Agree %100 percent. That's exactly what I wanted to post, yesterday, but had no time.
Only 3 or 4 White quarterbacks (each draft class), at most, will usually go on to be career starting quarterbacks in the NFL. Some years, unfortunately, it might be only 1 or 2? So, how many great, athletic White college quarterback's never play in the NFL or will wind up relegated to practice squads until "washing out"? When they had, obviously, more potential as wide receivers, tailbacks or defensive backs. Occasionally, NFL teams take athletic White college quarterback's and try them elsewhere, but that's a tough grind. Current best example is
Garret Greene of the Buccaneers, who was a mediocre college quarterback, but could've been a dynamic college wide receiver and top 100 pick at the position.
Also, one of the saddest parts of the "Caste System" is
we'll never actually know who the
great white tailbacks and wide receivers could have been? In the mid 1990's SI had an article regarding this topic (lack of White WR's, RB's, ect.) and ex-Packers GM Ron Wolf believed most of the top white wide receivers were
playing soccer. Total garbage. I do not believe that all.
Clear obfuscation by the lonsman. I think baseball and
lacrosse pick off a lot more potential white running backs, wide receivers, safeties and linebackers in one year, than soccer does in 100 years. My guess is hockey has been getting more as the NHL has seen an uptick in talent from warm Southern and Western U.S. states.
Example, early last decade both the
New York Mets and New York Yankees called up prospects that had broken Len Dale White's state of Colorado rushing records. Both faced each other in several inter-league games. For the Yankees it was a little used infielder named
Kevin Russo, who only played in a handful of MLB games. For the Mets it was a better prospect,
Kirk Nieuwenhuis. He was an excellent outfielder and base runner. Great athlete, had light tower power. Was even the first Met to hit 3 HR's in a game in Queens (vs. Arizona). But too many strikeouts and the inability to hit the curve ball caught up with him. After several years in the majors and longer stints in the minors, he was released by Tacoma (AAA) at 31 in 2018?
Looking back, football was probably Nieuwenhuis' and Russo's better sport, but as running backs, the door was very likely closed (slammed shut!) early to both?
These are just a few examples, I'm sure there are 1,000's more who were good enough to play in the NFL,
but never even played a down of college football, because they chose other sports or stopped competing altogether.
Don't forget,
J.J. Watt, I believe, began his career as a 4th string tight end at Central Michigan, then walked on at Wisconsin. No one wanted him out of high school. He could've easily walked away from the sport, frustrated, well before he even played a down of college football. Also, how about the "
one in a million" story of
Chris Hogan, 4 year lacrosse star at Penn State, who miraculously became a high-profile NFL outside wide receiver after a brief stop as a safety at Monmouth College in New Jersey?
