The Next Level

Many words can be used to describe senior Tim Tebow. Admirable, tough, and leader are certainly a few. One term could possibly prove to be in question. NFL quarterback. The twenty-two year-old native of Jacksonville is arguably the greatest quarterback in college football's history. Standing 6'3" and tipping the scales at 245 pounds before he steps into the phone booth, Tebow has managed to compile quite a resume and will be the litmus test for outstanding student athletes for years to come. On the field alone, his career is comparable to any collegiate at any position, capping off a four-year journey with a season in which he threw for 2,895 yards, 21 touchdowns with only 5 interceptions on top of 910 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, finished with a 13-1 record and a BCS bowl game victory over the undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats by the score of  51-24.
 The graduate of Nease High School will be forced to learn quickly as he is to make his NFL debut January 30th at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. This will also be his opportunity to prove he can read defenses pre-snap, accurately throw passes to receivers who are not wide open as a beneficial result to a spread offense, and go through necessary receiver progressions in a pro-style offense at a much more rapid rate. Perhaps the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner will continue his dominance and go on to be one the greatest professional quarterbacks in history. A select few will remain skeptical until proven foolish.

Meet Darrelle Revis

There's not a whole lot to be said about New York Jets All- Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, especially since he's probably not going to win the league's Defensive Player Of The Year Award. Instead, here are performances from some of the NFL's best receivers to which Revis was assigned.

PLAYER                                                  RECEPTIONS              YARDS       TDS

Andre Johnson                           4                  35         0

Randy Moss                             4/5             24/34      0/1

Marques Colston                         2                 33         0

Terrell Owens                           3/3             31/13     0/0

Steve Smith (CAR)                      1                  5         0

Roddy White                              4                  33        0

Chad Ochocinco                         0                   0         0

Meanwhile, the 5'11" 198 pound, third year heatseeker from Pittsburgh has collected six interceptions with one returned for a score.

Off-season comparison 2009 season: WR
Marques Colston                        70               1074        9
Vincent Jackson                         63              1167        9

No-dine in, please

                                      

You forgot to set your alarm last night, yet you awoke like clockwork. During the morning commute, you got all yellow traffic lights. The one o'clock across town was changed to a conference call, and the three fifteen was cancelled altogether. As you walk down the hall, you notice that the spot on the ceiling near the corner has been repaired. Your cell rings. You answer. "Steve, you need to call down to the garage...".

Just two days before Christmas, illegal drugs were found inside Mobile County Commissioner Steve Nodine' s county - issued vehicle, according to Sheriff Sam Cochran. Nodine apparently left his vehicle at the county maintenance department to be serviced where marijuana was found by an employee. "I've been informed by the Sheriff's office that a small pill bottle containing a substance believed to be marijuana was found in my county vehicle...", the Commissioner explained in a released statement. He continues, "I want to be clear that I did not possess marijuana, nor did I use any marijuana, found in this vehicle. ".  Later that night, Nodine added that he volunteered to take a blood and urine test when he was informed and believed there was some sort of  "political motive" attached. Nodine has not been charged.

1.a?

How can a man of so few words and of such soft-spoken demeanor create so much chaos and disorder for any defensive back he faces? With hardly any commercial exposure, Houston Texans receiver Andre Johnson has quietly blown his way to elite status in the NFL among players at his position. With a 6 foot 3 inch frame and weighing 225 pounds, the seven- year pro has led the league in receiving three of the last four seasons. The twenty-eight year-old Johnson suffered a knee injury in week one of '07 in which he caught 60 passes for 851 yards with 8 touchdowns in just nine games. No one has led the league in receiving in consecutive seasons since 1993 when the San Francisco 49ers' Jerry Rice planted his flag three seasons in a row. Miami native Andre Johnson may very well complete the calmest route to the Hall of Fame in professional football history, with barely uttering a sound.

All About the Kids

The largest school system in southern Alabama has things figured out, apparently. Inflated graduation rates and selective attendance records have taken priority to the actual learning process of  students. Sound confusing? Join the club, take a number, and stand in line. According to the Mobile County Public School System, 95% of total students enrolled have to be in attendance around the beginning of October in order to get credit for the SAT, which is  not taken until April. If students do not meet a percentage requirement in attendance, their SAT score more than likely won't be counted - passing or not. This is commonly known among teachers as 'making AYP'(Annual Yearly Performance). There are several other contributing components to insuring AYP is made, but whether or not a child is in school in October should not determine if  he or she gets credit for an exam that's taken many months later. Meanwhile, positions are currently being cut and classrooms are getting more and more crowded.

Not extraordinary. Just spectacular.

Longevity is said to help build one's reputation. As for New York Jets running back Thomas Jones, falling foward when being tackled for three-yard gains and displaying above average pass blocking ability has made him the NFL's most underrated player at his position. Steven Jackson is the only RB that will have rushed for at least 1,000 yards each of the last five seasons other than Jones, including this one. So far this season, the Virginia alumnus has rushed for 1,167 yards while scoring 11 touchdowns with only two fumbles lost. Jones is not at the top of a lot of experts' lists of running backs, but compared to the flashier backs, he is just as good, or even better than most.

Star Power

Let's take a stroll down Nostalgic Boulevard for a moment, shall we? In the year of 1996, so many memorable events took place. Here's a few:

Java program language was created.
Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley got divorced.
The Olympics were in Atlanta.
Nintendo 64 was released in Japan.
Jay-Z released his debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
Gas was $1.22 per gallon.
Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators won the National Championship.
Yasser Arafat was re-elected president of the Palestinian Authority.
Peyton Manning was at Tennessee.
EBay was launched.
Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson were rookies.
Bill Clinton began his second term as President.
Tupac's All Eyez on Me was released.
Minimum wage was raised to $5.15/hour.
The film Independence Day was released.
The Fugees released The Score.
Wannabe by the Spice Girls was the number one single.
LeBron James was ten years old.
And the Dallas Cowboys won a playoff game!!
Were these good 'ol days just distant memories? Will they ever reoccur or should we just hold fast to dated snapshots etched in our cerebral cortex and accept that these events will never happen again?