If you ever saw Schlesinger wrestle in person its hard to make a case against him not being the best athlete, he was a legend on the mat for Columbus.
If you ever saw Rathman high jump 6’9” you would say the same thing
If you ever saw Schlesinger wrestle in person its hard to make a case against him not being the best athlete, he was a legend on the mat for Columbus.
I agree with you. His rookie season Franklin was I believe he was the 3rd leading rusher in the NFLI pretty much agree with you. The real sad question, one with no answer, is how Franklin would have done in the NFL had his career not been cut short by his ankle injury. Would he have had as strong an NFL career as Rathman? I would think so. Plus he'd have been playing with a very strong HOF QB, too. Both were threats as runners and receivers. Rathman being quite a bit taller, IIRC.
I have always cringed when I hear of "broken ankles" it seems like I have only heard of players coming back from those in the past couple of years.
Franklin: 1,787 yards, 10 TD on 339 carries; (35 yards / 0 TD on 6 receptions). Three year starter. No redshirt year played back up on varsity as a true freshman. Oh, and we had Hipp, Berns and Redwine as feature I-Backs in those years as TO was just getting a hold of this option thingy... with Sorely, Hager and Quinn as QBs.Rathman: 1425 yards, 12 TDs (70 yards / 1 TD Receiving)
Joel Makovicka: 1143 yards, 11 TDs (127 yards / 1 TD Receiving)
Jeff Makovicka: 902 yards, 6 TD (19 yards / 0 TD Receiving)
Schlesinger: 706 yards, 6 TDs (no Receptions at NU)
Here are Franklin's NFL stats:I agree with you. His rookie season Franklin was I believe he was the 3rd leading rusher in the NFL
Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rush | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1981 | 22 | MIA | FB | 37 | 16 | 11 | 201 | 711 | 7 | 29 | 3.5 | 44.4 | 12.6 | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 1 | 3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 204 | 3.5 | 717 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
1982* | 23 | MIA | FB | 37 | 9 | 9 | 177 | 701 | 7 | 25 | 4.0 | 77.9 | 19.7 | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 180 | 3.9 | 710 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
1983 | 24 | MIA | FB | 37 | 15 | 12 | 224 | 746 | 8 | 18 | 3.3 | 49.7 | 14.9 | 224 | 3.3 | 746 | 8 | 6 | 4 | |||||||
1984 | 25 | MIA | 37 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 74 | 0 | 12 | 3.7 | 37.0 | 10.0 | 20 | 3.7 | 74 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||
Career | 42 | 34 | 622 | 2232 | 22 | 29 | 3.6 | 53.1 | 14.8 | 6 | 15 | 2.5 | 1 | 6 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 628 | 3.6 | 2247 | 23 | 14 | 19 |
Games | Rushing | Receiving | Total Yds | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | Rush | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb |
1981 | 22 | MIA | FB | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0.7 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 9 | 0.7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
1982* | 23 | MIA | FB | 4 | 3 | 78 | 301 | 2 | 12 | 3.9 | 75.3 | 19.5 | 78 | 3.9 | 301 | 2 | 4 | |||||||
1983 | 24 | MIA | FB | 1 | 1 | 6 | 28 | 0 | 9 | 4.7 | 28.0 | 6.0 | 6 | 4.7 | 28 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
Career | 6 | 5 | 93 | 335 | 2 | 12 | 3.6 | 55.8 | 15.5 | 93 | 3.6 | 335 | 2 |
Games | Rushing | Receiving | Total Yds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Age | Tm | Pos | No. | G | GS | Rush | Yds | TD | 1D | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 1D | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV |
1986 | 24 | SFO | 44 | 16 | 1 | 33 | 138 | 1 | 29 | 4.2 | 8.6 | 2.1 | 13 | 121 | 9.3 | 0 | 14 | 0.8 | 7.6 | 46 | 5.6 | 259 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||||
1987 | 25 | SFO | FB | 44 | 12 | 7 | 62 | 257 | 1 | 35 | 4.1 | 21.4 | 5.2 | 30 | 329 | 11.0 | 3 | 29 | 2.5 | 27.4 | 92 | 6.4 | 586 | 4 | 1 | 7 | |||||
1988 | 26 | SFO | FB | 44 | 16 | 16 | 102 | 427 | 2 | 26 | 4.2 | 26.7 | 6.4 | 42 | 382 | 9.1 | 0 | 24 | 2.6 | 23.9 | 144 | 5.6 | 809 | 2 | 0 | 7 | |||||
1989 | 27 | SFO | FB | 44 | 16 | 16 | 79 | 305 | 1 | 13 | 3.9 | 19.1 | 4.9 | 73 | 616 | 8.4 | 1 | 36 | 4.6 | 38.5 | 152 | 6.1 | 921 | 2 | 1 | 10 | |||||
1990 | 28 | SFO | FB | 44 | 16 | 16 | 101 | 318 | 7 | 22 | 3.1 | 19.9 | 6.3 | 48 | 327 | 6.8 | 0 | 28 | 3.0 | 20.4 | 149 | 4.3 | 645 | 7 | 2 | 5 | |||||
1991 | 29 | SFO | FB | 44 | 16 | 16 | 63 | 183 | 6 | 16 | 2.9 | 11.4 | 3.9 | 34 | 286 | 8.4 | 0 | 32 | 2.1 | 17.9 | 97 | 4.8 | 469 | 6 | 2 | 5 | |||||
1992 | 30 | SFO | FB | 44 | 15 | 15 | 57 | 194 | 5 | 17 | 3.4 | 12.9 | 3.8 | 55 | 44 | 343 | 7.8 | 4 | 27 | 2.9 | 22.9 | 80.0% | 6.2 | 101 | 5.3 | 537 | 9 | 1 | 6 | ||
1993 | 31 | SFO | 44 | 8 | 4 | 19 | 80 | 3 | 19 | 4.2 | 10.0 | 2.4 | 14 | 10 | 86 | 8.6 | 0 | 17 | 1.3 | 10.8 | 71.4% | 6.1 | 29 | 5.7 | 166 | 3 | 0 | 2 | |||
