ESPN's 30 for 30 series featured a man called "the greatest that never was," a running back who rivaled Herschell Walker as one of the greatest high school backs ever - Marcus Dupree
Conflict with his Oklahoma coach, among other things, caused him to leave. Injuries were also a cause for his downturn, however. While he might have been too injury prone to have a great NFL career, his presence might have caused some itneresting butterflies.
Let's say Barry Switzer misses his plane, or just can't talk Dupree out of going to Texas. Dupree stays in Texas, and while he has some injuries, his sophomore season he leads the Longhorns to the national title when they beat, ironically, Walker's former Georgia team while Miami is beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
Wha tthen? I think injuries really hamper him, but some team might take a chance on his being another Gale Sayers. Perhaps St. Louis, which had a higher draft pick in '85 but which ws desperate to draw fans, already probably with one foot out the door of that baseball crazy city.
How would he do? Missing large chucks of time probably hurt him in some ways, but may have helped in others OTL, as he wouldn't be getting pounded by the much larger defenses. I can see injuries hampering him for 2 years, and then him going...well, maybe still in the first round. There were some teams who would take a chance on his being the explosive back who would win fans back, especialy St. Louis (which drafted Kelly Stouffer in the top 10 one year).
He probably has 1-2 really good years, then hurt too much otherwise. I see him as another Terrell Davis.
Conflict with his Oklahoma coach, among other things, caused him to leave. Injuries were also a cause for his downturn, however. While he might have been too injury prone to have a great NFL career, his presence might have caused some itneresting butterflies.
Let's say Barry Switzer misses his plane, or just can't talk Dupree out of going to Texas. Dupree stays in Texas, and while he has some injuries, his sophomore season he leads the Longhorns to the national title when they beat, ironically, Walker's former Georgia team while Miami is beating Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.
Wha tthen? I think injuries really hamper him, but some team might take a chance on his being another Gale Sayers. Perhaps St. Louis, which had a higher draft pick in '85 but which ws desperate to draw fans, already probably with one foot out the door of that baseball crazy city.
How would he do? Missing large chucks of time probably hurt him in some ways, but may have helped in others OTL, as he wouldn't be getting pounded by the much larger defenses. I can see injuries hampering him for 2 years, and then him going...well, maybe still in the first round. There were some teams who would take a chance on his being the explosive back who would win fans back, especialy St. Louis (which drafted Kelly Stouffer in the top 10 one year).
He probably has 1-2 really good years, then hurt too much otherwise. I see him as another Terrell Davis.