TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #1 Sidney Crosby

SIDNEY CROSBY - Center, Pittsburgh Penguins




Here we are, sports fans. Numero Uno. The Big Kahuna. The Bee's Knees. Cat's Pajamas. Whatever you want to call it, we've reached the top spot on out Top 25 Athletes Under the Age of 25 list. At #1 we have the young Canadian sensation, Sidney Crosby.

Crosby is our 2nd hockey player on the list and is as much a household name as the NHL has to offer these days. It wasn't easy for me to put a hockey guy at number one, but looking at his career accomplishments at such a young age combined with the way he has dominated every level he has played at it was pretty clear that this guy was deserving of being number one. As I mentioned in the Stamkos post, I am not by any stretch of the imagination a hockey aficionado. However, I don't live under a rock and I am, just like every other sports fan, at least aware of who this kid is and what he has to offer.

What he offers is pure brilliance on skates. Nicknamed, The Next One - in reference to Wayne Gretzky as The Great One - Crosby was considered one of the most sought after draft picks in hockey history. After dominating the QMJHL, also known as the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (yea I had to wiki that one), Crosby was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005. For hockey fans, and particularly Canadian hockey fans, this was not the first they had heard of Sidney Crosby.

After learning to skate at the tender age of 3, Crosby picked up the game of hockey at a rapid rate. By age 13 he was trying to play against 17 year olds, but ultimately lost a lawsuit challenging his right to play with the older kids. Whereas most super-talented youth are heralded and praised and generally get all they want out of life (see Lebron James) Crosby was the subject of much jealousy and hatred from opponents and league parents. Jealous of his superior talent many kids would try to injure Crosby and parents would often taunt him from the stands. As a result, Crosby attended a prep school in Minnesota. In 2002-03 his prep school won the U.S. National Championship, starting a lengthy string of championships for Crosby.

From there he was the 1st overall selection in the midget draft - surprisingly not a draft of little people - in the QMJHL. He dominated the league in his first year as the Player of the Year and also the Top Scorer. His amateur years caught the eye of Wayne Gretzky who said that Crosby was the best player he'd seen since Mario Lemieux, and that he thought Crosby could break his records some day.

Interestingly enough, like Lemieux Crosby was selected first overall by the Penguins in 2005. In his rookie season Crosby was able to play alongside Super Mario before he was forced to retire due to health. As a rookie in the NHL Crosby was everything that was expected and then some. He set franchise records for assists and points by a rookie - both Lemieux records. He was the youngest player in league history to tally 100 points in a season and the 7th rookie to do so. He finished 6th in scoring and 7th in assists, but lost out to Alexander Ovechkin for rookie of the year.

In his sophomore year, things got even better for Sid the Kid, as he became the first teenager since Gretzky to lead the league in scoring. He was the youngest ever winner of the Art Ross Trophy (scoring leader) and the youngest scoring champ of any North American sport.

By 2008-09 season Crosby was one of the biggest names in hockey, if not the biggest. He had established himself as one of the game's greats, albeit with a bit of a reputation as a whiner and a cry-baby. Mirroring his rise to stardom was the Penguins rise as one of the better teams in the league. In 2009 they won the Stanley Cup, led by Crosby their young Captain. He finished the season with 103 points, good for 3rd in the league, despite some minor injuries.



Hoisting the Cup cemented Crosby's status as the biggest name in hockey, and gave him a leg-up on the individual on-going battle with Ovechkin, who is perhaps more flashy but not quite the winner Crosby has proven to be. It also helped cement Crosby's spot on this list.

What truly puts Crosby apart from others on this list is the fact that he has dominated at every level. In the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Crosby broke the hearts of American hockey fans when he put home a rebound for the game-winning goal in overtime of the Gold Medal game against the upstart USA team. The win avenged an early loss to the American's in the preliminary round and basically avoided disaster for Canada who surely could not have suffered a Gold Medal loss to their big brother from the south.



This season, Crosby has been limited due to concussion suffered from multiple hits to the head in back to back games. He hasn't played since January 5th and it is questionable whether he will return at all this season. Despite playing about 30 less games than the points leaders Crosby still sits at #11 in points with 66. In fact, Stamkos the leader in goals has only managed 11 more than Crosby despite 28 more games played.



Although he is not the flashy highlight machine that Ovechkin is, Crosby is more substance. Think Derrick Rose compared to Rajon Rondo. He is a dominant force on the ice whether he is playing for Canada or the Penguins. And at just 23 years old the flapjack eaters in Canada and the Penguins fans in Pittsburgh alike are looking forward to many more seasons of brilliance and most importantly, winning. Duh!


Here is 2009's Top 25 Under 25 list. We did not do one in 2010.

1. Lebron James
2. Alexander Ovechkin
3. Sidney Crosby
4. Adrian Peterson
5. Evgeni Malkin
6. Chris Paul
7. Dwight Howard
8. Evan Longoria
9. Matt Ryan
10. Felix Hernandez
11. Mario Williams
12. Calvin Johnson
13. Rajon Rondo
14. Derrick Rose
15. BJ Upton
16. Deron Williams
17. Patrick Willis
18. Kevin Durant
19. Matt Cain
20. Justin Upton
21. Adam Jones
22. David Price
23. Josh Smith
24. Reggie Bush
25. Al Jefferson

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #2 Blake Griffin

BLAKE GRIFFIN - Power Forward, Los Angeles Clippers

Much like #3 on this list, Kevin Durant, I've gone back and forth on where to put this guy. Initially, I had him a little further down on the list just because he was very unproven having missed his entire actual rookie season with a leg injury. However, as the season progressed it became clear that this man is a once in a generation type of talent. He is the kind of guy that a franchise can draft and change their fortunes, as Lebron did for Cleveland, Carmelo did for Denver and Wade did for Miami. Unfortunately, only DWade remains with his original franchise - a growing trend in the league. Only time will tell if Blake Griffin will be able to resist temptation to jump ship in Los Angeles.

For now though, he is a Clipper and things have never looked so bright for the younger brother of LaLa land NBA franchises. Griffin is on a highlight reel tear we haven't seen since Vince Carter's best years of nightly gravity defying slams. Blake Griffin has electrified the city of Los Angeles much like a young Kobe did and has put himself in position to challenge Lebron and others as the face of the NBA in coming years.

Before he was known simply as Blake, Griffin was an Oklahoma basketball state champion and a McDonald's All American who chose his hometown Sooners over Jim Calhoun's Huskies. While a Sooner Griffin enjoyed to brilliant seasons of college basketball, even winning the Naismith Award for player of the year. Fellow Sooner, Sam Bradford (#9 on this list)won the Heisman the same year, marking the first time in NCAA history that one school had the Naismith and Heisman winners of the same year.

Griffin's trophy case is littered with college accolades despite only playing 2 years. In hist first season of NBA action he's trying to keep up the trophy pace. He's already won a Slam Dunk competition (which was basically his once he stepped on the court, but we'll debate that contest another day) and is well on his way to Rookie of the Year Award - which in my opinion is a joke. He was able to sit on the bench all last season and presumably attend meetings and generally just learn a lot about the NBA game. If that's not an advantage over John Wall and others in the actual rookie class than I am not sure what is. Regardless, his performance warrants whatever awards people want to throw his way.

While many critics may label him a one-trick pony and just a dunk machine, I think it is pretty evident that Griffin's game is much more advanced than other "dunkers" like Darius Miles, Gerald Green or Desmond Mason - athletic types that became trendy in the early 2000s. Right now Griffin's game needs a little refinement, and he'll be the first to tell you that. In a recent interview he even stated that right now much of what he gets offensively and on the boards comes just from playing harder than everyone else. Most would surmise that Griffin's frantic pace of play and energy would be hard to keep up over a whole career, and that he must make adjustments in his game in order to have longevity. Even young Michael Jordan had to develop his jumper and other aspects of his repetoire when jumping over everyone on every play became too much on a nightly basis. Griffin is in the same boat, but he has already made improvements and is developing a nice little post game to go with his unearthly leaping ability in the open court. Every time he plays against great PF like Duncan, Garnett, Stoudemire, etc. you can see how seriously he takes the task and how he is working at picking up things those guys are doing.

