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re: I wonder how many great athletes have wrecked their career because they wanted to play QB?
Posted on 8/20/26 at 3:47 am to themetalreb
Posted on 8/20/26 at 3:47 am to themetalreb
The first answer I thought of is probably the right answer to this question: Jordan Jefferson.
He should have listened to the coaches and moved over to Safety. He probably would have had a decent NFL career.
But he wanted to play QB, and his competition for that position was almost non-existent. Especially compared to the competition he'd go up against for Safety.
it was the wrong decision because his athletic skills and physical attributes dwarfed his throwing arm and decision making skills. His win-loss record and turnover ratio are what they are because he was to slow to read the field resulting in scrambling and check downs (actually faux check downs. He only had two options on his mind every pass play: the reciever he watched at the snap, and the running back he passed to in the flat when there wasn't busted coverage)
He should have listened to the coaches and moved over to Safety. He probably would have had a decent NFL career.
But he wanted to play QB, and his competition for that position was almost non-existent. Especially compared to the competition he'd go up against for Safety.
it was the wrong decision because his athletic skills and physical attributes dwarfed his throwing arm and decision making skills. His win-loss record and turnover ratio are what they are because he was to slow to read the field resulting in scrambling and check downs (actually faux check downs. He only had two options on his mind every pass play: the reciever he watched at the snap, and the running back he passed to in the flat when there wasn't busted coverage)
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Posted on 8/20/26 at 4:05 am to Arksulli
quote:
and the Jags, at that time, were terrible at developing young WRs
I think garrard and leftwich just weren't very good QBs. I can't be mad at garrard, as he was a 4th rounder. Leftwich can suck it, though.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 4:21 am to Night Vision
quote:
Milroe isn't big enough for LB
Debatable. He was a great running back in college though.
People need to stop claiming he was a Quarterback. He wasn't. He was a running back who could throw the ball at a slightly above average level (especially if compared to all other running backs).
The second time he played LSU, he threw for 109 yards. He ran for 185 yards and 4 TDs. The year before he ran for 155 and 4 TDs,
8 TDs against LSU, all rushing. Not a single passing TD.
His Senior year at Bama he finished with 16 passing TDs, and 20 rushing.
But the one thing that lets us know that he's not a Quarterback is What happened against MIchigan in the playoffs. With your entire season depending on a single play, the coach's didn't call a pass play for their "quarterback", they called a run play for their "quarterback". They had more faith in his running ability than his passing ability.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 7:20 am to themetalreb
quote:
The Matt Jones/Manziel thread made me think of this…..a tale as old as time….
Johnny Football won the Heisman. I'm pretty sure he failed in the NFL because he was an idiot.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 7:34 am to themetalreb
quote:
The Matt Jones/Manziel thread made me think of this…..a tale as old as time…
I am not certain that some of the "misplaced" QBs with great college careers that didn't transfer well to the NFL would be well known names or even had a shot at the NFL if not for their decision to play QB in college. So, it is hard to say if they wrecked a career or made a name for themselves by insisting on playing a position they were passionate about in college
I don't think Manziel's skillset was strong enough to even get a combine invite at another position.
Look at Tebow, would he have the legacy he has today in CFB had he played LB or TE?
Now, some have probably hurt their ability to stay in the NFL when a position switch could have helped.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 8:08 am to MoarKilometers
quote:
I think garrard and leftwich just weren't very good QBs. I can't be mad at garrard, as he was a 4th rounder. Leftwich can suck it, though.
There were plays where the defense wouldn't bother covering Jones because Leftwich straight up wouldn't throw the ball to him. Those were some wild games to watch.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 12:14 pm to Arksulli
Nutt pampered him and he rarely practiced during the week.
He was totally different when the games started. He was too calm during a game and it makes me wonder if he was on something. It wouldn't be a shocker as many of his teammates got arrested and faced drug charges.
KJ was lazy and it carried over into the games. He ate skittles on the bench and gained a lot of weight in his last two years. He was undrafted for a reason.
