I have been reading some posts of Tech fans upset because some of our GT players were not chosen in the draft.
It is well known among sports fans, the pros have combines and computers that have every bit of information available on a player.
It is also well known, the pros generally take the biggest, strongest, fastest players they can measure. It is a big boys game, and they are looking for players considered able to take the punishment of big fast bodies constantly bashing each other.
It is well known, the State Universities normally get the pick of the biggest, strongest, fastest players from their areas. The secondary colleges, universities, and institutes generally have to recruit nationwide to get the football material required to compete with the big boys.
It takes excellent to above average coaches with all sizes of skilled athletes to compete with the big boys. The secondary schools must be smart in their recruiting and must be innovative in their use of the football recruits garnered.
Yes, the secondary schools receive a small share of outstanding athletes that are in the mold required for the pros, but not near the quantity the State Universities receive. The State Universities are not required to have the most excellent coaches in order to be a consistent winner.
There are many players from State Universities that do not utilize their skills as efficiently as some of the players from the secondary schools, but when the combine is held, the bigger, stronger, and faster athletes show better in the combines.
The smaller players must then deal with the same situation they have dealt with all their lives. They have to get on the field and compete. There have been many a player drafted that showed well in the combine, yet failed miserably in the pros.
There have been many smaller and possibly slower (maybe just as fast), but not physically as imposing as the higher ranked players in the combine that have excelled in the pros. Most likely, a study has been made verifying the percentage of the bigger, stronger, and faster players making the pros.
Because everything is not absolute, there are many Kelly Campbells that have caught on with a team and made all-pro. It may happen with Kelly and it may not, but I would be willing to bet he will get some calls from some of the teams that were not willing to bet against the combine odds.
There are a few other items involved. A player may want to play for a specific team and purposely not show well in the combine. If he is probably going to be chosen in the latter two rounds, it may be to his advantage to be contacted after the draft by the team of his choice.
A team may see they can take a chance on a bigger, stronger, and faster athlete that looked good in the combine, then choose a Kelly Campbell to call after the draft and possibly pick up a gem without paying the biggest of bucks.
I really believe Kelly Campbell will catch on with a pro team and could possibly become their possesion receiver. He also has the speed to get behind the defensive backs if they try to stop the possession passes to him.
I have watched the high school recruiting between UGA and GT for many years. Most every year, UGA gets the bigger, stronger, and faster players. Tech has to recruit smarter and take chances on players.
Over the years, with the exception of the dry years, Tech has possessed the better coaches and UGA the better material. The only coach I can name off-hand for UGA comparable to Heisman, Alexander, Dodd, Ross, Friegden/O'Leary is Vince Dooley.
So when the combine and the draft appear, it is no accident UGA has more players drafted into the pros than Tech. It is because they are recruited bigger, stronger, and faster. Give me another excellent coach (hopefully Gailey), those undiscovered gems with the desire to excell, the players with brains larger than brawn, and we can still beat the main universities.
We will still have our share of players in the pros, and many of those players might have been pushed aside for a bigger, stronger, and faster player at the State University. Keep sending us those smaller players with brains that the universities cull, we will make good football players from them.
Just because our players were not drafted, does not mean they could not beat one of the State University players head on. It just happens to be the criteria of the pro draft for choosing the players by size, strength, and speed.
I am still proud of all Tech players who have helped us win at Tech. My respect for them has not diminished one iota.
It is well known among sports fans, the pros have combines and computers that have every bit of information available on a player.
It is also well known, the pros generally take the biggest, strongest, fastest players they can measure. It is a big boys game, and they are looking for players considered able to take the punishment of big fast bodies constantly bashing each other.
It is well known, the State Universities normally get the pick of the biggest, strongest, fastest players from their areas. The secondary colleges, universities, and institutes generally have to recruit nationwide to get the football material required to compete with the big boys.
It takes excellent to above average coaches with all sizes of skilled athletes to compete with the big boys. The secondary schools must be smart in their recruiting and must be innovative in their use of the football recruits garnered.
Yes, the secondary schools receive a small share of outstanding athletes that are in the mold required for the pros, but not near the quantity the State Universities receive. The State Universities are not required to have the most excellent coaches in order to be a consistent winner.
There are many players from State Universities that do not utilize their skills as efficiently as some of the players from the secondary schools, but when the combine is held, the bigger, stronger, and faster athletes show better in the combines.
The smaller players must then deal with the same situation they have dealt with all their lives. They have to get on the field and compete. There have been many a player drafted that showed well in the combine, yet failed miserably in the pros.
There have been many smaller and possibly slower (maybe just as fast), but not physically as imposing as the higher ranked players in the combine that have excelled in the pros. Most likely, a study has been made verifying the percentage of the bigger, stronger, and faster players making the pros.
Because everything is not absolute, there are many Kelly Campbells that have caught on with a team and made all-pro. It may happen with Kelly and it may not, but I would be willing to bet he will get some calls from some of the teams that were not willing to bet against the combine odds.
There are a few other items involved. A player may want to play for a specific team and purposely not show well in the combine. If he is probably going to be chosen in the latter two rounds, it may be to his advantage to be contacted after the draft by the team of his choice.
A team may see they can take a chance on a bigger, stronger, and faster athlete that looked good in the combine, then choose a Kelly Campbell to call after the draft and possibly pick up a gem without paying the biggest of bucks.
I really believe Kelly Campbell will catch on with a pro team and could possibly become their possesion receiver. He also has the speed to get behind the defensive backs if they try to stop the possession passes to him.
I have watched the high school recruiting between UGA and GT for many years. Most every year, UGA gets the bigger, stronger, and faster players. Tech has to recruit smarter and take chances on players.
Over the years, with the exception of the dry years, Tech has possessed the better coaches and UGA the better material. The only coach I can name off-hand for UGA comparable to Heisman, Alexander, Dodd, Ross, Friegden/O'Leary is Vince Dooley.
So when the combine and the draft appear, it is no accident UGA has more players drafted into the pros than Tech. It is because they are recruited bigger, stronger, and faster. Give me another excellent coach (hopefully Gailey), those undiscovered gems with the desire to excell, the players with brains larger than brawn, and we can still beat the main universities.
We will still have our share of players in the pros, and many of those players might have been pushed aside for a bigger, stronger, and faster player at the State University. Keep sending us those smaller players with brains that the universities cull, we will make good football players from them.
Just because our players were not drafted, does not mean they could not beat one of the State University players head on. It just happens to be the criteria of the pro draft for choosing the players by size, strength, and speed.
I am still proud of all Tech players who have helped us win at Tech. My respect for them has not diminished one iota.
