Carl Pickens or Willie Gault?

#26
#26
Gault. Not even close.
CP, not even close. No shade towards Willie G., but he was not on the same planet as a football player as Carl Pickens. Just watch the Cotton Bowl, where Johnny had Carl starting at FS. I recall he had catches in the end zone that day in Dallas, on both sides of the ball.
 
#27
#27
Pickens by a mile. Gault dropped passes at UT. Speed is a huge asset, but was the only thing special about Gault as WR.

Pickens had excellent size, hands, and speed, and high jumped something like 7 ft. He snagged a ball over the middle, on the dirt infield at Anaheim against Colorado that I thought Andy Kelly overthrew 10 yds. Extra credit for his pick in the end zone against Arkansas where he closed 10-15 yds on receiver. (Admittedly the Hog QB was a better runner than thrower, and held that ball a touch too long.)
 
#28
#28
As much love as I have for Gault he was just wasn't the all around player Pickens proved to be. Pick made Fr AA at safety before he moved and then became an AA at WR.

Damn Gault was fast though. One of those guys that if you saw the break in the D you knew Willie could house it.
 
#32
#32
I say Pickens but I am biased by my age... I was a kid getting into football about the time Pickens was playing.
 
#33
#33
Pickens was better than Gault IMO. Pickens was at 1 time a 2 way player. Gault was a tremendous athlete and one of the fastest players Tennessee has ever had, but Pickens was the football player.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pacer92
#40
#40
You can have Willie Gault, the non-Olympic sprinter. Willie never competed in the Olympics.

I said I preferred Pickens...

He qualified...so had we not boycotted he would had. Olympic enough for me...
 
#42
#42
I'm fascinated by many posters' preference for Gault over Pickens. Gault was a speed burner, but he just didn't have the wide receiver skills or the hands that Pickens possessed. I'm glad that Gault picked up a Super Bowl win with the 85 Bears though. I saw them destroy the Cowboys in Dallas that year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ArdentVol
#43
#43
I'm fascinated by many posters' preference for Gault over Pickens. Gault was a speed burner, but he just didn't have the wide receiver skills or the hands that Pickens possessed.
200w.gif


Steve Alatorre and Alan Cockrell................enough said.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ArdentVol
#44
#44
Pickens by a wide-margin. He was a football player imitating a football player. Gault was a track-star imitating a football player.

Sports Illustrated said Pickens was "The Dude with the 'tude" prior to his last season. He grew weary of practice and "running cones" as he said.
 
#46
#46
Pickens all day long. This guy could catch a TD then go and defend in the defensive backfield. Gault was fast but had a lot of drops
 
#47
#47
Pickens was a better receiver by far. I had the unreal experience of taking a track and field class with Willie taught by Ralph Boston. On the first day, Ralph said, if u can run a mile in under 5 minutes, a 400 in under a minute or a 100 in under 12 seconds, show me now cuz there’s nothing I can teach you and you don't need to come to class anymore. We only saw Willie on that first day. I had the pleasure of taking the class for the entire quarter…..
 
#50
#50
Pickens was a better receiver by far. I had the unreal experience of taking a track and field class with Willie taught by Ralph Boston. On the first day, Ralph said, if u can run a mile in under 5 minutes, a 400 in under a minute or a 100 in under 12 seconds, show me now cuz there’s nothing I can teach you and you don't need to come to class anymore. We only saw Willie on that first day. I had the pleasure of taking the class for the entire quarter…..
Great story

I knew Ralph great man & Olympian
 

VN Store



Back
Top