pinao man, zoo keeper, couch potato

[Azazello1313]

an article on espn insider/scouts inc. about players in past drafts with character/desire issues.

 

With the upcoming NFL draft less than a month away, many factors will be considered before a team selects a player. Teams will take into account how the player performed during the season. The organization will pore over many different reports and grades given by the personnel department. Trainers and doctors will be brought in to go over the medical reports. Background checks will be conducted by the security staff. For a lot of teams, character will move to the forefront.

 

Over the course of my scouting career, I have found that the best way to learn about a player's character is to interview him yourself. College coaches can have agendas at times, so you never know what they might say about a player. I have been on school calls when coaches would look you straight in the eye and tell you, "Johnny is a great kid." While he is saying it, I am looking at my notes and realize little Johnny has been arrested three times during his college career.

 

There are many different ways to define character. Some guys will get the "character" label because there are known arrests in his file. A player can also be labeled as having bad character if he is a "me guy," difficult to coach, doesn't attack his rehab when he is injured, doesn't take well to coaching or has tested positive for illegal substances during his college tenure.

 

One character flaw that doesn't get as much publicity is the instance when a player just flat-out doesn't like football. This is the case when the player participates because he has talent, but deep down has no desire to be out on the field.

 

In my mind, this is the worst character flaw a player can have. I would rather draft a player with a little baggage than waste time on a player who doesn't like the game or wants to play the game only because it is a good way to make a living.

 

Here is a look at three predraft interviews I was involved at which the players displayed the fact that they didn't like football. These guys were high draft picks who are still in the league. Not surprisingly though, they play just as they interviewed -- like they have no interest.

 

The Piano Man

 

One of the most interesting predraft meetings that I was ever involved in was at the 2003 scouting combine in Indianapolis. An offensive lineman in that draft class had a ton of talent but the biggest concern was: How much does he like football?

 

There is nothing wrong with a player's having interests outside of football because everyone needs balance in his life, but this particular player was a little over the top. When asked point blank, "Do you like football?" his response was, "It's OK. I mean, I am pretty good at it, but I have a lot of interests, too. A lot of days, when I am getting ready for practice, I would prefer to be back home playing my piano."

 

This guy just couldn't talk enough about how much he enjoyed playing his piano, and every conversation ended up somehow getting back to that subject. We ended up passing on the player, but he was drafted in the first round. The truth of the matter is, some days when you watch him play, you get the feeling he would rather be back at home playing that piano.

 

The Zoo Keeper

 

That 2003 draft was loaded with a lot of characters. At that same combine, another interesting conversation took place. It also involved a player we had concerns about. He was a defensive lineman who was regarded as a potential top-10 pick. This particular player grew up across the street from a zoo on the East Coast. He could not talk enough about this zoo -- said he hung out there on a daily basis. He even mentioned that he scalped tickets from the zoo. He would buy them in bulk for a cheaper price and then sell them for a little less than face value outside the gates.

 

The conversation got even more interesting when he mentioned, "I am not sure how long I want to play in the NFL. My real dream is to own and run a zoo one day."

 

Needless to say, that got a few chuckles from the staff interviewing him, but he was dead serious and was the only person in the room who was not at least smirking. He was another player that we put on the character board as an alert. Anytime a player says he does not know how long he wants to play football, it should raise a red flag. The player did go in the first round, but so far he has been a bust.

 

Couch Potato

 

This last story is also from earlier this decade. This is not an indictment on interior players, but this guy was a lineman, too. An offensive lineman, he arguably was the best player in this draft class. While it is rare for an offensive lineman to go in that top spot, this player had that kind of ability. However, he was extremely lazy, and it was easy to see right at the outset of the interview.

 

There is nothing worse than looking at a 300-plus-pound offensive lineman who is slouched down in his seat. At 6-foot-5-plus, he looked like he was 6 feet tall. He was another player who admitted he flat-out did not like football. He talked about how he was good at it and could make good money doing it, so, in his words, "Why not?" Like the other above-mentioned players, he is still in the league, underperforming.

 

We talk a lot about guys who may live on the edge of trouble, maybe run in the wrong circles or have some other off-the-field issues. Should these guys be red-flagged as potential character problems down the road? Yes.

 

However, I would draft one of those guys any day over a player who does not like football. People tend to mature and settle down over time. A guy with off-the-field issues can clean up his act in the right program. But you either have heart and love for the game or you don't. It's not something you can coach or develop over time.

 

piano man sounds like kwame harris. the others, not 100% sure...

[TecmoBeast]

My real dream is to own and run a zoo one day

 

 

[Robash]

hmm could the zoo keeper be william joesph maybe?...he played more like a first rounder this year, but id say bust overall

[MikesVikes]

My real dream is to own and run a zoo one day.

 

Could be either DMD or WW.

[Duchess Jack]

couch potato, Mike Williams (Buff)?

 

 

I think that is his name

[Savage Beatings]

My real dream is to own and run a zoo one day.

 

Could be either DMD or WW.

 

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[Hugh 0ne]

 

Dan Pastorini

[thecerwin]

Jeez, these guys stink at job interviews.

[alexgaddis]

can't name them but it shows how important the intangibles are...it's not just about raw talent but the drive to win...

[Doc Holliday]

Jeez, these guys stink at job interviews.

 

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Yeah, I think they watched the movie "Office Space" 1 to many times.

[Azazello1313]

couch potato, Mike Williams (Buff)?

I think that is his name

 

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probably. the only other o-linemen i can think of rated that highly this decade are gallery, leonard davis, chris samuels. can't really call any of those guys busts, can you? so it would have to be williams.

[Chief]

I thought for sure the piano guy would be Joey Hairball

[junebugz]

i wonder if the zoo keeper brought his pet fish with him?