Alvarez To Be Inducted Into College Football Hall Of Fame

Ex-Badgers Coach Now Works As Athletic Director

May 28, 2010

MADISON, Wis. -- University of Wisconsin-Madison athletic director Barry Alvarez will be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame, according to an announcement on Thursday morning.

"I was totally surprised when they announced that I would be inducted," said Alvarez. "I actually broke down. I was sitting with our, with my coach, Bret Bielema at the time and I think he broke down. It's an honor. It's humbling, when it's your life work and it culminates like this."

Hall of Fame officials said that the former Badgers coach joins a list of legends in the college football world in the Hall of Fame.

Alvarez coached the badgers from 1990 to 2005, winning 118 games and three Rose Bowl championships.

Before Alvarez arrived in Madison in 1990, Wisconsin compiled a 9-36 record over four seasons and attendance at Camp Randall Stadium was just over half-full for most games.

The program got a boost when new Director of Athletics Pat Richter hired Alvarez from Notre Dame, where he had been an assistant coach under Lou Holtz.

Over the next 16 seasons Alvarez transformed the football program and the culture of athletics at the UW.

Alvarez's feats are numerous. He is the winningest coach in school history (118-73-4).

He is the only Big Ten coach ever to win the Rose Bowl in Consecutive seasons (1999, 2000).

"To see what coach Alvarez has done at Wisconsin, and it's a state that I love," said fellow Hall-of-Famer Desmond Howard. "I love the state of Wisconsin. Go Pack go, but to read what (Alvarez has) been able to accomplish, I'm talking about the only coach in the Big Ten history to win back-to-back Rose Bowls. That's just unbelievable to me. For him to be able to accomplish that, we're not talking about great coaches, we're talking about legendary coaches in the Big Ten."

Alvarez was named national coach of the year in 1993 and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1998.

Barry Alvarez is now in his fifth year as Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin and third without the additional title of head football coach. Alvarez served as A.D. and football coach from 2004-05.

Yanda shines for one of the best lines in NFL

May 27, 2010

From Pete Prisco's "Overrated-underrated: Extending a Branch to a Raider and Jacobs no Giant"

Overrated.

You guessed it. It's time again for my annual list of the NFL's overrated and underrated players.

I've picked one player in each category from each team. And there's a league-wide winner -- or loser, I guess, if you're the overrated player -- from each category.

The league's most underrated player is Oakland Raiders safety Tyvon Branch. Haven't seen him? Many haven't. But he's the real thing.

Here's the rest of the list:

Baltimore Ravens

Overrated: WR Anquan Boldin. He's a good player, but not a great one. The Ravens will find out he isn't a No. 1 receiver. He can't beat corners deep.

Underrated: G Marshal Yanda. On one of the best lines in the NFL, he had the best season in 2009. He is a mauler who keys the run game. It might be Pro Bowl time for him in 2010.

NC Sports Clients Dawson, Zastudil among Browns' most reliable players

By Derrick G

May 27, 2010



P Dave Zastudil

The punting game me be one of the most underappreciated parts of football, but it can be very important in close games. Browns fans don't need to look any further than the 6-3 win over the Buffalo Bills this past season. With high winds and not much offense for either team Dave Zastudil was able to consistently pin the Bills deep in their own territory.

Zastudil actually played so well that game a Sports Illustrated story on punters claimed the headline should have read "Zastudil Beats Bills."

It wasn't just that one game that has him on this list though, before his arrival the Browns had problems at the position after Chris Gardocki left. With inconsistent play and shanked punts at the worst times, the punting game was a disaster. As a guy without any of those problems, Zastudil was a welcome addition to the team.


K Phil Dawson

Still the only player left from the 1999 expansion team, Dawson has proven his worth season after season. He has kicked game winners under pressure and made field goals in the most difficult weather.

Even with the infamous swirling winds of Cleveland Browns stadium Dawson has managed to be one of the 10 most accurate kickers in NFL history. He is 3rd on the Browns all-time points list behind Hall of Fame kicker Lou Groza and a little more than one hundred points behind Don Cockroft for 2nd.

Despite never making a Pro Bowl, Dawson has been one of the leagues best kickers over the last ten years, and he continues to be the most reliable player the Browns have had over that time period.