Best ISU FB Player from the 80's/90's/00's

**CycloneWarrior** · 07-01-2008, 10:55 PM

Matt Blair for best defensive player
Troy Davis for best offensive player

**Phaedrus** · 07-01-2008, 11:04 PM

I like to get in the "way back" machine and pick Dexter Green.

**MookInLincoln** · 07-01-2008, 11:20 PM

Top 10 Cyclones 1980s

1. Karl Nelson, OT
4-time letterwinner (1979-82)
3-time Arthur Floyd Scott Award
Reuben J. Miller Award
Dury Moss Award
2-time All-Big 8 First Team
3-time Academic All-Conference
All-American
East West Shrine Bowl
3rd Round NFL Draft Pick

2. Mike Busch, TE
4-time letterwinner (1986-89)
Al and Dean Knudson Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
All-Big 8 First Team
1st Team All-American
Blue Gray All-Star Game
East West Shrine Bowl
10th Round NFL Draft Pick
All-American Baseball
4th Round MLB Draft Pick

3. Tracy Henderson, WR
3-time letterwinner (1982-84)
2-time All-Big 8 First Team
ended career as Big 8 all-time reception leader
2-time All-American
5th Round NFL Draft Pick

4. Dwayne Crutchfield, TB
2-time letterwinner (1980-81)
Dury Moss Award
Ray Scott Award
2-time All-Big 8 First Team
All-American
Hula Bowl
Olympia Gold Bowl
3rd Round NFL Draft Pick

5. Blaise Bryant, RB
2-time letterwinner (1989-90)
Dury Moss Award
Reuben J. Miller Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Big 8 Newcomer of the Year
First Team All-Big 8
East West Shrine Bowl
3rd Team All-American
6th Round NFL Draft Pick

6. Gene Williams, OG
4-year letterwinner (1987-90)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award (best ISU lineman)
First Team All-Big 8
3rd Team All-American
Blue Gray All-Star Game
5th Round NFL Draft Pick

7. Keith Sims, OL
4-year letterwinner (1985-86, 1988-89)
2-time Arthur Floyd Scott Award
Blue Gray All-Star Game
East West Shrine Bowl
2nd Round NFL Draft Pick

8. Marcus Robertson, CB
4-year letterwinner (1987-90)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
2-time First Team All-Big 8
4th Round NFL Draft Pick

9. Jeff Shudak, K
4-year letterwinner (1987-90)
Dury Moss Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
3-time First Team All-Big 8
Academic All-Conference
East West Shrine Bowl

10. Bruce Reimers, OG
4-year letterwinner (1979, 1981-83)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award
First Team All-Big 8
Blue Gray All-Star Game
Senior Bowl
8th Round NFL Draft Pick

Let the debating continue. My 1990s and 2000s are on the way.

**MookInLincoln** · 07-02-2008, 12:11 AM

Top 8 Cyclones 2000s

1. Seneca Wallace, QB
2-time letterwinner (2001-02)
Ray Scott Award (twice)
Dury Moss Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Big XII Offensive Newcomer of the Year
Big XII Player of the Week (3 times)
Independence Bowl Offensive Player of the Game
Senior Bowl
4th Round NFL Draft Pick

2. Ennis Haywood, RB
4-time letterwinner (1998-2001)
Ray Scott Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Big XII Player of the Week (4 times)
First Team All-Big XII (twice)
Senior Bowl
East West Shrine Bowl
Hula Bowl

3. Ellis Hobbs, CB
4-time letterwinner (2001-04)
Pete Taylor MVP Award
Jim Doran Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Al and Dean Knudson Award
Academic All-Conference
First Team All-Big XII
The Villages Gridiron Classic
3rd Round NFL Draft Pick

4. Todd Blythe, WR
4-time letterwinner (2004-07)
First Team All-Big XII
Big XII Player of the Week
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Dury Moss Award
Freshman All-American
Multiple school recieving records
East West Shrine Bowl

5. Alvin Bowen, LB
2-time letterwinner (2006-07)
First Team All-Big XII
Al and Dean Knudson Award (twice)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Led nation in tackles
5th Round NFL Draft Pick

6. Jordan Carstens, DT
4-time letterwinner (2000-03)
Al and Dean Knudson Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award (twice)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award
4-time Academic All-Conference
3-time Academic All-American
Senior Bowl

7. Nick Leaders, DT
4-time letterwinner (2002-05)
Pete Taylor MVP Award
Arthur Floyd Scott Award (twice)
Al and Dean Knudson Award
Winners Performance Award (twice)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Dury Moss Award
Las Vegas Bowl

8. Brent Curvey, DT
4-time letterwinner (2003-06)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award (twice)
Al and Dean Knudson Award
Winners Performance Award
Big XII Player of the Week
Texas vs. The Nation Bowl

90s still to come ...

