This past Wednesday four NFL quarterbacks got together and played a round of golf on National TV. One of which is my quarterback; Josh Allen.
Four guys. Three Super Bowl MVPs. And two guys that started in Community College.
Yes, people often forget that Aaron Rodgers and Josh Allen respectively applied their college football trade originally at Butte Community College, and Reedly College.
But after the man-bun, red wine soirees, and Taylor Swift acoustic renditions, that leaves us with just one.
And we’re Billt Different.
Three years after Randy Moss last wore 84 as a Viking, a first round pick from Hutchinson Community College put 84 on for the purple and gold.
In a post Wildcat, pre Deebo Samuel world, there is Cordarrelle Patterson.
Within the Jayhawk Conference, Patterson became the number one JUCO player in the country, and wound up playing a tune at Rocky Top…I still can’t believe Rodgers listens to Taylor Swift.
Anyway, no flash in the pan, the guy they call Flash is a kick return specialist, turned offensive gadget-play wizard. Patterson has made 4 Pro Bowls, and been 1st-Team All-Pro 4 times as a kick returner. Tied with Josh Cribbs for most house calls off the kick-off of all-time with 8, you'd assume Patterson was a speed demon.
The transverse of Dante Hall, to the naked eye, Cordarrelle looks like the slowest return guy that’s actually good to ever tote the pigskin. But what do I know? “13th grade” obviously assisted Patterson with a D1 ride, and three hefty NFL contracts, he can make it rain whenever he wants.
Speaking of reign...
I recently posted a video on Twitter of White Chocolate in a King's jersey looking like Pistol Pete Maravich on steroids…quick side note, people also forget Jason Williams and Randy Moss played high school basketball together.
J-Will was 100% a must watch/had to see him play guy...and so was Shawn Kemp. Before he became arguably the best in-game dunker to ever touch a basketball. Kemp was a McDonald's All-American from Indiana, and signed a letter of intent to ball at Kentucky.
Due to a low SAT score, and an incident involving a stolen chain, he opted to transfer to Trinity Valley Community College.
I had a tough time finding any pictures of Kemp in a TVCC uniform, which would make sense, since he never suited up for the Cardinals after joining the team too late into the season.
Nevertheless, Trinity Valley still claims him as one of their own, and rightfully so.
The Reign Man is an iconic figure of 90’s basketball folklore. The aforementioned vicious attacks on the rim, paired with a unique style that made it’s way into mainstream fashion with his Reebok Kamikaze signature shoe.
Who needs Kentucky when you’re held in high regard within Athens, TX and Seattle, WA.
I can hear Kenny Mayne’s voice as I type this…Buhner…Buhner…
Let’s double down on Seattle sports because, why not?
Six years prior to Shawn Kemp’s short stay in Athens, Texas, about 2 hours west on State Highway 31 you’ll find McLennan Community College in Waco.
And from '83-'84 a future Seattle Mariner became a Junior College All-American, and won a National Title.
Jay Buhner’s career batting average was .254, but as Kenny Mayne also said, he went “yahtzee” 310 times over the span of 15 years. From ‘95-’97 Buhner slugged 40 or more homers, and was a member of the Mariner’s most successful team.
Considering they’ve never won a World Series, guys like Buhner and Griffey Jr. are the franchise’s most prized possessions so to speak.
Out of all the guys mentioned, Buhner had the longest tenure in Community College, and it paid off too, as he wasn't only immortalized in the Mariner’s Hall of Fame in 2004, but he’ll also live forever in this episode of Seinfeld.
The two year plan is rarely 730 days. Whether it’s because you needed to rebound after a missed opportunity, or you had to swallow your pride to go create your own opportunity. Any guy can turn JUCO nightmares into JUCO dreams.
Believe it or not, there was a time when The Encyclopedia was a junior college athlete. Just another thing Josh Allen and I have in common, two former Junior College athletic stars, that are currently the best at what we do.