His season statistics suggest a player who is much more than one injury filled season into his career. He is 12th in the league in scoring with over 22 PPG and 4th in the league in rebounding at 12.4 RPG. His Points/Rebounds/Assists averages are behind only Lebron and Kevin Love, and ahead of Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and Amare Stoudemire.

It will be very interesting to see where Griffin's career takes him. At the moment I think the potential is just about endless. Clippers' front office has already made it clear that they intend to make him a Clipper for life, which obviously excites the fan base, but could potentially alienate Griffin. He comes along at a very interesting time in LA when Kobe's reign is beginning to fade, and a potential shift in basketball power could come along in the city. If the Lakers ride out Kobe's career and fade into oblivion as his old tired legs lead them down an aging path, it is conceivable that Griffin - given a decent team - could ignite the front-running city into a blaze of Clipper glory. No city likes something new and flashy quite like LA does. Plus, all the bloods could finally wear their red clippers gear with pride!

No matter what transpires over the next few years, I think we can agree that Griffin will be an exciting player to keep tabs on. Even if his game never gets much better and he just provides us with years of ridiculous dunk highlights I think fans would be happy. At just 21 years old, though, Griffin indeed has some time to become an all-time great. Clippers fans and basketball fans in general will be excited every time he steps out on the hardwood. Just do us all a favor, and next time go over the roof like a real man.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #3 Kevin Durant

KEVIN DURANT - Forward, Oklahoma City Thunder

When I started making this list, my first instinct was to put Kevin Durant at the very top of the list. I've since made a few edits, and he has slipped to number three. Make no mistake, though, this young man is as good as it gets for young athletes and the difference between the top 3 are really just splitting hairs.

Durant, also known as The Durantula - one of my favorite athlete nicknames - has quickly asserted himself as one of the NBA's premier scorers. In 2009-10 he was the league's scoring champion averaging a robust 30.1 points per game. During the season he rattled off an unreal streak of scoring at least 25 points in 29 consecutive games! That streak set the NBA mark, breaking a record set by Allen Iverson. During the streak and throughout the season, he seemed virtually unstoppable and able to get his scoring from any position on the floor.

For a 6'9" forward Durant is a deft shooter from all over the court. When he's on his game his jump-shot is really a thing of beauty, and I'd put it up against just about anyone in the league for aesthetics. His combination of size and quickness, make him incredibly difficult to defend one on one, and this season in particular he has faced a myriad of defensive schemes aimed solely at slowing him down.



It has worked to a small degree. In part, that is the reason for his being #3 on this list and not #1. Entering the 2010-11 season most NBA fans and experts were expecting another step forward for Durant. Another 30 PPG effort and perhaps more rebounding and distributing was in order. He stumbled a bit out of the blocks to begin the season, as teammate Russell Westbrook looked to be taking the reigns of the Thunder. Across the board, many of Durant's numbers are down just a tick or two this season. He has struggled a bit to find his stroke from behind the arc, shooting just 34% from three. However, at 28.1 points per night and 7.1 rebounds he is hardly disappointing from a production stand point. Perhaps another step forward might be to much too ask, especially from an unselfish player who knows that for the Thunder to become a contender other guys like Westbrook and Harden are going to have to get theirs too.

In fact, Durant's unassuming superstar temperament might just be the most appealing thing about him. He's much more Scottie than he is Michael. And while that might hinder him from garnering as many commercials or off-court endorsement deals, it certainly helps liken him to the fans. In an age when most athletes of his caliber are always searching out greener pastures (see Alex Rodriguez, Lebron James) Durant was happy to reup with the hometown Oklahoma City Thunder in hopes of making that small market team an annual title threat, and didn't try to force his way out of town onto a so-called "super team".

Durant's resume already boasts many collegiate decorations, a Rookie of the Year Award, two All-Star games, a Scoring Champion award and an FIBA World Championship Gold Medal. When all is said and done with Kevin Durant's career I suspect he will go down as one of the greats. He is well on his way to doing just that, and at the ripe age of 22 and locked into a long-term deal in OKC, Thunder fans are hoping that career just might have a few rings in it as well. If they can keep the talent around him there shouldn't be any reason why not.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #4 Derrick Rose

DERRICK ROSE - Point Guard, Chicago Bulls

Chicago fans, and in particular our friend K, can rest easy. We've finally gotten to D-Rose on our countdown. I'd have to imagine that any Chicagoan would be pretty pleased with his spot on our list. D-Rose is revolutionizing the point guard position. Whether it is for the betterment of the game is for others to debate. What isn't up for debate is that Rose is as explosive a point guard as the league has ever seen.

Coming out of Memphis there were many critics when he was selected #1 overall by Chicago in the 2008 NBA draft. I'll admit I was one of them. He didn't strike me as a very good shooter, and many wondered if he would be able to expand that part of his game. There were also some rumblings of a lack of leadership qualities as Memphis choked in the tourney. However, that might have been a bit unfair as he was a freshman. I think it is safe to say that he has answered many of those questions with his play on the court, and he is a leader now on the Bulls.

Rose is for all intents and purposes a polar opposite of the other PG in our top 10, Rajon Rondo. A score-first point guard who is a versatile and electric scorer, has improved the other facets of his game in a big way. For all the attention that his scoring gets - and he deserves it - Rose has become a productive distributor of the basketball as well. As of publishing date, Rose was 10th in the league in APG with 8.1. And in Points/Assists/Rebounds he ranks 7th in the league averaging 37 total per game. That ranks ahead of Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant to name a few.

Since the time he entered the league the knock on Rose has been that he was a volume shooter and couldn't hit consistently from the outside. He's since proven both of those things to be myths as he has inserted himself into the MVP conversation in 2010-2011. On the season he is shooting about 44%, which is down from his career average, though that is mostly due to a recent cold streak, and for the most part he's been right around 45-47% which is very serviceable. He has improved his three point shooting to 33%, which isn't elite by any means but is certainly better than 27% which is where he was the previous season. His numbers are up across the board in 2010-11 and he ranks among the league leaders in player efficiency, an important stat when considering a player's impact on his team.

To say that Derrick Rose is a one-trick pony, or is not a great point guard because he looks to score first would be remiss. Rather, his skill set demands that he play the game that way and makes him one of the elite talents in the league. He has the leaping ability and explosion of players that are usually much larger and play the 2 or 3 spot, yet still possesses the quickness of a diminutive point guard. To have him play a Rondo style and simply distribute the ball all game long would be to miss out on a lot of what he has to offer. In turn, he has developed a great play-making ability to go with the rest of his offensive game. This was evidenced in their most recent win over Miami where late in the game he penetrated the defense and made a beautiful dish to Deng in the corner for a 3.

The bottom line is that Derrick Rose does things from the point guard position that most of his counterparts can not. He'll never be John Stockton or even Jason Kidd. What he will be, though, is an incredibly athletic handful for opposing defenders to deal with. And he just may be the next leader of a Bulls championship. Chicago fans are certainly hoping so, and at just 22 years of age he has a good shot at being #1 on this list before all is said and done.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #5 Felix Hernandez

FELIX HERNANDEZ - Starting Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

We're finally down to the top 5 athletes under the age of 25. Felix Hernandez is another star athlete stuck in a terrible situation. Playing for the Mariners in the most remote MLB city (great town, just not a major media market and far from other MLB teams) has led to Hernandez being mired in obscurity. Hardcore seam heads and saber metrics statisticians, who live in their pajamas and eat a diet consisting of spaghettios, regard Hernandez as the best pitcher in baseball. However, since he plays on one of the worst teams in the league that is essentially devoid of national attention outside of the occasional Ichiro highlight, he is a bit unknown to those who don't follow the game so closely.

