A BALLER IS A BALLER

The #1 knock on small school players, regardless of their collegiate success, is always the same. “Yeah, but they did that versus lesser competition.” My response is always the same, as well. “A baller is a baller.”

While I am certainly not equating BCS rosters with FCS, DII, DIII, NAIA or USports rosters, I am saying that players who dominate their division are legitimate pro prospects. Yes, sometimes you have to overlook size and level of competition. No, you’re not going to roll the dice on a 5-4, 165lb running back from Division III but if teams are creative and think outside the box, there is quality talent at all levels.

In the 2005, Harvard, an FSC school, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was taken in the seventh round, 250^th overall, by the St. Louis Rams. He was the last QB taken in that draft. Meanwhile, the Patriots selected Matt Cassell, a USC quarterback, who sat on the bench for that BCS school, twenty picks ahead of him. While Cassell had an okay career, “FitzMagic” is still lighting it up on the field. But teams continue to prefer a second string BCS player over a dominant player from a lower division. Even mediocre BCS players take precedence; consider some of the others taken ahead of Fitzpatrick – James Killian of Tulsa (7^th round), Adrian McPerson of Florida State (6^th round), Stefan Lefors of Louisville (4^th round), David Greene of Georgia (3^rd round), etc. You get the point.

Chauncey Washington was a 5-11, 205lb running back for USC; the alma mater of O.J., Marcus Allen, Frank Gifford, Reggie Bush, etc. Projected as a starter for the Trojans, academic ineligibility and constant injuries seriously hampered his college career. He finished his career at USC with 371 carries, 1778 yards, 4.8 yds/carry, 19 TDs, 17 receptions for 158 yards, a 9.3 yds/rec, 2 TDS. Over 900 of those yards came in his final season when he earned All-PAC10 honorable mention.

Washington was drafted in the 7^th round by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not a bad gamble by Jacksonville but Washington went on to play for 4 teams and finished his career touching the ball only 8 times and gaining a total of 20 all-purpose yards with no touchdowns.

Meanwhile, the draft came and went and no one drafted a 5-7, 200lb running back who ended his college career as college football's all-time leading rusher, ranked second on the NCAA all-time list in all-purpose yards, only the second player in collegiate history to score more than 100 touchdowns, and the 3,159 that he gained in 2006 was second only to Barry Sanders at Oklahoma State. “Yeah, but he did that versus lesser competition.”

He was not invited to the NFL Combine but at his Pro Day, he ran the 40-yard dash in times of 4.33 and 4.38 seconds, which would have been the second-fastest among all running backs at the NFL Combine in 2008. He posted what would have been the best pro-agility time of 4.03 seconds, the second-best vertical jump (38½ inches) and the best 60-yard shuttle time (11.2 seconds). He also bench-pressed 225 pounds 20 times. Hmmmm, still not drafted?

Of course, I’m talking about Danny Woodhead of Division II’s Chadron State. Woodhead proved that a baller is a baller and that total dominance at any level can be an indication of ability to play at the next level. Danny proved to be a weapon in the NFL. It took innovative coaches in New England and San Diego to utilize his skill set and integrate it into their offense. Danny was productive in the running and passing games and proved, week after week, that he belonged. Like most running backs, injuries eventually took their toll on him and he retired after nine seasons.

“A baller is a baller.”

As an aside, how many of the 27 wide receivers taken in the 2008 draft ahead of Pierre Garcon of Division III’s Mount Union (6^th round/#205) had a better career?

Most small school players, like Woodhead, get their shot as undrafted free agents. With the coronavirus, this is going to make the road harder for them as pro days have been cancelled. If teams have done their homework and look for football players, not pedigree, they could end up with someone like Rod Smith, WR, Missouri Southern State, Tony Romo, QB, Eastern Illinois, Emmitt Thomas, DB, Bishop College (no longer exists), London Fletcher, LB, John Carroll, Larry Little, G, Bethune-Cookman, Adam Vinatieri, K, South Dakota State, John Randle, DT, Texas A&M-Kingsville,, Jim Langer, G, South Dakota State, Willie Brown, CB, Grambling State,  or Kurt Warner, QB, Northern Iowa; all undrafted free agents.

“A baller is a baller.”