Recapping your Colorado Buffaloes' NFL Draft, and Offseason News, Links, and Stories
CU Buffs coach Tad Boyle tries to buck transfer trend - Buffzone
"It's ridiculous," CU head coach Tad Boyle said of the transfer explosion during a recent interview with the Daily Camera. "I think there's a couple of reasons why it's happening. No. 1, it's a societal thing in that everyone wants immediate gratification. Because so many freshmen that are playing are having success, you see what Kentucky's doing, and people are like, 'Why isn't it happening for me?'
"Well, those kids are different-level kids (at Kentucky). The lack of patience is part of the problem." CU was able to avoid a mass exodus two years ago when Jeff Bzdelik abruptly left for Wake Forest. Boyle met with Alec Burks and other team leaders during his first week on the job to make sure they remained on board to finish the rebuilding job.
Steelers' Depth at Wide Receiver Still Lacking After Draft - Behind the Steel Curtain
There is some excitement brewing about seventh round pick Toney Clemons, a good size-and-speed combo receiver from Colorado who came on strong at the end of last season. Even if he does pan out (statistically, odds of a seventh round pick making a pro roster are slim, to say the least), that would mean the Steelers, as it sits right now, would be giving him the 5th receiver position with no competition.
Getting to know your new Cleveland Browns: Ryan Miller | WaitingForNextYear
Who better to get the inside info on the Browns' new draft class than the bloggers that followed them in college? We asked The Ralphie Report for some insight on Colorado OL Ryan Miller. David Gerhardt was happy to assist.
Press Conference - 7th Round - Scottie Montgomery - Video: The Steelers discuss new wide receiver and former Buff Toney Clemons.
You get 4 links on the front page today. Why? Because Jon's not here to say otherwise, that's why!
College Football Playoff: Top-6 Conference Championship Format Benefits Pac-12, SEC, Big 12 - Pacific Takes
Yet despite this push by Delany, based on previous results, it wouldn't really benefit the Big Ten too much. Outside of Ohio State, they have trouble ranking ahead of the other big conferences and tend to fall behind the pack. In fact, it's the Pac-12 that ends up in the best shape on this deal, as they end up right behind. Land Grant Holy Land breaks down the numbers on who would make the mythical Football Final Four, and here's the overall conference representation.
Pac-12 Football Recruiting: The Top Ten Sleeper Recruits This Past Decade - Pacific Takes
The Top 10 sleeper recruits in recent Pac-12 conference history include NFL luminaries like Jarius Byrd, Alex Mack, Patrick Chung and Antonie Cason.
A dozen major awards were presented here Tuesday night as the University of Colorado honored its best at the 12th annual CUSPY Awards (CU Sports Performers of the Year).
Over 300 student-athletes, coaches, staff and C-Club members attended the year-end banquet at the Coors Events Center, organized by CU’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to honor athletic accomplishments for the 2011-12 athletic season. The Male Athlete of the Year Award was presented to sophomore basketball player Andre Roberson, who ranked third nationally in rebounding for coach Tad Boyle’s Buffaloes.
Roberson broke the CU season rebounding record, snaring 401 on the season, breaking a 58-year-old record. He was the only Pac-12 player to average a double-double with 11.6 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. He earned first-team All-Pac-12, first-team All-Pac-12 Defensive and the All-Pac-12 Tournament Team. The Buffaloes won four games in four days to claim the Pac-12 Championship and crashed the Big Dance, topping UNLV and advancing to the third round before all was said and done.
Former CU Buffs Alan and Shayne Culpepper lead way for next generation of runners - Buffzone
Former University of Colorado athlete and U.S. Olympian Alan Culpepper first recognized his love for running in a Texas elementary school when twice a year he and his classmates would run the mile in presidential fitness tests. "That for me was the first indication of like, 'Alright, I like this and it's my day and I would go and set the school record and all that,'"Culpepper said.
"That was my first taste of running hard." Now 39 years old and the father of four, Culpepper and his wife, Shayne, another former Buff, volunteer to lead an after-school running program at Boulder's Douglass Elementary School. They are helping prepare more than 200 children from kindergarten to fifth grade for two big runs this month. The first run comes today when the kids participate in the 8th annual Douglass Jog-a-thon at the school, which raises $20,000 from corporate donations, most of which is invested in science and math programs and technology upgrades at the school.
CU Buffs Rodney Billups a head coach in the making - Buffzone
The next Tad Boyle might already be sitting on the end of the Colorado bench. Rodney Billups, the program's bright young director of operations, aspires to be a head coach in major college basketball, or perhaps even the NBA. At this point there is no official plan in place to make Billups a CU assistant. That doesn't mean he's not being groomed to be a coach down the road.
"I think it helps from a ground zero point of view," Billups said of his current job description, which includes taking care of all the Buffs' travel plans, organizing summer camps and a mountain of other administrative tasks that pop up throughout the year. "I'm learning how to operate a program from the smallest position to the biggest position."
Boyle began his college coaching career in a similar position working for Jerry Green at Oregon and Tennessee. Eventually, his opportunity to become an assistant coach came under Mark Turgeon at Jacksonville State and Wichita State. During the Buffs' run through the Pac-12 Tournament into the NCAA Tournament, Boyle raved about the quality work of assistants Jean Prioleau, Mike Rohn and Tom Abatemarco did in handling the scouting reports and making sure the players were up to speed with game plans on the fly.
CU's head coach says Billups, 29, also has a bright future on the bench. "Rodney is going to be a great coach. He has the unique ability to work with a lot of different people," Boyle said. "I think this job has been good for him because he has developed a lot of relationships on campus and within our athletic department and he's a great ambassador for our program."
Go Buffs!