Only thing getting in Josh Jones way of a successful NFL career is Josh Jones. Not the first guy that felt the NFL didn't recognize his greatness. Won't be the last.
Met Charles Woodson once. I will forever be pissed why I didn't ask him this question:
"How is it that you were the best player in high school, college, and NFL and still felt like you needed to show people how good you were?"
Instead I asked him a disposable "have you ever talked to Tom Brady about the tuck rule call?" question.
I've posted this before, I will post it again. Leroy Butler said one of the key differences in being an average player vs good player vs a pro bowler vs an All Pro isn't some gaping hole in height, weight, hand size, or speed or even talent.
All these NFL prospects fit into essentially the same main window in physical attributes for their respective position. It all comes down to the "little" stuff that in fact, isn't little at all.
It's film review. It's paying close attention in position and team meetings. It's how you workout, not that you work out, but how. It's what you put it in your body. It's the amount of sleep you get. It's whether you are the one of the 1st to arrive at practice and one of the last to leave. It's do you pay attention to your mistakes AND then stop repeating them.
Just look at who and what Rodgers tends to praise and who and what he calls out in players he likes. It's that ^^^^ shit right there. It's why he loves guys like Jake Kumerow. He apparently does all of the above and it's a key reason guys like that are getting the football and J'Mon Moore is wondering WTH happened and why he's about to get cut despite that talent-wise, he was the most talented WR out of the 3 drafted in 2018
Yup. Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Reggie White, Sean Jones.... all fit that mold and why I think Kumerow and Shepherd will surprise this year...
packerboi posted:I've posted this before, I will post it again. Leroy Butler said one of the key differences in being an average player vs good player vs a pro bowler vs an All Pro isn't some gaping hole in height, weight, hand size, or speed or even talent.
All these NFL prospects fit into essentially the same main window in physical attributes for their respective position. It all comes down to the "little" stuff that in fact, isn't little at all.
It's film review. It's paying close attention in position and team meetings. It's how you workout, not that you work out, but how. It's what you put it in your body. It's the amount of sleep you get. It's whether you are the one of the 1st to arrive at practice and one of the last to leave. It's do you pay attention to your mistakes AND then stop repeating them.
Just look at who and what Rodgers tends to praise and who and what he calls out in players he likes. It's that ^^^^ shit right there. It's why he loves guys like Jake Kumerow. He apparently does all of the above and it's a key reason guys like that are getting the football and J'Mon Moore is wondering WTH happened and why he's about to get cut despite that talent-wise, he was the most talented WR out of the 3 drafted in 2018
And these things are all measurable. All teams should have a psychologist on their scouting staff because it's what's between the ears that makes the difference.
It isn't just all the things mentioned in the past couple of posts (which all have merit). On top of those, some players just can't put instruction into action no matter how hard they try or how much studying they do. Bob Knight used to say "all look, but few see". I've had plenty of smart, hardworking players who were just "dumb" basketball players, and it is the same in every sport.
"It's film review. It's paying close attention in position and team meetings. It's how you workout, not that you work out, but how. It's what you put it in your body. It's the amount of sleep you get. It's whether you are the one of the 1st to arrive at practice and one of the last to leave. It's do you pay attention to your mistakes AND then stop repeating them."
The issues of self awareness and discipline are inarguable. But much of the rest is dependent on coaches who can identify weaknesses and remedies AND both teach and inspire the players. Remember, elite athletes are accustomed to winning most competitions because they are vastly more talented. Most people must be trained to focus on their weaknesses instead of their strengths. That alone is a teaching skill in short supply.
Given how thoroughly recycled NFL assistant/position coaches are, I believe they are often selected because a head coach knows he can work with him, not because of exceptional ability.
Athletic instincts are kind of a tricky thing to evaluate. Some guys work hard, watch film, have physical gifts, but their split second reactions to all the crazy things that happen when you have world class athletes executing complex strategies all over the place is something that some guys can never develop.
With Josh Jones, I'm sure he could have worked harder, but he also may not have had the "quick" football mind to process things fast enough as they were happening around him. Guys like LeRoy Butler, Eugene Robinson, they both had the knack to see situations happen on the football field and immediately make the correct reaction in milli-seconds. I'm sure some of it is taught, but I think it's also a gift that some guys have and some don't, to be able to make the correct decision as quick or quicker than anyone else on the football field.
Josh Jones gets more publicity on X4 than anywhere else.
