| Entering the NFL is a lot like taking that final
examination in college. You thoroughly enjoy the subject of the class and did well when
given the opportunity, but you dread thinking about how much is riding on the test at the
end. The players whose fates will be decided this weekend in New York City more than
likely have been playing the sport their entire lives. But those magnificent TD runs they
had as a senior or the incredible pass rush they provided in the Alamo Bowl only get them
so far. The rest they have to do with a barbell and a stopwatch close at hand.
Whether it’s at the NFL Scouting Combine or at a personal workout at their
respective college campuses, the NFL brass want to see pure numbers and want to see a
positive attitude and mindset during interviews. And rightfully so, as these players are
major investments for the future. Perhaps it’s unfair to consider how much a
substandard time in the 40-yard dash or a few errant throws in a private workout can drop
the stock of an All-American who’s been getting it done on the field the past four
years, but that’s the cold, hard reality of today’s NFL. Players have to be
focused and at the top of their game when it’s time for a workout because the raw
data that scouts can record is confusingly almost as important as years of game tape and
statistics these days.
Which makes it difficult to consider why N.C. State’s Koren Robinson left NFL
personnel people so disappointed earlier this month.
Robinson is believed by many to be the most talented receiver in the draft. I’ve
heard "Randy Moss-like skills" alongside his name on more than one occasion. He
certainly displayed some similarities in the games in which I’ve seen him play, as he
enjoyed a third-year sophomore campaign with 62 catches, over 1,000 yards and 13
touchdowns. He’s nearly 6-2 and 210 pounds and can run like the wind. However,
Robinson chose not to work out at the Combine and then missed two campus workouts after
that because of a hamstring injury.
Finally, it was scheduled that April 5 was to be his day in the sun. Quite simply,
Robinson’s a lock for the first 8-10 picks if he can display the same speed and
agility in his private workout that he possessed with the Wolfpack and manage to prove to
the 17 teams in attendance that he’s got his head screwed on straight by going
through the whole meeting-and-greeting routine.
Instead, Robinson came up short. Put a goose egg up on the board.
Well, maybe not a goose egg, but according to those in attendance, he clearly was not
in the adequate frame of mind or physical condition he needed to be in, considering the
millions at stake.
He recorded a 34-inch vertical jump and 10-2 long jump, but he ran the 40-yard dash in
just 4.65. Florida State’s defensive ends run it in less than 4.5. Do you want your
favorite team drafting a playmaker with only two years of real college experience who can
get run down by a lineman or linebacker?
To be fair, Robinson said that during his 40 timing that he strained the same hamsting
that previously had been giving him trouble. Problem is, his numbers prior to pulling up
lame were generally unimpressive across the board.
And his numbers weren’t the only aspect of the Koren Robinson show — or lack
thereof — that had NFL people cringing.
It’s no secret scouts have said Robinson is immature and does not have good work
habits, and according to sources present on campus, he hardly took the time to warm up
beforehand and surprisingly appeared almost uninterested and indifferent to what was at
stake. In his interview with scouts, he was immature and unimpressive.
Robinson has the world by the tail, if he wants it. But does he have the drive to reach
out and grab it, or will he fall by the wayside like so many before him who tried to let
their tremendous skills carry them beyond the great divide that needs much more to
conquer?
Rumor has it that Robinson is going to give it a go in front of NFLers one more time
before the draft.
In an interview with ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Robinson said that his goal "is to be
the No. 1 pick overall. Everything I do each day is with the idea of working to be the
first selection."
If that’s the case, Koren, it’s best to forget what you’ve done in the
past because that no longer means as much as it should. You’ve got less than a week
before it’s time to put your pencil down and report to your new team. Hope you
studied. |
