1953 AFL Draft Preview

 

AACA Top 20:

1) Calvert - 10-0

2) St. Joseph’s - 9-0-1

3) Michigan - 9-1

4) Oklahoma - 8-1-1

5) Brooklyn College - 8-1-1

6) Rogers Clark - 8-2

7) Chicago Christian - 7-1-2

8) Georgia A&M - 7-2-1

9) Los Angeles State - 8-2

10) Louisiana -  7-2-1

11) Texas - 7-3

12) Monongalia State - 9-1

13) Alabama A&M - 7-1-2

14) Pittsburgh State - 7-3

15) Wisconsin State - 7-2-1

16) Buchanan - 7-2-1

17) Alabama State - 7-3

18) Massachusetts State - 7-2-1

19) St. Francis of Assisi – 6-3-1

20) Ohio - 7-3


AACA Bowls:

Tournament of Roses Bowl (Los Angeles, CA) - (5) Brooklyn College 20-28 (9) LA State

Palm Bowl (Miami, FL) - (1) Calvert 0-7 (8) Georgia A&M

Magnolia Bowl (Houston, TX) - (4) Oklahoma 28-6 (7) Chicago Christian

Columbian Bowl (Chicago, IL) - (3) Michigan 23-14 (18) Massachusetts State

Gold Bowl (San Francisco, CA) - (2) St. Joseph’s 26-19 (19) SFA

Cigar Bowl (Tampa, FL) - (6) Rogers Clark 13-33 (13) Alabama A&M

Syrup Bowl (New Orleans, LA) - (10) Louisiana 19-42 (12) Monongalia State

Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX) - (11) Texas 37-14 (16) Buchanan

Orange Bowl (Orlando, FL) - (14) Pittsburgh State 7-7 (17) Alabama State


AFL Top 20 Prospects

1) S Charlie Fischer - Brooklyn College - Sidney Boggs - DireBear

2) DB Kerry Lantz - Michigan - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower

3) QB Denzel Collingsworth - Alabama A&M - Bernard King - Kingsfan11

4) OL Xavier Struckenburg - Fox River* - Jimmy Jones - Dan O’Mac

5) RB Paul Barker - St. Joseph’s - Sidney Boggs - DireBear

6) OL Isaiah Winthrop - Chicago Christian - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower

7) WR Ciarán Murphy - Massachusetts State - Leroy Hannigan - Darknes

8) WR Darius Sanderson - Michigan - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower

9) DL Clifford Dale - Louisville State - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower

10) OL Pip Benirschke- Northern Michigan - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower

11) OL Andrei Simaetska - Pittsburgh State - Leroy Hannigan - Darknes

12) LB Chris Cassidy - Chicago Chrisitan - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower

13) DB Tom Wolf - Arkansas - Sidney Boggs - DireBear

14) QB Terry Kadlec - Los Angeles State - Sidney Boggs - DireBear

15) OL Donnel Ferguson - Chicago Christian - Leroy Hannigan - Darknes

16) RB Washington Norris - Massachusetts State - Sidney Boggs - DireBear

17) LB Faolán Doyle - Pittsburgh State - Leroy Hannigan - Darknes

18) DL Fergus Prenderghast - Northern Oregon - Leroy Hannigan - Darknes

19) QB Eric Trueblood - Toledo State* - Bernard King - Kingsfan11

20) DB Rogelio Amos - New Jersey - Isaac “Deuce” Martin - idm


The biggest news that happened in the AACA was the breakaway of 9 schools from the Piedmont Conference to form the Atlantic Athletic Conference. This worked in Calvert University’s (College Park, MD) favor, as they went on to have an undefeated season and were ranked #1 in the polls for just the second time in school history. The Terriers were already declaring themselves national champions by the time they went down to Miami for the Palm Bowl, but were shut out by the Southern Conference winner Georgia A&M Chargers 7-0. Unfortunately for the AFL, none of the players on the Calvert team are just ready for the draft, but may be ready as soon as next year. The players that are ready for the AFL finished 1-2 in the Bernheim Trophy, both might provide a huge boost to whichever team takes them. The winner of the Bernheim this year, RB Paul Barker, was the reason why St. Joseph’s had an undefeated season this year, who cut through defenses to help the Griffons sneak by the #19 Saint Francis of Assisi Sea Lions 26-19 in the Gold Bowl. The runner-up, QB Denzel Collingsworth from the #13 Alabama A&M Steelers, carried the team after a majority of players left from last year, and helped upset the #6 Rogers Clark Badgers in the Cigar Bowl in Tampa 33-13 with his ability to run around in the pocket to create enough time to find receivers open. The Tournament of Roses Bowl finally saw players who were ready to enter the AFL spotlight. LA State QB Terry Kadlec was an effective field manager, whose calm demeanor prevented him from faltering under pressure. This helped him excel over the Brooklyn College secondary, led by S Charlie Fischer. Fischer preferred to hit receivers to get the ball away from them instead of covering them, which failed him in the Roses Bowl to let the Bulldogs win 28-20 over the Terriers. Chicago Christian had national title ambitions this year, losing a lot of their starters this year to graduation or for the professional football field. Instead the Crusaders were led by LB Chris Cassidy and DL Frank Bean on the defensive side of the ball, and QB Jehoshaphat Murphy and RB Kevin Knox on the offensive side. They weren’t able to win the CAC, finishing ranked #7 in the nation, and the core of the team from last year was sorely missed as they were easily defeated by #4 Oklahoma in the Magnolia Bowl 28-6. The Michigan Beavers were the team to win the CAC, finishing ranked 3rd overall with players like RB Brady Walters, WR Darius Sanderson, and DB Kerry Lantz putting them over the top to win their first conference title since 1943. They faced the 18th ranked Massachusetts State Panthers in the Columbian Bowl, whose players such as RB Washington Norris, WR Ciáran Murphy, and LB Kilian Graves nearly got the Panthers the ECC title, only losing out to Brooklyn College in the title race. The Beavers would end up beating the Panthers, scoring late to win 23-14. In other bowl games this season, reigning national champions Louisiana faced a massive upset in the Syrup Bowl, getting crushed 42-19 by the Monongalia State Vandals, who won their first ever conference title and bowl game after moving from the Piedmont Conference to the Great Lakes Conference. Two new bowls also debuted this year to accommodate other ranked teams, as El Paso hosted Texas and Buchanan (Durham, NC) in the Sun Bowl and Orlando hosted Pittsburgh State and Alabama State in the Orange Bowl. Texas manhandled Buchanan 37-14 in the Sun Bowl, and the Great Danes and Big Blue tied 7-7 in an uneventful game.


Surprisingly, the #1 OL, and #2 prospect overall in this year’s draft is from the Lower Division: Xavier Struckenburg from Fox River College in Appleton, WI. Struckenburg was an incredible lineman at college, being able to block pretty much anyone he was up against while playing for the Foxes. He doesn’t seem to have a single issue on the football field and will be a target for pretty much every team in the first round. Other non-power school players include OL Pip Benirschke from Northern Michigan, who was rated among AFL scouts as the best pass-blocking lineman in the draft, DL Clifford Dale from Louisville State, who has incredible off the line speed, and DL Fergus Prendergast from Northern Oregon, a powerful but slow interior defender that can take down anyone at the center position.


The top three quarterbacks are all solid options, with Denzel Collingswood the most likely candidate to go number 1 overall to the Crows. Kadlec and Murphy might provide solid backup to stopgap roles for some teams, but there are really only 2 other options once those three go off the board. Eric Trueblood helped the Lower Division Toledo State Grizzlies to a conference title with a mix of arm strength and pocket mobility, but struggled with holding onto the ball when tackled in the backfield. Trueblood might also be a good option for some time, but Worcester State QB Cornelius Cobb is definitively set up to be a backup. He was overly reliant on the short pass to gain yardage though having a strong arm, and has had character issues with teammates when his team was losing. 


Draft Picks/Needs:


1 - Cleveland Crows:

Picks: 1, 9, 17, 19, 22, 33

Needs: QB RB WR DL DB S


2 - Detroit Knights:

Picks: 2, 4, 10, 18, 26, 28, 34

Needs: QB WR DL LB


3 - Washington Federals:

Picks: 3, 11, 27, 36

Needs: QB WR DL DB


4 - Tri-Cities Hawks:

Picks: 12, 20, 36

Needs: OL DL DB S


5 - Pittsburgh Shamrocks:

Picks: 5, 13, 29, 38

Needs: RB OL WR DL DB S


6 - Cincinnati Rivermen:

Picks: 6, 14, 21, 25, 37

Needs: OL DL DB


7 - Buffalo Hammers:

Picks: 7, 15, 23, 31, 39

Needs: OL WR DL LB DB


8 - Chicago Hogs:

Picks: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40

Needs: RB DL LB DB

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