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Best Athletes


reeder

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Met a guy in the airport that attended UA the same timeframe as I did. We didn't know each other then, but we talked about the athletics program and who the best players were back then. Anyway, I thought it would be a good topic for discussion here.

 

Who were the best athletes at UA when you attended (or for those that didn't attend - when you began following the athletics program)?

 

 

For me:

 

Basketball

Dan Croutier

Jan Zoodorian

 

Football

Dave Hardy / Chuck Priore (not so much great athletes but physically intimidating). I think they were seniors when I was a freshman.

Jim Canfield

Tom Jacobs

 

Wrestling

Andy Seras - is he the only athlete from UA to ever compete in the olympics?

 

I don't really remember much about the other sports

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Is this the same Gary Jones from Raven/Coeymens? If so then I watched him play in HS he graduated a year ahead of me. I thought he went to Union? Knew him pretty well to, while we were in school. I didn't know he was such a notable name, granted I didn't follow UA at ALL at that point. He was a great RB in HS. Did he get any sniffs from the pros?

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Is this the same Gary Jones from Raven/Coeymens? If so then I watched him play in HS he graduated a year ahead of me. I thought he went to Union? Knew him pretty well to, while we were in school. I didn't know he was such a notable name, granted I didn't follow UA at ALL at that point. He was a great RB in HS. Did he get any sniffs from the pros?

 

 

Same Gary Jones

he transferred from union and played tailback

He got so dominating owards the end of his senior year that Bob Ford took to calling him "all-world" gary jones every time he began to talk about him

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I believe he transferred to Albany from Hudson Valley CC. I've seen every UAlbany football team since the very first practice. There have been some great running backs but Gary Jones was the best of the crop.

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Gary Jones by far. Best two years UAlbany has ever seen from a running back. Too bad he didn't play at UA all four. Imagine the records.

 

getting to watch Gary Jones at RB for those two years was a joy. He is my #2 after Jamar.

 

If i had to make a top 5:

(2002-2007 - including my current grad school time)

1. Jamar Wilson

2. Gary Jones

3. Blair Buchanan

4. Joe Greene

5. Casey Halloran

Honors: Merrick Thomson, Colin Disch, Kevin Rae, Luke Dequino, Jessica Ortman, Frank Resiterits

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Since it's when we were in school - Rich Margison was a senior during my freshmen year. Recent interim athletic director at Alabama-Birmingham led Albany's basketball team to its first NCAA (College Division) basketball tournament.

 

He was followed by Rudy Vido - football, wrestling, and shot put, recent Hall of Fame inductee.

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Tom Robinson, cross-country (61-65). Tom had the prototype long distance runner's build, and with lungs down to his toes. I don't doubt that he'd be the star of the current x-country team.

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During my era in no particular order.

 

Shawn Sheldon(alternate in the Olympics..1984 and 88)...drove a motorcycle like a madman! /Chris Tironi (DIII National Champion)...Wrestling

 

Football there were many:

 

Still friends with many of them

 

Most Intimidating

 

Jimmy Canfield...knew from Catholic Central...he was a few years ahead of me. Went to HS with my brother.

Tom Jacobs "Jake" as his friends know him...strongest bench and squat I had ever seen at that time.

Bobby Cohen...Another Big and Fast LB at Albany...big hitter!

John Dunham ...Possibly the craziest/scariest player I ever met. He wore tanktops in the dead of winter! He would put Skoal chewing tobacco in his mouthpiece during games!

 

Best Pure Athletes

 

Best pure athlete w/o question during my run is a toss up between Wayne Anderson (transferred in from Springfield College...full scholly DII at the time) and Scott Dimitrinko transferred in from 1AA New Hampshire. Scott was BIG and FAST at LB. A 240lb lb just didn't belong at Albany in those days but he was there and knocked Joe Dudek sensless during the 85 Championship game. Played with the original Arena football team in Pittsburgh.

 

I think you also have to throw QB Pat Ryder in there as well. He was a full scholly kid from Syracuse and just ran over people when he kept tyhe ball.

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Ruler, I'm glad you mentioned Jim Canfield. When I think of UAlbany defensive linemen, he's the one that always comes to mind first. He wasn't all that big but I've never seen a quicker lineman. I can't count the number of times he tackled either the QB or running back at the point of the handoff.

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Dick Crosset was a frosh in my graduate year.

I would have to go with:

Gary Holway and Don Cohen--Basketball

Clem Crowe--Wrestling

Pete Spina -- Baseball

Karl Gerstenberger, Karl Maxson and Paul Dammer in Soccer

I know they are almost all Hall of Famers but you asked for the best while I was in school and I guess I saw a lot of good ones.

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