Who would like to see an article/feature in the lovely Portland Tribune (Community Newspaper, who loves their Ducks) since the NFL and college season is just around the corner. I would like to interview former UO great, QB, Akili Smith, 38, who was drafted in 1999, in the first round, third overall out of the UO. Would love to catch up with Akili and pick his brain for amazing insight throughout his career, including trying to make a come back after playing for the Bengals from 1999-2002. He worked out with the Green Bay Packers in 2003 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005. And then decided enough was enough. In his career, he only tossed five TDs, to go along with 13 INTs and 13 fumbles. The problem that most NFL experts and coaches complained about, is that Smith didnt know the offensive playbook too well and was kind of used to running the show, while a Duck playing under former head coach, Mike Bellotti. But that didnt pan out too well for the 6-3, 220-pound duel-threat QB. But the NFL is a tough business, especially for highly talented QBs coming out of college, who usually end up on a team thats seriously rebuilding and trying to rebuild around you. Thats a lot of pressure on a young man. Not to say that some dont rise to the occasion. But it wasnt easy for Smith and Co., while playing for the Bengals, who went 16-48 during his four seasons with the team, which is good for 32 games under .500... Joey Harrington, 35, was also selected in the first round, third overall by the Lions, though he didnt have much of a bright career in the NFL either. But both seem like sensational guys. And so many stories, since Harrington and his lovely family are actually from Portland and went to Central Catholic and then UO, he tends to get a lot more press throughout the years. Harrington had a little better career than Smith. Though he struggled to control the ball and tossed a lot of INTs and players questioned his toughness and willingness when a play is dead to either throw the ball away and or out of bounds, or get sacked once in a while. Ask former potential star and high draftee David Carr all about SACKS. Harrington finished his career with 79 TDs, 85 INTs... He was a pick machine there for a while. He also played from 2002-2008, after winning the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the year in 2001. He played mainly on the Lions, though he played on mini stints with the the Dolphins, Falcons and finally the already stacked at QB position - Saints. His best season came in 2004 for the Lions, when he finished with 19 TDs, 12 INTs and 3,047 yards passing. Not too shabby, aye? So I thought if it was okay with Smith and people liked this status and or wrote comments below. It would really help things out. Show the former Duck great some great and loving support. But I want to know what Smith is up to these days (WHERE IS HE NOW KIND OF STORY) and pick his brain for a while about the upcoming season and his thoughts on the NEXT GREAT UO QB, Marcus Mariota, who could have been drafted No. 1 overall during this past NFL draft, though hes still pegged at being the first overall pick taken during this newest mock NFL Draft, according to WalterFootball... This is what the website had to say about Mariota: The Jets fell for the fools gold that is Michael Vick. After he and Geno Smith flop, maybe Tajh Boyd will give New York a spark, but Boyd needs some development with his accuracy and ball placement. The Jets are likely to be in the market for a franchise quarterback next year. There is no doubt that Mariota has great physical tools. The 6-foot-4, 211-pound has a strong arm, size and excellent mobility. As a passer, Mariota can do it all, but could use some refinement in his mechanics and footwork. He has been a dominant point-machine since taking over as Oregons starting quarterback. In 2013, Mariota completed 64 percent of his passes for 3,665 yards with 31 touchdowns and four interceptions. On the ground, the redshirt sophomore ran for 715 yards with nine touchdowns. While Mariota did a great job of avoiding throwing picks, he had some issues with fumbles. In 2012 as a first-year starter, Mariota completed 69 percent of his passes last year for 2,677 yards with 32 touchdowns and six interceptions. Would love to hear Smiths assessments on Mariota and his chances at the next level and what he thinks of this teams UO squad, who lost a couple of QBs too transferring. And will have their fair share of problems at the WR position, thats why its important that Tyner and Marshall do their part on offense and dont just depend on running ball, but blocking, and finding open space in the open field to create receiving opportunities and their breakaway speed!!!
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 03:25:15 +0000
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