Cal Bears: Where Are They Now?
As we look ahead to the upcoming 2016 season of California Golden Bears athletics, it seems only fitting to take a look back at some key players of the 2006 season and see what they’re up to now.
What do you remember about the 2006 Cal Bears? The football team going 10-3? Ryan Anderson’s freshman year?
If your answer is any of those, you’re simply wrong. The best moment of any sport for Cal in 2006 has to be running back Marshawn Lynch and his golf cart escapade.
Not only was that a classic moment, it was one of the better-played games on the year for Cal, as they defeated the Washington Huskies in OT.
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While 2006 wasn’t the banner year for football or a very good one at all for basketball, it’s worth noting they did manage to make progress that led to better years for both.
The football team went 10-3, wrapping with a Holiday Bowl thumping of Texas A&M. It was certainly a successful year for the team, as they beat an upstart top-15 program, the Oregon Ducks. They also beat Stanford in the Big Game, something that will always be rewarding and worth celebrating.
The 2006 Cal basketball team was, well, a learning experience to say the least. There’s almost no players worth mentioning other than the main NBA prospect of the team, Ryan Anderson.
Anderson played well in 2006, averaging 16.3 points per game and setting up an extremely successful 2007 campaign that saw him average 21.1 points per game. He went on to be drafted 21st overall in the 2008 NBA Draft.
The former Bear standout has gone on to have a successful pro career, earning the Most Improved Player award in 2012. He has played for the New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets.
Cal’s basketball program has been on the rise as of late, but the alumni certainly haven’t dominated at the pro level. Allen Crabbe is perhaps the best former Golden Bear currently in the league, but there’s not a lot to list past that.
Where the Cal Bears were good in the last decade, though, is on the gridiron.
They had plenty of big-name players in football in 2006, starting with none other than Beast Mode himself, Marshawn Lynch. Lynch steam-rolled collegiate competition in 2006, racking up over 1300 yards and 11 touchdowns. This led to him to being selected 12th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Lynch went on to have a successful NFL career, winning Superbowls, making Probowls, and even causing an earthquake or two along the way.
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Another running back on the 2006 Cal Bears roster was Justin Forsett. Though he didn’t get the bulk of the carries in 2006, he was still a big threat and went on to dominate in 2007. Forsett would go on to be drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 7th round of 2008’s Draft.
Forsett went on to be a solid second option in the NFL, before really breaking out in the last several years as a starter for the Baltimore Ravens.
A good running game is never complete without a full back, and Cal had an outstanding one for years in Will Ta’ufo’ou. He blocked for Lynch, Forsett, and even Jahvid Best in his later years with the Bears. Ta’ufo’ou bounced around to several NFL teams before last playing in 2014.
At the helm of the Bears was Nate Longshore, who played off and on throughout his tenure at Cal, largely thanks to injuries. Longshore went on to several NFL team training camps, before eventually taking a coaching job at his old high school. He also attempted to play once more, this time for the 2011 San Jose Sabercats, but did not make the final roster.
One of the most dangerous playmakers the Bears had in 2006 was DeSean Jackson. He had explosive speed and an incredible amount of talent. He returned kicks and punts with ease, and was never too shy to show off.
Jackson left Cal for the 2008 NFL Draft and went to Philadelphia in the 2nd round. It’s worth noting that seven wide receivers were taken before DeSean Jackson, one being Jordy Nelson. Jackson continued his dominance over slower defensive players for years with the Eagles before eventually slowing down due to injuries and joining the Eagles’ rivals in Washington.
The anchor of the powerful 2006 Cal offense was Alex Mack, who won nearly every award imaginable during his stint in Berkeley. He was known as the ‘Academic Heisman’ thanks to his outstanding grades, and his play wasn’t too shabby either. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns 21st overall in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Mack went on to make three Pro Bowls and eventually went to Atlanta, signing the biggest guaranteed money contract for a center in NFL history.
On the defensive side of the ball, Cal had two main standouts who went on to the NFL.
Tyson Alualu was just a freshman in 2006 but played in every game. He got progressively better in his time in a Cal uniform and was eventually drafted 10th overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010. He has been consistently decent for his whole career, if not slightly disappointing for such a boldly high draft pick.
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The deep defender for Cal, Thomas DeCoud was a local standout at safety in the Bay Area. He played mostly corner for the Golden Bears but was moved to safety when drafted by the Falcons in 2008. At safety, he quickly became a lockdown coverage defender and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2012. He was eventually released by Atlanta in 2013 and has been out of the league since 2014.
The 2006 California Golden Bears were teams of excitement and national interest, and it’s important not to forget who paved the way for the teams that will be taking the field for the Bears of Berkeley on Friday, August 26th against Hawaii in a special Australian game.