random question...

[WilmyWood]

If a player only played a few pre-season games for a single season, would he be listed on any official documentation/roster?

*edit*  It's assumed he did not make the cut.

@Mr. Scot 

[Jimmy]

I would've thought Pro Football Reference would have that information (official or not).  But it doesn't seem they do.  Take Ben Boulware for example.  ILB from Clemson, played preseason, wasn't drafted, didn't make the final cuts last year for us.  He is listed on Pro Football Reference but there is nothing outside of his age/height/weight/position listed. No mention of being with the Panthers during OTAs, training camp, or preseason....nothing

Baseball Reference will list guys that have been drafted and played Minor League ball so I thought Pro Football Reference would do the same.  

[Mr. Scot]

I know the roster on the team site only shows players who were on roster for a regular season week, and NFL.com often doesn't list guys during the offseason.

For a guy like that, it's possible you might find something somewhere, but probably not on an official site. Are you looking for a certain player in particular?

[WilmyWood]

11 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Are you looking for a certain player in particular?

Yes, but i'd prefer not to show his name here.  Friend of a friend who is known for being a BS artist.  Claims he played during pre-season, but most arent buying it.

[cookinbrak]

Boylware was on SF roster for week one, wasn' he?

[Jimmy]

3 minutes ago, cookinbrak said:

Boylware was on SF roster for week one, wasn' he?

I guess not long enough...from NBC Sports

"Last week, the 49ers signed the linebacker to their practice squad. Figuring he had found a home with the 49ers, the former Clemson star had big plans for Tuesday. According to his Twitter feed, Boulware signed a lease on an expensive apartment at 10:34am this morning. At 11:52am, he picked up his mom and girlfriend from the airport.

It was looking like a really good day for Boulware, right? According to Boulware, three minutes after he picked up his mom and girlfriend, the 49ers cut him from the practice squad. That's a gutpunch."

[Moo Daeng]

You have to be smarter than that. 

[Mr. Scot]

35 minutes ago, WilmyWood said:

Yes, but i'd prefer not to show his name here.  Friend of a friend who is known for being a BS artist.  Claims he played during pre-season, but most arent buying it.

Message me the name if you want.  I might recognize it.

If not, I'll see what I can find out.

[Moo Daeng]

Or just Google his name like Mister will do.

[acymetric]

7 minutes ago, Moo Daeng said:

Or just Google his name like Mister will do.

Yeah, unless this was a really long time ago, if nothing comes up in a Google search it is probably bogus (basically every movement no matter how small gets reported now).  90s or maybe even early 2000s may leave room for the possibility without any news reports coming up.

[Sasquatch]

Year and team is all you need. Search for preseason gamebooks. If he's not listed under start or substitute, he never went in the game. He may have still been riding the pine though.

 

[acymetric]

Just now, acymetric said:

Yeah, unless this was a really long time ago, if nothing comes up in a Google search it is probably bogus (basically every movement no matter how small gets reported now).  90s or maybe even early 2000s may leave room for the possibility without any news reports coming up.

Also, see if his college posted any press releases about players signing on with the NFL around the time he would have signed with the practice squad.

[Moo Daeng]

Search for Panthers 90 Man roster with year.....or Panthers roster cuts 

[Mr. Scot]

1 hour ago, acymetric said:

Yeah, unless this was a really long time ago, if nothing comes up in a Google search it is probably bogus (basically every movement no matter how small gets reported now).  90s or maybe even early 2000s may leave room for the possibility without any news reports coming up.

The Wayback Machine has roster pages that go back as far as 2011, and one or two before.

https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.panthers.com/team/roster.html

What can make it tough is some websites change their structure around (Panthers.com just did) and it can make it harder to find older versions.

As to the player, he gave me the name.  I generally read up on training camp, undrafted players and etc. on an annual basis.  Name didn't bring back any memories with me.  Neither did any searches show anyone matching that name on prior rosters.

I am genuinely amazed that people still think they can get away with this stuff in the digital age.  Twenty years ago, maybe.  Now?  No chance.