The Legend of Touchdown Tommy Vardell

[imported_anacardo]

So JoA and I were talkin' a little pigskin the other day, and were, as is one of our favorite pastimes, pooh-poohing Barry Sanders, as part of the "yards per carry / total carries / goal-line carries" discussion. "Fool even needed a goal-line back - what was that cat's name?" Ah yes. Tommy. "Touchdown Tommy" Vardell.

I became curious, and Googled his ass. I had remembered that he was taken in the first round - I'd thought it was the bottom of the first, and wondered why the Lions had dumped a #1 on some random fullback like that. Then I saw that the Browns had drafted him in '92 - I had somehow forgotten his entire Cleveland career - and, to my shock, I saw that he was drafted number nine overall.

Now, many of you may be saying, "'Cardo, what the [censored], there are draft busts all over the place, what's special about this one?" Well, his career at Stanford was thoroughly unspectacular; he started only in his senior season, gaining ~1100 yards on ~220 carries (Stanford's all-time single-season rushing record! ROFL COPTER); he scored 20 times, as the Cardinal seems to have run three dive plays every time they got inside the five that year. It is also worth pointing out that 1992 was one of the worst RB classes of all time. That aside - what the hell were the Browns thinking? "If only we had the best white fullback available... that'd be the ticket. That'd get us some rings."

Can any Browns fans explain what the hype surrounding this guy was like, back in the day? This completely baffles me. One fair-to-good season after riding the bench for three years... and that's a top-ten pick?

[legend42]

You're questioning the football wisdom of Bill Belichick?

It does look like a wierd pick now, but you can make those claims about so many draft picks, looking back.

You brush over the 20 TDs, but that's an absolute TON for a single season, and 1000 yards was pretty respectable too. He never fumbled or committed a single penalty in his entire college career, could catch the ball, was an excellent blocker, etc. Easy enough to see how Belichick, and Cleveland fans, thought they might have the next John Riggins.

And there is all sort of last minute draft activity we just don't know about. Like maybe Cleveland liked Vardell a lot, but thought they could trade down for him, but were holding onto the #9 in case Klingler fell to them, but then Cincy grabs Klingler, and right before they make the deal for the #18 and #42 picks, they hear the team at #14 is interested in Vardell. So they decide to grab him with the #9 pick...

Stuff like that happens, and can look either idiotic or brilliant later, depending.