase a season later with future Seattle Seahawk Robert Turbin going down with a knee injury.

While again leading the WAC as a returner (1,444), Williams became more of a focal point of the offense, rushing for 451 yards on just 81 carries (5.6 ypc average) and catching 12 passes for another 110 yards. Williams averaged 170.2 all-purpose yards per game in 2010, which not only led the WAC but ranked sixth in the FBS.

Williams was similarly effective as a junior, recording 1,520 all-purpose yards, including a then-career-high 542 rushing yards while operating as a big-play threat alongside Turbin.

With Turbin heading off to the NFL in 2012, some worried how well the diminutive Williams would handle the lead back role. They needn’t have been concerned, as Williams took the WAC by storm, rushing for 1,512 yards and 15 touchdowns, including 235 yards and three scores in winning MVP honors against Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

While emerging as USU’s leading rusher, Williams remained the team’s top returner and proved a remarkably productive receiver, hauling in 45 passes for 697 yards and another five scores. He leaves Utah State as the school’s all-time leader in all-purpose yardage with 6,928 — a total that places him atop the all-time WAC list and ranks 11th in FBS history.

Blessed with great elusiveness, speed, vision and hands, Williams is perfectly suited to maintaining his game-breaking ways as a third down/return specialist role in the NFL. While perhaps not a household name, his production and versatility speaks for itself.

Personally I like these kind of players and I believe he could prove to be quite an asset to the Cowboys and especially because he is “A Guy No One Is Talking About” the late round value to me is a steal. There is a chance that if he has a good showing in his workouts with teams his stock may go up, but if he is on the board in the 5th round Jerry Jones would be a fool not to draft this player. The biggest knock I had on him was his hair dresser lol. If you can get past the Dennis Radman type locks you see in the video below  you will do just fine. I hope you enjoy watching this guy run. I know I did. He is a real burner.

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It’s been over two decades since “The Saturday Night Massacre” and over half a century since the “Great Innovator” became the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I was a young child on that dismal day in February of 1989 when the flashy new owner (Jerry Jones) fired the legendary Tom Landry. I was barely old enough to know what football was, but that day is in my memory banks as if it was yesterday. The look of sheer horror on my dad’s face when the announcement came that Tom Landry had been fired. It didn’t take long for the rage to appear in his eyes. Those kind eyes that I had always remembered suddenly turned to stone. To this day, in spite of a few glory years in the early 90′s, my dad has never once tried to hide the contempt he has towards Jerry Jones for firing Tom Landry.

On February 26th 1989, a dark cloud covered the entire nation. Cowboys’ Nation. America’s Team had been struck by a blow that they would feel for the rest of their lives. This was the day that the stone faced, hard nosed, emotionless leader cried. For “The Man In The Funny Hat”, the mere thought of life without football, life without his beloved Cowboys,  was the equivalent of spending his final days on death row. How could this be? How could there be an NFL without the brilliant man who pioneered many of the things still  in use by NFL teams today?

Football would never be the same without Tom Landry roaming the sidelines. Football as we knew it, was over. There would never be another “Dooms Day Defense”. There would never be another 20 consecutive winning seasons that amassed two Super Bowl titles (VI, XII), 5 NFC titles, 13 Divisional titles, and compiled a 270-178-6 record, the 3rd most wins of all time for an NFL coach. His 20 career playoff victories are the most of any coach in NFL history. He was named the NFL Coach of the Year in 1966 and the NFC Coach of the Year in 1975. His most impressive professional accomplishment is his 20 consecutive winning seasons (1966–1985), an NFL record that remains unbroken and unchallenged.

From 1966 to 1982 Dallas played in 12 NFL or NFC Championship games, over a span of 17 years. More impressive is the Cowboys’ appearance in 10 NFC Championship games in the 13-year span from 1970 to 1982. Leading the Cowboys to 3 Super Bowl appearances in four years between 1975 and 1978, and five in nine years between 1970 and 1978, and being on television more than any other NFL team. It was that success and the national exposure it created that spawned the title of “America’s Team”, a title Landry did not appreciate because he felt it would bring on extra motivation from the rest of the league to compete with the Cowboys. (Landrys’ Career accomplishments courtesy of Wikipedia.)

• Career history
• As player:
• New York Yankees (AAFC) (1949)
• New York Giants (1950-1955)
• As coach:
• New York Giants (1954-1959)
• (Defensive coordinator)
• Dallas Cowboys (1960-1988)
• (Head coach)
• Career highlights and awards
• Pro Bowl selection (1954)
• First-Team All-Pro selection (1954)
• AP Coach of the Year (1966)
• Sporting News Coach of the Year (1966)
• 2× UPI Coach of the Year (1966, 1975)
• Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor
• Dallas Cowboys record for career wins (250)
• 2× Super Bowl champion (VI, XII) 2x (NFL Champion 1966, 1967)
• 5× NFC Championship victories (1970, 1971, 1975, 1977, 1978)
• 250-162-6 (regular season record)
• 20-16 (playoff record)
• 270-178-6 (overall record)

I am a firm believer in Karma. The Cowboys have had 1 playoff win in 17 years and have only amassed 5 double digit win seasons… Over the same period of 17 yrs, the Landry led Cowboys attended 12 championship games. I honetly believe this drought is Karma coming back on the tyrant ( Jerry Jones) for firing Gods coach. Thomas Wade “Tom” Landry.

It was said that the roof at Texas Stadium had a hole in it so God could look down on his coach and his team. “Americas Team”, our team, The Dallas Cowboys.

Keeping all of this in mind, I found it imperative to put together this “Tribute To The Man In The Funny Hat”. I would like to express a big Thank You to the people who had the opportunity to enjoy the Cowboys when they actually were “Americas Team”. The people that helped me to make this article possible. Who is better suited to share their input on the best coach to ever roam the sidelines in the NFL? Some may say he had the 3rd most wins, but it’s the post season wins that matter the most, and Tom Landry, still to this day, holds that record. So, from the bottom of my heart, I want to express my love, respect, admiration, and last but not least, my sincere appreciation to the man who was truly responsible for making the Dallas Cowboys the best team in NFL history. The Man In The Funny Hat.

Click on the next page to read tributes to Tom Landry from Coach C and Bryan Broaddus of DallasCowboys.com

]]> http://sportdfw.com/2013/02/08/a-tribute-to-the-man-in-the-funny-hat-memories-of-tom-landry/feed/ 0 http://sportdfw.com/2013/02/03/cowgirls-dallas-cowboys-sleeper-prospects-the-guys-no-one-are-talking-about/ http://sportdfw.com/2013/02/03/cowgirls-dallas-cowboys-sleeper-prospects-the-guys-no-one-are-talking-about/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:16:22 +0000 cowgirlcas http://sportdfw.com/?p=8630 Every year following the NFL draft, teams are looking for undrafted rookie free agents (“The Guys No One Is Talking About”) to bring in to camp in hopes of finding that “Diamond In The Rough”. The Dallas Cowboys have been pretty successful over the years and even managed to add a few Hall Of Fame [...]

Cowgirls’ Dallas Cowboys Sleeper Prospects: The Guys No One Are Talking About - Sports Dallas Fort-Worth - Sports Dallas Fort-Worth - A Dallas Sports blog

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