Who did you play against (or almost play against)

[Oh8ch]

As a student I played in pickup games on the courts under the stadium. There were some players from the 1968 NC team who would participate now and again - but nobody noteworthy or whose name I can remember.

My only claim to fame was from playing coed rec soccer back in the day when Columbus had a Playboy club in town (East Broad across near the Kahiki for my fellow old farts).

I was a fullback and we were playing a team that had one of the bunnies as a wing. Before the game was over I managed to slide tackle her and bring her down right on top of me.

Top that mother fuckers!

 

[cincibuck]

Man, talk about a stroll down memory lane. I was fortunate enough to grow up in Middletown, Ohio which at the time was home to the Carters and Calhouns. Playing on the same asphalt courts as Cris Carter was insane but looking back at how many studs went through there is ridiculous. The Rosedale summer league basketball was the best around and we had guys from all over playing on Tuesdays and Thursdays including Jerry Lucas, BJ Lucas, JB Reafsnyder, Keith Gregor, Bill Edwards and his brother Robert. And all the other guys from local high schools that lit it up back then. Jerry was more the mentor for the league and just talked to everyone or did a demonstration. He was impossible to beat at HORSE. Closest we ever saw him getting beat was against a guard from the area who ended up going to D1 school somewhere, Boston College maybe. Both had HORS and Lucas calls this shot from the foul line: Off back rim, off front rim, off the backboard and in. Then nonchalantly nails it. Half the people just got up shaking their heads and left and the rest of us rolled on the ground laughing at how ridiculous it was that we saw that. Amazing.

Sophomore year of track I was throwing shot and disc, kind of. What I got to see was the fastest human being I'd ever witness in person, Chris Nelloms. I was in awe watching him run around that track. Fastest man I've ever seen in pads, in person, Teddy Ginn just to be clear.

Freshman year of baseball I watched Mark Lewis hit a ball so so far over the left field wall at Hamilton High. It hit a house across the street behind the stadium. What a talent.

Sometime during high school football, forgot specific years, I got to play against Dana Stubblefield from North Bend Taylor high school. Had a good pro career with the 49ers and destroyed the middle of our Oline. Marc Edwards at Norwood High School/Notre Dame and a short pro career. Dudes legs were crazy strong. DJ Jones at Lebanon High/Ohio State scored the winning TD against us and knocked us out of playoff contention. Safety wanted nothing to do with him on a post route and he just smooth smoked the LB. We scrimmaged CAPE who had All Timer Carlos Snow at tailback. He was frightening from the sideline so I guarantee he was nasty in between the lines. Couple moves and GONE!

Amazing bunch of athletes in Ohio so I'm sure everyone on this site has played with or against at least one professional at some point.

 

[cincibuck]

Man, talk about a stroll down memory lane. I was fortunate enough to grow up in Middletown, Ohio which at the time was home to the Carters and Calhouns. Playing on the same asphalt courts as Cris Carter was insane but looking back at how many studs went through there is ridiculous. The Rosedale summer league basketball was the best around and we had guys from all over playing on Tuesdays and Thursdays including Jerry Lucas, BJ Lucas, JB Reafsnyder, Keith Gregor, Bill Edwards and his brother Robert. And all the other guys from local high schools that lit it up back then. Jerry was more the mentor for the league and just talked to everyone or did a demonstration. He was impossible to beat at HORSE. Closest we ever saw him getting beat was against a guard from the area who ended up going to D1 school somewhere, Boston College maybe. Both had HORS and Lucas calls this shot from the foul line: Off back rim, off front rim, off the backboard and in. Then nonchalantly nails it. Half the people just got up shaking their heads and left and the rest of us rolled on the ground laughing at how ridiculous it was that we saw that. Amazing.

Sophomore year of track I was throwing shot and disc, kind of. What I got to see was the fastest human being I'd ever witness in person, Chris Nelloms. I was in awe watching him run around that track. Fastest man I've ever seen in pads, in person, Teddy Ginn just to be clear.

Freshman year of baseball I watched Mark Lewis hit a ball so so far over the left field wall at Hamilton High. It hit a house across the street behind the stadium. What a talent.

Sometime during high school football, forgot specific years, I got to play against Dana Stubblefield from North Bend Taylor high school. Had a good pro career with the 49ers and destroyed the middle of our Oline. Marc Edwards at Norwood High School/Notre Dame and a short pro career. Dudes legs were crazy strong. DJ Jones at Lebanon High/Ohio State scored the winning TD against us and knocked us out of playoff contention. Safety wanted nothing to do with him on a post route and he just smooth smoked the LB. We scrimmaged CAPE who had All Timer Carlos Snow at tailback. He was frightening from the sideline so I guarantee he was nasty in between the lines. Couple moves and GONE!

Amazing bunch of athletes in Ohio so I'm sure everyone on this site has played with or against at least one professional at some point.

