FB: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[OxyBob]

Article about Justin Goltz in The Detroit News:

Justin Goltz grateful just to be a Lions long shot
Former Walled Lake Central star is Lions 'other' rookie quarterback

Justin Goltz loves Los Angeles.

While there, he quarterbacked at Occidental College, was a bodyguard for actor Johnny Depp and met some of the greatest collection of characters in his life.

But Goltz is back home in Michigan trying out for the Lions -- about a 30-minute drive from Walled Lake Central High where he played football, baseball and basketball.

"Los Angeles is an amazing city," Goltz said. "It is a long way from home but I am home now. There were a lot of tremendous opportunities."

Although Goltz loves LA, he wants to play for his hometown team.

"I want to show them I can play in the NFL," said Goltz, who is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. "That's whether competing with Matthew Stafford or being in the film room for long hours to show them what I've got."

But Goltz's chances of making the team are slim. He's simply known as the other rookie quarterback behind Stafford.

Goltz is used to playing second fiddle. He sat for much of his careers at Walled Lake and Occidental. But when he got an opportunity ...

"He paid his dues, but once he got an opportunity to shine he was the best player on our team," Walled Lake Central coach Bob Meyer said.

OxyBob

[Fear the Poet]

Article about Justin Goltz in The Detroit News:

Justin Goltz grateful just to be a Lions long shot
Former Walled Lake Central star is Lions 'other' rookie quarterback

Justin Goltz loves Los Angeles.

While there, he quarterbacked at Occidental College, was a bodyguard for actor Johnny Depp and met some of the greatest collection of characters in his life.

But Goltz is back home in Michigan trying out for the Lions -- about a 30-minute drive from Walled Lake Central High where he played football, baseball and basketball.

"Los Angeles is an amazing city," Goltz said. "It is a long way from home but I am home now. There were a lot of tremendous opportunities."

Although Goltz loves LA, he wants to play for his hometown team.

"I want to show them I can play in the NFL," said Goltz, who is 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds. "That's whether competing with Matthew Stafford or being in the film room for long hours to show them what I've got."

But Goltz's chances of making the team are slim. He's simply known as the other rookie quarterback behind Stafford.

Goltz is used to playing second fiddle. He sat for much of his careers at Walled Lake and Occidental. But when he got an opportunity ...

"He paid his dues, but once he got an opportunity to shine he was the best player on our team," Walled Lake Central coach Bob Meyer said.

OxyBob

best of luck to him. I'll be pulling for him!! 

[OxyBob]

And there's this one from The Ann Arbor News :

Walled Lake's Justin Goltz does well in 'battle' with Lions' No. 1 draft pick

Walking onto the practice field, Matthew Stafford and Justin Goltz were polar opposites. After a much-heralded career at Georgia, Stafford had just been selected as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft and had signed a $72 million contract with the Detroit Lions.

Goltz, on the other hand, couldn't get drafted and didn't receive a lot of free agent offers after finishing up his career at Occidental, a Division III school. (In case you're wondering - like I was - Occidental is located in Los Angeles.)

Once they got on the field Friday afternoon for the first rookie/free agent minicamp workout, Goltz did not look out of place in competing alongside Stafford.

"It was a great experience, he's an amazing athlete,'' Goltz said. "Just being able to come out here and compete with guys like that is a dream. He's a No. 1 pick and I'm a kid from a small school who's just trying to prove that I can do it, too.''

Goltz isn't even signed as a free agent - he's at the minicamp trying to win his way into the privilege of being a "camp guy.'' Still, Goltz looked solid at practice and, while he doesn't have Stafford's arm strength - who does? - he threw the ball accurately and moved around the pocket pretty well.

"I thought I competed with him,'' said Goltz, who graduated from Walled Lake Central in 2005. "I came out and threw the ball and we were both trying to put it in the right spot and put it on time. I don't think I was lagging behind or that it was two different levels.''

Goltz knows he's a longshot to make the Lions roster - or anybody's roster, for that matter - but he's not going to give up without a battle.

"It was a great opportunity,'' he said. "I'm from a small Division III school and this was one of the first calls I got,'' he said. "To be able to come back home and try to live out a dream is an ideal opportunity.

"I just come out here and try to play football. The biggest and best advice I got was to come out and compete, relax and enjoy the opportunity of a lifetime. Once we got going and broke a sweat, you get into the game and everything starts flowing.''

and yet one more from the Detroit Free Press:

Walled Lake native tries out at Lions rookie orientation

There's only one word to describe the journey that took Justin Goltz from Walled Lake to Los Angeles to the NFL. Crazy.

