You know when you have
that gut feeling? That certain sense which tells you some super college player is just not
going to make it big at the pro level? Every sports fan knows what I’m talking about.
Danny Ferry. J.R. Reid. Gino Torreta. Ty Detmer.Usually in football, it comes down to
players who are either too small or too slow to keep up with NFL standards. Or they come
from a college system that utilizes their talents and puts them in the perfect position to
succeed with a brilliant surrounding cast, while at the same time hiding their flaws.
Either way, every year I have a short list of players in the back of my mind who fit
that mold. Granted, some of them make it, but many fall by the vast wayside that is the
NFL waiver wire or the Canadian, European or indoor versions of pro football. And a lot of
them seem to be quarterbacks, who, of course, play under the brightest spotlight in all of
sports. Which brings me to one of my latest and easiest choices for "the List."
His name is Danny Wuerffel, and he’s back on the NFL scene again.
As of this writing, Weurffel reportedly was close to signing a one-year contract with
the Packers. But will anything change?
When Wuerffel was wrapping up a brilliant senior season at the University of Florida in
1996 that culminated in a national championship and the Heisman Trophy, he didn’t
exactly excite the draft experts or the pro scouts as much as his gaudy statistics would
lead you to believe.
He had his faults, but they were faults that were easily overlooked in Steve
Spurrier’s "Fun ’n’ Gun" offense because Wuerffel knew the
pass-happy system well and had five fleet-footed receiving options on a lot of plays.
However, it didn’t take a genius to see that his delivery was awkward, that his arm
strength was questionable and that he probably couldn’t beat the Gators’ mascot
in a footrace.
And plenty of NFL teams knew of his faults as well. He slipped to the fourth round in
the draft and suffered through three trying years in New Orleans that saw him throw 16
interceptions and only nine touchdowns for a measly passer rating of 51.2. He did
everything a starting quarterback isn’t supposed to do in the pros.
So Wuerffel packed it up after last season and ventured over to NFL Europe as a free
agent, hoping to attract an NFL team with his passing and poise. And he did just that,
leading the Rhein Fire to an 8-3 record and a dramatic, 13-10 victory over the Scottish
Claymores in the World Bowl last week.
Wuerffel finished the season with a stellar 107.2 passer rating. In comparison, the
Rams’ Kurt Warner compiled a 109.2 passer rating in his march to NFL MVP honors last
year.
But are the cornerbacks, defensive linemen and blitz capabilities of the Scottish
Claymores on the same level as those of the Tennessee Titans or Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Of
course not. And that’s why players such as Wuerffel head overseas or to Canada in the
first place. Sometimes they need more exposure and experience, but often there is just
something missing from their games. Wuerffel needed experience and exposure desperately,
and he got both in Germany.
"If I don’t play another down of football, I’ll be thrilled to have this
as my final memory," Wuerffel said after a subpar individual performance in the World
Bowl.
It looks as though he will be playing more football, and rallying the Fire to the title
will not be his final memory. Perhaps Wuerffel will be able to step up if called upon in
Green Bay. Or maybe he will use his time behind Brett Favre as a steppingstone to a job
somewhere else and make the most of a second chance that is seemingly well-deserved. If he
does either, more power to him.
But he’s still on my list.
