College Fantasy Football All-Decade Team |
(photos, Icon SMI)
Here is a story we ran last summer that still holds true as we wind down the final days of the decade. - TD
The American fantasy sports landscape has been evolving at a rapid pace. The days of fantasy commissioners tallying stats by hand from local newspapers have given way to real-time scoring and online league websites.
Despite mainstream fantasy sports being in its relative infancy, we’ve already come across some fantasy gods. Baseball’s golden age brought us Gehrig, Cobb, Hornsby, and Ruth; while the college football fantasy golden age has brought us living legends like Tebow, Tomlinson, and Crabtree.
Trolling the internet, school media guides, and grainy YouTube videos, I’ve found many worthy athletes. But a few were just a cut above, and after many hours in the dark room, the college football fantasy all-decade team photo has been developed.
(photo, IconSMI)
Tim Tebow
University of Florida (2006-2009)
Nine out of ten Christians recommend him. He’s been a part of two BCS championship teams, won a Heisman trophy, and had has his words immortalized and set on a plaque at UF. If there ever was a living legend, this guy is it.
But the world of fantasy sports does not discriminate. A Kansas City Royal homer is just as good as a Yankee bomb, and a Dan LeFevour passing touchdown is just as meaningful as a Tebow jump pass.
So casting aside all the glitz and glamour of the past three years, lets examine his fantasy resume.
Stats
Tebow’s 2007 Heisman Campaign redefined fantasy expectations. His 4,181 total yards and 55 touchdowns in just 13 games are simply outrageous. Just 11 interceptions in three years service. He’s more reliable than Tiger with a Sunday lead. He followed up his Heisman season with a stellar junior campaign of 3,419 total yards and 42 touchdowns.
X-Factor (Playoff Champion)
Tearing up the first few weeks of the season is nice. Laying waste to those 1-AA (refuse this FCS/FBS nonsense) opponents can boost those stats. But fantasy leagues are won down the stretch and in the playoffs. In his final three weeks of ’07 Tebow went nuclear with 16 touchdowns accompanied by 1,144 total yards.
(photo, IconSMI)
Colt Brennan
University of Hawai’i (2005-2007)
All Hawai’i needed was a memorable name for their offense and they would have been a marketing dream. College football has produced many great offenses with active PR departments; Fun N’ Gun, Pistol, Pony Express, Wildhog, Cock N’ Fire, and Desert Swarm (defense gets some love too).
My top three for the Fightin’ Rainbows would have been Lava Ball, Hawaii Five Throw, or Pineapple Express. Regardless, Brennan rewrote the WAC record book and brought the Warriors to national prominence. Throw in a trip to New York for the Heisman presentation and Brennan became a household name before he left the Island.
Stats
For those savvy fantasy owners who bought stock early in Brennan in the fall of 2005, their initial return was substantial. After two brutal games against USC and Michigan State served as his baptism by fire, the Laguna Beach native found his groove. 3.4 TDs and 383.2 yards thru the air per game down the stretch put Brennan on the fantasy map.
In 2006 he put together the best fantasy passing season in US history. 58 passing TDs - eat your heart out David Klingler - accompanied by five on the ground and 5,915 total yards. His senior season he fell back to earth a bit, but while his numbers were mortal they still got him to New York for the Heisman presentation.
X-Factor (Playstation Numbers)
Consistency is a great thing, don’t get me wrong. But every once in a while you see that stat line come across the bottom of your TV and your jaw drops. It provides a guaranteed W for the respective owner that week. On five occasions during his collegiate career he eclipsed 400 total yards and 6 TDs. Those kinds of performances made him a no-brainer for this list.
Honorable Mention
B.J. Symons
Texas Tech University (2003)
The forgotten Raider gunslinger. Not the first (Kingsbury), nor the most heralded (Harrell), Symons has undeservedly slipped into anonymity. 5,833 yards, 53 TDs, and five more toting the rock. He may have been the most efficient pupil under Mike Leach’s tutelage.
(photo, IconSMI)
Kevin Smith
University of Central Florida (2005-2007)
Smith is on a very short list of famous UCF alumni. Other than Daunte Culpepper and Asante Samuel, Central Florida has struggled to produce household names. Smith didn’t establish himself with flash or a gripping personal back-story; he let his game speak for itself.
It’s my personal belief he would have gotten a solid look from Heisman voters if the Knights had pulled it out against Texas in early September of that year. That 35-32 defeat however gave legitimacy to his numbers, as he gorged the Longhorns for 149 yards and two scores. If he had been carrying the rock for a top-25 program, Smith would have found himself in New York City in early December.
Stats
No runner will ever eclipse Barry Sanders’ 1988 Heisman season. With that being said Smith pushed it to the limit. In 14 games (two more than Sanders), he rushed for 2,567 yards and broke the plain 30 times. His 2007 season included five games of three TDs or more, and six games with over 200 total yards.
A true workhorse, he was a fantasy owner’s dream with an average of 32 carries a game and no goal-line competition for touches. Without a doubt, he was the best fantasy back of the last ten years.
X-Factor (Playoff Champion)
In the final four weeks of the fantasy season, Kevin Smith (boy, he needed a nickname) destroyed the competition. 250 rushing yards per game, and 2.75 TDs per game. To put that in perspective, if that was his pace all year he would have gone for 3,500 rushing yards and 38 TDs. If you had him for your stretch run in ’07 you probably owe him a thank you note.
