NFL

[CuseJetsFan83]

now for most of you, your probably in your 30's, 40's and above... have you ever gone to school with anyone, or personally knew anyone that was an NFL player or at least did a training camp??

the movie kinda made me think, and for me there are a few players that are on NFL rosters for training camp....

joe kowalewski - NYJ - Syracuse Univ./Solvay HS NY (HS i went to...)

damien rhodes - HOU - Syracuse Univ/ Fayetteville-Manlius HS NY (played against him in a scrimmage, as well as in PeeWee ball)

a few players that were in the yesteryear category -

leon clarke - carolina panthers expansion preseason only - was one of the last players cut (played peewee ball with his kids) even after being cut, he said it was one of the best experiences he ever had

Al Romano - played defensive line for a few years in the NFL, with the oilers if im not mistaken.... was a member of the 1976 pittsburgh panthers championship team and still has a close relationship with tony dorsett (met him at a pee wee camp)

[LtFinFan66]

A guy I graduated with played a couple preseason games on the Browns O-line back in 89'. Joey Galloway went to my high school 4 years behind me. His brother was in my class. Lance Mehl who played for the Jets(LB) in the late 70's-mid 80's went to my school. Had him for a substitute teacher a couple times. His sister-in-law was in my class.

[Luisito23]

There was a substitute teacher in my high school that used to play for the Giants way back when they use to call Yankee stadium their home, sorry I forgot his name, but he was a real nice guy, and he used to show me pics of him, and his old teammates.....I regret forgetting his name, but I'll never forget him though.....:beers:.....





GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!

[THE END OF ALL DAYS]

One of my HS coaches was in Pats training camp as a WR. He did not make the team, but he rode that horse for years. He actually was a good coach. He could run like the wind.

[YardRat]

Played basketball against Shane Conlan in HS.

Neighbor up the street played for the NY Giants in the 30's.

[Historian]

I guy I worked with once had a tryout with the Bills.

He made it to the second cut. Told me he made a couple grand for his efforts.

[BidsJr]

I went to high school and college with Tim Dwight. Partied with him quite a bit, beach volleyball etc, and my younger sister dated his younger brother. Haven't talked to him in a long while though.

[Gunzlingr]

I was a Freshman when Bryan Schwartz was a Sr. He played LB for the Jags for several years before he retired due to injuries. He was their top tackler for a few years. He was a dick. His folks are really nice tho.

[RedEyE]

I actually partied with Jeremy Newberry and Jeff Garcia in Cabo San Lucas in June '04. This was just after Garcia was sent to Cleveland and just before Newberry blew out his knee(?).

A couple of interesting points:

Jeff was with a girl named Jennifer (I believe) and no **** this girl looked like she was 18, tops.

There is no way in hell Jeff Garcia is 6-1. Maybe in cleats. I was taller then him and I'm a modest 5' 11".

We only hung out with Garcia the first night. I bought him a drink and shot the **** with him but he was less then enthusiastic. His entourage was more fun.

I love this story:

My boys and I had been talking to a small group of girls that were also in Cabo on vacation. Coincidentally, these same girls were also talking to Newberry's group. Now, these girls had said they were going to come back to the beach house we had rented but we always seemed to miss each other before the end of each night. Well on their final night in Cabo, one of the girls was getting into Newberry's Navigator when my buddy and her sister pulled her from the car to come party with us.

Newberry was pissed and let us know it. In short, the girls came back to the house to party with us. My buddy Eric ended up sleeping with the girl that almost went with Newberry.

That year JN fell to injury and hasn't been the same since. To this day we joke with my friend Eric that it was all his doing. That Newberry hasn't recovered from Cabo '04 when a nobody came up and stole his piece for the night.

BTW, Garcia is an a-hole.

[JJamezz]

No NFL players, but I went to HS with Claudio Reyna, who was on the US World Cup team, and afaik is/was one of the better soccer players in the world (or at least the US). He was really quiet from what I remember - didn't really know him, but I knew his brother, who was a good guy.

[OpIv37]

I don't know any players, but a family friend was a scout for the '72 Dolphins. He has the SB ring and got a personal invite to Don Shula's HOF induction.

[gr8slayer]

I played basketball with Terrell Owens a few nights back.

[TedMock]

I grew up with, played little league & H.S. sports with, and hung out all the time with someone who is considered one of the top all-time busts in NFL history. He went 7th overall in the NFL draft, lasted 6 seasons with Philly, and retired.