That's not going to hold him down on this list, however. After becoming the starting pitcher with the fewest wins to ever win a Cy Young Award in 2010, Hernandez has finally started to get some of the attention he deserves. Unfortunately for the rest of baseball I highly doubt that he'll remain on the irrelevant Mariners very much longer. He'll probably be spending his Octobers helping some team win WS titles in the near future.

Before the world had even heard of King Felix, as he's known to his loyal followers, Hernandez was just your average teenage Venezuelan - if the average 14 yr old Venezuelan could throw 94 mph! Discovered by a Mariners scout at that tender age, the team began following him closely and once he had graduated from high school he signed his first pro contract. He chose the Mariners because Freddy Garcia was his favorite player and was playing for Seattle at the time. Oh youngsters and their silly role models.

From there it was a quick jaunt through the Mariners' farm system. In 2003 he tore through the lower levels, and by 2005 he was in AAA and was considered the best pitching prospect in baseball. He made his major league debut on August 4 of that year and finished the season. He wears number 34 for Seattle to honor Freddy Garcia, who has since bounced around the big leagues with various clubs.

2006 marked Hernandez's first full season of big league action, and he has been nothing short of individually dominant since - despite Seattle being a constant doormat in the A.L. West. In order, since 2006, their record has been 78-84, 88-74, 61-101, 85-77, and 61-101 again in 2010. Gross. And yet, Hernandez has managed a Win-Loss record of 71-53, nearly 20 games over .500. Remarkable.

Among his big league achievements are last year's Cy Young Award and 2010 league leader in ERA. He has also pitched an immaculate inning, where the pitcher strikes out the side on 9 pitches - he is only the 13th pitcher to accomplish that feat. He also has managed to strike out 4 batters in one inning - an incredibly rare feat that requires a hitter to reach base following a strike out on a wild pitch.

I pointed out a lot of Hernandez's amazing accomplishments in a post near the end of last MLB season.

At just 24 years old, he is among baseball's most dominant starting pitchers, and along with guys like Tim Lincecum, David Price and Stephen Strasburg will be ushering in the new era of the pitcher as baseball continues to distance itself from the era of steroids and behemoths with size 9 hats that made bats look like toothpicks. Were Hernandez on a really good team he could be a threat for 300 wins, something that baseball may not see again for a long while due to a number of factors. Unfortunately, he's wasted a few too many good seasons with the Mariners and will need to start averaging 20 wins a year right now and do it for a long time to have a good shot. Not likely. Mariners fans are hoping they can somehow put some semblance of a decent team around him before he bolts for a major market contender, or they're forced to trade him. But baseball fans will just be happy to enjoy his dominance, wherever it may happen.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #6 Rajon Rondo

RAJON RONDO - Point Guard, Boston Celtics

Finally, we have a New England athlete on the list. For a site that dedicates much of its energies to covering NE based sports teams it seemed to take a while before we got to a Beantown athlete. Nonetheless, we are here and at #6 we have the most enigmatic player to don Celtics green since maybe The Chief, Robert Parrish.

For all of his on-court talents, Rajon Rondo is a bit of a mystery to the general public. We don't know much about him, and he seems very happy to keep it that way. Even in photo shoots Rondo is often captured just staring blankly at the camera. Rarely sporting the toothy grin of his coach and teammates, Rondo is content to remain a stone-cold assassin on the floor. And that is just fine with Celtics fans.
Hey, Rajon! Smile - you're on camera!

What we do know about, Rajon is that he is a supreme distributor of the basketball. The current NBA leader in assists per game (12.2), Rondo posts absurd assist numbers on a nightly basis. Some of that, no doubt is due to the depth of talent that surrounds him on the Celtics, but make no mistake he gets them the ball in position to put it in the basket easily - a skill that is becoming a bit of a lost art among "modern" point guards who look to score first more often than they look to pass.

His ability to distribute the ball to his scorers is something that he developed as a High School point guard at Oak Hill Academy, one of the premier basketball breeding grounds in America. Knowing that he wasn't a go-to scorer on the squad, Rondo instead focused his efforts on defense and passing the basketball. It served him well, and GM Danny Ainge has said that when scouting him as a High School player those were the skills along with his athleticism and leadership qualities, that impressed him the most and probably led to the Celtics acquiring him via trade during the 2006 draft.

Following his days at Oak Hill Rondo accepted a scholarship offer to play for University of Kentucky (thus spawning DP's love affair with him) which was seen by some as a slap in the face to his hometown Louisville, and Rick Pitino who had shown a lot of interest in another high profile point guard that year - Sebastian Telfair (good one. haha). Rondo would play two years at Kentucky and put up very solid numbers there, including outstanding defensive numbers as he became known for having the quickest hands in college basketball and posted a steal in every game he played as a freshman. He was not however, known as a shooter (still true) and led some to question his real potential in the NBA. Still, he was selected 21st overall by the Phoenix Suns and traded to the Celtics for the Cavs 1st rd pick and cash. That pick later became Rudy Fernandez who the Suns would also trade - to Portland. (Phoenix really made a lot of screwy moves in that 2-3 yr stretch where they thought they were contenders).
Just think Steve, he could have been your teammate instead!

Rondo would interestingly enough split time as a rookie with the Celts with Sebastian Telfair, as well as Delonte West. While his minutes were considerably limited, he still posted top 10 steals numbers and was more than promising as a point guard. The Celtics finished the year with a horrid 24 wins which started the Greg Oden at #1 rumors and had many fans looking forward to an Oden/Rondo big man/point guard combo. MY HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED! The Celtics did not win the #1 pick in the lottery and continued to make a series of trades uniting the Big 3 and leading to a championship.

Playing a critical role in the Celtics' title run of 2007-08, Rondo went from being perhaps the guy who would hold the team back, to being just the point guard the team needed. His true breakout, however, came during the 2008-09 playoffs when the team made it to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. If we're rounding up, he averaged a triple- double throughout those playoffs. In actuality it was 9.8 assists and 9.7 rebounds to go with 16.9 points per contest. In the first round against Chicago (still one of the great playoff series of all time) Rondo showed a lot of fiery passion, regularly going at it with John Salmons, Ben Gordon, Derrick Rose and even mild mannered Kirk Heinrich. The Celts won the series in 7 games, and Rondo cemented his place among the top point guards in the league.



This season he came out particularly on fire with the assist numbers, setting an NBA record with 67 assists through the first four games. However, after the hot start he has battled through some nagging injuries. It would be very beneficial for the Celtics to find a reliable point guard behind him to help spell his minutes, the way they did with Jeff Green to spell Pierce. I'm sure they're hoping Delonte West can do that, but he hasn't proved very helpful.

Rajon Rondo's NBA career has certainly been productive thus far, having been in the playoffs 3 times in 4 years, and heading toward a 4th appearance. I'd love to see him continue to become more assertive on the offensive end. While he will never be a shooter, and distributing will always be his calling card, I think he needs to keep defenses a little more honest in the 4th quarter. But that's nitpicking. He has a ring already, and Celtics fans are surely hoping he can add one or two more before his days in Boston are over. While the rest of the team may be aging quickly, Rondo is in his prime, having just a week or so ago turned 25. With that in mind, and the fact that he is locked up under contract for a while the Celtics' future looks very bright as long as he remains a part of it.


*Editor's Note: Rajon Rondo remains eligible for this list, because he turned 25 after I compiled my list of players. Sorry for any confusion.*

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #7 Josh Freeman

JOSH FREEMAN - Quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

At Numero Siete we have another great young QB, and our final NFLer on the list. For all the nice things I wrote about Sam Bradford, I can write even more kind words about this young man and what he has already accomplished in Tampa Bay.

