Who played both ways?

Irwin20

Irwin20

Well-known member
In High School? It’s seems to be rare nowadays especially in the larger schools but my recollection is that in 70s, 80s and likely prior decades coached usually would try to have their best athletes on the field as much as possible. I went to what would now be considered a D2 / small D1 school in Pennsylvania and played RB and safety with a bit of punt returning thrown in. Usually only left the field for special teams. Any other old timers have similar experiences?
 
 
Irwin20 said:
In High School? It’s seems to be rare nowadays especially in the larger schools but my recollection is that in 70s, 80s and likely prior decades coached usually would try to have their best athletes on the field as much as possible. I went to what would now be considered a D2 / small D1 school in Pennsylvania and played RB and safety with a bit of punt returning thrown in. Usually only left the field for special teams. Any other old timers have similar experiences?
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Just about every starter for Vanlue....going back decades.
 
Same here. My school was a lower enrollment AAA Ohio team. It was tough against the 3 GCL teams we played including Faust Mowller teams. Had to play defensive Monster, RB and Kick Returner with a couple of short rest.
 
I played QB and punted, but only got to play defense on occasion at safety. Mostly passing situations. Would have loved to have played both ways all the time.

Played safety in college.
 
I played for what is now a big D2 school and it was a D1 school when I played. I played OL and DL and special teams. But all the players played both ways that played a lot. They used rotations to keep us fresh. So we wouldnt play every down in a series.
 
Played both ways my senior year. Played pulling guard in the wing-t and a sort of hybrid DE/OLB on defense. Also played on punt and punt return. Got my breaks on KO's and extra points. Rarely came out on D, but the coaches had a good rotation at guard unless the game was close in the second half and we usually rolled with the starters.
 
I played:
WR
OLB
PAT team
PAT defensive team
Punt team
Punt return team
Kickoff team
Only play I was not on the field was Kickoff return
 
Back in my ancient days at Ignatius, the same 10 players played both offense and defense. Unlike today's squad which can number about 100, the football squad in my days were limited to 40 players.
 
At Lucas, damn near everyone does. I was ILB, FB, long-snapper on punts, x-points and FGs, played special teams on KO, KO return & punt return as well. Never left the field as a senior. Class of 1993.
 
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Never left the field. OL and a down DE in four man front. School was an old Ohio Class AAA that was D- I today. It has since dropped to D-II. Rotated as a Jr. but started both positions off and on. Only the best athletes played both ways, usually 3, 4 or 5.
 
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So where did you guys all play D-1 college ball at? I assume most of you also played in the professional ranks as well. Oh how our memory fails us.
 
Sophomore and senior year MLB, OG kick,punt,senior year on the field all but 43 seconds of last game.
 
YtownJohnny said:
So where did you guys all play D-1 college ball at? I assume most of you also played in the professional ranks as well. Oh how our memory fails us.
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NFDL.jpg
 
YtownJohnny said:
So where did you guys all play D-1 college ball at? I assume most of you also played in the professional ranks as well. Oh how our memory fails us.
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Only made it to DIII, but we did go undefeated one year and got a big fat ring I still show off every now and then. I have coached at some smaller schools where kids never left the field but had no chance of playing college ball. Just because you played both ways, doesn't necessarily mean you were some kind of superstar.
 
Paladin said:
dnis30 - did you play for Coach Nardo ?
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Yes, in junior high. He was my favorite coach I ever had. He taught us how to be men, win or lose. What a great man. They don't make em like him anymore. He is struggling with Alzheimer's now, don't know how much longer we'll have him here on this earth.
 
Bill and I coached together early in our careers. He became HC at Lucas. I took a HC job at another school. We would often run into one another scouting opponents or we met at college games. We always had a good time together. Sorry to hear about the Alzheimer’s.
 
Despite having 100+ kids on the roster, Pickerington Central has always utilized 2-way players. However, they rarely, if ever, have someone start on both sides and/or play all snaps.

Usually a player starts on one side of the ball or the other, and then is used for certain plays, packages, or situations on the other side.

As we get into the playoffs and especially as we get deep into the playoffs they increase the number of snaps for the top play makers on both sides.
 
For me personally... I played at a small school in the ‘80s. We had a handful of guys who played every snap of every game. I wasn’t one of those guys. My junior year I started at DB and rotated in as a WR. Then my senior year I started at WR and returned kicks, and rotated in as the 5th DB.
 
Paladin said:
Bill and I coached together early in our careers. He became HC at Lucas. I took a HC job at another school. We would often run into one another scouting opponents or we met at college games. We always had a good time together. Sorry to hear about the Alzheimer’s.
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Thanks for sharing. Take care!
 
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