Our 4th Annual ALL OLD SCHOOL TEAM

Congratulations to this year's winners.

Which players today remind us of the sport we fell in love with as a kid?

That’s always the criteria for our All Old School Team at Go Long. Perhaps it’s David Montgomery toting four defenders on his back. Maybe it’s a linebacker playing through the echo of the whistle. Or it could simply be a lineman with a receding hairline making himself indispensable on a 53-man roster.

We don’t have any hardware to present to this year’s winners. The last thing the world needs is another red-carpet event. But with a simple pat on the back, here are your 2024 Go Long All Old School Team award-winners

Be sure to offer your own submissions in the comments.

Thanks, all!

Past squads:

• 2023 All Old School Team

• 2022 All Old School Team

• 2021 All Old School Team

TYLER DUNNE

BLAKE CASHMAN, LB, MINNESOTA

There isn’t a coordinator in the NFL like Brian Flores. He schemes his 11 chess pieces to pinball all directions. At first, Cashman was confused. So much of what this coach was showing him felt wrong. The more he studied the playbook, watched film and practiced, the more it made sense. The more it became obvious Cashman was exactly what Flores needed in the middle of it all. He’s the madman who makes the Vikings D go. After nearly getting chewed up and spat out by the NFL machine, Cashman’s now the Grade-A example of an NFL player ascending with the right coach at the right time. Because now? The hellion wearing No. 51 fuels a Super Bowl-caliber defense. When Cashman missed time with a turf toe, his absence was felt. “I get in these modes,” Cashman told us, “where I want to crash out the game — ‘F my body. I don’t care how I’m going to feel. If this tight end’s right on the sideline? I am not breaking stride. I am going right through his thighs.’ Not thinking about anything. Just smack him.” He escaped Jets Hell. Now, Cashman can make everyone remember his name.

DAN SKIPPER, T, DETROIT

Once another Detroit Lions win was complete, Dan Campbell delivered another viral speech to his team inside the locker room. At one point, he looked over toward his 6-foot-9, 330-pound offensive tackle Dan Skipper. “There you go, Skip, keep throwing up!” he bellowed. The journeyman had just played 80-of-80 snaps against the Green Bay Packers in place of mainstay Taylor Decker. Tales of perseverance can be found throughout the NFL, but few have survived quite like Skipper. The bald, bearded, lumbering lineman has been fighting for his football life from the moment he entered the league as an undrafted signee out of Arkansas in 2017. This season was the first time in his eight years, Skipper made a Week 1 roster. He’s been cut more than two dozen times and, of course, Skipper gained cult status with fans last year when the NFL scapegoated him for their own officiating gaffe on an infamous 2-point play vs. Dallas. There’s nothing flashy about him. Skipper looks more liable to unleash hook shots during a shirts-and-skins YMCA pickup game than block the best edge rushers in the NFL. But he gets it done. He almost always finds a way to survive the down and survive this cutthroat business as a valuable swing tackle on the league’s best team. No doubt, Campbell loves that younger players inside his locker room have all become acquainted with Skipper’s resilience… albeit with a side of vomit.

KHALIL SHAKIR, WR, BUFFALO

One echo — “Everyone Eats” — has reverberated through the halls of One Bills Drive all season. From the second Stefon Diggs left the building, these Bills have insisted on getting contributions from everyone around their all-galaxy quarterback. Even then, someone inevitably must chow down the most. Someone must earn Josh Allen’s trust on critical third downs against AFC contenders. That player is Shakir, the 148th overall pick in 2022. Good luck bringing down Shakir on first contact. He tears through the first tackler, shucks away the next and requires a convoy of bodies. His body must be a constellation of bruises after games. And yet, none of those kill shots from defenders ever sows hesitation into his game. On the signature drive that put away undefeated Kansas City this season, Allen naturally looked for Shakir on third and 9 with 4:34 to go. Safety Bryan Cook nailed him in the hip, but he hung on for 10 yards. He missed only one play. Pick any era. Shakir wouldn’t have been afraid to operate over the middle of the field in the renegade 70s, 80s and 90s. Considering his 82.2 percent catch rate (60 receptions on a team-high 73 targets), everyone can expect Allen to keep feeding Shakir more than anyone else.

