Next Position Battle: Best WRs since the Resurrection in '95

[torque-cat]

The QB position was won going away by Dan Persa, but as testament to the many great QBs we've had in the past 25 years, Kafka, Baz, Thorson, Kustok, Shnur, Bacher, Siemian all got support.

Moving on to WR, please pick your top 2.

I'll start with the obvious D'Wayne Bates and in the scrum for #2, take Jeremy Ebert who was the only game-breaking athlete I've seen at WR other than Bates. Had Persa remained healthy, I think that duo would've been legendary.

 

[pawildcat]

The QB position was won going away by Dan Persa, but as testament to the many great QBs we've had in the past 25 years, Kafka, Thorson, Kustok, Shnur, Bacher, Siemian all got support.

Moving on to WR, please pick your top 2.

I'll start with the obvious D'Wayne Bates and in the scrum for #2, take Jeremy Ebert who was the only game-breaking athlete I've seen at WR other than Bates. Had Persa remained healthy, I think that duo would've been legendary.

Mentioning QBs, Brett Basanez wasn't half-bad.

 

[EvanstonCat]

The QB position was won going away by Dan Persa, but as testament to the many great QBs we've had in the past 25 years, Kafka, Baz, Thorson, Kustok, Shnur, Bacher, Siemian all got support.

Moving on to WR, please pick your top 2.

I'll start with the obvious D'Wayne Bates and in the scrum for #2, take Jeremy Ebert who was the only game-breaking athlete I've seen at WR other than Bates. Had Persa remained healthy, I think that duo would've been legendary.

Bates and Austin Carr. That guy caught everything and anything. Ebert was great too. Don't we take 3 wides?

Others I would consider: Lee Gissendaner (how can you forget a Silver Trophy winner), though maybe more for his return skills, Richard Buchanan. But, I guess that may be over the 25 year mark.

 

[FeralFelidae]

Kain Colter

 

[NURoseBowl]

Kain Colter

Even though he doesn't figure to get a lot of love in this thread, I'll put up a vote for my all-time favorite 'Cat, Brian Musso.

 

[DaCat]

Since '95:

1. Bates
2. Carr
3. Ebert

Best Superbacks:
1. Dunsmore
2. Vitale
3. Dickerson
4. Green

 

[torque-cat]

Even though he doesn't figure to get a lot of love in this thread, I'll put up a vote for my all-time favorite 'Cat, Brian Musso.

Musso and Carr both in my top 5. Musso gave Charles Woodson headaches, best cuts of any WR I’ve seen at NU.

 

[eastbaycat99]

Bates and Austin Carr. That guy caught everything and anything. Ebert was great too. Don't we take 3 wides?

Others I would consider: Lee Gissendaner (how can you forget a Silver Trophy winner), though maybe more for his return skills, Richard Buchanan. But, I guess that may be over the 25 year mark.

While Gissendaner was just outside the time window given, to me he was a true game breaker, and he led the conference in receptions and receiving yardage as well as leading the nation in average yards per punt return in 1992, the year he won the silver football. Watch for him in this highlight compilation:
http://www.northwesternhighlights.com/2012/10/northwestern-wildcats-football.html

Also, for anyone who never saw Len Williams play, watching him throw bullets might be an eye-opener.

 

[cat inkansas]

Since '95:

1. Bates
2. Carr
3. Ebert

Best Superbacks:
1. Dunsmore
2. Vitale
3. Dickerson
4. Green

I would not be surprised if Cam Green moves up this list at the conclusion of next season.

 

[torque-cat]

I would not be surprised if Cam Green moves up this list at the conclusion of next season.

We'll make a separate category for TE/Superback.

 

[Catreporter]

I would not be surprised if Cam Green moves up this list at the conclusion of next season.

