Alumni in the NFL

Kevin Boothe seems solidly entrenched with the NY Giants, being listed as #1 at left guard on the depth chat. Even so, Bleacher Report suggests that perhaps it's not a long term relationship.
And an interview


[/url].
And Kevin visits a day camp.

No lineman position in the NFL is ever longterm.

Luke Tasker returned a punt 10 yards for San Diego vs. the Bears in the 3rd quarter.

J.C. Tretter messed up his ankle in May during a fumble recover drill on the first day of OTA with the Green Bay Packers. He is expected to be out the whole season.
link
an earlier link

Bryan Walters was called up from the practice squad to the 53-man roster for the Seattle Seahawks. So far he has only played a few special teams and late game situations. link

jkahn
Luke Tasker returned a punt 10 yards for San Diego vs. the Bears in the 3rd quarter.

After being cut by the Chargers, Luke is now with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, where he is again playing under Kent Austin.
He was originally signed to the practice squad
[profootballtalk.nbcsports.com]
but is ow on the regular roster.
[www.ticats.ca]
As of this moment their web site says he has played in zero games, but has 13 receptions for 202 yards.
[www.ticats.ca]

Do the math and Tasker probably leads the CFL in catches per game.

Catching up on Sports Illustrated and a few CU sports related tidbits. (Ok only one is CU football alumni, and one is hockey related, but anyway....)

In the 12/9 issue, in the "Go Figure" section:

"3 -- Goalies in NCAA history who have scored off a direct shot, after Cornell freshman Mitch Gillam turned the trick in a 4-2 victory over Niagara. The game was Gillam's first with the Big Red."

Same issue, in an article about Martellus Bennett -- "Soon his Giants teammates were calling him "the most interesting man in football" and were valuing him as much for what he did off the field - he spent Hurricane Sandy at the house of offensive lineman Kevin Boothe, painting with Boothe's two-year old son, Dante - as for his career high 55 catches, 626 yards and five touchdowns last season. "I think he would have fit in perfectly at Cornell," says Boothe, a graduate of that university. "He is a very intelligent man. People hear his jokes and his great sound bites, but behind all that he very intellectual."

And in an issue about the NFL playing in the days after JFK's assassination, Maxie Baughn was quoted several times....

Bill Lazor is apparently doing well as an NFL coach and may have an OC job soon.

There are other teams sniffing around I've been told. MT @AdamSchefter: #Eagles asst Bill Lazor in Miami interviewing for Dolphins OC job.

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 8, 2014

ugarte
Bill Lazor is apparently doing well as an NFL coach and may have an OC job soon.

There are other teams sniffing around I've been told. MT @AdamSchefter: #Eagles asst Bill Lazor in Miami interviewing for Dolphins OC job.

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 8, 2014

Report: Eagles QB coach Bill Lazor to be named Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator

[www.mlive.com]

jeff '84

ugarte
Bill Lazor is apparently doing well as an NFL coach and may have an OC job soon.

There are other teams sniffing around I've been told. MT @AdamSchefter: #Eagles asst Bill Lazor in Miami interviewing for Dolphins OC job.

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) January 8, 2014

Report: Eagles QB coach Bill Lazor to be named Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator

[www.mlive.com]

ESPN is reporting that Lazor is headed to Miami to be the OC for the dolphins (dolphails?).

Article (and puns) from the Miami Herald on the Lazor hire.

Not the NFL, but former Cornell football QB Ricky Rahne will be the QB coach at Penn State on new head coach James Franklin's staff.

Did anyone get to watch Jeff Matthews in the East-West Shrine game?

ugarte
Did anyone get to watch Jeff Matthews in the East-West Shrine game?

Missed a throw for a TD in the end zone that was picked off for an interception. Really didn't get a lot of playing time. Was sacked and almost fumbled but looked OK on some other passes.

Bryan Walters is going to the Superbowl! Joining Ed Marinaro, Derrick Harmon, and Kevin Boothe as only Cornell players ever to reach Superbowl.

cbuck
Bryan Walters is going to the Superbowl! Joining Ed Marinaro, Derrick Harmon, and Kevin Boothe as only Cornell players ever to reach Superbowl.

Cornell Chronicle on Bryan Walters '10. He may or may not be on the roster for the game, but he will at least be on the sideline.

Game day roster shows Walters suited up. He wears #19

billhoward
Game day roster shows Walters suited up. He wears #19

Pretty sure I saw a couple references to him being inactive.

Either way, Congratulations to him.