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FRANKIE LUVU, LB, WASHINGTON

As Adam Peters and Dan Quinn set to remake this Commanders defense, they started with this hard-hitting linebacker from the Carolina Panthers. Luvu didn’t waste any time justifying his three-year, $31 million contract — and he’s up to 82 tackles and eight sacks through 13 games. The America Samoa native flies to the ball. There’s no second-guessing, no careful calculations. The second a guard pulls, he reads it, he attacks. This team rebuilt everything from scratch over the offseason. If Jayden Daniels’ electric play sets the tone on offense, Luvu’s motor (and voice) has the same effect on defense.

PAT FREIERMUTH, TE, PITTSBURGH

Back in the 90s, Mark Bruener’s initiation to the NFL was a daily dose of Greg Lloyd and Kevin Greene. One linebacker was a mean force of intimidation — Lloyd shattered the scaphoid bone of a teammate for fun. The other was a Hulk Hogan lookalike who once threw himself into the pro wrestling ring. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ young tight end was ready for them because Bruener had always embraced the most grimy aspects of this sport. As Shannon Sharpe and Ben Coates evolved the position down the field, Bruener took pride in paving the way for Bam Morris and Jerome Bettis on the ground. From Blood and Guts: “You really have to embrace the suck,” Bruener said. “Your hands are always hurting. Your arms. Your joints. You’re never feeling 100 percent. That’s part of being one of those guys who enjoys the toughness and grittiness of blocking in-line. The best you ever feel is the day you report to training camp. And from then on, your body gradually goes down, down, down, and it takes a month or so after the season until you’re back to where you were.” These days, Bruener is a college scout for the Steelers. In our chat, he admitted it’s hard to find tight ends who play the position the way he did. The key is figuring out if a young pass catcher has the desire to embrace the “suck” as a blocker. In this regard, he believed Freiermuth was rare. He was right. The Steelers’ starting tight end today does it all. His presence gives the Steelers offense a degree of unpredictability each snap and the same cannot be said about most tight ends today. Freiermuth will both make a dynamic catch in the secondary and seal off a linebacker for Najee Harris.

ZACH SIELER, DT, MIAMI

The Miami Dolphins — again — are lost in the cold. A third straight season could freeze out in December. This time, it’s not only the media calling Miami “soft.” The team’s own linebacker Jordyn Brooks used that taboo word after a humiliating loss at Lambeau Field. Hard to fathom where this defense would be without this block of granite in the middle. The pride of Ferris State — forged in “a concrete dungeon” of a basement, hunting hogs in his spare time — is now one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL. After a 63-tackle, 10-sack campaign in 2023, Sieler has 35 tackles, four sacks and 10 QB hits in his 10 games this season. A load to block 1 on 1, he’s also honest. This week, Sieler said the only way Miami can shed that soft label is by proving people wrong on the field. Time’s running out. Once ballyhooed as the standard for modern coaching, Mike McDaniel is under heavy scrutiny. Play design does matter. Speed, too. But football’s forever a combat sport won at the line of scrimmage. With five winnable games to go, the Dolphins (5-7) must follow Sieler’s lead. We know he’ll do his part.

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TRENT MCDUFFIE, CB, KANSAS CITY

The 2023 All-Pro unlocks so much of Steve Spagnuolo’s creativity. Goodness, McDuffie is fun to watch. He can cover any receiver. He can blitz. He’s fearless in run support. We praise Patrick Mahomes for hours on end, but a major reason these Kansas City Chiefs have a shot to become the first team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat is McDuffie. Back at the NFL Combine, Chiefs scout Greg Castillo supplied Go Long a peek into everything that went into this selection. It’s easy to see why Castillo fell in love with McDuffie. To reach the big game again, the Chiefs will again need to get past Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. Spagnuolo will try to confuse and fluster both with his array of pressures. It won’t be easy. Both are capable of rendering your playbook worthless. But McDuffie is this unit’s most dangerous X ‘n O variable. When he lines up in the slot, there’s no telling what he’ll do next.

