In hindsight? Still throws it hard.

I was cleaning up some old files and notes this evening, and ran across this link that I had meant to post at the beginning of the 2007 college football season (note the August date on the byline). It's from ESPN/Scouts, Inc, and rates college QBs, prior to last season, in 8 different categories. You'll see a lot of familiar names in there (Brohm, McCoy, Daniel, Brennan, Woodson, White, Ryan, Booty) that stayed in the national headlines all year, and some that continue to be mentioned with the NFL draft coming up.

The reason I saved the article was because of category number seven:

7. VELOCITY
Best three examples:
1. Matt Stafford, Georgia (So.)
2. Anthony Morelli, Penn State (Sr.)
3. Curtis Painter, Purdue (Jr.)
Throws a tight spiral with excellent velocity. Gets great RPMs on the ball. Shows the ability to fit the ball into tight spots downfield. Can throw deep sideline routes and deep go routes with ease. Can drive the ball through wind. His deep ball does not sail. Is able to get zip on the ball even when throwing across his body and off his back foot.

During the course of many games last year, I recall babbling to my seat buddies that Stafford had the strongest arm I'd ever seen in person, at any level. For a while, Brett Favre held that honor (and still throws a pill, even in his advanced years) until I got to see Michael Vick flick his wrist on the dead run and launch a missle 50 yards on a rope (often over the head of a handsless receiver, and into double coverage, sadly). But UGA's #7, in the opinion of this humble correspondent, has a similar cannon hanging from his right shoulder. Keep in mind these rankings were before Stafford's sophomore year. I'm sure an off season of lifting kegs will only improve the pace on his fastball, and another year of maturity should equally enhance the improved touch he showed over the course of '07.

Additionally:

• Judgment/Mental Capacity: Brohm is listed as #1. Guess that doesn't factor in actually staying at Louisville for a dismal senior season, after his cocksucking coach abandoned him for a 13 game "commitment" to the Falcons.
  
• Colt Brennan at #3 on Durability. He missed some of the regular season, and was ground into a fine white and green paste in N'Awlins, before eventually leaving the field wondering how to get back to Stately Wayne Manor. #1 was Chad Henne, who missed three games.

More college football items:

Number actually getting knocked off the helmet in this cool picture.

More proof that the SEC rules: 281 SECers on NFL rosters. Next is the ACC with 259. That means that every NFL roster contains an average of 8.78 SEC players (decimals account for players from Tennessee), or 16.5% of every NFL roster is comprised of players from the SEC.