I live in weber county. I take the Standard Examiner, don’t know why except the wife wants the stupid thing. I open the paper to see who was selected in the draft or for free agancy. Utah had three selections, Nick Vigel from Utah state went free agent and some guy that played for Hawaii, with Utah ties were mentioned. Not one word about BYU players. I had heard there were suppose to be several who signed as free agents. This worthless paper which seems to be very anti BYU never says anything about BYU. Not one word about the rubgy championship, nothing. So I have a question. Utah had three drafted. How many Utah players signed free agent contracts. The other question is how many BYU players signed free agent contracts and who were they. The talking heads always talk about drafts being a huge determiner of the success of any football program. If Utah has 3 draft selections and 4 free agents, that is a total of 7 players with opportunity. Those draft selections are not guaranteed. If BYU has 7 free agent opportunities, there is no difference. They are not guaranteed either. But yet all I hear by the talking heads is Utah is great and BYU is loosing relevency. Opportunity is there but they still have to make the team. This isn’t some kind of entitlement or welfare.
Jeff
I believe that the NFL looks past BYU players in the draft because they know that generally these players can be relied upon for character, but apparently the NFL team by team believes that no what they do in the draft that the BYU players will always be there as FAs at the end. As a BYU alum I feel that this disrespect for BYU players is a sign that the pros believe that BYU is a third tier program whose ex-players will always be there at the end of the draft. I believe that this is a product of the times, where NFL teams don’t really care so much about a players character but first of all their physical skills and the program that they come from. P-5 teams get the most drafted players.Even FCS players get drafted ahead of BYU players these days, i.e. North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, and others before BYU players. This phenomena is also a sign of how little they respect the BYU coaching and relative place in the pecking order of draft options for players. Bronco makes a great fireside talk but in reality I don’t believe that he and his coaching staff are as respected as the lip service given to them by NFL front offices.
I have now seen the answer to my question. Utah had 3 players drafted amd 5 players invited to camps as free agents. BYU had no players drafted and 10 players invited to camps as free agents. Potentially BYU gave more players a shot at the NFL than Utah did. Yet if you listen to the PK’s in the talking heads world, it is all about Utah. Is there an anti BYU bias in the talking head media world in Utah? Absolutely.
Jeff
BYU players don’t get drafted because they are not better than the ones that does…
We had KVN and Ansah get drafted high a couple years back… that proves the non bias comment you made… are current crop of players are not either being coached well enough to make it to the NFL or they simply are not that good. Not sure what the answer is, but over the past several years… we have had very few drafted.
I knew the head scout for the NY Giants a few years back. I talked to him all the time about BYU players. He said BYU players are too soft. They don’t have the chippy edge to make them productive players in the NFL. With that said, I agree with Floyd. Our players aren’t as good. If they were better, BYU would have a better record against top teams. I don’t know if it is the recruiting or the development of the players that is the problem. I think it is more the latter. Either way, until we have more players drafted, we will never compete for a playoff berth.
Perhaps BYU needs a better coaching staff and needs to get into a P-5 conference. Whether BYU players are “softer” or not, the perception in the NFL seems to be biased against BYU.
Hey guys,
I love Jim MacMann and I am among his most loyal BYU fans. I fought with blogging to get him into our BYU hall of Fame. I still love and respect the guy and wish him well for all that he does with the rest of his life.
Having said that:
Jim MacMan, a former BYU Quarter Back, and listed among the greatest all time Quarter Backs to ever play the game for BYU, (Miracle Bowl et.al), is in a giant size Class Action Law Suit for injuries sustained as an NFL player.
If you were an NFL decision maker, would you be anxious to accept anyone from BYU?
What the h_ _ _?
Roy,
I am not sure what your response means?
Are you surprised about the law suit or that someone might think that it could have something to do with invitations or lack there of, or that anyone would bring up the possibility, or what???
Ron, NFL decision makers don’t care about McMahon’s suit. They want to win and make money and nothing else will be much of a factor. Now if lawsuits would negatively impact wins and money, then they would care. Lawsuits don’t score touchdowns or prevent touchdowns.
Roy.
I agree with your thoughts, but a class action lawsuit against the NFL for all players ever injured in the NFL demands Hundreds of millions of dollars and in your words, " if lawsuits would negatively impact wins and money, then they would care". The money part of your quote is what I have reference to.
Thanks.
Ron
Whatever, if any, the lawsuit results in a judge or jury laying out against the NFL / owners will never be paid by the NFL / owners. There is insurance to pay or some other funds set aside for such purposes. If nothing else their lawyers will drag it out in appeals so long all the players in the lawsuit will be deceased. It would be insane for a team to bypass a player simply because some other player who once played on the same college team is suing the NFL. I guess perhaps a perennial bottom feeder NFL team would do something that stupid but I doubt it.
Jim McMahon has lead the way for injured NFL players who have had traumatic brain injuries. Many ex-NFL players die young because of the beating their brains and bodies have taken due to heavy hits while they played in the NFL. These lawsuits are the result of those hits and injuries, and is just the tip of the ice berg on this issue. Has anyone ever heard of the “League of Denial” documentary about NFL head injuries? Ever hear of Lyle Alzado, Mike Webster, and yes, Jim McMahon???
Thanks for your opinion Roy.
So Tex Coug,
We have the same information regarding the lawsuits.
Roy believes that because of the NFL Insurance and other factors, the lawsuits could
have absolutely no bearing on the NFL being cautious about whom the draft or don’t
draft into the NFL, coming from BYU.
Roy believes that the fact that Jim MacMann was one of the biggest name stars to ever
come out of BYU, make it big in the NFL, and Initiate the largest NFL lawsuit in history against
the NFL, could have no bearing on the NFL, for any reason, in holding back a bit, perhaps
cautiously, from drafting or not drafting our athletes.
Do you agree with Roy? I am open minded to this discussion and I really do not have any
opinion on the subject that can not be changed one way or the other. I kind of hope that
Roy is correct in his assessment.
Ron U: This idea seems a bit far fetched, but it is possible. I can see it combined with the general world dislikes of the LDS Church and BYU.
Ron U: If the NFL was honest, it would look at BYU playersat least as equal as it it looks at any other players from any other school, perhaps even with more respect because of the maturity and responsibility of BYU players over all. .
txcoug,
Thanks for your two replys.
I really have no opinion of the possibility being a valid possibility or not.
It was an honest question. The only definitive answer that I got was from Roy.
I hope that Roy is correct, but I have some reservations.