1954 Draft Preview

AACA Top 20
1) Brooklyn College - 10-0
2) Los Angeles State - 10-0
3) Oklahoma - 10-0
4) Chicago Christian - 9-1
5) Navy - 8-2
6) Ohio - 9-1
7) Army - 8-2
8) Calvert - 7-2-1
9) Wisconsin State - 8-2
10) Arkansas - 8-2
11) Miami State - 8-2
12) Monongalia State- 9-1
13) Alabama A&M - 7-3
14) Buchanan - 7-2-1
15) Michigan - 7-3
16) Louisiana  - 7-2-1
17) University of Los Angeles - 7-3
18) Texas - 7-3
19) Delaware - 7-3
20) New York State- 7-3

AACA Bowls:
Tournament of Roses Bowl (Los Angeles, CA) - (1) Brooklyn College 33-13 (2) Los Angeles State
Palm Bowl (Miami, FL) - (8) Calvert 34-7 (11) Miami State
Magnolia Bowl (Houston, TX) - (3) Oklahoma 6-14 (9) Wisconsin State
Columbian Bowl (Chicago, IL) -  (4) Chicago Christian 21-0 (20) New York State
Gold Bowl (San Francisco, CA) - (6) Ohio 20-7 (17) ULA
Cigar Bowl (Tampa, FL) - (13) Alabama A&M 13-9 (18) Texas
Syrup Bowl (New Orleans, LA) - (14) Buchanan 19-21 (16) Louisiana
Sun Bowl (El Paso, TX) - (10) Arkansas 6-7 (12) Monongalia State
Orange Bowl (Orlando, FL) - (15) Michigan 7-19 (19) Delaware

AFL Top 20 Prospects:
1) QB Brendan Turnbull - Brooklyn College - Leroy Hannigan - Darknes
2) DL J.J. Worthington - Kentucky Commonwealth - Abigail Winters - Dr. Pepper
3) RB Jesse Brown - Brooklyn College - Abigail Winters - Dr. Pepper
4) WR Joey Stanikovski - Brooklyn College - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
5) OL Andreas Van Alphen - Brooklyn College - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
6) LB Edgar Abney - Ohio - Kellan Thomas-Pea - TheEnigmaticOne
7) OL Dave Gill - Connecticut - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
8) DL Benjamin Walkins Jr. - New York State - Johnny Armando - Stickman
9) S Aaron Enville - Calvert - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
10) QB Mike Major - New York State - Isaac Martin - idm
11) DB Boogie Jones - Michigan - Jimmy Jones - Dan O’Mac
12) LB Russell Bauer - Cincinnati State - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
13) WR Ron Guy - Ohio - Bernard King - Kingsfan11
14) DB Bradán Clancy - Staten Island - Leroy Hannigan - Darknes
15) DB Alan Small - Delaware - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
16) WR Harvey King - Arkansas - Jimmy Jones - Dan O’Mac
17) QB Nathan Aldenberg - Wisconsin State - Waldorf Florus - Wallflower
18) DB Sean Hamby - Tennessee - Isaac Martin - idm
19) OL Marc Lyons - Connecticut - Sidney Boggs - DireBear
20) RB Greg Dixon - Fox River* - Isaac Martin - idm

The 1954 AACA college season was defined by 3 teams that took the national spotlight and claimed a piece of the national title: the Oklahoma Tornadoes, the Los Angeles State Bulldogs, and the Brooklyn College Terriers. Oklahoma had been carried by RB Lee Cannon for the third year in a row, and Cannon managed to finish third in Bernheim Trophy voting this year en route to a perfect 10-0 regular season. Cannon was supposed to join the AFL draft this year, but was lured away with a massive contract from the PAFC’s Baltimore Barons. Los Angeles State was supposed to regress after losing star QB Terry Kadlec last season, but only went further with new additions to the team that set them up to their second consecutive trip to the Roses Bowl. It would be only the third time the second team and the first team ranked in the polls would face each other, as the Bulldogs would have to play against the juggernaut that were the Brooklyn College Terriers. Led by the “Broadway Boys” on offense, the Terriers outscored their opponents by an average of 20 points. This included the Roses Bowl, where they dominated LA State 33-13 to capture the sole undefeated season, as Oklahoma was upset by 9th ranked Wisconsin State in the Magnolia Bowl 14-6. QB Nathan Aldenberg was a major reason why the Warriors triumphed over the Tornadoes, keeping a calm demeanor under pressure even with some inaccurate throws while being rushed. The Broadway Boys all managed to get top 5 in votes for the Bernheim, the first time this feat was accomplished in voting. QB Brendan Turnbull would narrowly win the vote, and there was no question as to why. Nicknamed “the Tyrant” by opposing players, he had absolute command over the offense and players around him, able to throw a precise dart or cannon shot down the sideline. His brash personality clashed with RB Jesse “Broadway” Brown, whose playstyle demanded that you keep your eyes on him, with immense raw talent and pure football skills. This bled into his personality, and he frequently butted heads with Turnbull as to how the offense should be run. However, he has gotten better at restraining his ego, as it was a lot worse when he first started on the team in his freshman year. The final member of this trio was more level-headed than the other two, but stylish playstyle nicknamed him “Styles” among teammates. WR Joey Stanikovski brought his amazing hands to the game, able to catch almost any pass thrown at him and make plays from those catches. The 8th-ranked Calvert Terriers, last year’s national champions, once again made the trip to Miami for the Palm Bowl, where they got revenge and crushed the hometown #11 Miami State Pirates 34-7 to win their first major bowl game in nearly a decade, helped by several hard-hitting stops from S Aaron Enville. After many predicted the Crusaders to not be ranked this year, Chicago Christian not only won the CAC but finished top 5 in the final poll. They didn’t have many great players this year, the only standouts being WR Harry Chilton and S Tyler Knight, but played great together as a unit to a 9-1 record. They welcomed the 20th ranked New York State Titans, who were led by gunslinging QB Mike Major and the explosive DL Benjamin Walkins. The Crusaders made a show out of the Titans, silencing them in a 21-0 shutout in the Columbian Bowl. The CAC runner-up Ohio nearly won the conference, but lost to Chicago Christian in the last week of the season on a critical mistake by QB Magomed Rasputin, who called a passing play on the three yard line and was tackled in the backfield, effectively ending the Buckeyes’ conference title hopes. Ohio took out its anger on 17th ranked ULA in the Gold Bowl, with LB Edgar Abney silencing the Aztecas for three forced fumbles and a TD in a 20-7 victory. Arkansas had finished runner-up to Oklahoma in the Red River Conference thanks to the speedy WR Harvey King, but was shut down by Monongalia State’s S Layton Crisp in the Sun Bowl, where the Vandals won their second straight bowl upset over a major team. The team they beat last year in the Syrup Bowl, Louisiana, returned to their hometown bowl game, narrowly beating Buchanan on a last-second touchdown. The real surprise this year was the Delaware University Gray Foxes, who came out of nowhere to win their first Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference title, with DB Alan Small towering over receivers to break up passes thrown to them. They traveled to Orlando for the Orange Bowl against Michigan, now without head coach Martin Shaw. The Gray Foxes fought hard against the Beavers’ secondary, led by DB Boogie Jones, but outperformed the shutdown DB en route to a 19-7 upset. The Gold Bowl was the only other bowl that did not feature any future AFL talent, as the Alabama A&M Steelers edged out the Texas Roughrider 13-9 to secure their third straight bowl victory.

