T. J. Duckett is now going to roar!
NFL Football at its best. NFL Football at its craziest.
Diesel inks a 1 year deal with the Lions
The Lions did not need a heart like the Lion in Wizard of Oz. No, Coach Marinelli has given them a heart.
Lion’s management did need a brain and it looks like they found one.
Matt, sometimes called Bozo, Millen has added Tatum Bell, George Foster, a couple of 5th round picks, and DeWayne White.
Sure sounds like he got a brain somewhere.
Now the Lions have added local hero T. J. Duckett. Yes, the Diesel is coming to the Lions!
Duckett was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the first round in 2002. He played four seasons for Atlanta and was productive as a short-yardage runner. Duckett rushed for 2,175 yards, scored 31 touchdowns and averaged 3.9 yards per carry for the Falcons.
In the Nick of Time
Some out there will remember TJ as being on the receiving end of Jeff Smokers touchdown pass as Michigan State University beat University of Michigan in the last second of the game called the Miracle in Michigan.
What is lesser known is that your intrepid author, being a Michigan State University fan, had paid off the time keeper to hold back his itchy trigger finger for a split second.
Or at least that is what many Wolverine fans believe. Actually if you run your VCR in super slow mo, the time keeper was correct.
TJ at MSU
Coming out of high school in Kalamazoo, Michigan, TJ was ranked the number one player in the country. He tried playing linebacker at first, because the Spartans were loaded at running back, including his former high school teammate Little John Flowers.
The Diesel did not do that great at linebacker and said he was afraid of hurting people. He soon switched to running back and had a fantastic collegiate career.
TJ turned out to be the fifth leading rusher in MSU history in spite of leaving early.
Duckett, a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the media, rushed for 1,420 yards in 2001 - the fifth-best single-season total in Spartan history. The 6-foot-1, 249-pound running back finished third in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging 118.3 yards per game. As a junior, he accounted for 77 percent of Michigan State’s rushing offense (1,420 of 1,854 yards) and scored 12 of its 19 rushing touchdowns.
The Kalamazoo, Mich., native played as well as anyone down the stretch in 2001, averaging 139.0 yards over his last seven games. Duckett recorded his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the 2001 season in MSU’s 44-35 victory over No. 20 Fresno State in the Silicon Valley Football Classic, gaining 184 yards on 27 carries. He also scored on TD runs of 5 and 39 yards against Fresno State. source
No one expects Duckett to set the NFL on fire, but it is good to have the local star back in the state of Michigan. Your gallivanting author predicts nothing but good things for TJ.
NFL Football Fan Question TJ has been predominantly a short yardage back in the NFL. He was the every down back in college. How do you think the Lions will use him?
As always, any NFL Football related comments are welcome.
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POSTED IN: Coach Rod Marinelli, Detroit Lions, Free agency, GM Matt Millen, NFL Football, Trades
3 opinions for T. J. Duckett is now going to roar!
Ron B Free
Mar 11, 2007 at 8:22 am
Good to have T.J. back in Michigan where his parents and friends can see him play. His highschool buddy Little John Flowers is back from NFL Europe to play running back for Kalamazoo’s indoor football team. Along with Derek Jeter, probably the three best athletes to come out of Kalamazoo. T.J. will get to be the battering ram we need down near the goal line. Now if we could just convince his brother Tico Duckett to come out of retirment the lions would have an all Spartan backfield. Come to think about it maybe we could take Drew Staton with our first pick and go all green on offense
James
Mar 11, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Please, do not forget the greatest athlete to ever come out of the Kalamazoo area and maybe to ever come out of the state of Michigan.
From Bangor and nearby Fennville, Richie Jordan.
5′ 7 and 1/2 inches tall, he could dunk with both hands and averaged over 40 points a game his senior year ending up the all time high school scorer.
He went to MSU to pursue basketball and baseball almost making the pros in baseball.
surtin
Mar 17, 2007 at 10:08 am
With all those RB signings (obviously I haven’t been paying attention to the off season as I should be) where’s that leave KJ? Was his injury that bad that they need Tatum and TJ?
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