My father grew up and went to H.S. with Jaws. For years we'd receive a family Christmas card from him, but we haven't in the last several years. I never met him personally though.

[Dicknoze69]

Played football against DE Will Smith of the Saints....utica area...then he went to Ohio State.

[Gunzlingr]

I had a classes in college with Adam Timmerman of the Packers and Rams and Adam Vinietari. Didn't associate with him or Adam Vinietari socially tho. I have met Phil Hanson's Brother in Law through work, and he brought me some autographed stuff.

[Jan Reimers]

I knew, or at least met, several football players when I was at Syracuse. One of them, from our TKE house, was a real nice guy who ended up playing LB for the Pats and Bills - Jim Cheyunski.

[Romes]

I went to high school with Chad Hutchinson former Cowboy and Hayden Epstein former kicker for the Jags.

John Lynch graduated from my high school but way before me. He would often train at our gym during the offseason and I met him on occassion.

[BillsNick]

I was really good friends with Isaiah Kacyvenski, #58 for the Seahawks.

We grew up together and you could actually throw a rock and hit his house from my back yard. He was a really good guy when I knew him, but he doesn't talk to any of his old buddies anymore. He's kind of a dick now, but he had a pretty messed up life.

[BAM]

I am pretty good friends with a fellow named Ron Johnson who played for the Eagles a couple years. He is famous for falling on and injuring Jerome McDougle in preseason a couple years back. He was roommates with one of my best friends @ Shippensburg.

http://org-www.philadelphiaeagles.com/homeNewsDetail.jsp?id=3554

[BlackMetalNinja]

My dad went to High School and played with Bob Torre who was on the Eagles team that lost to Oakland in the Super Bowl in 1980. He was from the tiny little town of Bolivar, NY and played college ball at Penn State.

[CuseJetsFan83]

I was really good friends with Isaiah Kacyvenski, #58 for the Seahawks.

We grew up together and you could actually throw a rock and hit his house from my back yard. He was a really good guy when I knew him, but he doesn't talk to any of his old buddies anymore. He's kind of a dick now, but he had a pretty messed up life.

so your a bingo-town area person then??

i remember the little news piece they had on him when they went to the superbowl, saying how troubled his life is and what the NFL has done for him

[CuseJetsFan83]

Played football against DE Will Smith of the Saints....utica area...then he went to Ohio State.

as of now, i'd have to say he is the most productive CNY'er, (someone who played hs ball, not college in the area), and i forgot all about him.... i remember him too, but he always had syracuse-CBA in the way.

terry butler, henninger running back.... class of 2001, he's been a member of the jets practice squad for 2 years now? last year he made the active squad after the curtis debacle began.

i know there is another syracuse native, that isnt dorsey levens, that i just cant think of..........

[Akhippo]

No football players, but Trajan Langdon from Duke and the Cavs was in my high school graduating class and Scotty Gomez from the Devils was a sophmore at the time.

Not many football players from AK except Mark Schlereth. He was a couple years before I played though.

[Luisito23]

Oh yeah, and I also went to high school with Marcell Shipp, he was a junior when I first started....didn't know him personally, but I did went to a couple of his games...I always knew he had talent because it was obvious, but I never thought he would make it to the NFL.....



GO BILLS!!!!!!!

[mybills]

I've known Greg Jerman's family since I was 13. I've even watched a Bills/NE game with his grandmother. My husband grew up with his mom, aunts & uncles, and could also reach their house at a stone's throw. One of his aunts live in MA near my daughter's campus, and I told her husband about this site. :up:

[BillsNick]

so your a bingo-town area person then??

i remember the little news piece they had on him when they went to the superbowl, saying how troubled his life is and what the NFL has done for him

Yeah, I grew up in Endicott, NY. Yeah he literally grew up in a house as big as a studio apartment, with a bunch of brothers and sisters, and an acoholic father. They were so poor.

[CuseJetsFan83]

Yeah, I grew up in Endicott, NY. Yeah he literally grew up in a house as big as a studio apartment, with a bunch of brothers and sisters, and an acoholic father. They were so poor.

yeah espn did a special about it a few years ago, about how he went thru that type of adversity, etc, and came out to be in the NFL.

that does suck about him becoming a little to pompous to remember his friends, but eh, his life....