I was coaching at the state meet and watched Nellom's win the 100, 200, 400, and anchored the winning 4 X 400 relay running his leg in 46 and change. He set the national high school record for the 110 highs with a 13.3 that same year. Oh, second place in the 100, 200, and 400 that day went to some kid named Robert Smith.

 

[calibuck]

Growing up in Columbus, some of us meandered down to tOSU's outdoor basketball courts. Happened to be chosen (last if I recollect), but still got to share the court with Hondo. Didn't have to guard him thankfully, and can't remember if I even got a shot off, let alone scoring...Also have a picture in the Whetstone HS yearbook showing me getting off a shot from the wing, being fouled by none other than Jim Cleamons. This was the year that Linden McKinley upset C'bus East in state final. East HS had three players that went on to star in college, and play professionally. Thanks for the thread.

 

[cincibuck]

Growing up in Columbus, some of us meandered down to tOSU's outdoor basketball courts. Happened to be chosen (last if I recollect), but still got to share the court with Hondo. Didn't have to guard him thankfully, and can't remember if I even got a shot off, let alone scoring...Also have a picture in the Whetstone HS yearbook showing me getting off a shot from the wing, being fouled by none other than Jim Clemons. This was the year that Linden McKinley upset C'bus East in state final. East HS had three players that went on to star in college, and play professionally. Thanks for the thread.

That East team doomed Fred Taylor. He stated that he tried to recruit all three but that he couldn't get any of them without violating NCAA rules. Anybody else hear anything about this?

 

[Onebuckfan]

That East team doomed Fred Taylor. He stated that he tried to recruit all three but that he couldn't get any of them without violating NCAA rules. Anybody else hear anything about this?

Didn’t McKinley have Dwight Lamar ..

 

[NFBuck]

I was a basketball player from a very small town. Only played against one guy who went D1 and it was just to Fredo as a bit player:

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/chad-allen-2.html

He played for our main rival and when I tell you seven footers were rare in our conference, I mean I'm pretty sure he's the only one ever. Most teams topped out at one guy who was 6'4 or 6'5. Played him twice my Junior year (he was a year ahead of me), and we beat them once in OT (in which your boy NFBuck sank a couple clutch free throws) and got blown out by like 30 points the other game. Our Center was a 6'4 guy who actually went on to play football at Robert Morris, IIRC. I was 6'1 and played small forward. Chad blocked like 8-12 shots a game. He was actually a really cool dude.

I actually found our old team stats when we moved a couple years back from my Senior year that were in the newspaper. For those curious, NFBuck posted 9.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg that year.

 

[Onebuckfan]

Didn’t McKinley have Dwight Lamar ..

Nm Lamar was from North transferred to East that was their best team.

 

[ORD_Buckeye]

Matt Williams actually. Not only was he a MLB prospect in high school, he was also the starting QB and best player on their basketball team. Not sure, but I think he made all-state in all three sports. Of course, we all know now that he was taking more "vitamins" than Hulk Hogan, which might have had something to do with it.

 

[Nutriaitch]

That East team doomed Fred Taylor. He stated that he tried to recruit all three but that he couldn't get any of them without violating NCAA rules. Anybody else hear anything about this?

Fred Taylor the RB from Florida played in NFL for a while?
ran into each other (literally) on the field after the '97 LSU/Florida game

they were undefeated, defending champs, and #1 in country.
he was NOT a happy guy

Matt Williams actually. Not only was he a MLB prospect in high school, he was also the starting QB and best player on their basketball team. Not sure, but I think he made all-state in all three sports. Of course, we all know now that he was taking more "vitamins" than Hulk Hogan, which might have had something to do with it.

high school baseball was huge in Louisiana around the time of the strike when Williams was chasing Maris.
which was right in the middle of LSU dominating the college game for a decade.
let's just say "vitamins" were extremely common and may have been readily available inside locker rooms.

 

[pnuts34]

Back in the early 2000s, I would play pickup basketball at a few courts in Cincinnati, sometimes I would just shoot around. One day I'm shooting at a court with a buddy, and people start whispering about a HS kid who just moved to Cincinnati from "middle of nowhere" in KY. Kid hits the court like he's already a superstar, big earring, gold chain and a swagger while he entered the court. The guy put on an absolute clinic, shooting from everywhere on the court, he finished 1 game by making a half court and blew a kiss. I thought I was looking at the next Kobe Bryant. Come to find out, it was a young OJ Mayo, just moved to Cincinnati, and everyone thought he'd end up at a big CPS school or in the GCL. But he ended up at North College Hill. I watched him through his HS years, and I would've thought that he'd become a star in the NBA. Another example of supreme HS talent, but not having the intangibles to succeed at the professional level(he got banned from the NBA because he couldn't stop smoking weed WTF )

 

[calibuck]

