As a resident of the Nashville area, I listen to 104.5 The Zone, Cumulus Media’s premier live and local Sports Talk radio station serving Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Among the morning show's hosts is Ramon Foster, a former Tennessee Volunteers offensive lineman, who spent 11 seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I remember a couple of months ago Foster mentioned Kent State in a discussion and when another host questioned why he would include Kent State along with some other schools, Foster said, "Well, if you look at all of the players Kent State has put in the NFL."
Of course, as a former Pittsburgh Steeler, Foster would be familiar with Jack Lambert, James Harrison, and Roosevelt Nix.
However, most football fans don't know the history of Kent State’s NFL pipeline, but I believe it is a selling point to football recruits.
From: Hardesty: The history of Kent State’s well-worn NFL pipeline
"A major selling point college football blue bloods pitch to high school recruits is that if the athlete signs to play at their school, the NFL will be waiting.
It’s an effective recruiting tool used by all the usual suspects in major college football.
It could also be used by Kent State, because a quick glance of the Golden Flashes’ NFL lineage belies its mid-major status.
And it’s not just how many — 51 professional players, 42 of them drafted, according to Pro Football Reference — it’s who. Greats like Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s, college quarterback turned NFL wideout extraordinaire Julian Edelman, teeth-rattling linebacker James Harrison, college basketball beast turned freakish tight end Antonio Gates, and mercurial return man Josh Cribbs immediately come to mind, but there are a slew of others — up to and including iconic University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who spent time in the NFL as Browns defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick."
So, I hope Coach Kenni Burns uses this selling point when he recruits players to come to Kent State. Certainly, there are many other selling points, but I have to believe this one could very well be a difference-maker in recruiting.
I remember a couple of months ago Foster mentioned Kent State in a discussion and when another host questioned why he would include Kent State along with some other schools, Foster said, "Well, if you look at all of the players Kent State has put in the NFL."
Of course, as a former Pittsburgh Steeler, Foster would be familiar with Jack Lambert, James Harrison, and Roosevelt Nix.
However, most football fans don't know the history of Kent State’s NFL pipeline, but I believe it is a selling point to football recruits.
From: Hardesty: The history of Kent State’s well-worn NFL pipeline
"A major selling point college football blue bloods pitch to high school recruits is that if the athlete signs to play at their school, the NFL will be waiting.
It’s an effective recruiting tool used by all the usual suspects in major college football.
It could also be used by Kent State, because a quick glance of the Golden Flashes’ NFL lineage belies its mid-major status.
And it’s not just how many — 51 professional players, 42 of them drafted, according to Pro Football Reference — it’s who. Greats like Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ famed Steel Curtain defense of the 1970s, college quarterback turned NFL wideout extraordinaire Julian Edelman, teeth-rattling linebacker James Harrison, college basketball beast turned freakish tight end Antonio Gates, and mercurial return man Josh Cribbs immediately come to mind, but there are a slew of others — up to and including iconic University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, who spent time in the NFL as Browns defensive coordinator under Bill Belichick."
So, I hope Coach Kenni Burns uses this selling point when he recruits players to come to Kent State. Certainly, there are many other selling points, but I have to believe this one could very well be a difference-maker in recruiting.
Hardesty: The history of Kent State’s well-worn NFL pipeline
A quick glance of the Golden Flashes’ NFL lineage belies its mid-major status. And it’s not just how many — 51 professional players, 42 of them drafted, according to Pro Football Reference — it’s who.
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