Could Deion Sanders fit into this? Bowden's Florida State was certainly a quality program prior to his arrival, but his breakout seasons in 1987-88 were the first two of the 14-year streak of Top-5 finishes (with two national titles thrown in).
Ron Dayne....until Fickell decided to go spread. Wisconsin was a bottom feeder in the Big10, happy to get a win over Northwestern. Dayne won a Heisman and set the table for RB after RB to come through and gave Wisconsin an identity for a generation.
RG3 was my first thought. Baylor was absolute ass before he came around. I remember watching him play at DKR in ‘08 and telling my sister, “Ah fuck, Baylor might get good?”
RG3 is an interesting pick, though it gets hard to say how transformative he was because we don't know if Baylor would've stayed at that level for longer if not for the scandal.
As an Oregon grad, Joey is also a good shout because he mainstreamed the O hand sign. Legend is that O was what the band director used to signal the fight song, and after one of Harrington’s big wins - maybe vs Oregon State? - he was photographed doing that to the band too.
Toby Gerhart for me (but the real answer was Andrew Luck). Toby Gerhart was the intellectual brutality personified. Galloping bruiser studying engineering (management science and engineering but engineering nonetheless!) who finished second in the closest heisman vote and I think might have won had they given him the rock against Cal for like a fifth TD. He was the one who set the tone for the next season that showed what was possible at Stanford and why it gets talked about.
I think Brad Smith was Mizzou’s most transformative player in recent memory. Without him, Gary Pinkel doesn’t succeed and the Tigers stay an afterthought in the Big 12 and have zero chance of moving to the SEC.
Could Deion Sanders fit into this? Bowden's Florida State was certainly a quality program prior to his arrival, but his breakout seasons in 1987-88 were the first two of the 14-year streak of Top-5 finishes (with two national titles thrown in).
Deion's a good pick although I imagine an FSU QB or two might argue it.
Ron Dayne....until Fickell decided to go spread. Wisconsin was a bottom feeder in the Big10, happy to get a win over Northwestern. Dayne won a Heisman and set the table for RB after RB to come through and gave Wisconsin an identity for a generation.
RG3 was my first thought. Baylor was absolute ass before he came around. I remember watching him play at DKR in ‘08 and telling my sister, “Ah fuck, Baylor might get good?”
RG3 is an interesting pick, though it gets hard to say how transformative he was because we don't know if Baylor would've stayed at that level for longer if not for the scandal.
As an Oregon grad, Joey is also a good shout because he mainstreamed the O hand sign. Legend is that O was what the band director used to signal the fight song, and after one of Harrington’s big wins - maybe vs Oregon State? - he was photographed doing that to the band too.
Toby Gerhart for me (but the real answer was Andrew Luck). Toby Gerhart was the intellectual brutality personified. Galloping bruiser studying engineering (management science and engineering but engineering nonetheless!) who finished second in the closest heisman vote and I think might have won had they given him the rock against Cal for like a fifth TD. He was the one who set the tone for the next season that showed what was possible at Stanford and why it gets talked about.
I think Brad Smith was Mizzou’s most transformative player in recent memory. Without him, Gary Pinkel doesn’t succeed and the Tigers stay an afterthought in the Big 12 and have zero chance of moving to the SEC.