Takes the brain awhile to get a-running. Dwight "Bo" Lamar was indeed one. Went on to lead SW La St (?) to national scoring title, remember him suiting up for the Lakers. Nick Connor was another, started at guard for Illinois, and went on to play for Washington in NBA. Eddie Ratliff was the other. Played at Long Beach State for Tarkanian, and then for San Antonio before Lakers. Oh yeah, Whetstone got stomped 104-54 by East. I guarded Eddie, and held him to 25, but he only played two quarters before the subs took over.....and we started the game 12-0, as their team did a dunk drill before the game, which was illegal at the time.....guess we remember our failures better/more than we do our successes. That year Linden in fact beat East for state title. Cleamons and a guard positively lit it up against those future pros. East also had a stud in the middle (thick as a treetrunk and as tall), that played in a small college, but never heard from him. Knew that Fred lost his job at tOSU because "he couldn't get blacks to come here", but didn't realize that that trio was the cause. Still have my 'rec card' from tOSU when was there for grad school, signed by rec leader, Fred Taylor. He wasn't fired, but 'reassigned to other duties'.

Pnuts, remember Mayo. He and another guy, name escapes me, were both world beaters for a Cincy team, and both went to Kansas State (?), and both had cups of coffee with the pros. The pyramid gets very skinny at the top....

 

[Onebuckfan]

Takes the brain awhile to get a-running. Dwight "Bo" Lamar was indeed one. Went on to lead SW La St (?) to national scoring title, remember him suiting up for the Lakers. Nick Connor was another, started at guard for Illinois, and went on to play for Washington in NBA. Eddie Ratliff was the other. Played at Long Beach State for Tarkanian, and then for San Antonio before Lakers. Oh yeah, Whetstone got stomped 104-54 by East. I guarded Eddie, and held him to 25, but he only played two quarters before the subs took over.....and we started the game 12-0, as their team did a dunk drill before the game, which was illegal at the time.....guess we remember our failures better/more than we do our successes. That year Linden in fact beat East for state title. Cleamons and a guard positively lit it up against those future pros. They also had a stud in the middle (thick as a treetrunk and as tall), that played in a small college, but never heard from him. Knew that Fred lost his job at tOSU because "he couldn't get blacks to come here", but didn't realize that that trio was the cause. Still have my 'rec card' from tOSU when was there for grad school, signed by rec leader, Fred Taylor. He wasn't fired, but 'reassigned to other duties'.

Pnuts, remember Mayo. He and another guy, name escapes me, were both world beaters for a Cincy team, and both went to Kansas State (?), and both had cups of coffee with the pros. The pyramid gets very skinny at the top....

I remember those teams..We lost a Jr high game to those guys 80 -22 they were men.

 

[calibuck]

PSS, the 'other guard' mentioned on Linden McKinley was a quickster named Eddie Guice. Woke up in middle of the night remembering that one....Cleamons of course starred for tOSU and later for the NY Knicks. Believe he finished his career with Houston (?), and then as a coach for the Lakers (?). Guessing on the last two ?s. Finally, the 'thick as tree trunk and as tall' guy on East went to Cumberland College in Kentucky.

 

[pnuts34]

Takes the brain awhile to get a-running. Dwight "Bo" Lamar was indeed one. Went on to lead SW La St (?) to national scoring title, remember him suiting up for the Lakers. Nick Connor was another, started at guard for Illinois, and went on to play for Washington in NBA. Eddie Ratliff was the other. Played at Long Beach State for Tarkanian, and then for San Antonio before Lakers. Oh yeah, Whetstone got stomped 104-54 by East. I guarded Eddie, and held him to 25, but he only played two quarters before the subs took over.....and we started the game 12-0, as their team did a dunk drill before the game, which was illegal at the time.....guess we remember our failures better/more than we do our successes. That year Linden in fact beat East for state title. Cleamons and a guard positively lit it up against those future pros. East also had a stud in the middle (thick as a treetrunk and as tall), that played in a small college, but never heard from him. Knew that Fred lost his job at tOSU because "he couldn't get blacks to come here", but didn't realize that that trio was the cause. Still have my 'rec card' from tOSU when was there for grad school, signed by rec leader, Fred Taylor. He wasn't fired, but 'reassigned to other duties'.

Pnuts, remember Mayo. He and another guy, name escapes me, were both world beaters for a Cincy team, and both went to Kansas State (?), and both had cups of coffee with the pros. The pyramid gets very skinny at the top....

You're talking about Bill "Sky" Walker, could jump out of the gym, but didn't work much more on his game when he went to college(Kansas St, with Michael Beasley). Mayo went to USC in one of the weirdest recruiting story's I've heard(he just called the USC coach and told him he wanted to go to USC). He only wanted to go to college in NYC or LA, because he wanted to play in a big market to build his own brand(imagine if NIL was around when he played). Yeah both had cup of coffees in the NBA, Mayo was starting to get things going, and a few years ago when player contracts started increasing exponentially, he got suspended for multiple failed drug test due to marijuana.