**Cydar** · 07-02-2008, 12:24 AM

Mike Busch was an absolute stud. He swung a pretty good bat too. The ladies would turn their heads whenever he entered a lecture hall.

Jeff Shudak is my favorite kicker at ISU. Certainly the best kicker when I was in college.

Has anyone ever seen Keith Sims dunk a basketball? I saw him over at Beyer and it was pretty impressive to watch a 300 pounder get up and dunk.

I played pickup games with Joe Henderson. I'm glad he was on my team because he would set bone rattling picks. You also had to be careful if you were on his team because if he had the ball and you were 10 feet from him he'd pass the ball to you as if you were standing 20 feet away. One time he passed the ball so hard to a guy under the basket that the ball hit the guy, bounced upwards and then off the backboard and back to the free throw line.

**MookInLincoln** · 07-02-2008, 12:41 AM

Joe Henderson almost made my list.

**MookInLincoln** · 07-02-2008, 12:42 AM

Top 10 Cyclones 1990s

1. Troy Davis, RB
3-year letterwinner (1994-96)
Ray Scott Award (twice)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Reuben J. Miller Award (twice)
Big 8 Player of the Week (3 times)
Big XII Player of the Week (3 times)
First Team All-Big 8
First Team All-Big XII
Big XII Player of the Year
AT&T Long Distance Award
Chevrolet National Leading Rusher
Timmie Award
National Player of the Year
2-time consensus All-American
2-time Heisman Trophy Finalist
3rd Round NFL Draft Pick

2. Reggie Hayward, DE
4-time letterwinner (1997-2000)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award (twice)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Big XII Player of the Week
Insight.com Bowl Defensive MVP
Hula Bowl (defensive MVP)
3rd Round NFL Draft Pick

3. Sage Rosenfels, QB
4-time letterwinner (1997-2000)
Ray Scott Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Big XII Player of the Week
Academic All-Conference
Insight.com Bowl Offensive MVP
Senior Bowl
4th Round NFL Draft Pick

4. Doug Skartvedt, OT
4-time letterwinner (1990-93)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award (twice)
Ray Scott Award
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
The Consideration Award
First Team All-Big 8
3rd Team All-American
Blue Gray All-Star Game
Hula Bowl

5. Tim Kohn, OT
4-time letterwinner (1993-96)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award (twice)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Academic All-Conference
2nd Team Academic All-American
Blue Gray All-Star Game
Hula Bowl
3rd Round NFL Draft Pick

6. Darren Davis, RB
4-time letterwinner (1996-99)
Ray Scott Award (twice)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award (twice)
First Team All-Big XII
Blue Gray All-Star Game (offensive MVP)
Florida All-Star Gridiron Classic

7. Ben Bruns, C
4-time letterwinner (1997-2000)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award
First Team All-Big XII
3rd Team All-American

8. J.J. Moses, WR
3-time letterwinner (1998-2000)
The Consideration Award
Ray Scott Award
First Team All-Big XII

9. Patrick Augufa, C
2-time letterwinner (2005-06)
Dury Moss Award
Arthur Floyd Scott Award
Big 8 Offensive Newcomer of the Year
Blue Gray All-Star Game
Hula Bowl

10. James Reed, DT
4-time letterwinner (1997-2000)
Arthur Floyd Scott Award
Al and Dean Knudson Award
7th Round NFL Draft Pick

**Jeremy** · 07-02-2008, 07:08 AM

Jon - Sometime you should do an all-Iowa State team. Maybe you've done it in the passed and I've missed it but that could be a fun show.

**cyclonelifer** · 07-02-2008, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by JRE1975

70's would be Matt Blair, one of the best players I have seen at ISU, he was a beast! Also for the 70's you would have to include one of the best over all offensive players in Iowa State history would be George Amundson. George was a QB and a running back and played several years in the pros.

From the 70's you have to include Keith Krefle, a TE that played about 10 years in the pros, Ike Harris, who became a very succesful businessman after playing in the pros for 7-8 years, Mike Stensrud would have to be on any list for the 70's and he went on to play many years in the pros. You also have to mention Wayne Stanley and Dexter Green since they were good players in the Earl Bruce years.

There were a lot of good players in the 70's, but if I have to choose one that was the best it would be Matt Blair without much argument. He was big and fast and overall just dominating and went on to do it for many years with the Vikings.

Don't forget with receivers - Wally Jones and Ottow Stowe. The '71 team had ALL its receivers drafted. Stowe got a Super Bowl Ring with the '72 Dolphins. The QB for that team? Dean Carlson, he also had a pro career, and the RB Amundson who Majors said was the best player he ever coached.