"Everything's worked out crazy," said Goltz, who is trying out as quarterback at Lions rookie orientation, throwing side-by-side with No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford. "I was originally from here and went to L.A. for school. My quarterback coach (Jim Fenwick) knew their quarterback coach, Jeff Horton. So when I had my pro day and was going through that process those two got in touch, and (Horton) got a hold of my film. Coaches talked to me and I got the invitation here."

Goltz, a Walled Lake native and graduate of Central High, played at Occidental College, a Division III school in L.A. with an enrollment of about 1,800. That's a big jump to the NFL, but Goltz handled himself well. He made all the throws, he was possibly more accurate than Stafford, and he even got some attaboys from coaches.

"I think they were a little bit impressed, especially coming from a D-3 school and being able to compete a little bit," Goltz said. "It was nice. I got some smiles and some pats on the back, so that's always good."

OxyBob

[OxyBob]

RIP Jack Kemp:

Jack Kemp, all-star quarterback, politician, father, dead of cancer, 73

Jack Kemp, the all-star college and pro quarterback who went on to serve nine House terms, as secretary of Housing and Urban Development and as Robert Dole's VP running mate on the 1996 Republican presidential ticket, died this evening.

Kemp also ran his own unsuccessful presidential campaign in 1988 against Ronald Reagan's vice president, George H.W. Bush, who would go on to appoint Kemp as his HUD secretary.

The cause of death was cancer. He was 73 years old and had allowed his office to release the news of his terminal illness only in early January. But there were no details of treatment or what type, only word that he would continue his charitable activities.
...

Kemp's condition had been declining rapidly since the announcement and friends knew the end was near for the devoted politician and father. He was famed fondly for predictably breaking off Friday business meetings to fly overnight to watch his two boys, Jeff and Jimmy, also quarterbacks, play college or pro football on the weekends.
...

The troubled GOP could have used the friendly, empathetic and well-spoken southern Californian in its national rebuilding now. Kemp was known as a bleeding heart conservative for his interest in social issues and bettering the lives of average citizens. And he was well-liked by teammates, both the athletic and political kind.

A West Los Angeles native and graduate of celebrity-strewn Fairfax High School, until last year Kemp was probably the most famous politician to attend Occidental College. No longer.

Now, Barack Obama is. The president-elect [sic] is four inches taller than Kemp, but did not play quarterback, safety, punter and place kicker on the school's football team.

Kemp's 13-year football career involved the National Football League, the Canadian Football League and the defunct American Football League, where Kemp was an all-star for seven of the league's 10 years and played in five of its championship games.

Source: Los Angeles Times

OxyBob

[RFB]

Congrats to Justin Goltz on a big achievement in being invited to minicamp with the Lions. Sounds like he did pretty well, maybe he can continue to impress and make the practice squad. On another note, sorry to hear about the passing of Jack Kemp.

[OxyBob]

Congrats to Justin Goltz on a big achievement in being invited to minicamp with the Lions. Sounds like he did pretty well, maybe he can continue to impress and make the practice squad.

Action shot of Goltz in rookie mini-camp plus caption, from The Detroit News:

                                 
                      QB Justin Goltz played at Occidental College in Los Angeles
                  and is back home in Michigan after getting invited to Lions mini-camp.

OxyBob

[Ralph Turner]

Congrats to Justin Goltz on a big achievement in being invited to minicamp with the Lions. Sounds like he did pretty well, maybe he can continue to impress and make the practice squad.

Action shot of Goltz in rookie mini-camp plus caption, from The Detroit News:

                                 
                      QB Justin Goltz played at Occidental College in Los Angeles
                  and is back home in Michigan after getting invited to Lions mini-camp.

OxyBob

My thoughts about Goltz are that he is a smart, hard-working QB who will pick up on systems very quickly.  He may be one of those guys who is fun to be around and helps with the chemistry of the team.

If he can give good quality reps to the receivers who need to work on routes and mechanics, then he may be the guy.

Kinda like the player from Trinity TX, Jerheme Urban.

[Gray Fox]

There was a guy on TV hinting that Stafford may still be too much of a whimp to be a leader.  Winning QB's have lots of intangibles.  Tony Romo sat on the bench for a few years before he was an instant success.

If nothing else, Goltz is giving Oxy, the SCIAC and D3 some well deserved attention.  Detroit needs an underdog to come out on top.