BOB MCGINN

CORDARRELLE PATTERSON, RB/KR, PITTSBURGH

Before the 2013 draft, an executive in personnel was one of many in the scouting profession puzzled by Patterson. “He’s the best returner I’ve seen since Devin Hester,” the exec said. “He’s got a background that’s a little bit scary but, boy, is he explosive.” Patterson was a rarity in that he was drafted in the first round after playing two seasons in junior college and playing only one at a major college (Tennessee). All the fretting by scouts that the mental dimension would hold him back as a wideout proved correct. He played eight so-so seasons outside for four teams (Vikings, Raiders, Patriots, Bears) with career bests of 52 receptions, 469 yards and four receiving touchdowns. In 2021, the Falcons moved him at running back and in three seasons he rushed for 1,494 yards and 14 TDs. This year, he has averaged 5 yards a carry behind Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh. Of course, the best part of Patterson’s game always has been returning kickoffs. He owns the NFL record for most touchdowns on kickoff returns with nine, and his career average of 29.1 ranks third all-time behind Gale Sayers (30.6, 1965-’71) and Lynn Chandnois (29.6, 1950-’56). With a scant one punt return, Patterson can’t begin to compare with dual-return specialists such as Brian Mitchell, Allen Rossum, Josh Cribbs, Mel Gray and Hester. Nevertheless, he ranks as the finest kickoff returner I’ve seen.

JALEN PITRE, NB-S, HOUSTON

Pitre fell to the fifth choice in the second round (No. 37 overall) of the 2022 draft because some teams regarded him as a man without a true position. At Baylor, he played three seasons at linebacker for coach Matt Rhule before moving to a hybrid nickel-safety-linebacker role for two seasons under Dave Aranda. As a rookie, he joined Baltimore’s Kyle Hamilton on the All-Rookie team after leading the Texans in tackles (147) and interceptions (five). Last year, there was some regression in his play (84 tackles, no interceptions). At times, he played with such passion that he was caught out of position. Wherever he is aligned, Pitre almost always is around the ball. He is a tremendous leader, a wicked hitter and an alert ballhawk.

JEFFERY SIMMONS, DT, TENNESSEE

There are two ways for the casual fan to follow Simmons on the field. First, he usually can be identified by the red sleeves that he wears under the No. 98 jersey. Second, he’s the one making many of the plays for the NFL’s second-ranked defense. Based on his extraordinary play over 5 ½ seasons, there’s no way he should have remained on the board for the Titans at No. 19. Problem was, he pleaded no contest to the simple assault of a woman in 2016 that led to the combine rescinding his invitation, and three months before the draft he suffered a torn ACL while training. In a great year for defensive players in the draft, Simmons was the 12^th defender selected. A two-time Pro Bowl pick, Simmons has been everything that the Titans hoped he would be. After making it back from knee surgery to start the second half of 2019, he has been an iron man when it comes to logging 80%-plus playing time and has been dominant at times against both run and pass.

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GREG VAN ROTEN, G, NY GIANTS

Never, ever will this player take no for answer. Two months shy of his 35th birthday, Van Roten has played every snap this season as the starting left guard for the Giants. This is his fifth team. He has been cut six times. So many people told him to forget professional football after he was a three-year starter at left tackle for Penn of the Ivy League. The Packers didn’t sign him until the day before the first practice of training camp in 2012. He played 18 snaps in seven games that year and three more games in 2013 before a foot sprain suffered in practice in late September ended his second season. Green Bay let him go in February 2014. “He gained traction among the staff because of his five-position capability,” I wrote after the ’13 season. “Pass protection is his forte.” The ability to pass block enabled Van Roten to overcome short arms (32 5/8) and small hands (9 1/8). In his favor, he’s athletic (5.13 40, 34 ½ vertical jump) and smart (34 on the Wonderlic test). Seattle whacked him in late August 2014. With the NFL door closed at least temporarily, he went to Canada and played the 2015 and ’16 seasons for the Toronto Argonauts. Back in the big leagues, Van Roten backed up for Carolina in 2017 before starting in 2018’-19. Moving to the Jets, he started 23 games at right guard in 2020-’21 and then four games at guard for the Bills in 2022. He played 98 percent of the snaps for the Raiders last season before joining the Giants and ending up as a starter for them as well. His story is as unlikely as any in the NFL.