Josh Freeman did not take the Heisman Trophy finalist path to the NFL. He was not the high-profile quarterback that everyone is clamoring over to draft when he was coming out of Kansas State University. He was, however, a highly touted recruit coming out of high school in Missouri. As a senior he was rated by Rivals.com as the #92 national prospect and #1 in his home state. Among quarterbacks he was #9. Originally committed to Nebraska, Freeman was convinced to play for the Wildcats at the last minute.

At Kansas State he put up terrific numbers, but was never really in the national spotlight, due mostly to the team's performance. As a freshman he set school records for passing yards and also owns the career mark. He is one of two KSU QBs to score 60 total touchdowns - 44 through the air. His passer rating at KSU was over 100 each year, and his career rating was a robust 124.73

Despite the team's lack of accomplishments, it is easy to see why some NFL organizations were eager to get a closer look at Freeman during workouts and the combine. Freeman and his 6'6" frame with tremendous physical abilities shot up draft boards in the weeks leading up to the draft. Some casual fans weren't sure about him, and even some analysts thought it might be a reach to expect him to be your franchise quarterback. The Bucs, however, were not swayed and moved up two spots to #17 to select Freeman in the first round of the 2009 draft.

Freeman made his debut in November, 2009 and became the youngest QB in franchise history to win his first ever NFL game. A few weeks later he would lead the hapless Bucs over eventual Super Bowl Champion Saints in a huge upset.

By the time 2010 rolled around, there were actually some expectations on Freeman. He surpassed those expectations and some in 2010 putting up some gaudy numbers by any standard, and leading Tampa Bay to a near playoff berth when most experts didn't give them a shot. Able to stretch the pocket and make plays with his feet as well as his arm has Freeman looking like the prototypical NFL QB of the future. He threw for 25 touchdowns to go with only 6 picks. He ranked tied for 10th in touchdown passes with Joe Flacco, and ahead of Matt Schaub, Jay Cutler and Mike Vick. His passer rating of 95.9 was good for 6th in the league and ahead of names like Flacco, Cassel, Schaub, Manning (PEYTON!), Ryan and Brees! Only Brady and Roethlisberger threw less picks, and Big Ben played 4 less games. He also completed over 60 percent of his passes on the season, which put him in the upper echelon of QBs in that regard.

Needless to say, 2010 was a very good season for the young Freeman. The alternate spot on the Pro-Bowl squad he earned was more than deserved. The big step going forward for Tampa Bay and Josh Freeman will be making sure that he doesn't regress into a flash in the pan. 2011 (if there is one) will not be a season of Freeman sneaking up on opponents. The game plan will be in place to stop him and he will need to adjust. Tampa Bay fans are certainly hoping that he will - and they're even more hopeful that the next season will bring a playoff appearance, and maybe even a deep run. They have what surely looks like their franchise QB in place, and at just 23 years old he should be plenty productive for the foreseeable future.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #8 Jason Heyward

JASON HEYWARD - Right Fielder, Atlanta Braves



Number 8 on the list comes to us via Major League Baseball which, much like the NBA, is going through a bit of a resurgence of young talent. The Jeters and ARods of the world are getting older and perhaps at the forefront of the influx of young talent is our next guy on the list - Jason Heyward. Some may see him as a bit too high on this list, but based on his potential and what he was able to do already in MLB I think he is deserving of the spot.

Baseball scouts began to take notice of Heyward as a young 1st baseman at Henry County High School, about 30 miles south of Atlanta, GA. Prior to that he was a young standout in youth travel leagues in the Atlanta area. He played so much baseball as a youngster that his father left his engineering job and became a consultant so he could set his own schedule around Jason's baseball games and practices. (Good move, old man.) The Atlanta Braves made Heyward their first selection in the 2007 MLB draft, #14 over all.




Heyward tuned up minor league pitchers from the jump, and it was painfully evident that he was just cooling his heels and biding his time before Atlanta made the call for him to join the big club. That call finally came after Heyward secured the Opening Day job in Right Field, in what should be his spot for the next decade or so.

Heyward burst on the scene in Atlanta in the most prolific way imaginable. I'm pretty sure the Atlanta tv guys had orgasms in the booth as they witnessed his first ever big league at-bat. (Sorry you can't hear the TV call...MLB sucks like that)
Check it out...

"Welcome to the show..." indeed! *Apologies for the "home video".*
(I'll say it again...MLB really needs to stop being youtube Nazis! They wonder why they're having trouble growing the game and spreading into urban areas. NBA, NFL, NHL all embrace the youtube generation while baseball remains crusty.)

You gotta love when someone steps up and delivers on all the hype, and Heyward did that and some as a rookie in 2010. If I told you that throughout the season Heyward would battle through knee and thumb injuries and spent the month of June hitting .181 you would probably assume that his rookie season was a disaster. Yet, that couldn't be any further from the truth. He finished the year with a robust .277 average - very respectable considering it was his first look at big league pitching - and a .456 slugging and a .393 OBP. His numbers in the 2nd half got even better. After the break he hit .302 and had an OPS of .876. All that was good for runner-up in the National League Rookie of the Year Award (Buster Posey). Had he not spent some time on the 15 day DL in the middle of the summer, Heyward would likely have been the winner. He did however, win the Baseball America Rookie of the Year and was also named to the Topps All-Rookie team.

Heyward, has drawn comparisons to players like Ken Griffey Jr and even Hank Aaron for his 5 tool ability and the way he sprays line drives all over the field. He has a chance to be among those ranks when his career is all said and done. He only needs to avoid the injuries that held Griffey back from being a Top 5 all-time player. His ceiling is THAT high. In the next decade or so baseball fans should be hearing plenty from Mr. Heyward, and Atlanta fans are hoping that he can help usher in the next great era in Braves baseball. At just 21 years old he definitely has time on his side.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #9 Sam Bradford

SAM BRADFORD - Quarterback, St Louis Rams

Number 9 on the list brings us another young star from the gridiron, this time a quarterback. Sam Bradford is our 2nd quarterback to make the list. Playing what many consider the toughest position in all of sports, Bradford was able to come in as a rookie and play at a pretty high level. He even made the lowly St Louis Rams relevant again - no small task.

Coming into the 2010 season it was not a given that Bradford would be so successful. He suffered a brutal AC joint sprain in his shoulder in the first game of his junior season at Oklahoma, missing about a month of action. He then re-injured the shoulder against Texas a few weeks later and was forced to undergo season-ending surgery. Many feared, that his shoulder woes would keep him from being taken #1, but Bradford was impressive in his workouts and the Rams decided to go ahead and make him their franchise quarterback with the #1 overall pick.

Bradford's college career is as impressive as anyone on this list, which is even more impressive when you consider that he really only played two years at Oklahoma. In his first season as a red-shirt freshman, Bradford won the starting gig in 2007 and set the world on fire. He broke the record for touchdown passes by a freshman with 30 TD throws and led the Sooners to a Big XII championship and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia - which they lost 48-28.

As a Sophomore, things got even better. Bradford is the first and only Heisman trophy winner to make the list. In 2008 Bradford led a high-powered Sooner offense to an NCAA record 702 points scored. He also led the Sooners to a 3rd straight Big XII title and an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game against Florida. Bradford became the 2nd sophomore in NCAA history to win the Heisman Trophy (Tebow) in one of the closest votes in the history of the award, barely edging out Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow. Bradford received 300 1st place votes - 9 less than Tebow - but he landed the most 2nd place votes by far which helped him win the award for most total points. In a little known fact, Bradford was the first player of Native American descent to win the award since Jim Plunkett in 1970.

Following that record breaking season, Bradford surprisingly passed on the NFL draft to return to Oklahoma for his Junior season. We all know how that turned out with the shoulder injuries mentioned above. Nonetheless, Bradford was still the #1 overall pick in 2009.

