Lehigh Football Nation

Many Patriot League football fans remember the 153rd meeting between Lehigh and Lafayette, one that ended happily for the Mountain Hawks. They might remember the MVP performance of QB Brad Mayes , or perhaps the halftime speech by OL Zach Duffy that seemed to spur the Mountain Hawks to victory. Or perhaps they might remember the spectacular single play of Mayes rolling right and finding WR Gatlin Casey in the end zone to give the Mountain Hawks a lead they didn't relinquish.  It was an incredible play by Mayes, who returns this upcoming year for his senior season, and Casey, who, having exhausted his eligibility at Lehigh, will be playing one more year at Middle Tennessee State. As great as those individual moments are, though, they are not my biggest takeaway of that game. Too many Lehigh people forget that Lehigh was down 31-21 at half, and that victory was no sure thing.  And they sometimes forget that so much of that victory came from the grinding of WR Troy Pe...

One of the more interesting aspects of covering Lehigh football for so long is the fact that you end up seeing future NFL players on their rise to the big show. In fact, two players who squared off against the Mountain Hawks in particular have an excellent chance of being drafted on Day 2 or Day 3 of the NFL draft. But those not the only Lehigh football opponents that will be hoping to get a phone call from an NFL team this Friday or Saturday. Though few Patriot League, Ivy League or even CAA players enter their football programs with the NFL as their main goal, every football player that matriculates to these schools still harbor the dream of dominating their league and as a result get an opportunity to pursue their NFL dream. And it is true that NFL scouts come to FCS football games to look for talent that might have been overlooked.  Many years ago I was in Hofstra's press box, watching the Pride take on New Hampshire, with NFL scouts from the Colts and Saints there to...

"Don't take anything for granted, just keep pushing." Those are the words of QB Nick Shafnisky , told to The Whitehall-Coplay Press all the way back in 2013, about his preparation as a high school athlete. And they seem to summarize the Whitehall, PA native perfectly, then as now. Dubbed the "Male Athlete of the Year" by that publication, the article goes on about Shaf's many exploits at Whitehall high school - leading the Zephyr football team to a co-Lehigh Valley Conference title, becoming the first player ever in that conference to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards, and earning the league's co-MVP award as well. He also was a member of the Zephyrs playoff basketball team, and for good measure also helped set a record for the 4x100 relay team as well. At Whitehall, and at Lehigh, coaches pushed him, but it was his own hard work that helped make him the best athlete he could be. This weekend, Shaf, like every eligible colleg...

There have been many football offseasons when I've covered the possibility of one, or perhaps two, Patriot League players getting signed as free agents playing at the next level. This offseason, we might see something unprecedented. Four Lehigh football players - QB Mike Colvin, TE Jamel Haggins, LB Billy Boyko , and, of course, WR Ryan Spadola - all have an excellent chance at finding themselves in NFL training camps in the next couple of months. One - Spadola - is a strong candidate for being drafted this Saturday.

When you are looking to make the NFL, every moment, and every all-star game and combine, matters. This past week, former Lehigh star WR Ryan Spadola , who is currently looking to be one of those guys that play on Sundays, looked to make every moment of his appearance in the Texas vs. The Nation All-Star game matter. That didn't just mean the game itself, where Ryan's stat line read 1 catch for 8 yards, a pass from Tulane QB Ryan Griffin , or the outcome, which was a 24-13 win for the (appropriately named) Nation team over Texas.  (In a strange twist of fate, Ryan didn't wear the gold helmet of Lehigh at the game, but more on that later.) It also meant the positive press in the run-up to the game, and the large number of scouts available to see their progress.  In my exclusive Q&A with Ryan about his experience, I talk to him about his experience with the game, what he's been doing, and what's next for the Lehigh star.

When you're a 6'4, 280 lb offensive tackle in college, the three letters "NFL" don't usually enter your thought process. Unless, of course, you're senior OT Troy McKenna . When many players at all levels of football were hanging up their cleats for good after the season, Lehigh's FCS All-American tackle never stopped working to pursue a dream - making it to the NFL. As a tight end. The dream of making an NFL training camp continues for three former Lehigh football players tomorrow with a Pro Day at the University: McKenna, QB Chris Lum , and WR Jake Drwal .

(Photo Credit: Bruce Winter/The Express-Times ) "If you believe sites like NFL Draft Scout, OL Will Rackley - Lehigh's massive tackle out of Riverdale, Georgia - could be picked in QB John Skelton territory in the NFL draft," I crowed back in August . Nine months and a 2010 football season later, the future has changed for the best offensive lineman in Patriot League history. It's changed, um, a whole lot. From the junior blind side tackle who played hurt most of the season to the dominant senior lineman who earned the respect of everyone he faced - including Delaware head coach K.C. Keeler - Rackley is going to be heading to Radio City Music Hall on the first round of draft day. (more)

(Photo Credit: Andrew Meier/The Brown & White ) " OL Will Rackley didn’t have any shoe boxes full of letters from Georgia or Georgia Tech," an article from Will's hometown paper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution , said. "There was one scholarship offer and another major opportunity," referring to a general offer from Tulane and a walk-on opportunity at Georgia Tech. Ask his mother, Wanda Rackley , though, and you'll get a different viewpoint as to which schools were important or not. "I went with him on two official visits," she told me. "The first visit was to Lafayette. He didn't have a good feeling there and he thought the football field was too small. "The next visit was to the school was Lehigh. He loved it right off, and I loved it too." (more)

(Photo Credit: Bruce Winter/The Express-Times ) Lehigh held its first-ever Pro Day at Lehigh this Thursday, and the not-exactly-well-kept secret around campus had senior OL Will Rackley , senior DB Jarard Cribbs and senior DB John Kennedy work out for a wide variety of NFL scouts. A full complement of local press was there to capture the day, where the star of the show, Rackley, did an individual workout to complement the partial workout he performed at the NFL Combine in February. (more)

For the first time since 2005, Lehigh had a player in college football's longest-running all-star game. OL Will Rackley 's trip to Orlando, Florida to compete in the Florida Citrus Bowl was the first since  TE Adam Bergen 's, who is currently playing football professionally with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the UFL. While it's an honor to simply be invited to the 85th meeting between the East and West collegiate all-stars, Rackley by all published accounts made a very positive impression in the game. Whispers continue that his name will be called in April in the 2010 NFL draft. I caught up with Will and asked him about his experience. See what he had to say below the flip. (more)

So you're sitting there reveling in the fact that Lehigh wrestling just knocked off the No. 1 program in the country last night .  You see that Lehigh women's basketball got back on it's winning ways this Wednesday with a dominant win over Colgate , while Lehigh's men's team slipped to 1-3 in the Patriot League with their big slip at Colgate . It's a big weekend in the Lehigh Valley, with both hoops squads facing off against "that school in Easton".  It's always a big deal to beat the Leopards in all sports, and a sweep this weekend would be particularly gratifying - especially on the men's side. In a weekend filled with "Rivalry"-themed exploits, though, there's another national showcase for Lehigh Athletics that should not be on the TV - or DVR.  It's the East-West Shrine Game in Orlando, Florida, and - for Lehigh fans - OL Will Rackley will be the focal point of the NFL Network broadcast at 4:00 PM. (more)

(Photo Credit: Zennie62 blog from the San Francisco Chronicle ) Normally, Patriot League watchers don't pay a lot of attention to the NFL Draft, at least in regards to which rounds the "best of the best" Patriot League players might end up.  With this year's crop of players, however, there were three players (and, arguably, four) that had solid chances to be picked in the NFL draft - if things fell just right.   Unsurprisingly, things did fall just right for QB John Skelton , who saw the NFL's Arizona Cardinals trade up to the 5th round to grab the strong-armed Texan by way of the Bronx.  For the rest of the Patriot League, the phone calls did not come on draft day itself.  They came shortly after Weber State WR Tim Toone was picked as the final college player in the NFL draft, and they all became free agents, able to pick their spots.  And all the big names: QB John Skelton , QB Dominic Randolph , and WR Pat Simonds - have great NFL opportunities this ...

(Photo courtesy Arrowhead Addict blog) Most years, there aren't a lot of Patriot League football players that are hoping to hear their name called in the NFL draft. Unusually, this year there is one definite NFL draftee ( QB John Skelton ), another very probable NFL draftee ( WR Pat Simonds ) and one who ought to be if the folks around the NFL know anything at all ( QB Dominic Randolph ). But there are a lot of Patriot League players that hope to follow the path of Blake Costanzo and Rabih Abdullah into the NFL.  Neither were drafted, but got a chance to show their stuff as free agent pickups and made (or are making) a career of playing football on Sundays. Would any of these guys gladly be "Mr. Irrelevant", the guy who gets picked last in the NFL draft and gets a gag prize package and a parade held in his honor?  Sure.  But they'd prefer to be playing on an pro team - and there's quite a few of them, including one Lehigh player, that should have a shot...