What is impressive about the '71 team was they went to a bowl, when only the true elite teams did so. They went to the Sun Bowl when there wasn't any scholarship restrictions and they played in a conference that had the top 3 teams in the nation.

**BryceC** · 07-02-2008, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by djkent01

That's a very powerful argument. However, I believe the only ISU team ever rated in the top-10 was QB'd by Seneca Wallace. Given the ISU tradition, that's something nobody else has accomplished at ISU.

They were also unranked like 3 weeks later and finished the season at .500. There is no way you can put Seneca over Davis.

**djkent01** · 07-02-2008, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by candg4ever

Are you thinking about Karl Nelson? He played for the Giants, and had his career cut short by cancer.

Yep - thank you. Thought about it all night - tip of the tongue thing. It was drivign me crazy.

**djkent01** · 07-02-2008, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by cyclonelifer

What is impressive about the '71 team was they went to a bowl, when only the true elite teams did so. They went to the Sun Bowl when there wasn't any scholarship restrictions and they played in a conference that had the top 3 teams in the nation.

If I remember correctly, an 8 - 3 regular season with the only losses being to OU, NU, and CU - who finished the season ranked 1, 2, & 3 (not necessarily in that order).

In those days, the Big 8 was even more dominating than the SEC is now.

**djkent01** · 07-02-2008, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by BryceC

They were also unranked like 3 weeks later and finished the season at .500. There is no way you can put Seneca over Davis.

Yeah, the wheels fell off that cart. Disappointing.

In any case, I'm not saying that Wallace was better than Davis. Davis' accomplishments speak for themselves as an individual player. I'm simply saying there's a whole other school of thought and to not consider those other elements minimizes what the other guys did. Some of the guys that attended games in Ames in the 70's will argue vehemently that Amundsun was the best ever at ISU given what that team did, what he did, and the competition he played against week in and out.

**MookInLincoln** · 07-02-2008, 10:29 AM

Top 10 Cyclones 1970s

1. George Amundson, QB
3-time letterwinner (1970-72)
Ralph Aulmann Memorial Award
Reuben J. Miller Award
Big 8 Player of the Week
First Team All-Big 8
Big 8 Player of the Year
All-American
Hula Bowl
East West Shrine Bowl
All-Star Game
Heisman Trophy Finalist
1st Round NFL Draft Pick

2. Matt Blair, LB
3-time letterwinner (1971-73)
Big 8 Player of the Week
First Team All-Big 8
All-American
Hula Bowl
East West Shrine Bowl
Senior Bowl
2nd Round NFL Draft Pick

3. Dexter Green, TB
4-time letterwinner (1975-78)
Reuben J. Miller Award
Dury Moss Award
Hula Bowl
Japan Bowl
Olympia Gold Bowl
Big 8 Player of the Week (4 times)
First Team All-Big 8 (twice)
All-American

4. Mike Stensrud, DT
4-time letterwinner (1974, 1976-78)
Al and Dean Knudson Award
Big 8 Player of the Week
First Team All-Big 8 (twice)
All-American
Hula Bowl
Senior Bowl
2nd Round NFL Draft Pick

5. Luther Blue, WR
3-time letterwinner (1974-76)
School record for best kickoff return average
First Team All-Big 8
All-American
Senior Bowl
4th Round NFL Draft Pick

6. Barry Hill, S
3-time letterwinner (1973-75)
Big 8 Player of the Week
First Team All-Big 8
All-American
Blue Gray All-Star Game
Lions All-American Bowl
All-America Game
East West Shrine Game
5th Round NFL Draft Pick

7. Merv Krakau, DE
3-time letterwinner (1970-72)
Big 8 Player of the Week
First Team All-Big 8
All-American
Senior Bowl
14th Round NFL Draft Pick

8. Geary Murdock, G
3-time letterwinner (1970-72)
First Team All-Big 8
All-American
Lions’ All-American Bowl
11th Round NFL Draft Pick

9. Keith Krepfle, TE
3-time letterwinner (1971-73)
First Team All-Big 8 (twice)
5th Round NFL Draft Pick

10. Ron McFarland, NG
4-time letterwinner (1974, 1974-77)
All-American

**Drizzle** · 07-02-2008, 10:34 AM

I know many have already said it, BUT Troy Davis was absolutely amazing... He SHOULD have won the Heisman IMO...

PS.. I just rewatched "The Run" by Seneca... UMMMMMM WOW!! It sure was fun tailgating the first half of that season!! There was a different feeling in the air when we all thought we were a top ten to top twenty team...