| With the NBA draft looming on the horizon, I got
to thinking about a few things. First, I was glad college football is more strict than
college basketball in its allowance of underclassmen to enter the draft. No freshmen like
Dajuan Wagner can jump ship to the NFL, and the only sophomores who can make the leap to
the NFL are a select few who not only are ready physically and mentally but also must meet
both age and experience requirements. In other words, sophomores entering the NFL are not
all that common, unlike the NBA, where baby-faced scorers are a dime a dozen on rosters
throughout the league.
The second thing I pondered was if and when we would ever see a high schooler go
directly from prom to an NFL training camp.
I know it seems preposterous, but so did landing on the moon, cloning sheep and a
former grocery store stockboy becoming an MVP quarterback once upon a time.
Prep basketball players skipping the college experience to go directly to the pros has
become commonplace. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. For every Kevin
Garnett, Kobe Bryant or Tracy McGrady, there is a Corleone Young or Leon Smith. But could
it happen in the NFL? Could a pimple-faced 18-year-old ever step in and contribute on an
NFL roster?
As young athletes continue to get bigger and better, it would be naïve to think it
couldn’t happen down the road. But I would imagine it would have to be the perfect
scenario for it to work.
First off, a lineman of any kind could never make the jump. No way, no how. Putting a
kid fresh off his high school graduation into the trenches in training camp could be
considered child abuse in most states. Can you imagine the field day NFL vets would have
with him?
I think defensive backs and quarterbacks also would have an extremely difficult time
making the jump. If a young passer thought he saw a fierce pass rush and quick cornerbacks
in the state playoffs, think of his chances against Jevon Kearse or Champ Bailey.
Defensive backs have too much to learn about their position as well, and they’d be
beaten like a drum by pro receivers who wouldn’t even need to pull out the double
moves or fly patterns.
Linebackers are doubtful as well, though if the speed and size are there, it’s not
unthinkable.
Now to those who could have a chance: Those rare running backs or receivers who are
mature beyond their years as college freshmen. Herschel Walker comes to mind, but a
specimen like him is even a rarity these days. And can you imagine the beating their
bodies would take? The NFL teams that drafted them would need a separate ice truck for
them just to help the bumps and bruises.
I suppose kickers and punters could have a chance as well, but it’s not every day
you see a freshman making an impact kicking the ball.
The other thought I had was the fact that these high schoolers would have to play as
rookies. With limited roster space, it’s not as if an NFL team would have the luxury
of keeping him on the bench and allowing him to practice and learn the ropes at his
leisure, like at the end of an NBA bench or in baseball’s minor leagues. They’d
be out there getting mauled on special teams or forced into action because of injuries to
those ahead on the depth chart.
The NFL wants guys who can contribute now, not later, mainly because of the salary
cap’s impact and the short shelf life of an average football player. And without the
weight-room regimen at college programs and the adjustment to the speed of the game for
three to five years' worth of experience, they just can’t reasonably be expected to
jump in and get it done on the field.
More so than in basketball or baseball, football players need more time to mature
physically before they can be expected to join the always-demanding professional ranks.
Not to mention what the constant beatings they would suffer from would do to their psyche.
Oh, sure, someday we’ll hear of a 230-pound running back out of Florida or a 6-5
quarterback from California who wants to give it the ol’ NFL try out of high school.
It will happen, but that’s not to say their transition won’t be significantly
more difficult than in other sports. More like next to impossible. |
