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1996 Recruiting Class

SaskGriz

Well-known member
DONOR
1996 Recruiting Class 17/32 SCORE: 2.484

5 Points: Adam Boomer LB, American Falls, ID Kelley Bryant DT, Oregon St., Honolulu, HI Jimmy Farris, Lewiston, ID Tyler Martin DL, Olympia, WA Jason Miller FS, Hillsboro, OR Leif Thorsen, Flathead HS Marcus Wilson LB, Fort Walton Beach, FL

4 Points: Chris Colvin CB, Upland, CA Kamakana Kaimuloa OL, Honolulu, HI Justin Olsen WR, Helena HS

3 Points: Sean Davis QB, Lakewood, CA Ben Drinkwalter RB, CMR HS David Gilberaith WR, Bozeman Jerrad Klumph SS/OLB, Tilamook, OR Casey Robinson DE, Sentinel

2 Points: Eric Hart LB, Shenandoah, VA Matt Thompson WR, Walla Walla, WA

1 Point: Chad Clemens DE/LB, Boise, ID Mark Dennehy DB/WR, Hellgate HS Jason Helms DB, Hellgate HS Calvin Jackson C, Poway, CA Chris Jenkins QB, Fairbanks, AK Pat Mosher OC, Anchorage, AK Christian Olavarria K, Beaverton, OR Ryan Phelps OL, Lewisville, CO Chris Pombo WR, Modesto, CA Jeff Tripp SS, Loyola

Zero Points: Kevin Braga CB, Fountain Valley, CA Tyler Gilman WR/LB, Hellgate HS Alvino Lewis DB, San Diego, CA Eric Zaveta DL, Big Sky HS
 
These are cool threads. Brings back a lot of memories, especially with the MT recruits.

I do think a few of these are off a year. Eric Zaveta, Casey Robinson and Justin Olsen were in the 95 recruits class. I know, as they were a year ahead of me.

Big E would have been the gem of the 95 class and could have had an great career w/out the neck injuries.
 
Raider said:
These are cool threads. Brings back a lot of memories, especially with the MT recruits.

I do think a few of these are off a year. Eric Zaveta, Casey Robinson and Justin Olsen were in the 95 recruits class. I know, as they were a year ahead of me.

Big E would have been the gem of the 95 class and could have had an great career w/out the neck injuries.

Zaveta was a 96 year recruit. He hurt his neck on a kickoff against Great Falls High two weeks before the playoffs in 94.

He missed the playoffs and then had at the time a fairly revolutionary neck fusion surgery, and had to miss a year. Prior to the injury, he was a FBS/FCS kid. I hated having to block him on scout team in High School. A freak. He had to go through a lot of medical clearance steps to get back on the field.

He made it back to the Griz and about midway through the 97 season he was scraping down the line on a run play and ran into the hip of another play and he went temporarily numb. After that, he turned in the gear and retired.
 
Grizfan-24 said:
Raider said:
These are cool threads. Brings back a lot of memories, especially with the MT recruits.

I do think a few of these are off a year. Eric Zaveta, Casey Robinson and Justin Olsen were in the 95 recruits class. I know, as they were a year ahead of me.

Big E would have been the gem of the 95 class and could have had an great career w/out the neck injuries.

Zaveta was a 96 year recruit. He hurt his neck on a kickoff against Great Falls High two weeks before the playoffs in 94.

He missed the playoffs and then had at the time a fairly revolutionary neck fusion surgery, and had to miss a year. Prior to the injury, he was a FBS/FCS kid. I hated having to block him on scout team in High School. A freak. He had to go through a lot of medical clearance steps to get back on the field.

He made it back to the Griz and about midway through the 97 season he was scraping down the line on a run play and ran into the hip of another play and he went temporarily numb. After that, he turned in the gear and retired.


I know the story well. Eric was a fairly good friend in college. We became lifting buddies after football fizzled for both of us.

But, I’m still confused on the recruiting year,. He graduated from Big Sky in 95, so wouldn’t that make him part of the 95 recruiting class?
 
Raider said:
Grizfan-24 said:
Zaveta was a 96 year recruit. He hurt his neck on a kickoff against Great Falls High two weeks before the playoffs in 94.

He missed the playoffs and then had at the time a fairly revolutionary neck fusion surgery, and had to miss a year. Prior to the injury, he was a FBS/FCS kid. I hated having to block him on scout team in High School. A freak. He had to go through a lot of medical clearance steps to get back on the field.

He made it back to the Griz and about midway through the 97 season he was scraping down the line on a run play and ran into the hip of another play and he went temporarily numb. After that, he turned in the gear and retired.


I know the story well. Eric was a fairly good friend in college. We became lifting buddies after football fizzled for both of us.

But, I’m still confused on the recruiting year,. He graduated from Big Sky in 95, so wouldn’t that make him part of the 95 recruiting class?

He was told that he wouldn't be able to play college football after the injury.

In fact if I remember right, he didn't get the surgery until after graduation in 95, and had a full year to two full years of rehab. He was a part of the 96 recruiting class and walked on in spring of 97 and was forced to medically retire because of the above mentioned neck stinger in spring camp.
 
Grizfan-24 said:
Raider said:
I know the story well. Eric was a fairly good friend in college. We became lifting buddies after football fizzled for both of us.

But, I’m still confused on the recruiting year,. He graduated from Big Sky in 95, so wouldn’t that make him part of the 95 recruiting class?

He was told that he wouldn't be able to play college football after the injury.

In fact if I remember right, he didn't get the surgery until after graduation in 95, and had a full year to two full years of rehab. He was a part of the 96 recruiting class and walked on in spring of 97 and was forced to medically retire because of the above mentioned neck stinger in spring camp.
Just to confirm, he is listed in the 1996 media guide as a NEW GRIZ, he is not listed in the 1995 guide, nor does he appear on the roster. So under my admittedly flawed system, he is part of the 1996 recruiting class. And a great "what might have been".
 
SaskGriz said:
Grizfan-24 said:
He was told that he wouldn't be able to play college football after the injury.

In fact if I remember right, he didn't get the surgery until after graduation in 95, and had a full year to two full years of rehab. He was a part of the 96 recruiting class and walked on in spring of 97 and was forced to medically retire because of the above mentioned neck stinger in spring camp.
Just to confirm, he is listed in the 1996 media guide as a NEW GRIZ, he is not listed in the 1995 guide, nor does he appear on the roster. So under my admittedly flawed system, he is part of the 1996 recruiting class. And a great "what might have been".

Absolutely. He for much of his senior year was the best defensive player in the state. A big reason why we (Big Sky) had any chance at making a run in the playoffs. As good as Jeremy Watkins was, who incidentally in line for a walk on only until he went off in the playoffs in 94, Zaveta was an absolute physical freak. 6'6'' and a physical freak and was getting letters from Big 12 schools and a few Pac 10 schools. Not often that you had a 6'6'' guy who could run in the high 4's in the mid 90's.

I wouldn't put him on the list of 'best that never was' but I am pretty sure he'd been an absolute force on the DL for the Griz had it not been for that neck injury. Coaches felt when they got him medically cleared that he was incredible steal. When he got the stinger, it scared him enough that he felt it wasn't worth it.
 
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