BigGame Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I was thinking about a lot of the UND football players I have watched over the last twenty years (about as far as I can stretch the memory) and wanted other peoples thoughts. Who are the best players to play football at UND over the last twenty years? Give positions and names and please feel free to give reasons for your choices if you would like to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 QB Kelby Klosterman Reed Manke RB Phillip Moore Shannon Burnell Ryan Chappell WR Weston Dressler Jeff McElroy Brady Trenbeath Mike Juhasz Dan Graf TE Jim Kleinsasser OL Chris Kuper Jason Childs Greg Lotysz Tim Prinsen Marcus McKenzie Ben Olson DL Mark Callahan Glen Matthews Scott Schultz Ben Dixon LB Mike Mooney Digger Anderson Travis O'Neel Eric Schmidt Tim Tibesar Jason Mitchell David Borowicz S Kelly Howe Danny Gagner James Cheatham CB Craig Riendeau Ryan Manke Brent Johnson K Jeff Glas Cameron Peterka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I wish we could go back just a few years earlier even. Tracy Martin was better than any of those receivers IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 5, 2009 Share Posted August 5, 2009 I wish we could go back just a few years earlier even. Tracy Martin was better than any of those receivers IMHO. Martin was a great player on some bad Sioux teams. Not sure he was better than Dressler, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 QB Kelby Klosterman Reed Manke I would take John Bowenkamp over Manke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I would take John Bowenkamp over Manke. Bowenkamp had better physical abilities, but I just really liked the intangibles that Manke brought to the table. When he was healthy, he was extremely effective. Bowenkamp wasn't as consistent IMO, and didn't move around in the pocket and avoid the rush as well as Manke did. I don't believe Bowenkamp could have lead the Sioux to a win at UNI. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sIoUxPeRsTiTiOuS Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Bowenkamp had better physical abilities, but I just really liked the intangibles that Manke brought to the table. When he was healthy, he was extremely effective. Bowenkamp wasn't as consistent IMO, and didn't move around in the pocket and avoid the rush as well as Manke did. I don't believe Bowenkamp could have lead the Sioux to a win at UNI. I agree. I would take Manke over Bowenkamp any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Manke was definately more mobile, a better improviser, and was obviously a great leader. I've always felt that Bownkamp was possibly the best pure drop-back passer to play for UND, and had a great arm that was very accurate on deep throws. He had a pretty special season in 2003 as far as I am concerned, and played quite well in 2002 under very difficult circumstances as a sophomore. And while I agree that North Dakota probably wouldn't have beaten UNI with Bowenkamp playing in Manke's place, I also am not sure that Manke could have led UND to the national championship game in 2003. It is too bad that Bowenkamp's senior season was mostly lost to injury. Both were great QBs in my opinion, can't go wrong with either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 I'd also like to mention that along with Weston Dressler, not so much as a WR but as a return specialist, Travis Lueck was pretty amazing to watch when he was returning kicks. I think he was only here for one season, but he was a game-changer. Possibly even a better kick returner than Weston? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sIoUxPeRsTiTiOuS Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Here's my shot at it. That is a TOUGH list to compile. I left a lot of great players off the list. So many good players, and that's just from 1990-present! We have been very spoiled for the last 20 years. QB Kelby Klosterman Reed Manke (HM: Tony Stein) TB Phillip Moore Shannon Burnell Ryan Chappell FB David Wisthoff WR Weston Dressler Jeff McElroy Jesse Smith Mike Juhasz Tim Gelinske TE Jim Kleinsasser OL Bill Riviere Chris Kuper Jason Childs Greg Lotysz Tim Prinsen Marcus McKenzie Ben Olson Brian Troen DL Monte Shaide David Hillesheim Mark Callahan Scott Schultz Eric Halvorson Adam Wolff LB Mike Mooney ILB Digger Anderson ILB Travis O'Neel ILB Tim Tibesar ILB David Borowicz OLB Steve Brennan OLB Wes Atkinson OLB Ryan Goven OLB Eric Schmidt OLB S Kelly Howe Danny Gagner James Cheatham CB Craig Riendeau Blaine O'Gorman Brent Johnson K Jeff Glas Cameron Peterka P Brent Halfmann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Manke was definately more mobile, a better improviser, and was obviously a great leader. I've always felt that Bownkamp was possibly the best pure drop-back passer to play for UND, and had a great arm that was very accurate on deep throws. He had a pretty special season in 2003 as far as I am concerned, and played quite well in 2002 under very difficult circumstances as a sophomore. And while I agree that North Dakota probably wouldn't have beaten UNI with Bowenkamp playing in Manke's place, I also am not sure that Manke could have led UND to the national championship game in 2003. It is too bad that Bowenkamp's senior season was mostly lost to injury. Both were great QBs in my opinion, can't go wrong with either. It's hard to say. My recollection of 2003 is a lot of very close games, and a lot of switching of quarterbacks between Bowenkamp and Joe Wilson--sometimes due to injuries, and sometimes due to ineffectiveness of one or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 So who might be some players on the current roster who could be included on this list in a few years? I'll say Boyle, Hawkins and Saporu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 My recollection of 2003 is a lot of very close games, and a lot of switching of quarterbacks between Bowenkamp and Joe Wilson--sometimes due to injuries, and sometimes due to ineffectiveness of one or the other. True. And the same could be said about the two seasons that Manke and Chris Belmore shared time at the position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NDSU grad Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Not even an HM for Kevin Klancher at QB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 True. And the same could be said about the two seasons that Manke and Chris Belmore shared time at the position. I guess I draw a distinction between those two situations. Manke was never pulled for poor performance to the best of my knowledge. Belmore was given the nod as the starter when Bowenkamp went down in 2004, and kept the job longer than he should have IMO. This was one of the only times I ever disagreed with a Dale Lennon decision during his tenure as head coach. Once Manke finally got his shot, injuries were the only things that ever kept him out of a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Not even an HM for Kevin Klancher at QB? Valid point. Klancher was a very solid qb, as was Kory Wahl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bincitysioux Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 So who might be some players on the current roster who could be included on this list in a few years? I'll say Boyle, Hawkins and Saporu. I would have said Josh Murray if this thread were started a month ago.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UND92,96 Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 Todd Kovash was one of the most prolific passers I have ever seen in a UND uniform. I had kind of forgotten that Kovash actually did play in the 1990's (1990 was his sr. year). He was a good quarterback, and certainly had a large hand in the turnaround of UND football after the disastrous mid-1980's. I believe he was a part of Roger Thomas's first recruiting class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGame Posted August 7, 2009 Author Share Posted August 7, 2009 Valid point. Klancher was a very solid qb, as was Kory Wahl. Klancher had a lot of strong points but man did he almost always have all day to stand in the pocket and throw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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