As a rookie with the Rams, Bradford was able to put up better or comparable numbers with some of the best QB's in the NFL - Jay Cutler, Donovan McNabb and Mark Sanchez. Certainly, he's not yet in the company of Manning, Brady, Brees or Roethlisberger but many believe he has the ability to get there.

Although, he is in Manning's company in one way. Bradford surpassed Peyton Manning's record for most completed passes by an NFL rookie quarterback (326)and finished the season with 354 completions out of 590 attempts, also surpassing Manning's record of 575 for most attempts by a rookie quarterback. He is just the third rookie quarterback to start all 16 regular season games and pass over 3000 passing yards, joining Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan. He completed 60% of his passes for 3,512 yards and threw for 18 touchdowns and 15 picks. All in all, Bradford was pretty impressive as a rookie QB. Perhaps, his most impressive stat was the 7-9 record of the St Louis Rams who were 1-15 a year ago with virtually the same squad.

Bradford and the Rams missed the playoffs with a loss in the final week of the season to Seattle. Bradford struggled in the game, showing that he still has a way to go before he is an elite QB. However, at just 23 years old, and with the success he has already enjoyed there are few who doubt that Bradford will get there. St Louis Rams fans can certainly breath a little easier knowing that they have a franchise QB in place and now just need to put the pieces around him. In the weak NFC West, Bradford and the Rams should enjoy plenty more success in the coming years.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #10 Clay Matthews

CLAY MATTHEWS - Linebacker, Green Bay Packers

Top 10! We've reached the cream of the crop of the Under 25 list. So far the list of talent has been tremendous, but it is about to get a lot better, starting with this guy - Clay Matthews III.

Matthews has quickly become one of the best defensive players in the NFL, and has to be in the conversation for the best linebacker in the league. He gets after the passer with a tenacity that few possess, and is all over the field from sideline to sideline making plays every time you turn around.

Interestingly enough, not many figured that Matthews would end up where he is, despite the fact that he has some great NFL bloodlines. His father, Clay Jr., who was a linebacker for Cleveland and Atlanta played the 3rd most games in NFL history, and his uncle Bruce is a Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played in 14 Pro-Bowls. And his grandfather also played 4 years in the NFL. Young Clay Matthews, however, was very much a late bloomer. In fact, his father didn't even start him in HS because he didn't think his son was good enough until his senior year. His recruiting status out of high school is described by him as, "not applicable" and he chose to attend USC with the hope of waling on to the football squad under Pete Carroll, which he did.

At USC he was a red shirt freshman in his first season. Following that year he was a reserve linebacker, and was finally given full scholarship status for his redshirt sophomore year. He played reserve linebacker that season and also in his junior year. As a senior in 2008, though, he played a lot more and recorded 4.5 sacks. He was still out-shined by teammates and future NFLers Brian Cushing and Ray Maualuga.

Matthews was selected 26th overall by the Green Bay Packers with a pick acquired from the New England Patriots (god damn it!). Matthews took to the NFL with a little chip on his shoulder, eager to prove that he wasn't just Clay Jr's son and Bruce's nephew, but that he should have his own place in the family football legacy. As a rookie in 2009 he set a franchise rookie record with 10 sacks. He also became the first Packer rookie to make a pro-bowl since 1978, as he replaced James Briggs on the roster.

2010 got even better for Matthews as he was again named to the Pro-Bowl, although this time he didn't have to replace anyone. He finished the year 4th in the NFL in sacks with 13.5 and was runner-up to Troy Polamalu for Defensive Player of the Year. Matthews also led his defense to a Super Bowl victory over Polamalu's Steelers. In the early part of the 4th quarter Matthews forced a Rashard Mendenhall fumble as Pittsburgh was driving down the field, protecting the Green Bay lead and helping secure the victory.

(A painful memory for DP no doubt)

Not only is Clay Matthews a great player from an individual stand point, but he has the hardware to back up his talents. He is also, in my opinion, one of the very best interviews in the league - well spoken and interesting to listen to. He seems pretty marketable, having already presented a Grammy award. I think we'll see a lot more of Clay Matthews in the near future. A champion already in his very young career, Matthews and Green Bay fans (like BMack) are hoping there are many more championship seasons on the horizon. At just 24 Clay Matthews III looks like he is well on his way to putting his own stamp on the Matthews legacy and Green Bay fans can certainly get excited about that.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #11 Rudy Gay

RUDY GAY - Small Forward, Memphis Grizzlies
via here
From the land of basketball obscurity we have Rudy Gay, a terrific wing player who has really started coming into his own as a dynamic NBA player. Gay's nightly highlights and impressive numbers are often lost to the average basketball fan. But for those who follow closely he is highly regarded as one of the league's best young talents. Unfortunately, it looks like he'll be swimming in the waters of the Bermuda Triangle for some time, because he signed a 5 year deal with Memphis this past off-season.

Growing up in Baltimore (quietly becoming a basketball hotbed - Gay, Durant and Melo all from that area) Gay was considered one of the best young talents in the country. He was a national AAU standout, the Baltimore area player of the year and a McDonald's All-American as a senior, averaging 21 points 9 boards and 3 blocks per game. From there he went on to play ball at UConn under coach Jim Calhoun. This was not very well received in college basketball circles, after Gay had expressed an interest in playing for Maryland but ultimately chose to go with the Huskies. There was some degree of connection between his AAU coach and UConn, and the school even paid $25,000 to play his old AAU team. That's neither here nor there.

Gay had a tremendous career at UConn, becoming Freshman of the Year, both in the Big East and nationally. As a sophomore he was a Naismith Award finalist and led UConn to a 30-3 record. You may remember that team as the one who lost to George Mason on their way to a miraculous Final Four run. Following that season, Gay entered the draft and was taken 8th overall by Houston and then traded along with Stromile Swift to Memphis for Shane Battier. (Even though Battier is a jack-of-all-trades, I think Houston might like that one back.)



His rookie season was a bit of a struggle, as he only scored 10.8 points a game. But as a 2nd year player he took off putting up a gaudy 20 points a night to go with 6 boards, as the Grizzlies best player. He was runner-up to Hedo Turkoglu for Most Improved in the NBA that season. Since then, Gay has been one of the best small forwards in the NBA, putting up consistent numbers right around 20 points and 6 boards a game. He is a very effective shooter, and has even improved on those numbers this season. Currently he's shooting at a 47% clip from the floor and just a hair under 40% from three. He's not necessarily a one-sided player either, bringing nearly 2 steals a night to go with just over one block per contest.

He has also proven to be pretty clutch when it matters.


Gay is the 5th best power forward in John Hollinger's efficiency rankings. But he is in tremendous company behind Lebron, Durant, Melo and Pierce, and ahead of Danny Granger. Among leading forward scorers he's the top three point shooter.

It is a shame that such a talent has to be wasted on a joke of a franchise like the Grizzlies, and doesn't get to play for Boston where he belongs. Ok...I'm joking, but seriously, Gay is a player that doesn't get the national recognition he deserves. His list of accomplishments isn't long, but when you play on such a bad squad that is understandable. Much like other players on this list, I wanted to shine some light on a very bright young talent that doesn't get much love.



When you play the same position as Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant you're not going to get much love in the All-Star voting. However, at 24 years old Gay's best seasons are still ahead of him. And who knows? He may just find his way out of Memphis and onto a good team. Memphis fans (are there any?) are hoping that's not the case, but it would be good for Gay, and good for fans of the NBA.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #12 Steven Stamkos

STEVEN STAMKOS - Center, Tampa Bay Lightning

We're into the dirty dozen of our top 25 under 25 list, and we've finally come to our first figure skater - errr hockey player. Truth be told, I don't really know diddly-poo about hockey. However, I do know one thing. When you join the company of Wayne Gretzky in anything involving the game of hockey you've pretty much established yourself as a great player.