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ADAM THIELEN, WR, CAROLINA

Three years into his pro career, Thielen had started only four of 32 games and caught 20 passes for one touchdown. He starred in four sports at Detroit Lakes High School in northern Minnesota. Matriculating at nearby Minnesota State Mankato, he was a three-year starter. One week after the draft in 2013, he stood out in the Vikings’ cattle call and landed a free-agent contract. After being cut and spending the year on Minnesota’s practice squad, Thielen made a name for himself covering kicks in 2014 and ’15. In 2016, he moved into the starting lineup opposite Stefon Diggs. Thielen’s best season for receptions (113) and yards (1,373) was 2018, which marked the second of his two Pro Bowl appearances. Last year in Carolina, he caught 103 for 1,104. He got back on the field last month after missing seven games with a hamstring injury. Thielen has the size to work inside, the speed to sneak deep and the hands to catch the ball anywhere.

KYZIR WHITE, LB, ARIZONA

Football is a collision game. White is a collision player. His unbridled fury when it comes to hammering people jumps off the tape. His older brother, Kevin, was a first-round bust in 2015 as a wide receiver for the Bears. Kevin and another older brother, Ka’Raun, went the junior-college route (Lackawanna) as did Kyzir, who then started two years as a combo safety-linebacker for West Virginia. Before the 2018 draft, two scouts had ranked him among the top three safeties before he deep-sixed his chances with a horrendous 40. “I like the football player but I can’t get out of my mind that he ran 4.70,” one of the scouts said. “Which you don’t see on film. This kid played fast. He’s a heat-seeking missile. When this guy hits you the whole world knows it. It’s not like he’s stiff in coverage. At worst, he is a sub linebacker and your third safety.” Buffeted by injury after being selected in the fourth round by the Chargers, White started all 17 games by 2021 and amassed 144 tackles. Then it was on to the Eagles as a 76% player in 2022. An unrestricted free agent in Arizona, he might have been the club’s best defensive player in 2023 before a torn biceps ended his season after 11 games. He’s back playing almost every down and drilling everything that moves this year.

JAMAAL WILLIAMS, RB, NEW ORLEANS

Today, the Lions are one of the favorites to win the 59th Super Bowl. Four years ago, they were trying to escape the NFL junkyard under first-year coach Dan Campbell. One of the new regime’s most significant veteran signings was Williams, who had spent four fruitful seasons sharing the backfield in Green Bay with Aaron Jones. After a solid year for Detroit in 2021, he broke through with a career season in 2022. He rushed for 1,066 yards and scored 17 touchdowns, four more than any other player in the league. Almost as important as his automatic success on the goal-line and in short yardage was the endlessly energetic, team-oriented vibe that he brought to the moribund franchise. An hour or so before games, Williams would interact with fans at Ford Field by playing catch with assorted, thrilled spectators 10 to 15 rows up. He brought his infectious enthusiasm to the locker room, the practice field and the community. The Lions said they tried to re-sign Williams in spring 2023, but in the end they added David Montgomery in free agency and the Saints added Williams. Now, the Lions are rolling with Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs just as the Packers are zipping along with Josh Jacobs. It would take considerable prompting for the casual fan in Green Bay and Detroit even to remember Williams. In New Orleans, he is completing a second year caddying for Alvin Kamara. They have been the least productive seasons of his career: 138 carries for 430 yards (3.1) and merely two touchdowns, 23 receptions for 90 yards and no touchdowns. He returned last week after missing three games with a groin injury. Williams will turn 30 in April; the longer he plays, the better the NFL will be for his presence.

ICYMI, our Friday Feature this week: