Conner Vernon Biletnikoff Vigil

[Dukehky]

Maybe I'm just feeling pretty optimistic after last night, but I really feel like Vernon should at least be considered a finalist for this award, if for nothing else than as a tip of the cap for a great career. He might not win with flashier receivers like Woods and Lee out there, but I would love to see him be a finalist for that award. He is 93 yards away from breaking the receiving yards record in the ACC.

Note: For those not aware, the Biletnikoff is the award for the best WR in college football (context clues)

Crowder made a phenomenal play, and Renfree was rock solid all night but Vernon put Duke in the position to win that football game last night. My offensive MVP, which is tough because everyone played great on offense; line, backs, etc.

In case you couldn't guess, I think Conner Vernon is the best football player Duke has ever had.

[Wander]

I would guess a good showing against Clemson is key. Clemson and Duke probably have the best WRs in the conference, so if he can outperform them, that would help. (I know this doesn't actually make sense since wide receivers don't guard wide receivers, but perception matters and college football awards work in ridiculous ways sometimes).

I love how many football threads there are right now.

[loran16]

Excuse me, you've mistitled this thread. It should be the Conner Vernon Biletnikoff Vigil.

(And yes he deserves it for sure)

[jimsumner]

I'm not sure cumulative, career records will factor in here much.

I'd settle for first-team All-ACC. The All-ACC team still has two RBs and two WRs, despite the fact that three-receiver, one-back sets are more common at every ACC school not named Georgia Tech. How often do you see two tailbacks on the field at the same time?

[pfrduke]

Excuse me, you've mistitled this thread. It should be the Conner Vernon Biletnikoff Vigil.

(And yes he deserves it for sure)

Done and done.

[Mike Corey]

Below is the list of the top receivers in college football, according to ESPN.com, and ranked by season yards. Mr. Vernon comes in tied for 11th. I do not know what criteria voters use in choosing the Biletnikoff winner, but I suspect that yardage and touchdowns play into it quite a bit. I will let the experts like Jim Sumner weigh in on the actual criteria used, how much weight they might have, etc. But for what it's worth:

RK PLAYER TEAM REC YDS AVG LONG TD
(1) Terrance Williams, WR BAY 47 1013 21.6 80 9
(2) DeAndre Hopkins, WR CLEM 52 845 16.3 60 9
(3) Austin Franklin, WR NMSU 50 826 16.5 84 8
(4) Willie Snead, WR BALL 62 823 13.3 52 6
(5) Alex Amidon, WR BC 48 806 16.8 49 5
(5) Quinton Patton, WR LT 59 806 13.7 78 10
(7) Stedman Bailey, WR WVU 59 800 13.6 87 14
(8) Tavon Austin, WR WVU 73 795 10.9 52 9
(9) Marqise Lee, WR USC 60 784 13.1 83 8
(10) Cobi Hamilton, WR ARK 46 754 16.4 80 4
(11) Conner Vernon, WR DUKE 51 749 14.7 49 5
(11) Justin Hardy, WR ECU 51 749 14.7 76 8
(13) Bernard Reedy, WR TOL 57 738 12.9 65 5
(14) Jaime Wilson, WR WMU 59 706 12.0 39 6
(15) Noel Grigsby, WR SJSU 43 690 16.0 51 5
(16) Austin Hill, WR ARIZ 44 678 15.4 53 7
(17) Keenan Allen, WR CAL 56 676 12.1 69 5
(18) Anthony Amos, WR MTU 45 673 15.0 47 5
(18) Tommy Shuler, WR MRSH 69 673 9.8 57 3
(20) Brandin Cooks, WR ORST 35 667 19.1 75 2

[Jim3k]

Maybe I'm just feeling pretty optimistic after last night, but I really feel like Vernon should at least be considered a finalist for this award, if for nothing else than as a tip of the cap for a great career.

****

In case you couldn't guess, I think Conner Vernon is the best football player Duke has ever had.

It is fun, in the heat of the moment, to think such thoughts. And certainly Vernon should be in such a conversation. Even so, there are a number of players in the past 50 years or so who might contest that notion. And that's taking nothing away from Vernon who has been phenomenal. And, it's a bit unfair to some who were not skill players, so to speak. How do you compare a speedy, tricky, sure-handed wide receiver to a heavy-hitting and feared linebacker? (Curtis, Matheson) How do you compare him to a power back (Jones, Cuthbert) or to a guy forced to play two ways: WR/DB (Jackson, AA)? Or, to a "non-skilled" Outland quality lineman (McGee). And I'm leaving out a number of QBs who were awfully good.

In other ways, due to the passage of time and rule changes, a fair comparison can't be made. Clarkston Hines and Jackson were consensus first team AA WRs. Will Vernon meet that level of honor? [He definitely should, but will he? After all, that depends on voters who may not know of Vernon, much less seen him play.]

I agree that Vernon is the finest Duke football player we've had in years. I'd let it stand there. It's a good place.

In the meantime, maybe the athletic department can bang some drums for him. He deserves big time honors. (And so do Renfree, Canty and Cockrell.)

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

It is fun, in the heat of the moment, to think such thoughts. And certainly Vernon should be in such a conversation. Even so, there are a number of players in the past 50 years or so who might contest that notion. And that's taking nothing away from Vernon who has been phenomenal. And, it's a bit unfair to some who were not skill players, so to speak. How do you compare a speedy, tricky, sure-handed wide receiver to a heavy-hitting and feared linebacker? (Curtis, Matheson) How do you compare him to a power back (Jones, Cuthbert) or to a guy forced to play two ways: WR/DB (Jackson, AA)? Or, to a "non-skilled" Outland quality lineman (McGee). And I'm leaving out a number of QBs who were awfully good.

In other ways, due to the passage of time and rule changes, a fair comparison can't be made. Clarkston Hines and Jackson were consensus first team AA WRs. Will Vernon meet that level of honor? [He definitely should, but will he? After all, that depends on voters who may not know of Vernon, much less seen him play.]

I agree that Vernon is the finest Duke football player we've had in years. I'd let it stand there. It's a good place.

In the meantime, maybe the athletic department can bang some drums for him. He deserves big time honors. (And so do Renfree, Canty and Cockrell.)

While we are naming names, let's don't leave off Ace Parker and others of that era.

The fact that we can name many players in a variety of positions going back to the early days of the university when we talk about stars and greatest ever is a testimony to the rich history of Duke football despite the long hiatus from excellence.

[Jim3k]

While we are naming names, let's don't leave off Ace Parker and others of that era.

The fact that we can name many players in a variety of positions going back to the early days of the university when we talk about stars and greatest ever is a testimony to the rich history of Duke football despite the long hiatus from excellence.

Good points DitB. I arbitrarily cut it off with McGee in 1959 in large part because players' sizes began getting bigger about then and because of the transition from single wing-based formations. [Murray ran a version of the Wing-T he called the Duke-T which utilized single wing blocking principles.] That leaves off Al DeRogatis and some others from the early 50's. Ace Parker, Eric Tipton, and George McAfee are all '30s-'40s guys and outside my "fifty years or so" range.

[throatybeard]

I agree that Vernon is the finest Duke football player we've had in years. I'd let it stand there. It's a good place.

Would you sign off on "since Chris Douglas?"

[Jim3k]

Would you sign off on "since Chris Douglas?"

Easily.