Oct 17, 2015; Bloomington, IN, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights running back Paul James (34) runs for a 40-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter of their game at Memorial Stadium. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights defeated the Indiana Hoosiers 55-52 Mandatory Credit: Matt Kryger-USA TODAY Sports
Friday’s episode focuses on a question that I asked Rutgers fans on Twitter.
As a Rutgers fan, name any former players for any sport that you feel have been under appreciated based on their careers at RU.
Editor’s Note: I goofed and put a space incorrectly for the word underappreciated. The moral is that Twitter underappreciates spellcheck. Back to the content.
By definition to be clear, underappreciated means “not valued or appreciated highly enough.”
I received almost 100 responses covering Rutgers student-athletes from many sports over the past few decades. For this episode, I focused on football. There were 36 football players given as the most underappreciated in program history.
Of those past players, seven received multiple mentions. Three were quarterbacks: Mike McMahon, Mike Teel and Gary Nova. In addition, Rameel Meekins, Paul James, Robert Martin and Khaseem Greene also were mentioned multiple times.
In this episode, I mention every former football player that fans included, give my take on many, announced which player won the most underappreciated title by a landslide, plus a few of my own nominations.
Here is a link to the Rutgers football program records which can help form some perspective in regard to underappreciated players.
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First, I will say I did not listen to the podcast. I prefer to read the articles. Yeah, that’s what I told my parents when they found a Playboy under my bed. “what pictures, I just read the articles”. Mike Teel underappreciated? In my book he was the best QB we ever had and was greatly appreciated. Meekens? OK, many may have forgotten his name but when he played opponents and fans knew who he was and appreciated his speed and athleticism. Nova, yeah, I think I’ll stay out of that one. I personally had no appreciation for a QB that was color blind and threw to the opponents as often as not.
Maybe you covered it in the podcast but the guys that built the Frank Burns era success and stayed home to begin building a NJ program like Fisher and Taylor although again in their time they were well known and appreciated. Underappreciated to me is the guy that holds the snap for the field goal. Everyone knows Ito but how many know the name of the holder when we beat Louisville?
Two stand-out to me, because they still hold the record for interceptions in a single game, three. Larry Clymer and Tony Pawlick. Neither gets the recognition that incredible feat deserves.
Henry Rutgers
July 15, 2023 at 8:17 am
First, I will say I did not listen to the podcast. I prefer to read the articles. Yeah, that’s what I told my parents when they found a Playboy under my bed. “what pictures, I just read the articles”. Mike Teel underappreciated? In my book he was the best QB we ever had and was greatly appreciated. Meekens? OK, many may have forgotten his name but when he played opponents and fans knew who he was and appreciated his speed and athleticism. Nova, yeah, I think I’ll stay out of that one. I personally had no appreciation for a QB that was color blind and threw to the opponents as often as not.
Maybe you covered it in the podcast but the guys that built the Frank Burns era success and stayed home to begin building a NJ program like Fisher and Taylor although again in their time they were well known and appreciated. Underappreciated to me is the guy that holds the snap for the field goal. Everyone knows Ito but how many know the name of the holder when we beat Louisville?
RUinChiTown
July 15, 2023 at 6:39 pm
Two stand-out to me, because they still hold the record for interceptions in a single game, three. Larry Clymer and Tony Pawlick. Neither gets the recognition that incredible feat deserves.
Henry Rutgers
July 16, 2023 at 4:54 pm
We’ve had so many shine for a moment and then fade. I’ve had season tickets for decades and those two names are unfamiliar. What years did they play?