How do we determine football talent?

I don’t know about you, but if you are anything like me you spend your Sunday nights with the lovely Faith Hill and the rag tag boys at 30 Rock.   Sadly, Faith’s presence is regrettably short-lived while Bob Costas’ is obnoxiously extended, but that’s a post for another day. This week’s marquee matchup featured America’s team vs. South Jersey’s, Dallas vs. Philly.

-Brian Matthews

Comments

One word....atmosphere.

I definitely think alot of recruiters and coaches get too caught up in stats. I have always said that the NFL combine does NOT determine who will be a good football player in the NFL. Running a good 40, benching 225 a bunch of times, and jumping a 35” vertical does not make you a good football player. While it certainly helps to have these physical tools, they do not guarantee that you will be a good football player. Some people have all of the physical and athletic gifts they could ask for but just can’t put it together on the field. Another thing I think that has a lot to do with who gets a good look from NFL recruiters is what school you go too. Its very clear that players from major football schools (Florida, Notre Dame, USC, LSU, Texas, etc.) have way more hype about them then other players from not as famous schools. Another thing too is its just simply impossible to predict how someone is going to turn out.You can have a good idea but you can never be 100% sure. Some players are more motivated then others, some work harder, and some just receive better breaks then others.

Here’s my thought on things. First off when you have these players that start at these big schools already have everything. They are already living this life of fame. Knowing that they are a shoe in for a first round pick. When you are at the top already you tend to ease up. I feel like some of these first round busts think that they will enter the NFL not having to better their game. I mean they already have all the skills so what do they need to improve. All they worry about is that MONEY and how big that rookie contract is going to be when they don’t have to play a down. While you have players from smaller schools who may get a chance to be drafted don’t get the big bucks. They have to earn it through the NFL. Here’s the thing, no doubt that these big school players are great in college and they earn it to be at the top of the college game. But what we know is that being at the top of the college game doesn’t always translate to the NFL. So the big question is why do they get paid like it always translates. Here’s my last point. The key to success in the NFL is maturity. Many of these 1st round picks are very immature. They can get by with that in the college game where you have many athletes even at the big schools that will never go on to play in the NFL. But when it comes to the NFL everyone is bigger faster stronger. I think these small school guys that get the chance in the NFL have to attack it in a mature way. Those are the guys that don’t take it for granite and those are the guys first and last to leave every practice. Those are the athletes that know if they don’t put everything into it then they could be cut the next day. Football is different than every sport because it’s not all about how good you are athletically. There are 100s of plays that need to be learned different game plans that need to be studied. That is why football is unique. It takes intellect with that athleticism.

I believe that in all professional sports you will find athletes that come from nowhere, and rise through the cracks. (Miles Austin, Tom Brady who Brian has pointed out) While there are athletes who fail horribly and fall from grace. ( JaMarcuse Russell seems to be the next in line for this honor) I don’t believe that there is a definitive way to judge talent.  Many factors can play a role in the rise or fall of athlete.  Will, skill, work ethic, time, place, system.  A perfect example of one of the best athletes I have ever seen come from seemingly nowhere be one of the best who ever done it at his position is a guy nicknamed Sticks.

Sticks was a 6’6, 150lb soaking wet freshman when I met him, and was recruited to college as a quarterback.  After about a day of practice the coaching staff realized that there was a hole at defensive back.  After a couple of days of practice at safety, Sticks quickly became one of the hardest hitting tallest safeties ever!  Long story short Sticks went on to be a great player in college after pretty much being looked over as a quarterback.  No one would have been able to predict that Sticks success as a defensive back especially at 6’6, 130lbs!!!  Hard work, athletic ability, dedication to his program, love for the game, and his passion for movies, 80’s music, and horrible rape music made him the best defensive player I have ever seen, and had the privilege to play with and against.  Did I mention that he is 6’6?!?!

hahaha sweet story. And lets call a spade a spade, I weigh at least 155 Jeff.