Sometimes these players don't want it bad enough. A complete waste of talent and you know why fans give them plenty of crap for it.
He was totally different when the games started. He was too calm during a game and it makes me wonder if he was on something. It wouldn't be a shocker as many of his teammates got arrested and faced drug charges.
KJ was lazy and it carried over into the games. He ate skittles on the bench and gained a lot of weight in his last two years. He was undrafted for a reason.
Sometimes these players don't want it bad enough. A complete waste of talent and you know why fans give them plenty of crap for it.
This post was edited on 8/20/26 at 12:22 pm
Posted on 8/20/26 at 1:19 pm to magildachunks
quote:
The first answer I thought of is probably the right answer to this question: Jordan Jefferson.
quote:
His win-loss record and turnover ratio are what they are because he was to slow to read the field resulting in scrambling and check downs
What? I agree Jefferson wasn't a great QB, probably should have played a different position.
But he started 2.5 seasons, and went 24-8.
Freshman: 1-1, including dominant bowl win, in the Jarrett Lee Pick 6 disaster year.
Soph: 8-4, missed a game, 9-4 season
Junior: 11-2, started every game
Senior: 5 game suspension for a bar fight. He went 4-1 as a starter, in a 13-1 season; loss was in the BCS championship. QB was never the factor in those games, so it's safe to say he would have went 13-1 had he started all year.
Dude's W/L record was pretty damn good.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 1:37 pm to magildachunks
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He was a great running back
Had fumbling issues and hated contact. LSWho? barely laid a hand on him though.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 2:26 pm to themetalreb
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We had a guy named Spurlock who followed Eli….fast and athletic, just nowhere near a QB….he hung around the NFL a few years (on pure athleticism) as a return specialist. It’s like some of these guys think QB is the only position that gets paid.
He is written into the history books as the first ever kickoff return for a TD for the Buccaneers I think
Posted on 8/20/26 at 3:22 pm to themetalreb
LINK when i was a kid, there was a qb named super bill Bradley. He was Mr everything in high school. Recruited to texas and was qb for a couple years. Transitioned to a db. Had a nice career with nfl eagles. One of the best all around athletes I know of. I heard he was offered a contract from the Yankees to play baseball out of high school but turned it down.
This post was edited on 8/20/26 at 3:33 pm
Posted on 8/20/26 at 3:42 pm to paperwasp
quote:
According to Perfect Game, Robby Ashford was the top baseball prospect in Alabama, was ranked No. 160 for the 2020 MLB Draft, and was recruited by Ole Miss (to play baseball).
Instead, over six years he went to Oregon, Auburn, South Carolina, and Wake Forest to try and play QB.
Nice kid, but I don't think it was the right decision.
quote:
Ashford began his college career at Oregon. He did not appear in any games for the football team in two seasons. Ashford played for Oregon's baseball team during his freshman year, playing in 20 games as an outfielder and batting .200. He decided to focus solely on football after his freshman year.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 3:47 pm to mckibaj
I think the mistake was trying to play both sports, which ultimately hurt his performance in both.
Again, just my opinion.
Again, just my opinion.
quote:
Ashford made it clear that playing both sports was essential to him. “When I started getting recruited, I told schools that if I couldn’t play both, I couldn’t come there,” he explained.
Oregon coaches agreed.
The experiment quickly revealed the brutal reality of college athletics. During spring 2021, Ashford batted .200 in 20 baseball games while battling for the backup quarterback spot behind Anthony Brown.
Ashford’s body was breaking down under the relentless dual demands.
“By that point, my body had been kind of beat. It was just getting through those days. It was challenging,” he later reflected.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 4:17 pm to paperwasp
quote:
I think the mistake was trying to play both sports, which ultimately hurt his performance in both.
Maybe so. I guess we will never know.
Posted on 8/20/26 at 7:23 pm to themetalreb
Some of them did some didn’t, some of those guys played qb bc they couldn’t take the ego check or physicality that game with a different position. Eric crouch comes to mind.
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