by Mike Livingston; Host, The Clubhouse Radio Show
If you look hard at the stock of the NFL or it’s high profile, successful quarterbacks over the last several years they seem to have something in common…..they have come into the league more ready to play; more “game ready” having had more extensive training during their youth through camps and individualized training. They have had the ability to start in high schools at a younger age where those coaches have also been onboard with the trend of developing THEIR programs and developing quarterbacks from a younger age and building their programs around these underclassmen and creating little “football factories”.
We just saw a sacred barrier broken wherein the Heisman Trophy went to a freshman, let alone an underclassman. Johnny Manziel at Texas A & M has the world at his feet (seemingly) but is this a guarantee that he’ll stay for all four of his college football eligibility years? The past says no, although here are some exceptions…..see Matt Barclay and ask him if he would do it another way if given the opportunity to have gone in the last draft rather than return this year to USC for what has become a nightmare for him personally and for his team. His draft stock has plummeted and he has perhaps, cost himself millions…..of course there’s the antithesis…..see Mark Sanchez, Barclay’s predecessor at SC who was begged by his college coach Pete Carroll NOT to go a year early and it appears Carroll was right….he wasn’t ready!
That said, look at the Class of 2012 as far as what has transpired on the field with two weeks still to play…..nine rookies have now started this season with a few others poised to possibly do the same. 1982 has long been regarded at the most talent-rich NFL draft, Quarterbacks specifically in the history of the game with names like Elway, Marino and the like having all come out the same year and thrived. That said, look what is happening right in front of us!
Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, Colin Kappernick & now they’re joined by the likes of Nick Foles (replacing Mike Vice); Steven Ridley (former SDSU’er in Arizona), even Kirk Cousins backing up RGIII and winning a game, on the road assist in proving that this is, perhaps, the single most talent-rich draft of all-time……and Matt Barkley chose to stay in school!
To catch-up on everything in the world of college and pro football you need, the big news in local sports talk radio continues to be “The Clubhouse with Mike Livingston” radio show on KNEWS 94.3 FM, Saturdays mornings from 6 – 8 a.m. Tune in and get your fix each week! Join me as we talk sports here in the valley and across the globe! The Clubhouse, Saturday mornings from on KNEWS 94.3 FM……
Mike Livingston is the Host of The Clubhouse Radio Show on KNEWS 94.3 FM on Saturday Mornings from 6:00-8:00 a.m.; Additionally, Mike is the Director of Management for Personalized Property Management Company, in Cathedral City.
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