Best athlete that you played against or saw play that never went pro?

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Jaime Brandon

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Bobby Jones

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There was a state championship when I ran against two absolute beasts Sherman Arnold (Fenger) and Leodis Robinson (East St. Louis Lincoln). They each won multiple state titles in different events. Unfortunately they didn't play football and I don't think they stuck around for the pro track circuit. The best of the rest at least got training camp invites.

And there were several guys who went to the V when they were still a three sport powerhouse. Including my best friend who was the best all sport ballplayer in the neighborhood.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

A lot of Carmel guys I went to high school with or taught or watched in between. Many stalled in college, and I think they realized their limitations. Bunch of guys stalled in Double A in baseball, but I guess that's pro. I always thought this wide receiver named Chris would make it. Great guy, now coaches high school.

Maybe the two brothers who QB'd at Carmel in the late 90s--especially the taller one. (Terry's Peeps, what were their names?) I thought he might catch on with a pro team.

Howard Jones played on some great football teams at Evanston. I'm pretty sure that to this day nobody has ever run a faster 100 in Illinois.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

He could have definitely played in the NBA. I always felt bad for the guy. Had some shit to deal with. Didn't he play with Johnny Selvie? I think the two seven-footers were freshies that year.

Julie the Gymnast

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-- source

Yep. Tommy Hamilton was a Freshman on the Frosh-Soph and "only" 6'8 at the time. Came back Sophomore year 7'2.

Jamie was considered a no doubt pro at the time. Selvie played on that team too. One of the best High School teams in State history. All Five starters were high major kids. Team was so good that Robert Bennett (he of the Illini) had to transfer or else come off the bench.

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Wasn't Jaime the national player of the year before he left for Baton Rouge?

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

The Welshes.

Jeff was better than John I think.

I always thought Willie Jones from the 93 basketball team would make it pro somewhere but I don't think he did. I think he played at Frenso State for a bit but that was it.

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That's right.

My brother played with Jones briefly. Jones got pulled up to Varsity pretty quickly.

Nah it was Penny Hardaway. If you go by rankings Penny Hardaway was the consensus No. 1 player in 90. Jaime was 3-5 depending on th list.

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Yeah he had good size. I remember him as a junior when I was a freshman. Dude looked 27.

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Ronnie Fields

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Sir

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Marty Simmons

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You know me like that.

Two of the best all around athletes I played with/against

Jim Ford from Libertyville. 6-5, decent shot, fast, could jump out of the gym. Played at Valpo. He got talked into playing on their baseball team and ended up their best player and in center field. Unbelievable athlete. I always got the vibe he just wasn't that into it. He played because he was great, not because he was driven.

Another guy kinda like that was this dude Dave Stein. I played with him at Parkland in Champaign. Biggest talker I've ever met in my life. You never knew what was legit because it all sounded crazy. He challenged a UofI tennis player to a match one time. The guy laughed but said ok. Dave demoralized the kid. I don't think he gave up a game. Dave could be the fastest guy in the gym when he felt like it. Huge hands. I left after my freshman season, my dad was sick, I wasn't having any fun. What would have been my sophomore year, Parkland won the JUCO National Championship. Stein was the tourney mvp. He easily could have played tightened in the NFL. I think he's still involved in HS sports down in Crete/Monee.

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T-Bone is without question the best golfer I've ever played with. I've seen Furious have some runs with some low scores for a 9, or a few holes in a row. But nobody I have ever played with hits the ball like TBone does.

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Tim Marshall Player of the year in football his Sr year.

Started at Notre Dame as a freshman. Played for three years, but left the program when Faust came. Did not play his Sr year at ND and was still a late round draft pick of the packers.

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Terry Melani 1B and Pat Conroy C at Mendel. Melani made it to 3A with the Cardinals so you can say he did play pro but got screwed because the Cardinals wouldn't trade him and he sat behind Orlando Cepeda for his time in their organization. Conroy went to Northern Illinois and was a terrific catcher and hitter. I saw him again while at Kent State play in a double header against Thurman Munson and both of them lit it up. It was great to watch. Pat had a bad knee while playing as a freshman quarterback at Mendel and that probably scared off the big league people.

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An Ode to the Texas man who shot an Antifa terrorist:

Oh, he might have went on livin'
But he made one fatal slip
When he tried to match the Ranger
With the big iron on his hip

It's hard to say with baseball because with so many minor league levels and teams, everyone who shows a trait seems to at least get a contract. Best guy I ever played against was some power hitting athletic OF from St. Lawrence who got drafted by the Blue Jays and was their top prospect all the way up to AAA. I don't remember his name but he should be easy enough to find. Some girl I knew said he had a propensity for exposing himself at parties in high school but I don't know that to be true.

The best I played against in my youth was a guy named Clifton Garrett. I played against him regularly in upper little league when we combined park leagues. He could hit it a mile and had the most baseball speed I have ever seen. He would be on second base before the ball hit the catchers mitt on a steal with just a regular lead. I saw that he played for Clemente and hit it on the roof of old Comiskey in the public league championships. I think he was drafted by the Pirates.

You see these guys who have top skills in every category but fizzle out in the minors and realize just how special the guys who make MLB are. It's also good to play against these guys early in life so that you realize that any deluded dream of a future you might have is foolish. Hit the books.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Mike Grzanich from Lewistown Il. Pitched one game for Astros in like 1990 and blew out his arm after working his way up through the system. Blazing fastball. Nice dude as well.

Some of the best no handed cartwheels around!

This was who I thought of when I read the OP.

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Brent (Brett?) Bowers. I think he was my age. Burbank produced some crazy good baseball players back then. He played in the league above with kids three years older than him and was still the best player on the team.

Can't verify him exposing himself at parties, but he's a St. Laurence grad, which pretty much seals the deal for me.

Bryan Leach could put the ball in the basket.

Did any of the old heads ever hear about Billy Harris?


I grew up with a dude we called Big (Don't want to use his real name). I've never seen anyone be effortlessly great at just about everything. He never looked like he was playing hard and was almost always laughing while he was destroying you. The older heads would put money on him playing 1 on 1 against grown men when we were 13 and he would win. He could hit a baseball a country mile with no effort. He could throw a football 60 or 70 yards with a flick of his wrist. You didn't want to put the gloves on with him because he would make you pay with speed and power. He never played organized sports because he was selling drugs. Waste of God given ability.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Oops, forgot the title of the thread.

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Of course. Streetball legend from Dunbar. Played on a good team at N.I.U. I'm pretty sure he played in the ABA.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Faced a kid in little league. Like from 10-13. Unbelievable pitcher. Was throwing a nasty curve ball at 13. I'm guessing his fast ball was at least 80mph at the age of 13. I was scared as hell facing him. I still remember bailing when he threw me a curve ball that ended up being a strike. It's the closest I'll ever be to knowing how MLB players feel. Cuz I never played high school baseball.

He got drafted by some MLB team. Got hurt. Never made the big leagues.