Yep, he has been a terrific clutch receiver. For example, in the bowl game where he juked two defenders on 3rd and 9 and got a key first down as we were trying to run down the clock deep in our own territory in the fourth quarter

 

[Aging Booster]

While Gissendaner was just outside the time window given, to me he was a true game breaker, and he led the conference in receptions and receiving yardage as well as leading the nation in average yards per punt return in 1992, the year he won the silver football. Watch for him in this highlight compilation:
http://www.northwesternhighlights.com/2012/10/northwestern-wildcats-football.html

Also, for anyone who never saw Len Williams play, watching him throw bullets might be an eye-opener.

Williams made the short crossing route to lightning fast wideouts our bread and butter. If only we'd had a defense. I loved Giss., but he was only one in a series of good wideouts at NU during the dark ages. Buchanon and Duncan were among them as well. The guy too often forgotten among those guys is Curtis Duncan, who not only starred at NU, but became a pro bowler when John Hadl threw to him in San Diego. We had a lot of WR speed in those days, but not much else. As for this year's WR group, I am really high on the freshmen, but think we are a year away. I keep saying, 2020 is our year, not 2019.

 

[julescat]

Williams made the short crossing route to lightning fast wideouts our bread and butter. If only we'd had a defense. I loved Giss., but he was only one in a series of good wideouts at NU during the dark ages. Buchanon and Duncan were among them as well. The guy too often forgotten among those guys is Curtis Duncan, who not only starred at NU, but became a pro bowler when John Hadl threw to him in San Diego. We had a lot of WR speed in those days, but not much else. As for this year's WR group, I am really high on the freshmen, but think we are a year away. I keep saying, 2020 is our year, not 2019.

I think you mean at Houston (Oilers) with Warren Moon at QB.

 

[Hungry Jack]

John Hadl??? LOL. He played in the 1960s. Aging Booster would have been better off saying Dan Fouts...

 

[eastbaycat99]

Williams made the short crossing route to lightning fast wideouts our bread and butter. If only we'd had a defense. I loved Giss., but he was only one in a series of good wideouts at NU during the dark ages. Buchanon and Duncan were among them as well. The guy too often forgotten among those guys is Curtis Duncan, who not only starred at NU, but became a pro bowler when John Hadl threw to him in San Diego. We had a lot of WR speed in those days, but not much else. As for this year's WR group, I am really high on the freshmen, but think we are a year away. I keep saying, 2020 is our year, not 2019.

While It has often been commented on, a paradox of NU football is that the dark age decade of 1982 to 1991 produced a number of players with very good NFL careers compared to almost any players since the great turnaround in 1995. Duncan was one of those, along with Chris Hinton. Steve Tasker, Bob Christian and John Kidd also had long, productive NFL careers.

There are 16 NU alums with NFL careers of 10 years or longer. Five graduated from the start of the league until the end of the war, 3 from 1946 to 1981, 5 from 1982 to 1994, and 3 from 1995 on. While Duncan’s career did not reach 10 years (he had 7), Matt O’Dwyer graduated in 1994 for the fifth of the ‘82 to ‘94 group with Hinton, Tasker, Christian and Kidd.

 

[NJCat]

John Hadl??? LOL. He played in the 1960s. Aging Booster would have been better off saying Dan Fouts...

Duncan caught a ton of passes from Otto Graham at NU though......

 

[Aging Booster]

John Hadl??? LOL. He played in the 1960s. Aging Booster would have been better off saying Dan Fouts...

You are right... I stand corrected. Thanks!

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

While It has often been commented on, a paradox of NU football is that the dark age decade of 1982 to 1991 produced a number of players with very good NFL careers compared to almost any players since the great turnaround in 1995. Duncan was one of those, along with Chris Hinton. Steve Tasker, Bob Christian and John Kidd also had long, productive NFL careers.

There are 16 NU alums with NFL careers of 10 years or longer. Five graduated from the start of the league until the end of the war, 3 from 1946 to 1981, 5 from 1982 to 1994, and 3 from 1995 on. While Duncan’s career did not reach 10 years (he had 7), Matt O’Dwyer graduated in 1994 for the fifth of the ‘82 to ‘94 group with Hinton, Tasker, Christian and Kidd.

Oh for another big nasty like Matt O’Dwyer!