It all boils down to hard work. In any sport for that matter, if you work hard enough you will eventually find decent success if not
“great success” as Borat would say. Football I think is the main sport this applies to in so many other sports you can have natural talent and then also work hard to fine tune those skills but I don’t believe football is based way more off of natural talent. It also depends on the position and such but that’s a different argument. The reason people can come out of no where and make plays in football is because they have the heart to succeed and work ethic to get in the weight room and make plays. Football isn’t so much about muscle memory like for example baseball or basketball is. If you can shoot a 3 pointer, you can shoot a three pointer. There isn’t much ley way in between. For football it is whoever puts in the most time. Let’s give some examples if a player is coming out of college and is a 1st round draft pick and they get signed to one of those crazy lucrative deals that those rookies get maybe they won’t be as motivated to win games and work hard because now they have those millions of dollars they worked so hard for to get. Personally that is why I like college football more than the NFL because you are just guarantee to see more passion. That’s what makes the game exciting. You may not see the best talent level but you will see the hardest guys working to make the plays. Besides the fact that maybe players won’t work hard in the NFL the other side of that argument are players who come from later rounds to be superstars. These players have chip on their shoulders and it is so much more common today to see players from the 3rd 4th 5th round and on exceeding in the NFL. They aren’t handed a million dollars before every touching the field they have to earn in. And in college it is all about showing the scouts what you can do so that you can earn the most possible money when you are drafted. Money runs this world folks.

I definitely agree with one of the comments above that said scouts read to much into 40 times, and vertical leaps and so on. Football is just one of those sports where there are people that make plays. Let me give you some examples. Rey Malaugua from USC last year ran a 4.9 forty and had a bad combine that hurt his draft stock. Regardless the guy simply makes plays, day in and day out! At USC it didn’t matter if he ran a 5.0 40 it mattered that me made plays when it matter. Wheather he made those plays out of studying defenses or just playing with heart he was always the best linebacker on the field. Teams may have passed on him in the draft because they read way to much into the little details. And now when they are playing the Bengals it comes back to bite them. More example of guys in the NFL that aren’t super athletic that are just good, Tedy Brushchi (when he played) Brian Urlacher, and Ray Lewis could all be argued for this. Not saying they aren’t athletic just saying they are some of the best linebackers that maybe aren’t as athletic as say Manny Lawson on the 49er’s who is 6’6 and runs a 4.6 forty.

Then lastly certainly the NFL and College aren’t the same. One of the hardest workers in College Football, Tim Tebow, will he be any good in the NFL? We will have to see. They are just two completely different games. Defensives in the NFL are more athletic, which is why you rarely see scrambling QB’s succeed in the NFL. (Chris Leak, Pat White, Vince Young, Troy Smith). We also see this in the NBA with guys like Tyler Hansbourgh he simply can’t take on Shaq, and he didn’t face any Shaqs in college.

I just believe it is a combination between who works the hardest, who can make plays, and where you play. Perhaps in Brian’s statement maybe MA football is way different than NY. Or maybe that kid just was motivated and worked extra hard. So why can football players just suddenly become ineffective for a team, or a superstar out of no where? Combination between hard work and the level at which you are playing.

I think one of the factors on why we see a lot of guys coming from smaller schools and often being overlooked out of HS when getting recruited is multiple factors.  There’s always some factor that limited them out of HS..whether it being undersized, too slow, overweight, limited playing experience, academic problems, etc etc.. A lot of these 1-AA guys are guys who got to college undersized, not the fasted, strongest, and work their butts off to improve themselves.  I’ve played college ball with guys who came in as 160 soaking wet freshman and left school @ 200-210lbs.  One of the o lineman i came in with as a freshman came in weighing 389! He was down to 350 by the end of the fall semester.  He later transformed from a guy who tripped over his own feet as a freshman to a 1-AA all American tackle.  Its all about work ethic and getting in that college atmosphere where you HAVE to get B.F.S (in some cases leaner / more athletic) or else your doomed (basically, fight or flight).

The footrace for the best football recruits is coming to a close, and although area schools have received verbal commitments from some players, the final days before the letter-of-intent signing next week could determine just how valuable the crop of newcomers will be.

Boston College needed some defensive backs and has received a verbal commitment from just one. The Eagles also were looking for receivers and tight ends and have yet to find any sure bets about essay service.

Developments—or lack thereof—in that area could determine how happy or unhappy coach Jack Bicknell will be when it’s over.

No one would have been able to predict that Sticks success as a defensive back especially at 6’6, 130lbs!!!  Hard work, athletic ability, dedication to his program, love for the game, and his passion for movies, 80’s music, and horrible rape music made him the best defensive player I have ever seen, and had the privilege to play with and against.  Did I mention that he is 6’6?!?!
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