Daily Egyptian
In 2001, former SIUC linebacker Teddy Sims attended training camp with the NFL's Indianapolis Colts, and even though he didn't make it past the final cut, he opened scouts' eyes to the SIUC football team.
Now, both Bart Scott with the Baltimore Ravens and Jon Pendergrass with the Seattle Seahawks are on NFL rosters and hope to stay on throughout the season.
These players are out to prove that one doesn't have to go to a big-name football school like Notre Dame, Nebraska or Michigan to watch a good game on Saturday. People can watch quality players here at SIUC.
While SIUC isn't known for producing top-10 sports teams, the Athletic Department is producing quality athletes and attracting national attention.
Professional scouts notice SIUC's players, and they get the chance to play pro sports even though they don't receive the same national media attention as players such as Eric Crouch (2001 Heisman Trophy winner) and Jay Williams (former Duke point guard and Chicago Bulls first round pick).
Scott and Pendergrass are not the only Salukis from last season to make it to the professional level.
From the SIUC baseball team, two players were picked in the recent Major League Baseball Draft. Luke Nelson was taken by the San Francisco Giants, and Jeff Stanek was picked by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Even more recently, former SIUC center Rolan Roberts from the basketball team competed on summer league teams for the NBA's Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards, and he is hoping to be signed by an NBA team for the upcoming season.
While these players illustrate the recent upward trend in Saluki Athletics, history proves that SIUC has consistently produced professional athletes from what many people consider a mediocre sports program.
Former basketball great Walt Frazier, who played for SIUC when the team won the NIT championship in 1967, later went on to be elected to the NBA Hall of Fame and has also been named as one of the top 50 players in NBA history.
Troy Hudson and Chris Carr, who played SIUC basketball in the early '90s, both left school early to join the NBA.
Former SIUC baseball players Steve Finley, Jerry Hairston Jr. and Sean Bergman made it to the Major Leagues.
In the NFL, former Salukis include Jim Hart, Damon Jones and Terry Taylor.
All these players getting their shot at the pros shows a couple of things.
First, this shows that SIUC's athletic teams have a storied past that cannot be wiped out by recent disappointments.
Secondly, it shows that the programs are back on the rise, and they are attracting more talented players and the attention of scouts.
Another thing this shows is that the coaching staffs are doing a solid job of developing their players to the point that professional scouts are interested.
The entire Athletic Department should be recognized for their efforts, and we hope they not only continue what they are doing, but that they keep improving.
SIUC Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk and Associate Athletic Director Kathy Jones have been providing the Department with the leadership necessary to be successful and continue to show that you don't have to be a school like Syracuse, University of Miami or UCLA to have good sports teams.
As long as you have strong leadership, commitment and, of course, patience from your administrators and coaches, any school can be a sports powerhouse.
Hopefully, Kowalczyk and company stay on this path and keep giving the SIUC community sports programs that we can be proud of, regardless of the wins and loses.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
