In professional football, athleticism may be the door, but experience and savvy are the keys.
The 2013 NFL Draft is approaching, the combine has come and gone, and most professional scouts probably feel wiser having seen these kids run, jump and lift weights.
But what does any of it mean?
Each year, draft pundits endow certain players with one very poisoned word: upside.
Did he produce in college? Not so much. But the fact that he can run in a straight line faster than the proven, productive players apparently means something to the guys with the clipboards.
For instance, in 2009, the Oakland Raiders selected wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with the No. 7 overall pick after he was clocked at 4.3 seconds in the 40 yard dash.
Until that point, Heyward-Bey was a relative unknown.
In his NFL.com player profile for the 2009 Combine, he was described as an "unpolished" track star who played football to make friends. He also had the worst production of his career in 2008.
Still, Heyward-Bey went from relative unknown to a top-10 pick.
His stats that year?Nine receptions on 40 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown.
That's right. He caught less than a quarter of the balls thrown to him.
Granted, Heyward-Bey has improved in recent years, but is still nowhere near valuable enough to qualify being a top 10 selection.
He's also just one of many "freak athletes" to be drafted high in past years based on potential.
Vernon Gholston (drafted No. 6 overall), Aaron Maybin (No. 11) and Tony Mandarich (No. 1) all lured teams in with rock hard abs and chiseled features that would make Derek Zoolander jealous.
Never heard of them? There's a reason for that.
Gholston benched 225 pounds more times than anybody, Maybin was a one-year wonder in college, and Mandarich was once called "the greatest offensive line prospect ever" by Sports Illustrated.
Most, if not all, Americans have seen a football game. There are no weights, no cones and rarely do players run as fast as they can in a straight line.
I'm not against combines or pro days. They provide great publicity for players trying to establish a career doing what they love to do.
In the end, however, investing in measurables can hinder the scouting process.
Take James Laurinaitis. For the past eight years -- four with Ohio State and four with the St. Louis Rams -- Laurinaitis has not missed a game and led his team in tackles almost every year.
In college, he was a unanimous first-team All American, won the Nagurski and Butkus Awards for best defenisive player and best linebacker, respectively, and was the unquestioned leader of his team.
After graduating from Ohio State, Laurinaitis' stock dropped because he ran a 4.82 forty.
The horror.
Laurinaitis fell from possible top pick to the second round. He subsequently won the starting job in his first professional training camp.
The combine is useful, but scouts must avoid getting enamored by glamour stats and remember what they saw on film.
Football is entertainment for the fans, but it's business for the folks trying to win a Super Bowl.
Since 2009, the Oakland Raiders have drafted all three 40 yard dash champions: DeMarcus Van Dyke (2011, 4.28), Jacoby Ford (2010, 4.28) and Darrius Heyward-Bey (2009, 4.30).
Last time I checked, even the fans are regretting those decisions.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