Jordan 04

billhoward
Game day roster shows Walters suited up. He wears #19

Pretty sure I saw a couple references to him being inactive. Either way, Congratulations to him.

Peyton and the Denver offense, too. Ditto NJ Transit trains. Ditto creativity of the ads. Right now there are 3-5 inches of wet snow on the ground. If you didn't get your FalconJet out of Teterboro when the flight ban lifted at 12:01 a.m., you may still be waiting for a takeoff slot. Now it's on to the well-oiled machine that is the Sochi infrastructure.

Jordan 04

billhoward
Game day roster shows Walters suited up. He wears #19

Pretty sure I saw a couple references to him being inactive.

Either way, Congratulations to him.

Walters story on Ivyleaguesports.com Walters was on the active roster for the game, though I don't know that he played even during garbage time (read: the second half).

How did I forget that Matt Birk went to Harvard? Now that he's retired I suppose I can acknowledge that he was really good.

We're officially going full-nit now, but the Ivy League Sports story says "53-man active roster".

Only 46 of the 53 suit up on game day. It's not terribly easy to find, but numerous references list him as one of the 7 inactive.

Jordan 04
We're officially going full-nit now, but the Ivy League Sports story says "53-man active roster".

Only 46 of the 53 suit up on game day. It's not terribly easy to find, but numerous references list him as one of the 7 inactive.

yes, he was inactive for the Super Bowl

Jordan 04
We're officially going full-nit now, but the Ivy League Sports story says "53-man active roster".

Only 46 of the 53 suit up on game day. It's not terribly easy to find, but numerous references list him as one of the 7 inactive.

Good point, thanks.

Jordan 04
We're officially going full-nit now, but the Ivy League Sports story says "53-man active roster".

Only 46 of the 53 suit up on game day. It's not terribly easy to find, but numerous references list him as one of the 7 inactive.

[www.cornellbigred.com]

At 5.26 seconds, Jeff Matthews posts the slowest time of any quarterback invited to the Combine. Still: invited to the combine.

ugarte
At 5.26 seconds, Jeff Matthews posts the slowest time of any quarterback invited to the Combine. Still: invited to the combine.

While not a great result for him, he'll make it to the next level, if at all, on his arm.

ugarte
At 5.26 seconds, Jeff Matthews posts the slowest time of any quarterback invited to the Combine. Still: invited to the combine.

Seattle drafts Matthews, they'll need separate playbooks for Russell Wilson and Matthews. Being Ivy League, he'll be good on the first part of "read option."

scoop85

ugarte
At 5.26 seconds, Jeff Matthews posts the slowest time of any quarterback invited to the Combine. Still: invited to the combine.

While not a great result for him, he'll make it to the next level, if at all, on his arm.

There's a reason the tweets about this called it "the Tom Brady award".

ugarte

scoop85

ugarte
At 5.26 seconds, Jeff Matthews posts the slowest time of any quarterback invited to the Combine. Still: invited to the combine.

While not a great result for him, he'll make it to the next level, if at all, on his arm.

There's a reason the tweets about this called it "the Tom Brady award".

Three degrees:

OJ SIMPSON <--> SLOW WHITE BRONCO <--> JOHN ELWAY <--> JEFF MATTHEWS

JC Trotter is being projected as the starting center for the the Green Bay Packers. Trotter went down with a season ending injury in minicamp (IIRC), though was able to work out with the practice squad at season's end. Green Bay's center from last season recently signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Rita
JC Trotter is being projected as the starting center for the the Green Bay Packers. Trotter went down with a season ending injury in minicamp (IIRC), though was able to work out with the practice squad at season's end. Green Bay's center from last season recently signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Nitpick: Tretter.

Josh '99

Rita
JC Trotter is being projected as the starting center for the the Green Bay Packers. Trotter went down with a season ending injury in minicamp (IIRC), though was able to work out with the practice squad at season's end. Green Bay's center from last season recently signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs.

Nitpick: Tretter.

My bad. It was info I picked up on Sirius/XM radio. When it is discussed on two shows, it must have a bit of truth to it. I knew I probably should have checked the spelling but I was getting ready to leave work.

Still looking good for JC Tretter.
[www.packers.com]
[www.packers.com]
[espn.go.com]

From today's 8/25/14 MMQB:

"7. Looking for a subplot for the big Green Bay-Seattle opener? Check out center, where the Packers might be playing a rookie, Corey Linsley, the fifth-round pick from Ohio State, in the wake of prospective starter J.C. Tretter going down for a few weeks with a knee injury Friday night. Linsley, as of Sunday, had not snapped a ball with the first-team offense since being drafted; all the emphasis had been on getting Tretter, a Cornell kid, ready for his big debut after the Pack let Evan Dietrich-Smith walk in free agency this off-season. I don’t expect it’ll be the decisive factor by any means, but the last thing Mike McCarty wanted in a game of that magnitude is any uncertainty between Aaron Rodgers and his snapper."

