Who would win: Alumni or current team?
In the thread about NJ WR Bo Melton, someone mocked Rutgers because a team of Rutgers alumni beat the active team in 1996. I was curious how Michigan alumni would stack up against the current team. Here are some possible guys who are former Michigan players. Some of them are active in the league, some of them are retired, but still in decent shape, afaik. I think they would make the nucleus of a pretty good team. Curious who you would pick to win.
On offense:
- QB - Tom Brady (backup - Chad Henne)
- WR - Devin Funchess
- WR - Devin Gardner
- WR - Jason Avant
- RB - Denard Robinson
- RB - Fitz Toussaint
- OL - Taylor Lewan
- OL - Michael Schofield
- OL - Jake Long
- OL- David Molk
- OL - Patrick Omameh
On defense:
- DL - Alan Branch
- DT - William Campbell
- DE - Frank Clark
- DT - Mike Martin
- LB - Brandon Graham (backup Brennan Beyer)
- LB - David Harris (backup Cam Gordon)
- LB - Jake Ryan (backup Kenny Demens, LaMarr Woodley)
- S - Stevie Brown
- S - Jordan Kovacs
- CB - Leon Hall (backup Charles Woodson)
- CB - Ryan Mundy
Special Teams:
- P - Matt Wile
- PK - Brendan Gibbons
I love what Coach Harbaugh is doing, and I love the current team, but I think they would get whipped by Michigan alumni.
EDIT: I think it should be clear, but I'm asking, if the game were played RIGHT NOW, not when players were at their best, but today . . . say a month from now, who would win?
April 18th, 2016 at 10:15 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:16 PM ^
That nasty oline would give Brady all day to do what Brady does. It honestly wouldn't even be close.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:17 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:18 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:19 PM ^
Yeah, I debated that. Backup only because he's retired.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:21 PM ^
I don't think there's much to debate here...
April 18th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^
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April 18th, 2016 at 10:18 PM ^
The alums are in the NFL and starting in most cases for a reason... can't say the same for Magnuson and Kalis.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:27 PM ^
I don't dislike Magnuson and Kalis, but I'm not licking my chops at the holes they'll be creating for the RB's. Now, I'm excited about the DL. About the secondary. About our receivers, both WR and TE, and our QB situation. However, the OL remains underwhelming, and the LB corps is a big question mark.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:33 PM ^
It's no dig against them.. I have my doubts current Mason Cole could block current Alan Branch right now.
From reading the 'Player's Tribune' piece a few days ago, I'd think he'd still be in playing shape.
But as good as we're gonna be under Harbaugh, alumni win this battle in a big way. From Tm Brady through the entire depth chart, there are very few positions that the current team holds an advantage at.
BTW, who's going to be on the alumni coaching staff?
I know the spring camp/spring game caveat applies here but I'm actually starting to really like a LB core of McCray / Gedeon / Peppers. My gosh, excited to see a healthy McCray play (knock on wood). 6'4 240 guy that can lay the wood and blow up the play? Yes please. This may be a unit that athletically/physically is already better than last year's lb corp.. now lb discipline and reading the offense? TBD.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^
has been asked countless times, don't you? I have never heard an answer that said a professional team would lose to a college team. Then, if there were to be any debate, you ended it with the very firt name on the roster.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:21 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:24 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:26 PM ^
There are about 4.9 million mouth-breathers in Alabama that would argue through both teeth they would beat that squad.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:31 PM ^
No, I'm not really asking that. It is a rhetorical question. If you read to the end of my TL;DR thread, I say I think the alumni would whip the current team. The question came up because someone was mocking Rutgers. A team of their alumni beat the current team back in '96. They were using that to say how sucky the current team is. And I thought, our current team is very good, but they would still got obliterated by an alumni team.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:21 PM ^
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April 18th, 2016 at 10:22 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:38 PM ^
I missed that. Although, that would be interesting . . . how would a team of guys 15 years out do against the current team? That'd thin things out a ton, but you'd still have Brady and Woodson.
thatd be interesting - the alums may struggle to overcome their average 0.5 total joints per player!
April 18th, 2016 at 10:50 PM ^
It would be fun to find specifics on this game, including who was on the alumni roster for Rutgers that day. The Rivals article from 2007 linked in the piece alluded to the fact that the starting QB for the alumni team had not thrown a pass in a game setting in a decade leading up to that day. It would be interesting to know if / how many NFL players were on that roster too.
That's kind of what makes that situation stand out from having current / recently retired NFL players from Michigan potentially play the current team. Imagine calling these same guys in 15 years, asking them to do this and then they win.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:54 PM ^
but I am reasonably certain Charles Woodson could still be pick-sixing future HOF quarterbacks in fifteen years.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:22 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:23 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:29 PM ^
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April 18th, 2016 at 10:25 PM ^
It wouldn't matter. My unborn child could coach them and the alumni would still torch the current team.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:23 PM ^
... if this isn't against the rules yet, I wouldn't put it past Harbaugh to actually schedule this game.
He would start himself over Brady or Henne, though.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:33 PM ^
FTR, I do think the alumni would torch the current team. But yeah, now that would be a fascinating thing to see. And it occured to me, if Harbaugh could pull off a game between the two, he would do it, and we and the media would eat it up. Problem is, I'm betting no NFL teams would allow their guys to participate. Too risky.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:30 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:33 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:35 PM ^
Lloyd Carr? There actually are a dozen former players and assistants coaching in the league.
Hoke as HC. RR as OC. And English as DC.
April 18th, 2016 at 10:40 PM ^
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April 18th, 2016 at 10:45 PM ^
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April 18th, 2016 at 10:52 PM ^
What's the latest with Mario Manningham and Junior Hemingway? They're listed as free agents. Are they still in play to sign with a team, or a practice squad, or something?
April 18th, 2016 at 10:58 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:44 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:48 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 11:00 PM ^
You know what, I accept that this is a lousy thread. The reality is that the worst NFL team would obliterate the best college team. I think it was just fun seeing that you could still put together a complete squad of Michigan alumni from (mostly) current NFL rosters. The question was completely rhetorical. The alumni I listed should absolutely demolish any college team.
I won't defend myself. But I will say that I really look forward to the day when Michigan is putting lots of talented players into the NFL. I'm not going to check the numbers, but we have had far fewer goes going pro in the last few years. I look forward to that changing going forward.
April 19th, 2016 at 12:52 AM ^
April 19th, 2016 at 12:04 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 10:51 PM ^
I'm honnored that my comment sprouted this discussion.
To play devil's advocate, people might be understimating the chemistry thing. I think anyone who has played on an organized sports team would agree than chemistry is HUGE when comes to the success of the team. That being said, I think it would be close but i think the alumni would win.
April 18th, 2016 at 11:04 PM ^
A game between a team of NFL alumni vs the current team is literally a matchup of men vs boys. The current players would have their moments but by in large the NFL alumni would have their way with the current team.
April 18th, 2016 at 11:05 PM ^
April 18th, 2016 at 11:21 PM ^