It didn't take Stamkos very long to do that, as he finished his 2nd full season in the NHL as tied for the lead in goals with Sidney Crosby (one of only two current hockey players I knew by name and face prior to writing this post). Stamkos, has become one of the best young players in the league in a very short time, though he seems to be playing in the shadows cast over the entire league by Ovechkin and Crosby who the NHL continues to spend most of their energy marketing. Even though the Lightning sit currently in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference Stamkos doesn't garner a ton of national media attention. Hockey fans may disagree, but they're hockey fans. I can tell you that as someone who doesn't follow hockey with any regularity I had heard the name Stamkos before but if he were in an elevator with me I wouldn't have known it.

Nonetheless, my crack research revealed his talents and he is surely one of the league's top talents. With regard to the previous Gretzky reference, Stamkos became the 3rd youngest player in league history to record at least 50 goals - only Gretzky and Jimmy Carson were younger.

He was the first overall selection in 2008 by Tampa Bay, and there was some disagreement between coach and management about how to handle his development and playing time. Due in part to the rift, his ice time was limited as a rookie and his play suffered. However, given the full endorsement in 2009 he flourished, finishing 5th in points and sharing the goals title.

The Canadian born Stamkos is another young bright spot for the NHL as they try to win back fans lost over their missed season. They haven't yet won this writer back, but more talent like Steven Stamkos can't hurt. He currently has the league lead in goals scored with 40 and is first in points with 75. He is also a bit of a distributor, in the top 20 in assists with 35. At just 21 years of age he's not yet even reached his athletic peak years and already has accomplished quite a bit. Tampa fans are hoping that list of accomplishments gets longer and includes a Stanley Cup in the near future.

If you haven't seen Stamkos yet, you really should.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #13 RAY RICE

RAY RICE - Running Back, Baltimore Ravens

This diminutive speedster has planted himself among the elite running backs in the NFL after two great seasons in the NFL and helping his franchise regain some prominence among Super Bowl contenders.

Rice first began to catch the eye of football fans as a true freshman back at Rutgers University - generally a dreadful college football program. He finished the year with more than 1,000 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns. In his sophomore year he helped Rutgers to a #12 ranking at season's end and rushed for 1,794 yards, a school record. The Scarlet Knights won the Texas Bowl that year for their first bowl win in school history and Rice was the game MVP. Entering '07 Rice was considered a Heisman candidate. Though he didn't win the award he had a tremendous season that included another bowl winning MVP performance with 280 yards rushing against Ball State. Rice left Rutgers for the NFL following his junior season.

Taken in the 2nd round by the Baltimore Ravens, Rice was thrown into the mix quickly. He made his first start in his first game as a pro but would share time with Willis McGahee as Baltimore eased him into the #1 back role. In 2009, however, he won the starting gig outright in the pre-season and set the tone for the year with a 108 yard performance in week 1. He was voted to his first pro-bowl in 2009 and finished with 1,339 yards and 7 touchdowns. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry that year, but was also a viable threat catching the ball as he had 702 receiving yards and just about averaged a first down per reception.

Rice helped the Ravens to a playoff victory on the road against New England in the 2009 playoffs. Pats fans will painfully remember his 84 yard TD scamper on the Ravens first play of the game - the 2nd longest run in playoff history.

2010 was a bit of a regression for Rice, as his numbers took a hit due to some changes in the Ravens' game plan this past season. The addition of Anquan Boldin and the development of Joe Flacco led to more of a passing attack and less focus on getting Ray the ball. He finished with 15 less receptions and wasn't able to get the same production on the ground. The predictability of their rushing offense and the fact that he wasn't sneaking up on anyone this season were both factors in the loss of production for Rice. For his sake, and theirs, the Ravens may want to think about getting back to a game plan that includes more touches for the talented young back, in particular getting him the ball more in space which is where he does his real damage.

Rice loses some value in the fantasy realm because he doesn't score a ton of touchdowns, or get a ton of goal line carries, but he is a dual-threat weapon in the back field and I doubt there are many touchdown drives in Baltimore that Rice isn't a huge part of.

Plus, when he does get in the end zone he makes it count with great celebrations like this......which is based on the greatest internet dance craze of all time...

Despite the regression he still finished with over 1,200 yards rushing and played in all 16 games, proving very durable - an underrated asset for NFL running backs. At just 24 years old Ray Rice looks to have a very promising NFL career ahead of him.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #14 John Wall

JOHN WALL - Point Guard, Washington Wizards

Our next entry brings another #1 overall pick in the D.C. area - John Wall of the Washington Wizards. Drafted after just one year at Kentucky, Wall has the misfortune of playing his rookie season in the same year as Blake Griffin (at least as far as the Rookie of the Year voting is concerned).

Having grown up in Raleigh, North Carolina Wall spurned his home state schools, UNC, Duke and the like and decided to take his talents to Rupp Arena to play with Coach Cal. No amount of money in the world could convince me that there weren't some ulterior motives there, but nonetheless Wall was a Wildcat and not a Tar Heel - for one year anyway.

His college career was brief, but not short of excitement and stellar play. In his very first college game Wall put himself on the map in a big way by nailing the game winning jumper with half a second left to beat Miami University. And on his biggest stage yet, against UConn at the garden, Wall put up a career high 25 to help Kentucky win. He was also able to lead his team to a victory over UNC despite battling cramps, putting up 16 with 7 assists and 5 boards. For all the great players that have gone through Kentucky, it is Wall that owns the school record for 16 assists in a game. Despite all the great play, Kentucky, a #1 seed in the 2009-10 tournament was upset by #2 West Virginia in the Elite 8.

As expected, Wall took his electrifying game to the NBA after just one season in college, following in the footsteps of Derrick Rose and Tyreke Evans as the triumvirate of great Coach Cal one-and-done point guards. It didn't take Wall long to start making an impact for the befuddled Wizards. He is the first player in NBA history to record at least 9 assists in hist first three NBA games. In his debut he had 14 points 9 dimes and 3 steals. With lightning quick speed and off-the-charts athleticism being his two biggest assets, Wall is often over-looked for his defense and play making abilities. Just a few games into his NBA career he had already become the 3rd youngest player ever to record a triple-double putting up 19, 13 and 10 to go with 6 steals. He joined only Magic Johnson in recording a triple-double with 6 steals in his first 6 games of his career. The fact that he puts up any assists on that pathetic excuse of a basketball team is remarkable.

As a rookie, Wall is averaging over 9 assists per game which currently puts him at 5th in the league, behind greats like Rondo, Nash, Williams and Paul. He does need to improve his shooting touch, although his 40% is respectable. Like most rookie point guards, he struggles with turnovers on occasion - but that should improve with experience.

By most accounts Wall is a likable guy and a good teammate (he never publicly voiced concerns about playing with Gilbert Arenas) and so far has been very marketable. Reebok made him the face of their new ad campaign for Zigtech.

The future looks very bright for John Wall - even brighter if the Wizards keep losing and get a couple more lottery picks. At just 20 years of age, Wall is one of the babies on this list and Wizards fans will hope to see him climbing up this list in the coming years, and as long as he can refrain from bringing handguns to the locker room in D.C. I think he very well may.

If all of this wasn't enough to convince you, the man has created a god damn dance craze! I don't know how in the world this silliness ever caught on, but if you haven't seen it here it is.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #15 Stephen Strasburg

STEPHEN STRASBURG - Starting Pitcher, Washington Nationals

No one on this list entered their professional career with as much hype as this guy. Think back to when Lebron James was a junior at St. Mary's high school and was already being touted as the next Michael Jordan. Strasburg was not quite that hyped, but part of that is because baseball doesn't get the national media attention that it once did. Needless to say, the young flame thrower's beginnings were not short on hyperbole. Many scouts were on record saying that he was 'the best amateur pitcher they've ever witnessed', or that he was 'the most hyped prospect in the history of baseball'. Whatever it was baseball fans couldn't wait to get a glimpse of him.

