In 1970, an airplane crash claimed the lives of 75 people (including the entire coaching staff and 37 members of the Marshall football team). They were returning, on November 14, after playing East Carolina University.For more on the plane crash check out this flash movie from the Huntington Herald-Dispatch.
Billy's long hair and short stature won him the kicker's role in the movie. Matthew McConaughey plays the coach in the movie. The article also discusses Billy's tryouts with various NFL, CFL and Arena teams.
What? Were you expecting a shirtless McConaughey pic? Sorry. Wrong blog bro.
pwd
7 comments:
You could at least give me enough time to get off work to post something about this before you did. :-)
I've not been a football fan but for I don't know going on 6 years now. But how can the guy that set the NCAA record for most feild goals not get a job in the NFL as a kicker? I mean it just makes no sense to me as to why no one would give him a job? Any one got any ideas?
Well. Bennett was a good player at Georgia, but his accomplishments in total FGs were both and indictment of the offense's ability to drive the field combined with an innability to score touchdowns as well as Bennett's 4-year run as kicker. Also, he didn't have the strongest leg in the country and was a poor kickoff guy. In the NFL, teams frown heavily upon having a kicker who can't kickoff as well. Unless you are the most accurate kicker in league history (Mike Vanderjagt) you better be able to kickoff well to provide good field position. Bennett was not known for his kickoff depth or positioning. Finally...and I don't know if this plays a part or not, but despite his success he did miss kicks in some big games, the LSU and Florida games his senior year being the ones I remember most. Offense was struggling and he missed 2-3 FGs in each game. They lost by 7 to LSU and 3 to Florida...What if he makes those kicks which were all 45-and-under yards? Just some random thoughts on Bennett's lack of NFL career so far.
That's pretty harsh. In 52 career games, Billy missed critical kicks in only 2 games. A total of 4 bad kicks.
That's it. Granted, he picked a helluva a bad day to miss 3 of those down in Baton Rouge. Every great kicker with the exception of Venitari (sp?) from New England has days like that.
That said....Billy didn't have a strong enough leg to make an NFL roster. His accuracy wasn't the problem. Nor was his clutch nature. You don't score as poorly as we did in the red zone and still win 42 of 52 games with a shaky kicker.
pwd
In the Movie, will billy be asked to miss 3 field goals against Florida again?
He is pretty experienced when it comes to that... :(
Funny how people just don't like others who are successful. Not only was Billy the top kicker in NCAA history, SEC history, and Georgia history (should I stop now or keep going????---I'll keep going) he was one of the best soccer players in Georgia high school history( he had several scholarship offers--- Clemson was #1 in the country when they offered him a full ride). He was also a helluva basketball player--point guard-- but did not have time to play all three sports. Imagine where we (Georgia) would be if he had taken his full ride to play soccer. Where would Coach Richt be? Maybe at Florida State? Perhaps Brian does not like Coach Richt either? How else does a coach get to stay at a school so long with so inefficient an offense? By winning games, that's how. Say what you will about Billy or Coach Richt, but they are both winners. Maybe Billy could have gotten some help in the LSU game ( where he missed three kicks) from the all time winningest Quarterback in NCAA history, David Green, who looked like a deer in headlights the whole game (I had good seats). I don't recall anyone playing well that game. Also, the Florida game is just one of 13 or 14 we could have won in the last 15 years. We have a long way to go to get those wins back. So don't be so quick to judge someone on a few bad kicks. Football is still a team sport, and it takes all eleven to win. Did you forget about the George Foster penalty that pushed the field goal attempt from 35 yards to 50+ yards? No, of course not, we all know George Foster can make that kick, right?
Billy could not kickoff. That is the reason he is not in the NFL. If he would have learned to stand further awsy from the ball going into his kickoffs he may be playing in the NFL right now. He stood so close and at such an improper angle it almost looked liked he was going to onside. He was a great kicker who had 1 really bad game. Against LSU; the Florida game Richt lost when he put in DJ after David Greene started 5-5 and drove us right down the field for a TD.
I love them both though.
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