Bummer.

Don't want to make a thread for this one guy but I was noodling around on Baseball Reference and saw that you could sort by College Attended. Reminded me that the Diamondbacks took Big Red pitcher Brent Jones in the 4th round this year. He's having a pretty good season in A ball. [www.baseball-reference.com]

His low-A stats aren't as good but since he was promoted, I'm going to assume that is a function of being taught a new pitch or delivery that took a little time to get used to. Someone to keep an eye on, anyway.

Bryan Walters was one of the last cuts by the Seahawks at the 53-man roster deadline, but was added back the next day.
[seattletimes.com]

Chris H82
Bryan Walters was one of the last cuts by the Seahawks at the 53-man roster deadline, but was added back the next day.
[seattletimes.com]

Playing time percentage isn't in the Gamebook yet but he was used as a punt returner at least once (fair catch). No receptions or tackles.

The Oakland unofficial depth chart shows Kevin Boothe as the second string center. Looking back, I don't see any mention here of his signing a two-year contract with Oakland as a free agent back in March noted here with follow-up. They like his versatilty...

ugarte

Chris H82
Bryan Walters was one of the last cuts by the Seahawks at the 53-man roster deadline, but was added back the next day.
[seattletimes.com]

Playing time percentage isn't in the Gamebook yet but he was used as a punt returner at least once (fair catch). No receptions or tackles.

And the Seattle Times reports today that Walters now has the punt-return job. [seattletimes.com]

Chris H82
And the Seattle Times reports today that Walters now has the punt-return job. [seattletimes.com]

So we indirectly benefit from Golden Tate breaking up Russell Wilson's marriage. Which is nice.

Bryan Walters with 1 reception for 0 yards for Seattle in the first half today against his former team, San Diego.

It's cool to see that his ESPN Splits page includes his college career.

Walters also back for punt returns, but San Diego wisely keeps kicking it out of bounds to avoid him.

Walters finished with 2 receptions for 17 yards, nearly doubling his career yardage.

GIF of Walters Catch...
http://www.gfycat.com/GoldenFrenchIbis

Walters had 2 catches for 22 yards and was, as stated above, is now returning punts for the Seahawks.

The Seahawks trade of Harvin to the Jets might open up some more chances for Walters. He's the established punt returner and he's been getting 3 or 4 looks a game at WR (that role is to stretch the D for Lynch, but still... yeah, I guess).

Looks like Walters is out for this week's game against Carolina:
[seattletimes.com]

And he was cut from the roster on Saturday.
[www.seahawks.com]

Bryan Walters back.

Carroll says of Bryan Walters, re-signed Tues, as punt returner for Sun vs NYG: "We picked him up to get him right back in there" #Seahawks

— Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) November 5, 2014

Interesting. What was up with that?

Trotsky
Interesting. What was up with that?

Wednesday in Hawkville: Bryan Walters knows the business side of the NFL too well

Jeff Matthews signed by Arizona Cardinals today. Will be on the practice squad, perhaps until their next quarterback gets hurt.
[arizonasports.com]

jkahn
Jeff Matthews signed by Arizona Cardinals today. Will be on the practice squad, perhaps until their next quarterback gets hurt.
[arizonasports.com]

Hope that happens sometime this week so he and Walters can face off Sunday.

Trotsky

jkahn
Jeff Matthews signed by Arizona Cardinals today. Will be on the practice squad, perhaps until their next quarterback gets hurt.
[arizonasports.com]

Hope that happens sometime this week so he and Walters can face off Sunday.

The alumni facing off this week are Bryan Walters and JC Tretter. One goes to the Super Bowl. [ithacavoice.com]

Not the NFL, but former Cornell WR Luke Tasker re-signed with the Hamilton Tiger Cats.

jkahn
Jeff Matthews signed by Arizona Cardinals today. Will be on the practice squad, perhaps until their next quarterback gets hurt.
[arizonasports.com]

Jeff Mathews signed a contract with the CFL Hamilton Tiger cats and his former HC at Cornell Kent Austin.

