Expertise on Cowboys rookies starts with College Football America Yearbook
Because the Dallas Cowboys drafted Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and his teammate, defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, in the 2020 NFL Draft, I had unique perspective to bring to the table thanks to my job as editor-in-chief of the College Football America Yearbook.
Last September I was on the sidelines in Norman, Oklahoma, covering the Houston-Oklahoma game for the Yearbook. That gave me a front-row seat to watch Lamb and Gaillmore make their 2019 season debuts. They didn’t disappoint. Both played well. And while I had no idea at the time that Lamb and Gallimore would be future Cowboys, I took copious notes and after the draft, and I was able to file this story about my evening watching both players and how they might fit in Dallas.
Now, as another college football season begins (we hope), the 2020 College Football America Yearbook is out and ready for college football fans to get a copy.
You’ve seen college football preview magazines on the newsstand, of course. But our Yearbook is, well, more comprehensive. Most books focus on Division I (or FBS and FCS). Our book devotes a large portion to Division I (including preview stories and color photos of stadiums, players and coaches, all taken by our College Football America staff). But we also devote about one-third of the book to lower divisions like Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior colleges. That includes information on every team and color photos taken by the staff.
How serious are we about the Yearbook? We’ve logged more than 300,000 miles covering college football games since the 2011 season.
When I look at the Cowboys’ roster, I see players that I’ve seen in person during their college days, and it’s a long list:
Utah defensive end Bradlee Anae
TCU running back Darius Anderson
Kansas defensive end Dorance Armstrong
Kansas State defensive back Deante Burton
James Madison quarterback Ben DiNucci
Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott
North Texas defensive end Ladarius Hamilton
Penn State offensive guard Connor McGovern
Michigan tight end Sean McKeon
TCU running back Sewo Olonilua
Memphis running back Tony Pollard
Tulsa cornerback Reggie Robinson II
Texas A&M wide receiver Kendrick Rogers
Stanford tight end Dalton Schultz
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith
Texas Tech offensive tackle Terence Steele
Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorsen
Texas offensive guard Connor Williams
Louisiana Tech safety Xavier Woods
With that comes the expertise of seeing these players at the college level and how they could translate into the pros. Plus, my colleagues, Chuck Cox and Kendall Webb, have seen even more of these players at the college level and when I need information, they can help me give context to what I’m writing.
This year, there’s a preview for every division — FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA and even U Sports (which is Canadian college football). There’s a preview for every single conference in college football — 98 in all. That includes conferences you’re probably familiar with like the Big 12, and conferences you’re less familiar with, such as the South Atlantic Conference.
There are more than 200 full-color photos, all of which were taken by our staff. There’s a stadium photo of each FBS stadium — 130 in all — and we’ve been to nearly all of them. You’ll find photos of some of the best players for the teams you HAVE heard of (such as Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence) and photos of some of the best players for the teams you HAVEN’T heard of (such as Division III running back Alex Peete at UW-Whitewater).
The 2020 College Football America Yearbook (photo by Chuck Cox/College Football America)
This year’s cover features one of the best players in the game, North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance, who led the Bison to their eighth FCS national championship in nine seasons in 2019. We shot the national championship game, as the Bison defeated James Madison in Frisco.
We bring our skills as writers, our knowledge of college football and the most unmatched asset of all: we zig-zag across America gathering eyewitness info on the players, coaches and teams. It’s a labor of love ... and it shows on every page.
If you’re an NFL fan you’re probably a college football fan, and if you are one, then this is the book for you. Grab a copy today at the links below. And, remember next spring when the NFL Draft rolls around, I’ll have some expertise for you on players who could become Cowboys one day.