(Photo Credit: The Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin) At Patriot League Media Day, the members of the media and athletic departments usually stick around after the event and take the opportunity to network and play a little golf.  You can find out quite a bit about a person when you play 18 holes with them, and this year one of the members of my foursome was none other than WR Pat Simonds , who made the trek to Hamilton. Simonds at first tried to downplay his ability on the links, claiming that he wasn't that good a golfer.  But that fib was rapidly was exposed when he pulled out a large metal wood and proceeded to drill a picture-perfect drive that I could only dream of producing. It wasn't at that moment that I thought Simonds could have a future as an NFL player or draft pick.  I had come to that conclusion long ago.  But FCS writer extraordinaire Dave Coulson , another member of our foursome, did mention that "you could always join Colgate's golf team"...

I can't speak for everyone following the Patriot League, but when I heard that QB Dominic Randolph was returning to Holy Cross for a 5th year in 2009, as a Lehigh fan I groaned. It's not because I didn't think he was a good quarterback.  Quite the contrary.  But I knew when he announced his return that Lehigh's road was going to be harder in the Patriot League in 2009, and that Holy Cross would instantly go from question marks to Patriot League title frontrunner. QB John Skelton has gotten a lot of attention this offseason, and the buzz is that he could possibly be a first day draft pick next Thursday .  Skelton was a great Patriot League quarterback, sure.  But it's Mr. Randolph that holds every significant passing record at Holy Cross and in the Patriot League after this year - and he will get his shot at the NFL as well, without a doubt.  He may not go as a gaudy high draft pick, but almost certainly as a late round steal or preferred free agent he will...

(Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports and Five Boro Sports) On September 16th, 2006, I found myself heading to Baker Field in Manhattan to watch a budding rivalry. Columbia's game with cross town rival Fordham in the fourth edition of the " Liberty Cup " was national news only in the sense that Columbia head football coach Norries Wilson became the first Columbia head football coach to win his opener since Aldo "Buff" Donelli in 1957. I never knew that I'd be calling back on my memory of that game to think about NFL draft darling QB John Skelton 's debut as a member of the Rams.  Put into the game by coach Tom Masella after senior starter QB Derrick Daniels failed to get anything going offensively, Skelton's 3-for-7 performance - throwing an pick-six interception to DB Drew Quinn to put the icing on the Lions' 37-7 win - was nothing to write home about.  (After the game, coach Masella said, "We have bye week coming up.  Thank God.") M...

(Photo Credit: Colgate Athletics) As expected, this weekend's NFL draft came and went without a single Patriot League name getting announced. Overall, only 15 football players from Football Championship Subdivision got drafted, making it a relatively light year for FCS draftees in general - and like the Patriot League, the Ivy League was completely shut out as well. In terms of Eastern FCS schools, four players from FCS schools that faced Patriot League competition were drafted: Richmond DE Lawrence Sidbury (4th Round), Furman CB William Middleton (5th round), and Liberty RB Rashad Jennings (7th Round). (Lehigh didn't line up against any of these teams, though "That school in Easton lined up against - and beat - Rashad Jennings and Liberty.) Other Eastern FCS schools that had players drafted were William & Mary CB Derek Cox (3rd Round) and Monmouth (NJ) TE John Nalbone (5th Round). Here's the list of NFL free agent signings of Patriot League players: Colgat...

No, I can't say it's particularly... well... original, but with Lehigh's Brown/White game completed , it's time to catch up with with some of the (shudder) buzz - or rumors, and the like - that's hovering around the Patriot League and the Lehigh program. (Why do I feel, well, dirty after writing that? Is it only because "buzz" feels ...so... so... 1996?) We'll start with the NFL Draft, make a side trip to the Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame, "The Rivalry", and end up with new plans for Murray Goodman Stadium' new (natural) turf. And I'll try to do so without making a single reference to Independence Day . Let's start with Don Bostrom's Morning Call column today talking about the number of local Lehigh Valley athletes that have been NFL draft picks, including hall-of-famer Chuck Bednarik. That doesn't interest me as much as the fact that he lists Lehigh football players that have been draft picks over the years... and (...