In one month, the Pac-12 will cease to exist in recognizable form. At the close of business on Aug. 1, the 10 departing schools will end their membership in the century-old conference, leaving Washington State and Oregon State behind to rebuild the league (or turn out the lights).
To commemorate the occasion — and give Hotline readers something to ponder over the holiday week — the Hotline presents our Mt. Rushmore selections: The greatest players to grace the field for each Pac-12 school.
Important disclaimers:
— We selected four players and included the names of five more who were given consideration. In truth, we considered more than nine. For some schools — hello, USC — our initial list was more than 15 deep.
— Performance in the NFL was not part of the calculation.
— Nor did we consider players who competed before their schools joined the Pac-12. For example, Mike Haynes is one of the greatest cornerbacks who ever lived, but his Arizona State career came before the Sun Devils entered the conference.
— Kickers and punters were excluded.
— Not every Mt. Rushmore selection is a record-holder for his school. Statistics mattered, but so did subjective criteria like impact and legacy.
Here we go …
Arizona
Coach: Dick Tomey
Players: DE Tedy Bruschi, TB Ka’Deem Carey, LB Ricky Hunley, NT Rob Waldrop
Also considered: S Chuck Cecil, CB Darryll Lewis, CB Chris McAlister, WR Dennis Northcutt, LB Scooby Wright
Comment: Arizona was a defensive juggernaut for many years under Tomey, and our selections reflect that existence. Cecil made the greatest play in school history, a 106-yard interception return against ASU, and is plenty worthy of Mt. Rushmore status. We mulled Rob Gronkowski’s inclusion, but his college production was limited.
Arizona State
Coach: John Cooper
Players: OL Randall McDaniel, QB Jake Plummer, DE Terrell Suggs, DT Will Sutton
Also considered: S David Fulcher, LB Vernon Maxwell, DE Derrick Rodgers, OL Juan Roque, LB Pat Tillman
Comment: Plummer and Suggs were obvious picks; the others were pondered at length. Tillman’s total legacy is monumental because of his military service and death. But his on-field performance in Tempe, while first rate, didn’t quite match the four listed on Mt. Rushmore in our estimation.
Cal
Coach: Pappy Waldorf
Players: TE Tony Gonzalez, RB Jackie Jensen, QB Joe Kapp, RB Chuck Muncie
Also considered: DE Andre Carter, RB Marshawn Lynch, CB Deltha O’Neal, OG Les Richter, QB Joe Roth
Comment: That’s right: No Aaron Rodgers. Or Steve Bartkowski. Or DeSean Jackson. (The bar in Berkeley is higher than you might expect.) With regard to Rodgers specifically, he had one superb season, in 2004, after transferring from junior college and before turning pro. Our selections performed to that standard and had longer college careers.
Colorado
Coach: Mike MacIntyre
Players: LB Jimmie Gilbert, LB Nate Landman, WR Paul Richardson, WR Lavish Shenault
Also considered: CB Chidobe Awuzie, TB Jarek Broussard, CB Travis Hunter, TB Phillip Lindsay, CB Isaiah Oliver
Comment: Not many options for CU due to the school’s limited time in the conference and the paucity of elite players, which was reflected in the lack of success. (The Buffaloes were bowl-eligible twice …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
