Vols in the NFL

There are 43 Vols currently on NFL rosters. 8 Pro Bowlers, 3 Rookies, 30 who got significant playing time in 2007, and 21 who were starters in 2007. 2 were completely inactive last year due to injury.

It is a significant accomplishment to place 43 players on NFL rosters, 21 of them starters. 31* of the 66 BCS schools don't even have 21 former players currently in the NFL, let alone 21 starters.

Tennessee may place a few more players on NFL rosters before the season starts**. Pro Bowl linebacker Al Wilson has been looking at making a come back. He has been interested in signing with a contender. Travis Henry was cut by the Broncos due to nagging injuries. He was leading the NFL in rushing last season when he got hurt. Cedrick Wilson and Peerless Price still have talent, but other issues may keep them from playing again this year.

Undrafted rookies Eric Young, Jonathan Hefney, Xavier Mitchell, Antonio Reynolds, and Chris Brown are all battling to make NFL rosters this year.

*Including West Virginia, Clemson, Oklahoma St, Georgia Tech, and Missouri
**And may lose a few due to cuts

The Real Finals MVP

So I figure Paul Pierce won Finals MVP because he has been on team through the hard times. Although he had good stats, he did not have the best series.

My MVP is Ray Allen. He is the only member of the Boston Three Party to not have a bad game. Pierce only had one bad game, but it was awful. In Game 3 he had 6 points on 14 fga. If Garnett or Pierce had even a mediocre game 3, with Allen leading the way (25 points on 13 shots) the Celtics may have swept.

Garnett really only had 2 good games, so he is out of the running. Pierce choked away his best game. Kobe picked his pocket twice in the last few minutes of game 5, negating the 38 points he had scored (16 from the stripe). So let's compare their final stats:

Allen: 20.3 ppg, 73 fga, 51% fg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.7 bpg, 1.8 topg
Pierce: 21.8 ppg, 88 fga, 43% fg, 4.5 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.3 bpg, 3.7 topg

The only stat where Pierce has a real advantage is assists. Ray Allen was consistent. Ray Allen was the man. He just doesn't have the star power Garnett and Pierce have. He couldn't just play better than those 2 and win MVP, he had to absolutely stand out, which he didn't. Oh well, I am sure Ray is just happy to have a championship.