Strasburg was very different from James in one regard - he was much more of a late bloomer. He was a bit of a pudgy kid entering his first year at San Diego State University, and didn't really garner much national attention until his sophomore season in which he struck out more than 130 batters in just 98 innings. By then his fastball was becoming the stuff of legend and he was developing his off-speed stuff to go with it. As a Junior he eclipsed 100 innings and struck out a whopping 195 hitters, including 17 in a no-hitter against Air Force. In a short span he had gone from virtual unknown to an absolute lock for the #1 selection in 2009. He also helped USA earn a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympics.

The #1 pick fell into the laps of the lowly Nationals who immediately made Strasburg their #1 draft choice. Being represented by super-agent Scott Boras, the negotiations of his contract would not be easy, however. He held out until the very last minute, signing a record $15.1 million dollar contract - much lower than the fifty some million that some were projecting.

Despite rumblings from some in the media that he should head straight to the majors, the Nationals decided to handle Strasburg with kiddie gloves. He began his pro career at AA Harrisburg. His debut was so hyped that ESPN broadcast some of the game and there were more than 70 credentialed media in attendance. (If I had to venture a guess at the average Harrisburg media count I would put it somewhere around half a dozen.) He won that game striking out 8 and consistently rocked the radar gun in the upper 90s.

Last June 8, Strasburg made his big-league debut in what Sports Illustrated referred to as the most hyped pitching performance the game has ever seen. He did not disappoint the sell-out crowd, fanning 14 of the pathetic Pirates and pitching 7 solid innings for the win. His 14 Ks were a new franchise record, and he was the first MLB pitcher to have that many in his pro debut. On that night he also touched 100 mph on the gun twice.

Sadly, his 2010 season was cut short and he will miss all of 2011 since undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair damage to his ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. Nonetheless, his 2010 campaign was not altogether disappointing. 68 IP, 92 K, 2.91 ERA and he was named to the All-Rookie team.

Despite his thus far short-lived MLB career, Strasburg has enough hype and has shown enough flashes of brilliance to land in the top 15 on this list. His accomplishments may not be long but his star power sure shines bright. Only time will tell if he is able to bounce back and build on his budding legacy to become an all-time great. At the tender age of 22 he does have time on his side. One thing that may hold him back will be pitching for Washington. Hopefully, ownership there has the smarts to realize they have a once in a generation talent that fans want to see and take the right steps to building a contender around him. They've started that process by showing they are willing to spend on free agents, now they have to show they're capable of spending wisely.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #16 Mark Sanchez

MARK SANCHEZ - Quarterback, New York Jets

Dirty Sanchez was making headlines this week for all the wrong reasons. But, hooking up with hot chicks doesn't get you booted from this list. Besides, she was of legal age in New Jersey. Creepy? Yes. Legal? Apparently.

Aside from the off-field shenanigans, Sanchez has led the Jets to two straight AFC championship games, and we can't knock him for that. Surely, the team has been driven by defense and a great running game but Sanchez has been pretty good when called upon. When you consider that he has started from day 1 in the NFL and didn't get a chance to be an understudy you have to be fairly impressed.

Born in Long Beach, CA Sanchez played his college ball at USC under then head coach Pete Carroll. As a sophomore Sanchez backed up John David Booty and really only started a full season for the Trojans as a junior in 2008. He finished the '08 season with 34touchdown passes, 2nd in school history only to Matt Leinart, and 3,207 yards. When Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow all elected to stay in school Sanchez saw an opportunity and wisely entered the NFL draft in 2009.

The Jets traded up to select him with the 5th overall selection and he immediately became their starting quarterback under new head coach Rex "pretty feet" Ryan. In 2009 he played a very conservative style, with the Jets limiting the necessity for him to win games for them. He was prone to the typical rookie mistakes, throwing 20 interceptions on the year and he also put the ball on the carpet too much for 3 lost fumbles.

In 2010 he had a more open playbook, though they did not run a wide-spread offense. He cut down on his interceptions significantly, while also throwing more touchdowns. Where Sanchez earns his dough is in the playoffs, where his passer rating jumps about 20 points compared to the regular season. He also manages to come up with some big throws when he needs them, none more so than his pass to Santonio Holmes that helped seal the victory against New England in the 2010 playoffs.
*Obligatory highlight...Pats fans need not rewatch.
He is certainly not the prototypical "pocket passer" that Brady or Manning are. He does have more mobility than those kind of quarterbacks and is a bit of an improviser, making plays outside of the pocket. And he doesn't have the all-around game that Aaron Rodgers put on display in 2010 for Green Bay. In some regards he can be viewed as a poor man's Ben Roethlisberger. Because he's viewed as a bit of a game manager, he's not higher on this list. That being said, many consider the Quarterback position to be the toughest position in all of sports, and this guy has managed it well enough to be in two straight conference championships. He may never be a 4,000 yard passer but winning counts for a lot and so far he's been pretty good at that.

The real question is why is this guy, the quarterback of a good football team in New York (more like Jersey...but still) who is young and considered handsome doing running around with 17 year old girls when he could be tearing up Manhattan in fur coats and white shoes like Broadway Joe before him? I just don't get it.


And that, Mr. Sanchez is why you're not higher on this list...no swagger. Tom Brady plays in Foxboro...not exactly a bustling metropolis and he snagged Giselle. She only needs one name! Sanchez is messing around with some 17 year old socialite. Pathetic.


None the less, Mark Sanchez looks like he can be the franchise quarterback the Jets need for the next few years, though he'll need to win a ring to replace Joe Namath as the all-time great Jet QB. At 24 years old he still has plenty of time and a talented team around him to help him get there.

Top 25 Under 25 - # 17 Buster Posey

BUSTER POSEY - C, San Francisco Giants

Buster Posey is the first champion on our list. While some might think that should push him up higher in the rankings, I think it is a little difficult to do that given his very small sample size. Last season was his first look at the bigs and he didn't even start the year in San Francisco. That being said, his production was tremendous and by all accounts he should be a middle of the order run producer for years to come.

Posey has been on the baseball radar for some time, dating back to his freshman season at Florida State. He played Shortstop at the time and was among the best at his position in the collegiate ranks. At the suggestion of an assistant coach Posey switched to Catcher for his sophomore season and instantly became a hot prospect at the very thin position. By the time he was a junior Posey showed good ability behind the plate and was named the collegiate player of the year. He was also the Golden Spikes award winner, another player of the year award.

With a full trophy case Posey left FSU for the MLB draft and was selected 5th overall by the San Francisco Giants. While everyone raved about his ability to put the bat on the ball, there were some that questioned if he'd have enough power at the next level. Posey answered those questions by raking at every stop along the way to San Francsico. The young catcher is a line-drive hitting machine with a great knack for taking what the pitcher gives him and driving the ball to all fields. He showed plenty of competence behind the plate as well, and looks plenty good enough to stick at the position. He was finally called up for good on May 29, 2010 and has been producing ever since. Despite the limited at-bats Posey managed 18 home runs and 67 RBI all while hitting a robust .305 as a rookie. Those numbers were good enough for the 2010 National League Rookie of the Year award.

Posey's biggest impact, however, came in the post-season where he helped the Giants capture their first World Series since they were the New York Giants in 1954. In the World Series he hit .300 with a home run and two RBI.

The sample size may be small, but it isn't hard to see why people expect Posey to play this way for the next decade or so. He's a very quiet, modest guy and seems to be very driven. He doesn't quite have the notoriety or star power to be much higher on this list, but that could change in another year's time.
(Kanye - I didn't make this video...don't sue me.)
At just 23 years of age it seems like baseball and the Giants in particular are in good hands as they try to move baseball into the next era.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #18 Ndamukong Suh

NDAMUKONG SUH - Defensive Tackle, Detroit Lions (I really hope I spelled that right)

Prior to his senior season at Nebraska, this standout defensive tackle had more consonants in his name then fans who knew much about him. Nonetheless, he went on to have one of the more dominant seasons by a defensive player in NCAA history. He didn't stop there either. Suh, the #2 overall pick in last year's NFL draft became the center piece of a Lions defense that almost got them out of the basement in the NFC North...almost. (And that's saying something!)

