D-3 Players in the Pros

[ovc00777]

Great work and research.  I reckon my lesson here is that Pro Football pays well enough and wants only players who have played at the level of intensity you find in D 1.  The smaller conferences can turn out skillful players, but the Pros have to question the desire of the products of smaller programs. 

[frank uible]

The NFL desires good players and is not interested in creating and satisfying biases to the frustration of that desire. Bottom line - very few current DIII players are good enough.

[Ron Boerger]

D3 players, even the very good ones, simply don't play against the level of competition you see every day in D1.  Going from D1 to the pros is a huge jump - look at how few D1 players can do it - but from D3 it is a monstrous gap.  And unlike D1, there just aren't many D3 players that have their hearts set on playing professionally.

I also think that many coaches look at a kid's resume, see D3, and automatically discount them.   Those D3 players who have made it to the big game have overcome a lot of obstacles and I salute them.

[frank uible]

In general for a DIII player being initially considered by a scout it is one strike (one major shortcoming - such as a great lack of speed), and you're out. For a DIA player - two strikes. Of course there can be disagreement among scouts about what constitutes a "strike" and when a "strike" becomes so great that it actually comprises two "strikes". These are reasonable general rules of thumb designed to save an NFL club from expending limited dollars and other resources on considering a prospect who almost assuredly will fail. Does application of these rules occasionally produce mistakes? Yes, but they save lots of dollars and effort, which can be used exploring prospects who have a much better chance of contributing.

[K-Mack]

ovc00777,
Listen to these guys. You might end up with a clue. 

The better players tend to go to major D1s from the start, so it's really only guys who slipped through the cracks (QB Tom Arth was injured as a senior in HS, but had a good enough career at John Carroll to spend some time with the Colts and Packers) or who were late developers.

For someone like London Fletcher, he's still what one might consider undersized for an NFL linebacker at 5-10, 245, but there are obviously other aspects of his game that have made up for that shortcoming.

There are lots of reasons why D3 puts out just a few NFL prospects per year, but none greater than most of the rare talents with ideal size & speed have already been snapped up by programs offering full scholarships.

[smedindy]

The reason Pete Metzelaars went to Wabash is that Bo Schembechler would not let him play basketball. However, that was a LONG time ago and kids are being asked to choose one sport much earlier now. Pity.

[Knightstalker]

If it hadn't been for the USFL Sam Mills never would have sniffed the NFL, he was considered to small and too slow.  The same knocks that Nick Buonuconti (sp) had coming into the pros, he was lucky the Boston Patriots and AFL needed players.

[K-Mack]

Yeah, I mean there's always going to be certain guys who are players and simply won't be denied, same as they are always going to be guys who get by for a while on size & speed but lack the drive (or perhaps the right coaching or situation) to catch on in the NFL.

[reality check]

London Fletcher (JCU) just ran back an INT for a TD in the Skins,Cards game.  It's his third career defensive TD.

[Ron Boerger]

Fletcher was huge today ... in addition to the pick six he had 13 tackles, 10 solo.  He gets the D3 NFL player of the week award.

Urban saw limited action with Anquan Boldin being active for the first time in several weeks, but had a very nice grab way up in the air for 22 on the Cards' fourth quarter drive which drew them to within two.  He also recovered the resulting onside kick.   He ended the day with three catches for 41 yards.   Unfortunately the Cards just missed a 55-yard FG with one second left and ended up losing 21-19. 

[Toby Taff]

Fletcher was huge today ... in addition to the pick six he had 13 tackles, 10 solo.  He gets the D3 NFL player of the week award.

Urban saw limited action with Anquan Boldin being active for the first time in several weeks, but had a very nice grab way up in the air for 22 on the Cards' fourth quarter drive which drew them to within two.  He also recovered the resulting onside kick.   He ended the day with three catches for 41 yards.   Unfortunately the Cards just missed a 55-yard FG with one second left and ended up losing 21-19. 

One of my friends has urban on his fantasy team.  He was on the bench today, but he is on the team.

[Mr. Ypsi]

London Fletcher made "Who's Hot" in this week's SI:

"The Washington linebacker's interception, TD return and game-high 13 tackles against Arizona is just the latest.  Last year the Redskins were 31st in defense.  Now, after landing Fletcher as their leader, they're at No. 4.  Defensive end Philip Daniels: 'That's our difference maker.'"

[frank uible]

Is Fletcher headed for the Pro Football HOF, thereby becoming the 5th (my possibly inaccurate count) person there, whose birthplace is Cleveland?

[njlincolnlion]

Carlos Rogers injury could move Salisbury's Byron Westbrook up from the practice squad.

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=30809

[TXGuru]

Here is a list of the top 25 prospects in d3 by position.....
http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/playersdiv3.php?genpos=QB&draftyear=2008&sortorder=tsxpos&order=ASC
Just based on film Pierre Garcon WR from Mount Union will probably have the best shot of getting drafted, he has tons of talent.