FB: American Rivers Conference

[Dsquared]

Trevor Shannon was multi- all conference in FB and All-American in Track for WB.

[DutchHawk]

I think the thing that hurt Willis at times was Wartburgs consistent ability to beat the good teams but lose to a team they shouldn't have. Thats the thing Central has done these years when Mac has won the COY, beat everyone.

[Ash Park]

What about multi-sport all-conference selections?

Anyone else like to comment towards this?  This might take even more digging to find a multi-sport all-conference athlete.  Track & cross-country doubles, while amazing, should be left out as those are much more common.

Matt Ditch from Cornell comes to mind when talking about multi sport all-conference perfomers.  Two time first team wide receiver in football when they were more of a true option team, at least 2 time first teamer in basketball, won at least one conference long jump title.

I think in the one year he played  baseball he was all-conference wasn't he?

[CaliRamRL6]

Ash Park, he just put up some great stats when he started playing consistently in baseball. He didn't make all conference. Ditch was 1st team All Conference in Football, Basketball, and Track in the same academic year. I believe it was his junior year.

[Purple Heys]

Rumour is that Hefty left over dispute with the AD on the new Norse mascot...

http://image.com.com/mp3/images/genie_images/story/2006/f/flavorflav02_story.jpg

For the record, Hefty wanted Brigitte

http://i.imdb.com/Photos/Events/2639/BrigitteNi_Mazur_3956193_400.jpg

[Purple Heys]

...Glad to see Andy Tekippe wasn't forgotten in the Connell-Jackson lovefest. I'll say it again -- pound for pound the toughest player in the IIAC.

Not to set up an argument here, but using this boxing-typical comparison...and no disrespect to Mr. TeKippe who's relative toughness is not in question...but playing football at a stout 6'0" and 190 lbs. isn't all that remarkable...shaking off injuries is also somewhat commonplace too as I am sure each IIAC team features a guy or two that just won't sit out unless a limb is missing.

In boxing, the pound for pound moniker is better applied to the lightweights, bantamweights and featherweights, not a light heavyweight like TeKippe.

Here's a question...who out there at 160 lbs or below in the IIAC could fit the pound for pound tough guy class?

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Tyler Sherden and Kyle Wickwire were both All-Conference in Track & Field in 2004 and John Jaeger was All-Conference multiple years in baseball. 

The Norse need more defenders like John Jaeger!  That guy was fun to watch on defense and in the batter's box during baseball season.

[Floyd in Iowa City]

Congrats to Tyler Sherden for making the Aztec Bowl.

http://sports.luther.edu/men/football/season-2007/News/aztecbowl.html

Three time all-conference Norse DB Sam McDonald made this game in 2005 and three time all-conference Norse WR Kyle Pearson played in the game in 2006.

[dbljay21]

Congrats to Tyler on the Aztec Bowl 

any other guys from the IIAC on the roster?

[Walston Hoover]

My two previous posts should have been combined into one.

I hear Wartburg fans say Willis should have more COYs (and probably should have based on his record at Wartburg), but the reason given is everybody hates Wartburg. Is there any deeper reflection as to why?  Was it really b/c Willis coached at Wartburg or was it a Willis issue or just bad luck or a combination? 

If others hated Willis/Wartburg b/c they won, then surely they would dislike coach mcmartin and he wouldn't have won 3 in-a-row. 

Willis was a victim of the circumstances when it came to COY. Maybe he should have got it in '98, going 9-1, but Kac was just as new as Willis was and won the title.
Won it in '99.
If we would have beat Central in 2000 he would have won it, going 9-1 again.
2001, Coe got us and Cornell had their best year in their short history in the IIAC
2002-Coe got their first title so I think Raeburn got the nod (even though it was a 3-way tie)
2003-Everyone expected Wartburg to be good, so when they absolutely rolled through the conference, it seemed to make sense to give it to the runner-up coach??? (If you can't tell, this is the year in particular that chaps my ***)
2004- When nominations were due early in the year, most thought Wartburg was dead in the water, and BV appeared to be world beaters, I've heard rumors that Osterberger was the only one nominated, so, even though Wartburg went on to win the title, and BV finished 6-4 (the same record as the year before), Osterberger got COY.
WIthout checking, I would wager to guess Rick Willis is one of the few coaches in any league to win 3 titles in a row and not have a single COY honor in that time frame to show for it.