In what could be seen as an after-effect of the NYPL shutting its doors after this season, the AFL saw a numerous amount of eastern players declaring for the draft, with half of the top ranked prospects hailing from east of the Rust Belt. The top eastern prospects not already mentioned include Brooklyn College OL Andreas Van Alphen, who was the top defender for QB Brendan Turnbull, and Connecticut OL Dave Gill, an adaptable lineman able to play both the run and pass games well. The best player within the AFL’s “home region” of the Midwest not already mentioned is Kentucky Commonwealth DL John-James “J.J.” Worthington. Worthington was the sole reason why the Eagles’ defense was a competent one this season, with the mix of his no-nonsense leadership and his ability to overwhelm linemen with his sheer strength and tenacity. Teams will be looking between Worthington and NY State’s Benjamin Walkins for cornerstones on the defensive line. Other non-power school players within the top 20 include Cincinnati State LB Russell Bauer, a bruising linebacker known for his fiery attitude on and off the field, and Staten Island DB Bradán Clancy, a ballhawk back who gained local infamy for his exploits around New York. The only major player from the Lower Division is RB Greg Dixon from Fox River College, who broke through holes only he could see in the offensive line. He gained notoriety for another reason, his nickname of “Chicago Greg”. This was created by his teammates at Fox River, who used that to differentiate him from another Greg on the team, as Dixon had played in Chicago before transferring to Fox Rivers after failing to make the roster at both Chicago schools (Chicago Christian and Rockefeller). He may have an interesting nickname, but he is unlikely to be a Billy Gould type and take the league by storm.

For teams looking for a QB, this draft has a few to look at. Brooklyn College’s Brendan Turnbull is seen as a potential franchise QB, where he is likely to fall no further than 5th to the first QB-needy team in the Hammers, provided no one else trades up to select him. After Turnbull, the QB position gets a little muddy. The other three options of Mike Major, Magomed Rasputin, and Nathan Aldenberg each could provide teams either solid starter or backup options. Major is the prototypical big arm type, Rasputin likes to run the ball when his options are limited, and Aldenberg prefers to stay in the pocket. After those 3, the only other option is Pittsburgh State’s Pete Mannix. The only thing Mannix has going for him is that he is a stopgap in the backup position, but will likely be a journeyman on either the practice squads or barely crack the starting roster.

Draft Picks/Needs:

1 - Detroit Knights:
Picks: 1, 9, 17, 25, 33, 38
Needs: RB WR DL LB DB

2 - Cleveland Crows:
Picks: 2, 10, 14, 16, 18, 23, 26, 34
Needs: RB WR DL LB DB

3 - Tri-Cities Hawks:
Picks: 11, 27, 35
Needs: RB OL DL LB

4 - Cincinnati Rivermen:
Picks: 3, 4, 12, 20, 28, 36
Needs: RB WR DL LB

5 - Buffalo Hammers:
Picks: 5, 13, 21, 29, 37
Needs: QB RB OL WR DL LB

6 - Chicago Hogs:
Picks: 6, 19, 22, 30
Needs: RB DL DB

7 - Pittsburgh Shamrocks
Picks: 7, 15, 31, 39
Needs: QB OL WR LB

8 - Washington Federals
Picks: 8, 24, 32, 40
Needs: QB OL WR DL LB DB