[sports.yahoo.com]

Ken711

jkahn
Jeff Matthews signed by Arizona Cardinals today. Will be on the practice squad, perhaps until their next quarterback gets hurt.
[arizonasports.com]

Jeff Mathews signed a contract with the CFL Hamilton Tiger cats and his former HC at Cornell Kent Austin.

[sports.yahoo.com]

Good preseason debut: [www.winnipegfreepress.com]

Bryan Walters had 8 catches for 87 yards yesterday for Jacksonville.

Matthews gets his second start for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats a week ago, throws 3 TDs in a 30-15 win over Saskatchewan Roughriders. First TD pass goes to Luke Tasker '13.

[news.nationalpost.com]

Somehow this slipped through the cracks but Bryan Walters is playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are technically a professional football team. He's returned some kicks and punts but more importantly he's having his biggest year ever as a receiver. 24 catches so far on the season, including 5 each of the last two weeks and his first touchdown on Sunday against the Jets.

JC Tretter is also still on the Packers roster. He's mostly playing on special teams (he has one "return" on what I assume was a squib) but gets a couple of plays on offense per game, usually it seems in goal-line packages, and he reports in as eligible a lot. I really hope they throw him a pass.

[deleted]

[deleted]

OK, let's hope that this works. Bryan Walters had 3 catches for 29 yards, including this first down reception. But nobody is talking about the first down:
[vine.co]

ugarte
OK, let's hope that this works. Bryan Walters had 3 catches for 29 yards, including this first down reception. But nobody is talking about the first down:
[vine.co]

Wisniliwski did a great job of side-stepping the tackler.

Al DeFlorio

ugarte
OK, let's hope that this works. Bryan Walters had 3 catches for 29 yards, including this first down reception. But nobody is talking about the first down:
[vine.co]

Wisniliwski did a great job of side-stepping the tackler.

If looks like he thought he was shielding Hill so Walters could cut left behind him but Walters decided going left wasn't safe either.

The Ithaca Voice has a piece "republished courtesy of the Big Red Sports Network" on Bryan Walters being the first Cornellian to score an NFL touchdown since 1987.

J.C. Tretter gets a shout-out in the NYT.
And a Go Big Red!

sjact
J.C. Tretter gets a shout-out in the NYT.
And a Go Big Red!

I also heard his name (and Cornell) mentioned on TV during the game. Unfortunately, immediately after that he was bull-rushed and gave up a sack.

Jeff Hopkins '82

sjact
J.C. Tretter gets a shout-out in the NYT.
And a Go Big Red!

I also heard his name (and Cornell) mentioned on TV during the game. Unfortunately, immediately after that he was bull-rushed and gave up a sack.

Yup, I noticed that very thing.

BRYAN WALTERS TOUCHDOWN SIREN

Are there currently as many alums in the NFL as the NHL?

nshapiro
Are there currently as many alums in the NFL as the NHL?

2 in the NFL: Walters (Jax) and Tretter (GB). I'll let someone else do the NHL work but I think it's just Nash and Moulson so far.

ugarte

nshapiro
Are there currently as many alums in the NFL as the NHL?

2 in the NFL: Walters (Jax) and Tretter (GB). I'll let someone else do the NHL work but I think it's just Nash and Moulson so far.

Right now, Greening is playing with the Marlies, Ferlin is out injured with Providence, Bardreau is with the Phantoms, while Scrivens, Vesce, and Sean Collins are all in the KHL.

Somehow Greening is a big enough name to get his housing purchase written up in Chicago: [www.chicagotribune.com]

RichH

ugarte

nshapiro
Are there currently as many alums in the NFL as the NHL?

2 in the NFL: Walters (Jax) and Tretter (GB). I'll let someone else do the NHL work but I think it's just Nash and Moulson so far.

Right now, Greening is playing with the Marlies, Ferlin is out injured with Providence, Bardreau is with the Phantoms, while Scrivens, Vesce, and Sean Collins are all in the KHL.

Somehow Greening is a big enough name to get his housing purchase written up in Chicago: [www.chicagotribune.com]

Willcox is also with the Phantoms.

RichH

ugarte

nshapiro
Are there currently as many alums in the NFL as the NHL?

2 in the NFL: Walters (Jax) and Tretter (GB). I'll let someone else do the NHL work but I think it's just Nash and Moulson so far.

Right now, Greening is playing with the Marlies, Ferlin is out injured with Providence, Bardreau is with the Phantoms, while Scrivens, Vesce, and Sean Collins are all in the KHL.

