Time to get Johnstown back in the pipe line.....

[81b&w]

We've missed out on some. Pretty much any Hawkins or Simon have turned out to be NFL players in the last several years. To me it's cool because I grew up with their dad's. As an example.....

Geroy Simon (born September 11, 1975) is a retired[1][2] professional Canadian footballslotback who played 15 seasons in the Canadian Football League, twelve of them with the BC Lions. Simon won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award in 2006 while also winning three Grey Cup championships as a member of the BC Lions in 2006 and 2011 and with Saskatchewan in 2013. As of the 2013 CFL season, Simon is the all-time career leader in CFL receiving yards with 16,352 yards, first in pass receptions with 1,029 and third in touchdown receptions with 103

 

[psuro]

So one guy from Flood Village makes it to Canada and all of s sudden it's a pipeline?

 

[fairfaxlion2]

does anybody still live there?

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

There's good players come out of everywhere. Johnstown has had a couple, but the city isn't what it used to be. Andrew Hawkins has lasted a long time, but he wasn't a top prospect, he went to Toledo. Exree Lowe signed with West Virginia, he's a good player but he wasn't going to come here once we got Wade. Stevens-Howling was a pretty good player, but you can't say we were hurting for RB's when he was coming out.

It's not the '60's any more where there is a steady stream of Steve Smears and Pete Durankos. Even Jack Ham was a nobody when he was a high school player.

I have a lot of confidence that if there is a player out there, our staff is on him.

 

[BobPSU92]

does anybody still live there?

pitt has a branch campus full of dummies there. No doubt some of them transfer to oakland.

 

[bjf1991]

does anybody still live there?

J-Town is the last place I'd worry about having a recruiting presence
If nothing else, it's population has dropped by - IIRC - over 80% (just think about that :-(. ).over the last few decades.


I spent plenty of days there in my youth - go downtown now? It is a modern-day ghost town..... it's stunning.

 

[Pennsy_Kraken]

There's good players come out of everywhere. Johnstown has had a couple, but the city isn't what it used to be. Andrew Hawkins has lasted a long time, but he wasn't a top prospect, he went to Toledo. Exree Lowe signed with West Virginia, he's a good player but he wasn't going to come here once we got Wade. Stevens-Howling was a pretty good player, but you can't say we were hurting for RB's when he was coming out.

It's not the '60's any more where there is a steady stream of Steve Smears and Pete Durankos. Even Jack Ham was a nobody when he was a high school player.

I have a lot of confidence that if there is a player out there, our staff is on him.

Pretty sure Scrap is a J-towner or at least that's what he told me at Doc's in Shadyside many, many years ago...

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Pretty sure Scrap is a J-towner or at least that's what he told me at Doc's in Shadyside many, many years ago...

Yes. Tom and Jim as well.

 

[fairfaxlion2]

J-Town is the last place I'd worry about having a recruiting presence
If nothing else, it's population has dropped by - IIRC - over 80% (just think about that :-(. ).over the last few decades.


I spent plenty of days there in my youth - go downtown now? It is a modern-day ghost town..... it's stunning.

Yeah. Now it is like 1/3 the population of the city of Harrisburg. I'm sure there could be good players out of Johnstown but it is not going to be the recruiting hotbed it once was. Its population has been declining for like 7 decades.

 

[mn78psu83]

Yes. Tom and Jim as well.

Matt Bradley was a great athlete and a fine player for PSU.

 

[Norm Petersin]

Are there any members of the Gunby family coining up?

 

[81b&w]

Are there any members of the Gunby family coining up?

You remember Gunby? That's awesome but that's the first I've heard the name in a long time. I think Carlton Haselrig is doing well now, he was an amazing athlete, Olympic wrestler to NFL lineman

 

[artsandletters]

Yeah. Now it is like 1/3 the population of the city of Harrisburg. I'm sure there could be good players out of Johnstown but it is not going to be the recruiting hotbed it once was. Its population has been declining for like 7 decades.

Is the Westmont inclined plane still there?

 

[Fox Chapel Lion II]

Is the Westmont inclined plane still there?

Sure is. Still in operation.

 

[palehorse]

You remember Gunby? That's awesome but that's the first I've heard the name in a long time. I think Carlton Haselrig is doing well now, he was an amazing athlete, Olympic wrestler to NFL lineman

I knew Geroy and Gunby quite well. I was teammates with Mario Hardison in college as well. All good guys. I know there was a Gunby high up in the jtown police force recently. I think he was an uncle. don't know what any of those guys are up to these days. Hope they are doing well.

 

[royboy]

J-Town is the last place I'd worry about having a recruiting presence
If nothing else, it's population has dropped by - IIRC - over 80% (just think about that :-(. ).over the last few decades.

wow, you aren't kidding; decade by decade according to wiki

1920 67,327 21.3%
1930 66,993 −0.5%
1940 66,668 −0.5%
1950 63,232 −5.2%
1960 53,949 −14.7%
1970 42,476 −21.3%
1980 35,496 −16.4%
1990 28,134 −20.7%
2000 23,906 −15.0%
2010 20,978 −12.2%