{"id":7004,"date":"2014-09-18T10:45:21","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T14:45:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7004"},"modified":"2014-09-18T11:10:14","modified_gmt":"2014-09-18T15:10:14","slug":"guest-post-top-10-greatest-dukes-since-2002","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/jmusportsblog.com\/?p=7004","title":{"rendered":"Guest Post: Top 10 Greatest Dukes Since 2002"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zac won our prediction contest last week and he submitted this great list of his Top 10 Dukes since 2002.\u00a0Enjoy this everyone. It’s a good one.<\/em><\/p>\n

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After I got the email from Rob and Todd that I had won the prediction contest, I had about a thousand thoughts for possible topics for my guest post.\u00a0 I first thought I would right about how reactionary of a fan-base we are, but then I thought that that was pretty evident to anyone who isn’t a reactionary.\u00a0 Then I thought about writing about how my fiance went to Tech, and how great it is to bring up a certain football victory when I really want to get her riled up. Then I figured I could write about how terrible the CSN boards are because of all the I-A pundits constantly ruining threads.But a great friend (Hi, Pitz!) convinced me that what the people want are lists.\u00a0 And while his idea of “The Best 10 Pictures of Jonathan Alger thinking of Sandwiches… and the corresponding sandwiches” was great (and I actually got through about 3 of the 10 before realizing the schtick got old quickly), I decided to do something a little less abstract. So without further ado:The Top 10 Greatest JMU Football Dukes since 2002:<\/strong><\/div>\n
(my apologies to the 2000 and 2001 teams, but you were before my time)<\/div>\n
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Honorable Mentions:<\/strong>\u00a0 Cam Starke and Graham Sharples, solely for the incredible memes they made happen and their interaction with a drunk Zac at most home games last year.\u00a0 But let’s be serious we can’t have kickers in the top 10, even if we are Scott Norwood U.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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10.\u00a0 Drew Dudzik<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"522851000\"<\/a>Oh, Drew. Drew, Drew, Drew.\u00a0 We all had such high hopes for you.\u00a0 I mean, damn son!\u00a0 That game against Montana?\u00a0 You almost single handedly brought us back! Then you took it to the wire at Maryland, losing in OT because of some horseshit call (can I curse on here?).\u00a0 The rest of 2009 you were injured and Mickey was bipolar, randomly choosing between you and Justin Thorpe when you were healthy.<\/div>\n
But you pretty much made this list entirely because of 21-16.\u00a0 And no matter how shitty you played for the rest of the 2010 season, there will always be a special spot in my heart for you and a beer reserved for you at my tailgate.\u00a0 Because, goodness gracious, what a win for the program.\u00a0 THE PISTOL! Who saw that coming?\u00a0 For that win alone, you will always be in my top 10.<\/div>\n

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9.\u00a0 Matt Lezotte<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0\"NationalChampions01006\"<\/a>Wait, did you mean Tony Lezotte?\u00a0 No, I mean Matt.\u00a0 Unless you were a big JMU fan before the National Championship (and I have a feeling a lot of you weren’t), you might not know who Matt Lezotte is.\u00a0 Matt was our starting QB in 2002 and 2003, and lost out in a dogfight to Louisville Transfer Justin Rascati (more on him later…) in 2004.\u00a0 Now, why in the world would I list the backup QB for the 2004 National Championship team?<\/div>\n
Because simply, if Matt Lezotte didn’t step down gracefully, I guarantee we would not have won that championship.\u00a0 Matt saw the team was better without him, and instead of whining or causing a fuss or fostering discord in the team or even transferring to Marshall (You broke my heart, you ginger son of a bitch), he stayed on the team and did everything he could to make it better.\u00a0 That takes guts, class, and integrity.\u00a0 Matt Lezotte is the kind of player who personifies the team before self mentality, and for that he should be recognized.I was lucky enough to run into Matt on the field at Chattanooga after the game, and pretty much told him exactly that.\u00a0 He looked really surprised, leaned back, and said a heartfelt “thank you, you don’t know how much that means to me.”\u00a0 So here’s to Matt Lezotte, who was a true member of our 2004 National Championship.<\/div>\n
8. Earl Watford<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"earl<\/a>EARLLLL!!! Dude was a beast.\u00a0 One of only 3 Dukes drafted since 2001, his career speaks for itself.\u00a0 More than being a great athlete, Earl was an incredible guy to be around, on and off the field. He was such a happy, positive guy, and made every event he attended more fun.Also, I may or may not have once served him 1,000 beers at a JMU Crabfest.\u00a0 Nah, I’m just kidding. Or maybe I’m not.\u00a0 But I will say this: as great as he was at football, Earl can not play cornhole.\u00a0 Oh well, he wasn’t on the JMU Varsity Cornhole Team.<\/div>\n
7. Tony Lezotte<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"tony<\/a>What do they have in the water down there in Augusta, GA?\u00a0 Younger brother of Matt, Tony was a 4 time All-American (First ever CAA player to do that), 4 time First Team All-CAA (first ever CAA player to do that, too), and all around badass.\u00a0 It was said that Darrell Green stole his famous line from Tony Lezotte: “Water covers 2\/3rds of the planet, Tony Lezotte covers the rest.”<\/div>\n
I will always remember seeing him break up passes with his cast, and literally cover the entire field.\u00a0 Greatest white defensive player I ever saw.<\/div>\n