Somehow Greening is a big enough name to get his housing purchase written up in Chicago: [www.chicagotribune.com]

Maybe "somehow" is an out-of-towner paying $1M for a house for which no local would pay more than $500K.

JC Tretter update.

In the NFL free agency signing frenzy, JC Tretter left Green Bay to sign with the Cleveland Browns. 3 yr /16.75 million with 6.5 million guaranteed.

He was on Sirius Radio/NFL Radio Monday 3/13 The Opening Drive show (10 am hour) with Bob Papa and Ross Tucker. Tretter said a major reason for signing with the Browns was that he would be the starting Center - a position that he feels is his best. In Green Bay he played where he was needed.

I didn't know that he was a QB in high school and just as he put it "an athlete" playing all different sports.

Green Bay also lost lineman JT Lang in free agency - to Detroit.

Rita
JC Tretter update.

In the NFL free agency signing frenzy, JC Tretter left Green Bay to sign with the Cleveland Browns. 3 yr /16.75 million with 6.5 million guaranteed.

He was on Sirius Radio/NFL Radio Monday 3/13 The Opening Drive show (10 am hour) with Bob Papa and Ross Tucker. Tretter said a major reason for signing with the Browns was that he would be the starting Center - a position that he feels is his best. In Green Bay he played where he was needed.

I didn't know that he was a QB in high school and just as he put it "an athlete" playing all different sports.

Green Bay also lost lineman JT Lang in free agency - to Detroit.

Tretter has a good chance of being the Browns' starting QB. More seriously, has the NFL had a center who is the team's emergency QB?

billhoward
Tretter has a good chance of being the Browns' starting QB. More seriously, has the NFL had a center who is the team's emergency QB?

Half the NFL is former high school quarterbacks. All of these guys were the best athlete in their hometown.

CornellNYC - Kevin Boothe '05

George64
CornellNYC - Kevin Boothe '05

Nice little promo.

Heard nothing about punter Chris Fraser '17 recently. Invited to mini-camps in the spring.

Bill Lazor promoted to Bengals' offensive coordinator.

George64
Bill Lazor promoted to Bengals' offensive coordinator.

I assume Cornell HC would be a big demotion?

Trotsky

George64
Bill Lazor promoted to Bengals' offensive coordinator.

I assume Cornell HC would be a big demotion?

According to an article in the Washington Examiner, Lazor earned $483,000 as a UVA assistant in 2012 and I'm sure he makes more now. The only benefit of being Cornell's HC might be an end to his peripatetic life. Too bad it's unlikely to happen.

The CBS broadcast crew of the Bungles-Packers game creamed all over Lazor throughout and mentioned Cornell several times.

Not starting a new topic, but QB Jeff Mathews '14 has been knocking around the CFL since bouncing around the NFL (signed and cut by Atlanta, Indianapolis and Arizona without making it past the practice squad). Spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (mostly as a backup but with a run of starts in 2015 that ended with a late-season injury) and this last year as the backup in Toronto where he just watched the team win a Grey Cup. I think he gets used as a Wildcat QB because he has one or two rushing plays a game with only one game in each of the last two seasons in which he threw a pass.

WR Luke Tasker '13 has likewise been playing in the CFL - he's been with Hamilton for 5 years after getting signed and cut by the Chargers after graduation. He's getting better - 104 receptions this year, a career high.

Rita
JC Tretter update.

In the NFL free agency signing frenzy, JC Tretter left Green Bay to sign with the Cleveland Browns. 3 yr /16.75 million with 6.5 million guaranteed.

He was on Sirius Radio/NFL Radio Monday 3/13 The Opening Drive show (10 am hour) with Bob Papa and Ross Tucker. Tretter said a major reason for signing with the Browns was that he would be the starting Center - a position that he feels is his best. In Green Bay he played where he was needed.

I didn't know that he was a QB in high school and just as he put it "an athlete" playing all different sports.

Green Bay also lost lineman JT Lang in free agency - to Detroit.

More on JC Tretter.

JC Tretter '13, Browns center, gets a shoutout for his blocking on Sunday Night Football.

.@browns @bakermayfield goes for what looks like a routine QB Sneak on 3-1. Lots of teams couldn’t make a yard when they needed to Sunday. But this is a very disciplined TEAM; and they pay attention to the smallest of details. Watch ; Learn ; Appreciate. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/8gi2N0IGpa

— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 21, 2020

That was a nice analysis of Tretter and the slow-motion makes his skill on this play clearer.

billhoward
That was a nice analysis of Tretter and the slow-motion makes his skill on this play clearer.

baldy's twitter feed is great