Favorite UofL Football Players

[Empire Lindy]

I tried to do a preview of tomorrow's game and all I got was depressed and tired of previewing a team who was either having a superior season or getting well/good at just the time they come to PJCS or we go to their place. So instead of putting up another preview, I thought I'd distract my attention and hopefully some of yours who want the whole season to just go away.

That said, who are your favorite UofL football players all-time? Criteria are completely open-ended. This isn't a BEST players list necessarily, just a list of the guys you most enjoyed taking the field for UofL. Try to do a top 3 and let's see who comes up most frequently.

For me...

1) Amobi Okoye. Pure talent on the field, pure class off it. The kid graduates from college as a major college football player before some of us even enrolled. He's humble, is doing a lot of great things for people off the field (see his Kickoff for Kids event at Lucky Strike in a couple weeks), and is doing the university a lot of good as a player and person in the NFL.

2) Stefan LeFors. I think Stefan's story (deaf family) was a little overblown during his senior year, but you can't deny what he accomplished despite many other odds being stacked against him. An undersized guy playing Division I football at a level that should have earned him FAR MORE Heisman pub in 2004 than it did. If he was 6-foot, then so am I. Still, the way he led that Louisville football team into national prominence is a year I won't forget. In fact, I think it might haunt me for the next couple of years.

He doesn't get near the coverage of Okoye, but he is starting in the CFL for Edmonton.



3) Brandon Sharp. Obviously this is my wild card. I don't expect many to be on board with the pick. But I still say he is one of the more underrated players we've had come through this program in my short time following them. He really struggled for the first 6 games of his junior season, when he took over the free safety role from Kerry Rhodes/Brent Johnson. But when Petrino made the VERY wise decision to take his brother, Antoine, out of the starting SS spot and play Jon Russell in his place, Brandon just bloomed as a player. For the last 7 games that year and all through his senior season, he was the guy who caused opposing WR's to hear footsteps and get butterfingers going across the middle. The guy could flat put a hit on a player. His sack of Miami QB Kyle Wright in that watershed 2006 game was indicative of both how far the Cards had come in those two seasons since playing at Miami and how far Sharp had come personally. We miss him a lot this season.

Honorable mention: Harry Douglas, Josh Tinch, Adam McCauley, Elvis Dumervil

[bling49]

LB Robert McCune, FB Derontae Taylor (destroys his block and hits to the whistle) WR Montrell Jones

[coke4r]

1. Harry
2. Arnold Jackson
3 "card"well Gardner

[Needabuzz]

1. Deion Branch - Superbowl MVP enough said.
2. Amobi Okoye - Underrated and became a beast.
3. Elvis Dumervil - Look at what he has done at his size.
4. Stefan Lefors - Came in and really became the man when people were asking who could replace Ragone
5. Dwayne White - Underrated and bacame a beast
6. Arnold Jackson - set a record while at UL
7. Chris Redman

[HarveyGlass]

When I was younger, I loved watching Jay Gruden play. Ted Washington, Ray Buchanon(that whole defense), and the elder Brohm brothers were fun to watch. Jeff Brohm was always underrated, IMO. Carwell Gardner was another favorite, and it seemed like Ralph Dawkins was always making big plays.

Lately, LeFors, Amobi, and Harry are up there. I was always watching Malik last year, and it's a shame he's not doing that as a senior.

[coke4r]

i can' t believe that nobody has mentioned big play ray or sam madison yet.
my list of 3 was very hard to narrow down i think a top 20 would be easier

[Die Hard Cards]

Arnold Jackson, Deion Branch, Elvis Dumervil, Michael Bush.

[nmcardsfan]

Michael Bush, Anthony Shellman, William Gay, Elvis Dumervil, Amobi Okoye

['villeFan]

Let me do the game preview:
Talent-wise, U of L will play an inferior team in PJCS tomorrow. However, the cards will find more than one opportunity to lose.... and seize at least one of those opportunities with extreme prejudice. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats for kick-off, exercise moderation in their drinking, and refrain from booing unless they are down by 28 or more. Empty seats (which will be numerous) will be attributed to a lackluster fan base that is "spoiled" rather than a team product that is shameful and disappointing. Brohm will throw for 450 yds and 4 touchdowns but it won't be enough to overcome superior coaching (Dave fucking Wannstadt) and a briliiant performance from a no-name freshman QB who will have the best game of his career.
Just kidding....Go Cards!!!!

[farmdude]

Johnny U
Lenny Lyles
Elvis
Amobi
Ragone
Lefors

I really don't remember JU, but the rest of them were tough as nails. Lenny Lyles was light years ahead of ANY other player of his time, if he had been at ND or some other school he would be Saint Lenny,

UL has had many, many great players, both at the college level and the pros.

Stefan is a real fave of mine, did more with less than probably any player in school history. Great story, brought the Ville lots of pub.