They sucked... Until they didn't

[Fedorgasm]

How is it possible that guys like Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Jeremy Lin, etc. were so far under the radar?

Like there's an entire industry of very smart professionals whose only job it is to evaluate players and yet you have these guys that were supposedly barely good enough to make the team suddenly become superstars.

Were the scouts always wrong? Or did these guys suddenly become good?

 

[Takes_Two_To_Tango]

How is it possible that guys like Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Jeremy Lin, etc. were so far under the radar?

Like there's an entire industry of very smart professionals whose only job it is to evaluate players and yet you have these guys that were supposedly barely good enough to make the team suddenly become superstars.

Were the scouts always wrong? Or did these guys suddenly become good?

Some people mature in different times and peak in different ages. If it was exact science, than there would be no chance of surprises.

 

[ferrisjso]

Well Lin came back to Earth after a few months.

Brady was an elite college player he played at Michigan and won an Orange Bowl. But everyone who gets drafted is an elite college player. Brock Purdy was an elite college player.

Brady was an all conference honorable mention meaning he was seen as the 3rd best QB in the Big 10(1 of the higher QBs being Drew Brees). He was the 7th QB drafted out of 12 and could have been like 4th or 5th. Brady had the slowest 40 time in the history of the NFL combine meaning the thing that stood out most about him was negative. Hence his fall a few rounds.

Kurt Warner played for Northern Iowa(AA school) and only started 1 year. In Warners draft class 1994 only 4 QBs were drafted(opposed to 12 Bradys year which is more normal). For whatever reason most NFL teams were not looking for QBs that year or preferred the late round options at other positions. So timing was part of it too.

 

[Fedorgasm]

Well Lin came back to Earth after a few months.

That one always puzzled me too. It's not like the UFC where once your chin is cracked you get knocked out all the time. How could he be so good for such a long stretch and then just go back to being ordinary?

 

[ferrisjso]

That one always puzzled me too. It's not like the UFC where once your chin is cracked you get knocked out all the time. How could he be so good for such a long stretch and then just go back to being ordinary?

Well the important thing to realize is the shittiest players in the NBA were/are capble of being superstars at lower levels and that many benchplayers could put up decent NBA stats if they got enough touches. But they won't because there's x amount of better players and that doesn't make any sense.

Someones averaging 2 points a game because they don't get playing time not cause they played a whole game and only are capable of scoring 2 points consistantly.

 

[Fedorgasm]

Well the important thing to realize is the shittiest players in the NBA were/are capble of being superstars at lower levels and that many benchplayers could put up decent NBA stats if they got enough touches. But they won't because there's x amount of better players and that doesn't make any sense.

Someones averaging 2 points a game because they don't get playing time not cause they played a whole game and only are capable of scoring 2 points consistantly.

True. And I did some googling and apparently he sucked on defense and had a lot of turnovers. So he was good at the things fans love but bad at the things coaches love.

 

[TheNinja]

It's because the measurables (like the NFL combine) don't always translate into being a great NFL player. Every single guy in the NFL/NBA is a complete stud. The thing they usually don't know are things like how they handle pressure, study habits once they get rich, heart, determination, drive, etc. You only find these unmeasurables out after they are drafted or by talking to other coaches and hope they give you good info.

You get these college QBs that come out big schools that look like the prototypical QB but you don't know how they'll handle playing in the NFL where they can't out-athlete everyone else. Or guys coming from schools where the WRs are NFL level WRs and they are always open. A guy like Brock Purdy had crappy WRs so he is used to throwing into tighter windows than someone from a big time college.

Also, as mentioned, some of them mature or have it "click" at different times during their lives.....late bloomers.

 

[ferrisjso]

It's because the measurables (like the NFL combine) don't always translate into being a great NFL player. Every single guy in the NFL/NBA is a complete stud. The thing they usually don't know are things like how they handle pressure, study habits once they get rich, heart, determination, drive, etc. You only find these unmeasurables out after they are drafted or by talking to other coaches and hope they give you good info.

You get these college QBs that come out big schools that look like the prototypical QB but you don't know how they'll handle playing in the NFL where they can't out-athlete everyone else. Or guys coming from schools where the WRs are NFL level WRs and they are always open. A guy like Brock Purdy had crappy WRs so he is used to throwing into tighter windows than someone from a big time college.

Also, as mentioned, some of them mature or have it "click" at different times during their lives.....late bloomers.

Heres a paragraph from Brock Purdys wikipedia that captures how great a college player he was. This is the last pick in the draft.

"Purdy ended his time at Iowa State as a three-time All-Big-12 quarterback, holding 32 school records including career pass attempts, completions, percentage, yards, and both passing (81) and total (100) touchdowns.[25] His 14 games with 300-plus passing yards was nearly triple the previous school record of five by Bret Meyer.[25] Purdy's four years at Iowa State corresponded with the first time the school's football program had seen four consecutive winning seasons since 1923–1927."

Theres so many positions to fill even the low draft picks have done all sorts of crazy shit. This is the sort of resume he could get a statue. Last pick in the draft.

 

[LEWIS540]

Drugs.

 

[Kowboy On Sherdog]

Ben Wallace went from undrafted to the HOF

 

[llperez22]

lin was a flash in the pan. Brady and warner had legit hall of fame careers. I dont think these names should be in same convo.

 

[rearnakedchoke]

Some guys just come through when the stakes are high. Sure, at all levels of the game, there are stakes. But when the stakes are the pinnacle of your sport, greats put up or shut up.

 

[codfather]

Usually there are at least a couple of these involved...

• Untimely injuries.
• Playing a position/role/style you're not suited to.
• Late growth spurt.
• Sucky teammates / coaching.
  
• Having your strong points overlooked and your weak points overemphasized.

 

[Foppa21]

A lot of serendipity comes into play as well. Being at the right place, at the right time, with the right opportunity.

 

[codfather]

Heres a paragraph from Brock Purdys wikipedia that captures how great a college player he was. This is the last pick in the draft.

"Purdy ended his time at Iowa State as a three-time All-Big-12 quarterback, holding 32 school records including career pass attempts, completions, percentage, yards, and both passing (81) and total (100) touchdowns.[25] His 14 games with 300-plus passing yards was nearly triple the previous school record of five by Bret Meyer.[25] Purdy's four years at Iowa State corresponded with the first time the school's football program had seen four consecutive winning seasons since 1923–1927."

Theres so many positions to fill even the low draft picks have done all sorts of crazy shit. This is the sort of resume he could get a statue. Last pick in the draft.

65 Power Five schools, 85 scholarship players allowed on each roster at any given time; that's 5,525.
262 picks in the NFL draft, that means you have to be in the top 4.7% of scholarship players in the Power Five even to get picked last in the NFL draft; Mr. Irrelevant is actually Mr. Beast.

 

[Fluffernutter]

Kirno Garcia

 

[mjmj]

There's this crazy theory out there that just maybe some people learn and get better with experience. Weird.