As for winning the big ones and losing one he shouldn't have--There were some losses that seemed like that at the time, but by the end of the year, I can only think of one loss that was that way and that was Loras in '04 since they ended up 4-6. The Cornell loss of '01 wasn't that bad in hindsite as they ended up a game behind us. Possibly the debachle in CR of '01, but we didn't know at the time that Coe was about to win a couple titles in a row.

[Walston Hoover]

...Glad to see Andy Tekippe wasn't forgotten in the Connell-Jackson lovefest. I'll say it again -- pound for pound the toughest player in the IIAC.

Not to set up an argument here, but using this boxing-typical comparison...and no disrespect to Mr. TeKippe who's relative toughness is not in question...but playing football at a stout 6'0" and 190 lbs. isn't all that remarkable...shaking off injuries is also somewhat commonplace too as I am sure each IIAC team features a guy or two that just won't sit out unless a limb is missing.

In boxing, the pound for pound moniker is better applied to the lightweights, bantamweights and featherweights, not a light heavyweight like TeKippe.

Here's a question...who out there at 160 lbs or below in the IIAC could fit the pound for pound tough guy class?

One of the Wartburg LB's can't remember if its Gerardy or Lauterbach, is only 5'6, 160-170ish.
I would put him up as pound for pound toughest.

[KCDutch]

My two previous posts should have been combined into one.

I hear Wartburg fans say Willis should have more COYs (and probably should have based on his record at Wartburg), but the reason given is everybody hates Wartburg. Is there any deeper reflection as to why?  Was it really b/c Willis coached at Wartburg or was it a Willis issue or just bad luck or a combination? 

If others hated Willis/Wartburg b/c they won, then surely they would dislike coach mcmartin and he wouldn't have won 3 in-a-row. 

Willis was a victim of the circumstances when it came to COY. Maybe he should have got it in '98, going 9-1, but Kac was just as new as Willis was and won the title.
Won it in '99.
If we would have beat Central in 2000 he would have won it, going 9-1 again.
2001, Coe got us and Cornell had their best year in their short history in the IIAC
2002-Coe got their first title so I think Raeburn got the nod (even though it was a 3-way tie)
2003-Everyone expected Wartburg to be good, so when they absolutely rolled through the conference, it seemed to make sense to give it to the runner-up coach??? (If you can't tell, this is the year in particular that chaps my ***)
2004- When nominations were due early in the year, most thought Wartburg was dead in the water, and BV appeared to be world beaters, I've heard rumors that Osterberger was the only one nominated, so, even though Wartburg went on to win the title, and BV finished 6-4 (the same record as the year before), Osterberger got COY.
WIthout checking, I would wager to guess Rick Willis is one of the few coaches in any league to win 3 titles in a row and not have a single COY honor in that time frame to show for it.

As for winning the big ones and losing one he shouldn't have--There were some losses that seemed like that at the time, but by the end of the year, I can only think of one loss that was that way and that was Loras in '04 since they ended up 4-6. The Cornell loss of '01 wasn't that bad in hindsite as they ended up a game behind us. Possibly the debachle in CR of '01, but we didn't know at the time that Coe was about to win a couple titles in a row.

Good post, I appreciate the response and outlining the years (makes more sense than just everyone hates Wartburg/etc.).  Thanks.  

Begs to question, why turn in the nominations soooo early in the season.  Anyway, thanks for the input.  

[Walston Hoover]

It makes sense that player nominations are sent in, gives coaches a little time to scope out players for the honor (if any of them actually do that, I would be surprised). I'm sure there could be a little leeway given, but I don't think WIllis would walk into the conference meeting and say "since we ended up winning a title, I think I should get nominated for COY"
He doesn't need to toot his own horn, I'm here to do that for him.

[DutchFan2004]

As a former player Walston maybe you can speak to this.  From what you said about players being nominated early.  Do the coaches and players for that matter look at potential all conference players when watching films.  That is where they may see things to vote for IMO.  I don't know if that is even in the minds of coaches but they do see them on film quite a bit don't they? Then form their opinions about them.  Not having the benefit of films to watch the other players week after week like the coaches may we fans only see them or listen to the radio guys.  We don't get to see (other than out own teams) week after week.  I for one based my vote on DMVP because of the performance on the field that particular day and game against us.  But coaches get to see how many games?  To me if the nominations come out so early that might be a negative (and probably was the year BV won it) against the ballots being done so early.

[Walston Hoover]

I think its about week 6 that coaches nominate their own players. I think. I could be wrong. It happened once before.