[lex24]

In reality, John Elway's "coach" was his dad. I doubt that anyone on Wiggin's staff, including Jim Fassel, could ever help him.

Elway lobbied for Fassel to be hired as the Broncos OC and always credited him as a major influence on his development, so I'm pretty sure that Elway felt that Fassel had helped him a lot at Stanford.

Fassel was also his presenter when Elway was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.

I was there that night.  I remember Fassel telling the story of Elway throwing kickoffs for the return team. They were at Fort Dohower.   First one went to about the 5.  They asked him to throw it deeper.  Next one went to about goal line.  They asked him to throw it deeper.  Next one sailed through the goalpost and into the parking lot.  Fassel asked: “is that  deep enough?” Maybe apocryphal.  But a good story.

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If anyone has any idea, when John Elway was recruited from High School, how would he have been ranked if today's prospect scouting and recruit ranking systems were used?  Would he have been a 5 star or a 4 star?  

He was the top recruit in the country. He only played half a season as a senior in high school but he was still selected as Parade Magazine's first team All America (Dan Marino was second team).

Yep.  John Robinson coached him in an all star game.  Said he was the best high school QB he’d ever seen.  He was far from alone in that opinion.  Heck, one coach that recruited him said he slept with his mother, and still couldn’t get him.:).

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If anyone has any idea, when John Elway was recruited from High School, how would he have been ranked if today's prospect scouting and recruit ranking systems were used?  Would he have been a 5 star or a 4 star?  

I assume he had offers from all over the country, but I don't know that for sure and am curious to know what his recruitment was like.

USC really wanted him and he almost went there. Can you imagine a backfield of Elway and Marcus Allen???

Heck, can you imagine what Elway and Stanford could have done if Walsh stayed?  I wish…..

And what if Walsh had recruited Allen?! One thing for certain: Even w/o MA, the losses to USC in 1980-82 would have been nail-biters, not thumpings. Maybe 2-1, Stanford. And in '79, had Walsh started Elway over Schonert (uncertain), Stanford may well have pulled it out. Woulda-coulda-shoulda, but fun to consider.

It would have been tough for Walsh to start Elway over Schonert in '79 because Walsh wasn't the coach. I remember Dowhower giving both Schonert and Elway playing time in 1979, but I don't remember Elway's perfomance being that superior to Schonert's. It's been awhile though.

Gail was speaking hypothetically.  Sometimes Schonert had the hot hand, sometimes Elway did.  Schonert was darn good.  

There were two fairly highly regarded QB’s behind Schonert coming into the season- Babe Laufenberg and Grayson Rodgers. They both transferred shortly after Elway arrived. Laufenberg to Indiana, Rodgers to Pacific.

I went to practices in those days.  I still remember the first time I saw Elway.  They were having receivers run go routes. Schonert threw nice 40 yard passes.  Looped a bit as you’d expect.  Elway threw 40 yard rockets.  The railbirds gasped.  

Just before his first SB, Leonard Koppett (a terrific sportswriter) compared Elway to Mickey Mantle.  Essentially- he strikes out occasionally, but even the strike outs are thrilling to watch.  And there was always the potential of something truly spectacular.

I love watching Mahomes for the same reason.  Most Elwayesqe QB I’ve seen.

[lex24]

In reality, John Elway's "coach" was his dad. I doubt that anyone on Wiggin's staff, including Jim Fassel, could ever help him.

Elway lobbied for Fassel to be hired as the Broncos OC and always credited him as a major influence on his development, so I'm pretty sure that Elway felt that Fassel had helped him a lot at Stanford.

Fassel was also his presenter when Elway was inducted into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.

I was there that night.  I remember Fassel telling the story of Elway throwing kickoffs for the return team. They were at Fort Dohower.   First one went to about the 5.  They asked him to throw it deeper.  Next one went to about goal line.  They asked him to throw it deeper.  Next one sailed through the goalpost and into the parking lot.  Fassel asked: “is that  deep enough?” Maybe apocryphal.  But a good story.

---

If anyone has any idea, when John Elway was recruited from High School, how would he have been ranked if today's prospect scouting and recruit ranking systems were used?  Would he have been a 5 star or a 4 star?  

He was the top recruit in the country. He only played half a season as a senior in high school but he was still selected as Parade Magazine's first team All America (Dan Marino was second team).

Yep.  John Robinson coached him in an all star game.  Said he was the best high school QB he’d ever seen.  He was far from alone in that opinion.  Heck, one coach that recruited him said he slept with his mother, and still couldn’t get him.:).

---

If anyone has any idea, when John Elway was recruited from High School, how would he have been ranked if today's prospect scouting and recruit ranking systems were used?  Would he have been a 5 star or a 4 star?  

I assume he had offers from all over the country, but I don't know that for sure and am curious to know what his recruitment was like.

USC really wanted him and he almost went there. Can you imagine a backfield of Elway and Marcus Allen???

Heck, can you imagine what Elway and Stanford could have done if Walsh stayed?  I wish…..

And what if Walsh had recruited Allen?! One thing for certain: Even w/o MA, the losses to USC in 1980-82 would have been nail-biters, not thumpings. Maybe 2-1, Stanford. And in '79, had Walsh started Elway over Schonert (uncertain), Stanford may well have pulled it out. Woulda-coulda-shoulda, but fun to consider.

It would have been tough for Walsh to start Elway over Schonert in '79 because Walsh wasn't the coach. I remember Dowhower giving both Schonert and Elway playing time in 1979, but I don't remember Elway's perfomance being that superior to Schonert's. It's been awhile though.

Gail was speaking hypothetically.  Sometimes Schonert had the hot hand, sometimes Elway did.  Schonert was darn good.  

There were two fairly highly regarded QB’s behind Schonert coming into the season- Babe Laufenberg and Grayson Rodgers. They both transferred shortly after Elway arrived. Laufenberg to Indiana, Rodgers to Pacific.

I went to practices in those days.  I still remember the first time I saw Elway.  They were having receivers run go routes. Schonert threw nice 40 yard passes.  Looped a bit as you’d expect.  Elway threw 40 yard rockets.  The railbirds gasped.  

Just before his first SB, Leonard Koppett (a terrific sportswriter) compared Elway to Mickey Mantle.  Essentially- he strikes out occasionally, but even the strike outs are thrilling to watch.  And there was always the potential of something truly spectacular.

I love watching Mahomes for the same reason.  Most Elwayesqe QB I’ve seen.