1994 | 32 | RAI | FB | 44 | 16 | 16 | 28 | 118 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 4.2 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 41 | 26 | 194 | 7.5 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 1.6 | 12.1 | 63.4% | 4.7 | 54 | 5.8 | 312 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Career | 131 | 107 | 544 | 2020 | 26 | 6 | 35 | 3.7 | 15.4 | 4.2 | 110 | 320 | 2684 | 8.4 | 8 | 6 | 36 | 2.4 | 20.5 | 72.7% | 5.7 | 864 | 5.4 | 4704 | 34 | 7 | 46 |
Year | Age | Tm | Pos | G | GS | Rush | Yds | TD | 1D | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 1D | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | 24 | SFO | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2.7 | 8.0 | 3.0 | 3 | 2.7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
1987 | 25 | SFO | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 18 | 9.0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2.0 | 18.0 | 3 | 10.0 | 30 | 0 | 1 | ||||
1988 | 26 | SFO | FB | 3 | 1 | 18 | 88 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 4.9 | 29.3 | 6.0 | 8 | 87 | 10.9 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2.7 | 29.0 | 87.0 | 26 | 6.7 | 175 | 1 | 0 | ||
1989 | 27 | SFO | FB | 3 | 3 | 28 | 125 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 4.5 | 41.7 | 9.3 | 13 | 120 | 9.2 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4.3 | 40.0 | 30.0 | 41 | 6.0 | 245 | 2 | 0 | ||
1990 | 28 | SFO | FB | 2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 2.5 | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2.0 | 8.0 | 9 | 2.9 | 26 | 1 | 0 | |||
1992 | 30 | SFO | FB | 2 | 2 | 5 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 5.6 | 14.0 | 2.5 | 9 | 8 | 63 | 7.9 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 4.0 | 31.5 | 88.9% | 7.0 | 13 | 7.0 | 91 | 0 | 0 |
1993 | 31 | SFO | RB | 2 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 3 | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1.5 | 11.5 | 100.0% | 7.7 | 7 | 5.6 | 39 | 1 | 0 |
Career | 14 | 10 | 64 | 287 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 4.5 | 20.5 | 4.6 | 17 | 38 | 327 | 8.6 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2.7 | 23.4 | 72.7% | 5.7 | 102 |
Not a bad option in that group, but for fullback, the metric for me isn't strictly who did the most with the ball.Schlesinger gets a bit of recency bias. Well, not really all that recent, but maybe "memorable" bias. The guy busted a couple of critical TD runs against Miami for Osborne's first national title and those FB trap plays are pretty legendary in Husker fans' minds. Hard to look at just the stat lines and compare them based on production alone. I also remember Schlesinger rattling off some impressive runs against Colorado, if memory serves. He was a bull charging out of a gate and I remember him being the guy who broke facemasks and caused bloody noses - both his own and for would-be tacklers. He obviously also had a great career for the Lions.
However, here are their career numbers. Schlesinger is literally the least productive of the bunch.
Rathman: 1425 yards, 12 TDs (70 yards / 1 TD Receiving)
Joel Makovicka: 1143 yards, 11 TDs (127 yards / 1 TD Receiving)
Jeff Makovicka: 902 yards, 6 TD (19 yards / 0 TD Receiving)
Schlesinger: 706 yards, 6 TDs (no Receptions at NU)
Jano is one of my favorite recent Husker players. I put him up there with Burkhead, Suh and Bell.How about Andy Janovich? Not as the best at NU. He never did much, mostly obscure, but he has had a nice pro career. 2nd tier maybe.
My dad and uncles would say Rathman. They are all in their sixties. I would say SchlesingerSo watching old games got me to thinking. The choice to me comes down to one of 4.5 choices.
1. Andre Franklin
2. Rathman
3. Shlesinger
4. Pick a Makovicka
I would go 2,1,3,4.
IDK Jano has been breaking a lot of facemasks the last few years.Rathman was great, but nobody destroyed more facemasks in the NFL than Schlesinger!
Had he gotten to play more before his senior year, he'd be higher on the list.How about Andy Janovich? Not as the best at NU. He never did much, mostly obscure, but he has had a nice pro career. 2nd tier maybe.
Do you really think that Frank would have got a single snap in the 70s, 80s or 90s at his size as a FB? The jump in average player size from the 60s to the 70s and beyond was crazy. The only reason I went back as far as Franklin is because he was a physical freak. Some of his lifting records were in place well into the 90s. Especially leg and hip strength lifts. He was 200# but ran like he was about 250. He also may have been the best blocker of the bunch. The other three I picked were in the neighborhood of 230 by their senior year. Frank could still have played on the late 70s to late 90s teams. Just not as a FB.1965 10-1 Huskers Big 8 Champions Frank Solich (2nd Leading Rusher on Team)
Solich 107 605 25 580 5.4
1971 13-0 National Champions Bill Olds (3rd Leading Rusher)
Olds 75 534 7 527 7.1
Great Husker Fullbacks from the Devaney Era.
GBR
As was Janovich. He had offers to wrestle at any of the top programs in the nation, but walked on at NE.If you ever saw Schlesinger wrestle in person its hard to make a case against him not being the best athlete, he was a legend on the mat for Columbus.