[oxytigersroar]

2009 Detroit Lions Transcripts
HEAD COACH JIM SCHWARTZ -- MAY 3, 2009

• On whether there has been a position group to exceed his expectations
"Probably the quarterbacks were further along than a lot of the other positions. We were able to get a lot of seven-on-seven snaps. Our numbers were down on the offensive line and defensive line. We didn't do a whole lot of team periods, but we threw a lot of concepts at them with the passing game and I think that those guys were probably a little further along than the wide receivers, running backs and the rest of the offense, but probably there."
• On whether QB Justin Goltz has a shot at training camp
"Oh, yeah. I don't think he was out of place. I mean, I've been around a lot of NFL training camps and you worry about a guy when he's coming from a lower level of competition like Occidental, but I think he came in and he did well out here. He's not out of place in an NFL training camp for sure."
•On if any tryout players stand out
"Yeah, you know, there's probably a couple that we'd like to get under contract. I don't want to go too far there because there's other people that are going to be in competition to sign some of those guys. But it was well worth it. Like I said, we had objectives for those guys of improving every day. I said, 'Don't worry about making the team; don't worry about getting signed. Worry about getting better. And if you do those things and do it on a daily basis, the other things will take care of themselves.' I was impressed with the way they work. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there like that. To put yourself out; to go through those drills, to go through a weekend and to have somebody judge you – scouts, players, coaches – all those different things. That's a tough position to be in. We appreciate their effort and our hats off to them. They did a good job; we wouldn't have been able to get through practices and get as far along without those guys."

[Gray Fox]

The best part of this is that even though they have a BIG investment in Stafford, the bottom line is winning.  So everyone will be equal.

[SCIAC Fan]

The best part of this is that even though they have a BIG investment in Stafford, the bottom line is winning.  So everyone will be equal.

Goltz proved he was a winner at Oxy and he isn't going to let any naysayers discourage him from pursuing his dream of playing pro football. I read in another article that Goltz has an offer to play this fall for the San Francisco franchise in the new United Football League. Whatever he ends up doing it's sure great for the SCIAC.

[Purple Heys]

With all due respect to the hard work and attitude Goltz brings to his invite...

For the Lions, Stafford HAS to succeeed to give credibility to the new regime.  Given the success of Ryan and Flacco, you can't expect the Lions to sit that amount of money.

It is interesting to note Schwartz being mum on the quality of play from the FA's...because they don't want them to get picked off by other organizations with a more pressing need (and more money to give).

I think the best scenario for Goltz is to be the "Matt Cassell".  Stafford's the guy, the Lions will have in a vet just in case Stafford can't get it done.  Goltz waits in the wings...learns the ropes, establishes himself and has a better chance to succeed than Stafford will get being thrown right in there.

Should Stafford succeed, there's still the relatively charmed life of an NFL #3 QB with a low cap number...

[Purple Heys]

Regardless of any team/conference alliance, we should all root hard for any D3 kid getting a shot.

The NFL is a copycat league.  The more "treasure" that gets discovered in D3, the more treasure hunters there will be that go looking in more places.

What team wouldn't want to fill the last parts of a roster with High-Character, Low-Cap Hit players of equivalent talent?

[Gray Fox]

Regardless of any team/conference alliance, we should all root hard for any D3 kid getting a shot.

The NFL is a copycat league.  The more "treasure" that gets discovered in D3, the more treasure hunters there will be that go looking in more places.

What team wouldn't want to fill the last parts of a roster with High-Character, Low-Cap Hit players of equivalent talent?

Great points.  I'd already given you a +k withing the last 24, so the one for this wouldn't take.

This can work both ways.  If guys see D3 players are getting a chance, they will have a "football" reason to go to a D3 school in addition to the good female to male ratios, good academics and where sports are not a full time job.

[poetry in motion]

I like reading everyones comments on this board and have had a few laughs over the years. I would like to bring some attention to one of the SCIACS most humble guys but an athlete to watch Anthony Pomponio of lowley Whittier College. For those who may not know with some help he lead the SCIAC this year in rushing on a team with no QB after their starter was injured. On any other team he may have broken records. Heres a guy who is 5'8" and weighs in at 185lbs. he runs the 40 in 4.3 and bench presses 430lbs. He can also by the way dunk a basketball. From what I am told he is being tried out by a Canadien Football Team in the very near future.He was offered 3 opportunities to play in Europe but elected to finish his Senior year and graduate in 4 years. Oh and check this out he entered a natural Bodybuilding competition in L.A. after finishing 3rd in his first competition shortly after football season in San Diego and finished in 1st place in his weight division. Props to you Anthony and good luck may the underdog never give up their dreams!