Which Ragin' Cajun has had the best Pro Career

[California Cajun]

OK, so Andrew Toney and Ron Guidry and Brian Mitchell had great careers, but where are they now? Leigh Hennessy, on the other hand, is still going strong. She won more national championships than any other woman and was a trampoline world champion so many times that even she claims to have lost count. She's used her athletic skills to create a career as a stuntwoman in Hollywood and has been seen in dozens of movies and TV shows. Her athletic skills really come into play in the Kevin Costner movie "The Guardian" that opens September 15, 2006; she's the drowning woman in the five-minute opening scene. So my vote goes to Leigh, not just for what she did to promote USL as a world-class athlete, but also because she is still using her athletic skills to make a living and still has only good things to say about the university and Lafayette.

I'm ashamed that I didn't give her more consideration. Was she in the Olympics? It didn't help the recognition factor that USL dropped the sports in which she was involved.

[RCAJUN90]

I'm ashamed that I didn't give her more consideration. Was she in the Olympics? It didn't help the recognition factor that USL dropped the sports in which she was involved.

You have to go with Ron Guidry or Brian Mitchell. I believe both are the only Cajuns that are wearing championship rings.

[Choppie29]

You have to go with Ron Guidry or Brian Mitchell. I believe both are the only Cajuns that are wearing championship rings.

Ike Taylor got his ring last year, although he is not on the list. He had an interception in the Superbowl and should have had 2.

Brandon Stokley got a ring with the Baltimore Ravens. He smoked NY Giants D back, Jason Seehorn on a post route, for what I believe was the first TD of the Super Bowl that year.

Some of my first memories of Ragin Cajun football were hearing, "Brian Mitchell on the carry for another Ragin Cajun first down!".....Good stuff.

[RCAJUN90]

Ike Taylor got his ring last year, although he is not on the list. He had an interception in the Superbowl and should have had 2.

Brandon Stokley got a ring with the Baltimore Ravens. He smoked NY Giants D back, Jason Seehorn on a post route, for what I believe was the first TD of the Super Bowl that year.

Some of my first memories of Ragin Cajun football were hearing, "Brian Mitchell on the carry for another Ragin Cajun first down!".....Good stuff.

If you were going for the biggest impact players for the Cajuns, Brian Mitchell would get my vote. He was my first Cajun QB also and he was awesome. He won many of games for us we should have lost. His pro career was not as impressive simply because he was always just the return guy except for one night as a Redskin where if memory serves he launched himself into the endzone as the QB just as he did when he was here.

[cajunpepper]

His pro career was not as impressive simply because he was always just the return guy except for one night as a Redskin where if memory serves he launched himself into the endzone as the QB just as he did when he was here.

What is your justification of the statement that he was not impressive?

Lets go over some statistics that he holds the NFL RECORDS for:
Punt Returns , Most Yards Gained, Career 4,999 (why couldn't they give him one more yard?)
Most Punt Returns, Career 463
If my math serves me correctly then that gives him a 10.8 yd avg.
Kick Off Returns, Yards Gained, Most Yards Gained, Career 14,014
And his career total yardage of 23,330, puts him in 2nd all time behind some guy you might of heard of, Jerry Rice??

Saying his pro career was not impressive is just absurd.

[Kal]

What is your justification of the statement that he was not impressive?

Lets go over some statistics that he holds the NFL RECORDS for:
Punt Returns , Most Yards Gained, Career 4,999 (why couldn't they give him one more yard?)
Most Punt Returns, Career 463
If my math serves me correctly then that gives him a 10.8 yd avg.
Kick Off Returns, Yards Gained, Most Yards Gained, Career 14,014
And his career total yardage of 23,330, puts him in 2nd all time behind some guy you might of heard of, Jerry Rice??

Saying his pro career was not impressive is just absurd.

If he hasn't been inducted into the hall of fame yet, he will be.

[Just1More]

I voted for Brian Mitchell. These polls are rough. I hate to leave others out. Ron Guidry is clearly one of our all time legends as a pro. I definitely agree with the Leigh, Hollis and Alvin Dark votes as well. Septien kind of messed up his deal. Bo was more of a super college standout than a pro. Andrew Toney was awesome, but I wish his career wouldn't have lingered on with foot injury issues (as I recall). Many others deserve a vote, but the younger, active folks need to get their kudos once they finish up IMO.

Whoever said they thought that Brian didn't have an illustrious career with the Redskins (and a few more with the Eagles) wasn't paying attention. Norv Turner said that Brian Mitchell was the most valuable player on the Redskins team. He could do it all, and did.

I remember his first season, on Monday night football, he was listed as the #3 QB... #1 and #2 go down to injury... they sucked the whole first half. First drive for Brian at QB... Madden says... this Mitchell kid is a running back... he'll just hand off or run... Brian completed 7 of 7 passes on the first drive to score a touchdown. Afterwards, they asked him if he was going to take snaps from here on out... he said "no way... I am bulking up and can barely move my arms... I am a running back/return specialist". If you watched... you also saw him as the first guy down the field on kick coverage... go ask some of the guys that he gave concussions to how hard that dude leveled them. He was extremely special at UL (then UsL) and had a tremendous pro career... stats sometimes tell the tale... in Brian's case... they tell about half of it.

[RCAJUN90]

What is your justification of the statement that he was not impressive?

Lets go over some statistics that he holds the NFL RECORDS for:
Punt Returns , Most Yards Gained, Career 4,999 (why couldn't they give him one more yard?)
Most Punt Returns, Career 463
If my math serves me correctly then that gives him a 10.8 yd avg.
Kick Off Returns, Yards Gained, Most Yards Gained, Career 14,014
And his career total yardage of 23,330, puts him in 2nd all time behind some guy you might of heard of, Jerry Rice??

Saying his pro career was not impressive is just absurd.

I said not "AS" impressive as his college career. He was an awesome college quaterback. I really believe he alone allowed us to win some games we probably should not have won. The position he played in the pros was not as high profile. I wish someone would have given him a shot at QB. I was not aware of the records you quote above. Make no mistake about it, I'm a Brian Mitchell fan.

[angellebertrand]

In the next poll we should add Danielle Gomez. 3rd best hitter in the NCAA history. Two-time All-American, or was it three? There really isin't a pro in softball so it would be impossable to beat Ron Guidry, Brian Mitchell and other's feats. But don't cut her short folks! She made history in softball and at UL.

[Lafitte the Pirate]

Alvin Dark is my pick; when you combine his playing days with his managerial days I think he had the best pro career.

PLAYER

3 Pennant winners

1828 games as a player

3rd in MVP voting 1948

"Major League" Rookie of the Year 1948

2089 hits

94 runs (his career 162 game average)

Led the League in Doubles in 1951

3-Time All Star 1951, 1952, 1954

Finished with MVP votes 6 times, in the top 12, 4 times.

.289 career batting average

.323 post season batting average

Lou Gehrig Memorial Award in 1955

MANAGER

1950 Games managed

994 Games won as manager

NL Pennant in 1962

AL Pennant 1974

World Series Champ 1974

When you combine the 2 Pro careers, it's Alvin Dark for me.

I am with you Turbine. Alvin Dark is my pick as well.