PFW draft book a must-read
In between watching the NCAA Tournament and watching my bracket go down the toilet (after a 16-0 start), I’ve been perusing Pro Football Weekly’s just-out 2009 Draft Preview, which is a fascinating read.
Among the thousands of statistics and facts on several hundred draft-eligible players are some fascinating tidbits. Some of my favorites:
Ball State QB Nate Davis, a mid-to-late-round prospect, does not grip the laces when he throws the ball and has a learning disability.
Texas Tech QB Graham Harrell, who is a marginal prospect, suffered nine different breaks in the ring and pinkie fingers on his non-throwing (left) hand against Baylor but finished the game. During surgery to fix the fractures, he had 17 pins and two plates inserted in his hand.
Louisville FB Brock Bolen’s father was a Green Beret who once worked as a contract killer in Africa and has spent time in jail for offenses ranging from fighting to gun-running.
TCU RB Aaron Brown, as a tribute to his brother who had just returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan, saluted after scoring a touchdown. He was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and, as a result, was benched for the first three series in the following game.
I’m not sure what any of this means as it relates to the draft April 25-26, but it’s good to know and a lot more entertaining than watching Memphis (my pick to win) get eliminated.
Brock Bolen runs hard, a lone bright spot for Louisville. The rest of the prospects have little to no future anyway. If you want a good read check out "The Dark Side of the Game" by Tim Green a former nfl player of 8 years, it was written in the mid 90's. A very candid look on the draft and its useless combine, why players lose thier money, locker room segregation, drug use, grade tampering in college etc. A quick read that i think is like 7 bucks at Borders. Also look at "Boys will be Boys" of the dallas teams in the 90's. Very entertaining and candid. On a side note, due to a family friends connection i was at the South Carolina pro day last wednesday. Interesting to watch the scouts just sit around and BS, especially when they only wanna see 2 or 3 players.
I'll bet Johnson would get along well with Brock Bolen's father. Maybe he could hire him as his agent.