6.\u00a0 Akeem Jordan<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"091713-jordan-akeem-600\"<\/a>You could make the argument that Akeem is the most successful JMU Duke since 2002 in the League, at least according to playing time, and deservedly so.\u00a0 He got robbed of a Buck Buchanon award while he was in school, but he did get named the Virginia Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.\u00a0 Dude was an absolute beast and was the general of those fabled JMU defenses back in the day.\u00a0 Also, I have an Akeem Jordan bobblehead on my desk at work, which probably bumped him up a spot or two.\u00a0 True story.<\/div>\n
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5. Stephon Roberston<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"stephon\"<\/a>I first noticed Stephon at VT, when he was busy dominating.\u00a0 He had at least 7,000 tackles and a forced fumble with the most textbook tackle (head right on the ball).\u00a0 Stephon was JOBBED of a Buck Buchanon in 2012 AND 2013, I mean seriously.\u00a0 He had like 150 more tackles than the next best guy.\u00a0 It was very frustrating.\u00a0 Despite not being awarded that, Stephon had like a 1,000 other awards, including CAA Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, 2010 Defensive Rookie of the Year.<\/div>\n
Stephon was a notorious hard worker and field general.\u00a0 He was the glue that held our defense together.\u00a0 If you’re watching the team this year, you can see the difference he made on defense.\u00a0 There’s like a black hole where he used to be.\u00a0 Here’s to hoping his protege and #1 All-Time best JMU Football Name Gage Steele can live up to his legacy.<\/div>\n
4. Maurice “Mo” Fenner<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"maurice-fenner-james-miller-017017541\"<\/a>I feel guilty – I should include Alvin Banks and Raymond Hines – especially Ray who picked up the slack for AB and Mo during their respective injuries in the 2004 championship run, but I just always like Mo the most with his bruising style and relentless attack.\u00a0 Mo would just run over people, especially nerds, as seen above.\u00a0 Dude was beast mode before there was beast mode, and I would kill for another back like him.\u00a0 I will never forget the performance he put on at W&M and against Montana, he was just a man among boys.\u00a0 Also he gets the nod due to being responsible for probably the greatest JMU football picture ever, seen above.<\/div>\n
3.\u00a0 Arthur Moats<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"2014<\/a>Arthur is in my opinion the most successful JMU Duke since 2002, in regards to the league.\u00a0 He’s also the one player I can think of that made me like him even more after he graduated through his incredible character and commitment to whatever community he found himself in.The 2009 Buck Buchanon Defensive Player of the Year for all of FCS, Arthur was drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. where he played for 4 years.\u00a0 He was dominant at our level and a real game changer.\u00a0 He showed this when he was the player responsible for knocking Brett “Dick Pic” Favre out of the game and ending his consecutive start streak.\u00a0 While in Buffalo, Arthur worked tirelessly to better the community around him, and gained a real big fan following including his own catchphrase “Don’t Cross the Moats”.\u00a0 He also came back to JMU to finish his degree in political science.Arthur, to my mind, is the ideal ambassador of JMU Football – even the University at large,\u00a0 and truly makes me proud to be an alumnus of the same university as him.<\/div>\n
2. Rodney Landers<\/strong><\/div>\n
\"Football-Montana<\/a>If for some reason you don’t know, you should watch this video<\/a>.<\/div>\n
Rodney Landers was the greatest athlete to ever play for JMU.\u00a0 Sorry, Charles Haley.\u00a0 Rodney would eat you up and spit you out.\u00a0 Dude was insane.\u00a0 There was never a game that Rodney started that I did not think we would win.\u00a0 There was never a 3rd and short or 4th and short that I didn’t think we would not get.\u00a0 He was just so damn reliable.\u00a0 He was truly a man among boys.\u00a0 He was a linebacker with a QBs number on.\u00a0 He was a running back with a cannon.\u00a0 He was a freight train dressed as a football player.\u00a0 Rodney Landers was incredible, and I never get tired of watching his highlights.<\/div>\n
He won the 2008 Dudley award, which goes to the best football player IN VIRGINIA (including FBS), which was no surprise to anyone who had seen him play.<\/div>\n
You really got the feeling that nothing on earth could stop him, which is why he got the nickname Superman.\u00a0 It’s also why the loss to Montana in the 2008 playoffs is still one of the biggest gut punches I’ve ever received.\u00a0 I don’t want to talk about it.<\/div>\n
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1. Justin Rascati<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\"rascati\"<\/a>I love Rodney Landers.\u00a0 But you can’t give him the #1 spot, even though I want to, and that’s for one simple reason:\u00a0 CHAMPIONSHIP!\u00a0 Justin Rascati has one, and Rodney doesn’t.\u00a0 And Rascati’s will to win was what drove that team past Montana. His diving score into the endzone was incredible, and tipped the scale in our favor for the first part of that game.\u00a0 Rascati, while probably not being as good of an athlete as Landers, had that touch on the ball that you want in a quarterback.\u00a0 I still remember the passes he would throw on point to LC Baker.\u00a0 Oh, man.\u00a0 And the man could scramble, too!\u00a0 He was quick for a white boy.\u00a0 His quickness often allowed him to extend a play and make something happen.And while I will always be disappointed in his 2005 and 2006 campaigns, I will always treasure the 2004 Championship run, which he lead us to.\u00a0 So thanks, Justin, for that.<\/div>\n
Alright, that’s all I got! Did I miss someone?\u00a0 Do you disagree? Let me know in the comments.<\/p>\n
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