Here's a shocker - Bob Sanders is hurt again

[philcski]

Originally Posted by The Indomitable DrugS

For the 5th year in his 7 year NFL career, Bob Sanders is going to miss at least a significant part of the season with an injury. He's only managed to stay healthy for two seasons - both times earning All-Pro honors- and in one of the two healthy seasons, he was named the NFL's defensive player of the year.

He's always getting seriously hurt because he's just 5'8" (so they claim, I doubt he's even that tall) - and he's way too strong for his size and hits way too hard for his size.

Sanders was the most devastating high school football player I've seen in Erie. It's too his credit that he had such a remarkable college career - and one great pro year - despite being no taller than your typical circus midget.

The Colts have their one Super Bowl win in '07 as much for his outstanding post season play as for Manning's unspectacular play that post season.

People forget that the Iowa Hawkeyes were dead even with that years Heisman winner Carson Palmer's USC team in the '03 Orange Bowl until Sanders got hurt and the USC offense suddenly exploded with him out of the game early on in the 3rd quarter.

Sanders also played in the most famous high school football game in PA history. He was one of eight different players on Erie Prep who were considered a major D1 recruit. Erie Prep was ranked in the top 10 nationally in all the polls. They played CB West - who had won something like 59 straight games - and were in the top 5 nationally in every poll. It was the final game for CB West's legendary coach Mike Pettine - the father of the current New York Jets defensive coordinator.

Here's a clip of the film that was made on that game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TJ5...eature=related

Sanders was an absolute force all game long - and the star running back for CB West got knocked out of the game. Erie Prep had it won - ahead 13-7 very late in the 4th quarter - when they had a punt blocked and returned for a TD to blow the game.

It's been a great career for Bob Sanders at every level ... but his body has totally fallen apart and I wouldn't be surprised if he retires. Guys with his size aren't supposed to even make it on defense at the college level - let alone dominate at the NFL level.

I went to a CB West-North Penn football game once in college. It didn't take me long to realize how much better Pennsylvania HS football is than New York's. The difference is like D1-A versus D3.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by philcski

I went to a CB West-North Penn football game once in college. It didn't take me long to realize how much better Pennsylvania HS football is than New York's. The difference is like D1-A versus D3.

There's always been a lot of great coaching at the highschool level in Pennsylvania...especially with football.

A lot of legendary NFL quarterbacks grew up and played highschool in the Pittsburgh area. Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino etc.

There's a little borough called Aliquippa that has 10 times fewer people than Erie - that tiny class AA school there has produced Mike Ditka, Darrelle Revis, Tony Dorsett, Ty Law, Sean Gilbert, and Paul Posluszny. Aliquippa is also where Pistol Pete Maravich was born and raised.

If you look at that '99 state championship game between CB West and Erie Prep. CB West had Mike Pettine Sr. coaching - and Erie Prep had Joe Moore (possibly the greatest offensive line coach in history) coaching.

Moore produced four Hall of Famers (Mark May, Russ Grimm, Jimbo Covert and someone else) in his seven year stint as the O-line coach at Pitt. In Moore's 9 years as the tight ends and tackles coach at Notre Dame under Lou Holtz, every single offensive line starter he had moved on to the NFL upon graduation.

The current Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz was a player for Moore. That's basically how Iowa managed to get 3 major players off of that '99 Erie Prep team, including Bob Sanders. Moore basically was able to pipeline a few of them to his old student.

[Patrick333]

Speaking of West & Erie Cathedral Prep, the 2000 title game was the greatest high school football game I've ever seen.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by Patrick333

Speaking of West & Erie Cathedral Prep, the 2000 title game was the greatest high school football game I've ever seen.

Yep - Prep got them in OT in the rematch. A lot less defense and hitting and a lot more scoring in that game. I remember thinking that the better team got beat in both games.

[the_fat_man]

This guy has to, arguably, be the best juicer of all time. His **** is so good that his frame can't handle the strength that he gets from the juice. So, he's ripping up his knee ligaments or tearing up his biceps, or, etc..

[declansharbor]

Victor Hobson was an ANIMAL in high school, playing for St. Joe's Prep. He faced my best friends brother, Jimmy Casey, who owns some Catholic League rushing records himself. Completely annihilated Father Judge's offense when they faced off.

Between this game, and the high school basketball game of Kobe Bryant at the Palestra against Chester, they are the hands down the two greatest performances by a high school athletes I've ever seen. Men amongst boys.

[The Indomitable DrugS]

Originally Posted by the_fat_man

This guy has to, arguably, be the best juicer of all time. His **** is so good that his frame can't handle the strength that he gets from the juice. So, he's ripping up his knee ligaments or tearing up his biceps, or, etc..

A linebacker from that '99 Erie Prep team got kicked out of Kentucky for a failed steroid test after getting in a lot of prior trouble.

I knew those kids all very well because I was born the same year and was from the city and played against most of them at a lot of different sports growing up. They were a more savage hitting and stronger high school team than anything I'd ever seen. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them were on something back then. Considering how they test in the NFL though, I doubt Sanders still is or has been.

The '99 team was rated 8th in the nation at the end of the season (they were the nations highest ranked high school football team with a loss on the year. Everyone in the top 7 was undefeated) The '00 team (without Sanders) was undefeated and finished the year ranked 4th in the nation in the polls.