(photo, IconSMI)
LaDainian Tomlinson
Texas Christian University (1999-2000)
LT obliterated WAC competition during his career. Unmistakable with his dark visor and cut back running style, the 2000 Doak Walker Award Winner rewrote the college football record book. The storied program has one hell of an all-time backfield with LT behind Slingin’ Sammy Baugh. As a fantasy back he was a dream, and his impact on his school will last long after he hangs up the cleats.
Stats
In his final year in Fort Worth, LT broke the 2,000 yard barrier in just 11 games. As a junior, the year before, he broke the NCAA single game rushing record with 406 yards against UTEP. At six yards per carry, everything TCU did went thru LT. He was such a workhorse in fact, he had three games of 39 or more carries. He was also good for a few halfback passes each year which only added to his fantasy value. The only thing LT left to be desired was his TD total, which was handicapped by the pedestrian offense around him.
X-Factor (Playstation Numbers)
On four separate occasions during his senior season, LT exploded for more 235 yards and two TDs. During the fantasy playoff stretch of 2000 he embarrassed UTEP for the second straight year with 305 on the ground and three total TDs. A great fantasy running back is consistent and pounds on weaker opponents, and LT showed no mercy when the paltry WAC defenses came to play.
Honorable Mention
(photo, IconSMI)
Taurean Henderson
Texas Tech University (2002-2005)
Lubbock has been a fantasy launching pad since Mike Leach took the reigns. Henderson gets this honorable distinction when you take into account his receiving prowess. In leagues that reward players PPR (Points Per Reception), Henderson was a force. Consider some of these accomplishments: 236 Career Receptions (98, as a Freshman), 47 career touchdowns, and a junior season that included 108 total points.
(photo, IconSMI)
Michael Crabtree
Texas Tech University (2007-2008)
The third Red Raider on our list should come as no surprise to fantasy enthusiasts. Prior to his first game at Jones AT&T stadium, fans had high hopes of what Crabtree could do in the offense. Needless to say, he exceeded all of those expectations.
No player in college football history had ever won the Biletnikoff twice before Crabtree, and he did it in his first two years on the field. He’ll forever be know in West Texas for his game winning score against the Longhorns, and may be considered as one of the best college wide receivers of all-time.
Stats
A post pattern away from 2,000 receiving yards and a mind numbing 134 receptions helped Crabtree say hello the college football world in ’07. Hampered by a right ankle injury in ’08, Crabtree’s numbers slipped to 97-1,165-19. The beauty of Texas Tech to fantasy owners is that they consistently schedule cream puffs. In the first four games of the 2007 and 2008 seasons Crabtree averaged ten receptions, 154 yards, and two touchdowns. The number that is just stupefying to think about is that in just two seasons Crabtree found the end zone 41 times.
X-Factor (TDs in bunches)
Most people rely on their QBs as their bread winners in college fantasy football. Crabtree changed that equation a bit with his propensity for multi-touchdown games. 50% of his games in college were multi-touchdown games, including the first six of his career. He was a rare mix of game breaker and redzone target, which made him the most prolific fantasy wide receiver of all-time.
(photo, IconSMI)
James Casey
Rice University (2007-2008) **TE
Finding a team-changing TE is an extreme rarity in fantasy college football. For starters the whole “spread option” revolution has virtually eliminated the need for an every down tight end. In some cases tight ends are still utilized a la Chase Coffman and Jermaine Gresham, but they serve as the exception. A tight end with wide out numbers is a true aberration. James Casey was all that and more for the Owls last year with rushing, receiving and passing touchdowns.
Stats
111 receptions, 1,329 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns as a receiver are pretty darn good for a tight end. He also rushed for 241 yards and five scores as an H-back. Once again, fantasy owners were impressed. He saved his best for last however with two passing touchdowns as the cherry on top. That’s 20 total TDs, and nearly 1,600 total yards.
X-Factor (Redefining the position)
Casey produced from a nearly obsolete position. Consider this gem he put together against Houston in the fantasy playoff stretch last November: 12 rec, 172 Yards, 3 TDs-5 car, 10 yards, TD – (1-1) 3 yards, TD. That is the stuff of legend around the water cooler come Monday morning.
Honorable Mention
Larry Fitzgerald
University of Pittsburgh (2001-2003)
The electrifying Arizona Cardinal was the only player the Miami Hurricanes couldn’t stop at the beginning of the decade. His 2003 Biletnikoff season was tremendous. You could feel the tension as defensive coordinators racked their brains trying to stop him. His blend of size, speed and leaping ability helped him haul in 22 TDs and elevated Pitt to national prominence.
(photo, IconSMI)
Jeff Wolfert
University of Missouri (2006-2008)
8.8 point per game. Never missed an extra point in his career and had a lifetime 82% FG percentage. Great fantasy kickers usually come from great fantasy offenses, and the Mizzou offenses from 2006-2008 were very special.
(photo, IconSMI)
University of Southern California
11 shutouts in this decade. Countless NFL draft picks. But what really made this pick easy was their competition. At the beginning of the decade the Pac-10 was very strong. Joey Harrington wasn’t a joke at Oregon, and Washington was still a power. Fast-forward to today and USC has an opportunity to blank two conference opponents per season. This season will be more of the same with Taylor Mays roaming around in the secondary. Two to three shutouts aren’t out of the question, which is scary.