Suh, is by most standards a behemoth of a young man. Standing 6' 4" and tipping the scales at over three bills he is a load and very tough to handle for NFL offensive linemen. At Nebraska, his career started off with a bang - except that bang was his knee and he would miss just about all of his first season, though he was granted a medical redshirt. It wasn't until his junior season with the Huskers that he started to draw some serious attention. He led the team in tackles that season and was named to the First Team All Big 12. The following year he began to dominate. For all intents and purposes he was a one man wrecking crew. In the Big 12 Championship with a possible BCS Championship bid on the line against Texas he singlehandedly nearly beat the Longhorns. He had 12 tackles that night, 7 for a loss and 4 1/2 sacks. He had Colt McCoy flat on his back more than a coed at a toga party and was even named the game's MVP despite being on the losing side.

Following that game many were projecting him as the #1 overall pick, but he would go 2nd to Detroit behind Sam Bradford of the Rams. His senior season efforts did not go unnoticed as he was the winner of a multitude of awards including the Nagurski Award for the nation's top defensive player, Bednarik award and the Outland Trophy for best lineman. He was also named a Heisman trophy finalist, a bit of a rarity for defensive players. He was a unanimous All-American and won the AP Player of the Year as the first defensive player ever to do so.

All his college accolades amounted to lofty expectations when he hit the NFL, but Suh did not disappoint, immediately becoming a factor in opposing offenses gameplans. Incredibly athletic for his size Suh dominates the line of scrimmage regardless of where he lines up. His vertical leap at the combine was measured at 35 1/2" which is mind boggling for a man who weighs more than 300 LB. He also ran a 40 yard dash in under 5 seconds. Basically, you don't want him chasing you down.

When he does chase someone down he makes it count, as he got to the QB and recorded 10 sacks in his rookie season. That was good for 17th in the league. He also had 66 tackles which was 2nd among DT in the league. One of his best highlights came on an fumble that he returned for a TD, showing off his athleticism.

Around the NFL Suh developed a bit of a nasty reputation. He took some silly aggressive penalties for what some might call "cheap shots" in his first season, but he clearly sent a message to the rest of the league. This is not a guy you want to be messing with. I'm confident that Lions fans are ok with it. They haven't had anyone like this in decades.


The lowly Lions took a couple steps forward this season in that they are no longer a doormat, essentially a bye week for opponents. However, they're still a long way from contending in that division. One thing they are not a long way from though is having the centerpiece of their defense for the next decade. Ndamukong Suh is it, and at just 24 years old Lions fans have something to finally be hopeful about. Now if they could just get that Stafford kid to stay healthy.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #19 Arian Foster

ARIAN FOSTER - Running Back, Houston Texans

If your name isn't Matthew Berry or you are not an avid reader of his fantasy football columns then chances are you probably hadn't heard of Arian Foster heading into this past NFL season. Credit to Matthew Berry though - he was all aboard the Adrian Foster train from the get go, writing about him as a sleeper impact running back in his pre-season columns. Those that listened to The Talented Mr. Roto received dividends in a big way this season to the tune of one of the top players in all of fantasy.

Foster wasn't just good for the fantasy nerds though, he was pretty damn good for his real team as well. Given an opportunity to take the starting RB gig when Steve Slaton struggled at the end of '09, Foster hit the ground running and never slowed down. In fact in his first game as a starter he ran all over Indianapolis for 231 yards. His total that game trails only O.J. Simpson for the most rushing yards on Opening Day.

Prior to his burst on the scene September 12, Foster was a bit of an enigma. He was always seen as a talented back even in his days at Tennessee. He has always had an "NFL body" according to scouts. But due to some off the field issues culminating with an arrest in 2006, and a lack of productivity as an upper classman he was not drafted in 2009. Not only was he undrafted, but after signing on with the Texans following the draft he was later cut and resigned to the practice squad. Eventually, he made his way onto the Texans' roster by November 2009.

Apparently, Head Coach Gary Kubiak must have seen enough of Foster in limited appearances to want to feature him as the full-time back and he was rewarded for making that move. Foster was terrific in the lead role and was the NFL's leading rusher with 1,616 yards - almost 150 yards more than Jamaal Charles who was 2nd. He scored 18 touchdowns which also paced the NFL (for non QBs). Foster also broke Priest Holmes' record for most yards from scrimmage by an undrafted free-agent. For his efforts in 2010 he was named a member of the All-Pro team and competed in the Pro Bowl, his first. The next step will be leading the Texans to their long awaited first playoff game.

At 24 Foster is one of the elder statesmen on this list, and some worry that he may be a one hit wonder. However, if he can avoid injury I think he has the goods to be a great running back for at least a few seasons in the NFL. (Which is an eternity for a running back these days). Fans in Houston are certainly hoping that's the case - and also that Matthew Berry doesn't pick him as a 2011 fantasy bust.

On top of being a top notch Running Back in the NFL, Arian Foster also fancies himself quite the poet. Here is just a sampling of his poetic prowess...

I miss you like the sun rise
by Arian Foster

I miss you like the sun rise
Winter nights became reality's home,
Snow men stand here like soldiers of Rome,
My tears freeze before they kiss the wind,
I think of warmth and miss you then,
Since when when did rose petals crack While pondering love,
Dressed in pitch black with this sombering sun,
I sit an fish, out of the river Styx,
Catching cold souls with their quivered lips,
They whisper sweet like lemons drip,
And gaze my eyes like Medusa's gift,
My bait is smiles.
Unhook me, look me not into dusk,
Ease my cuts, and release my lust,
Inhale my words, and breathe my wants,
Let the light marry my eyes,
And let the same inherit the skies.
I miss you like the sun rise.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #20 Russell Westbrook

#20 RUSSELL WESTBROOK - Point Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder



A college teammate of Kevin Love at UCLA, Westbrook is our 2nd UCLA Bruin to crack the top 25, and the first of a bunch young NBA point guards. In his 3rd season in the association he is putting up his best numbers so far and has been rewarded with a spot on the West All-Star team. Along with teammate Kevin Durant, Westbrook leads the Thunder as one of the best up-and-coming squads in the NBA.



As a rookie in 2008 he finished 4th in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting (Derrick Rose). Since then he has continued to improve each season. Never much of a marksman, Westbrook is putting up a career high .438 FG percentage. He is among the top 10 in assists per game, and ranks 12th in the league in player efficiency, 2nd among point guards (Chris Paul).

Despite his limited shooting range - only 30% from three point land - he has become one of the tougher point guards in the league to defend. He is a very strong and physical player with tremendous quickness and is adept at getting to the rim. This is evidenced by his 8.2 FT per contest, which ranks 1st among NBA point guards.


Damn.

As far as career accolades Westbrook has some work to do in that department. He hasn't won a championship at any level, though he did help lead the Thunder to a first round playoff appearance last season. Many will recall how they took the Lakers to a 7th game in the first round and nearly pulled off the upset of the eventual champions. That series did a lot for their reputation as a team to reckon with going forward. Westbrook was sensational in that series with over 20 points per game, as well as 6 boards and 6 assists per game.

Like Kevin Love, Westbrook was a member of team USA over the summer at the FIBA World Championships and seems to have benefited from that time. At just 22 years old Westbrook has a very bright future as one of the leaders of this 'Era of the Point Guard' in the NBA. Teaming up with Durant in OKC should lead to some very memorable seasons for the Thunder faithful. (Sorry, Seattle.)

Since we didn't get a Top 25 Under 25 yesterday I will do a double dose on Friday to maintain pace.