Ryan Leaf didn’t win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, so he’ll have to settle for a few other awards, none quite as prestigious or, for that matter, actually legitimate.
He is the winner of the Player Most Likely (Probably) To Succeed as a Pro (Maybe) Award, as well as the Player Most Likely To Drive Everyone Crazy Even in Victory Award. Both are presented by the Downtown (Bettendorf) Athletic Club.
Aside from those credentials, NFL scouts are fascinated by the Washington State quarterback, amazed by his talent and just a little scared of him. He makes hearts flutter and blood-pressure levels rise. And he’s going to make a lot of money soon, should he decide to leave school after this, his junior year.
So while Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson gets the real award and Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning gets the hype, Leaf will have to settle for the attention of NFL teams, who aren’t supposed to be looking at him because he’s a junior, but can’t help themselves.
Leaf is everything teams are looking for in a quarterback. At 6 feet 5 inches and 238 pounds, he’s big and strong and throws a ball that is hot to the touch. But he has only been a real star for one season, he needs polish and is regarded as arrogant and difficult by some scouts.
Still, they’d die to have him. It might be the NFL equivalent of dating only people who treat you badly. And can win the Super Bowl for you.
“Maybe Manning is more proficient today and ready to step in,” said Gary Horton, a former scout for the Bucs and Browns who now produces a scouting publication. “If both were quarterbacking the Bears this Sunday, Manning probably gives you a better comfort level. But my guess is that Leaf may wind up with more Super Bowl rings.
“If you pressed the scouts and the GMs, they all tend to like Leaf a little better, but Manning’s a little safer. You know exactly what you’re getting. But there’s something about that Leaf. You say, `Man, I could hit the lottery on this one.’ “
The Bears would love to have to make that decision, but they recently have decided to win a few games. They, along with the Colts, Cardinals, Rams, Raiders and Chargers, are keeping one eye on the standings and one on the college talent. And there is enough talent for all of them. Woodson covers like a poncho, can return kicks and punts and is dangerous as a receiver. Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss is routinely spectacular, and Florida State defensive end Andre Wadsworth is, as the scouts like to say, explosive.
But in their heart of hearts, most of the down-and-out teams would prefer sinking to new lows just to get one of the two quarterbacks. Which one to take is the question. Some have equated it to, gulp, 1993, when Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer were the top two picks in the draft. One (Bledsoe) rocketed to stardom. The search party looking for the other one has yet to return.
Manning, the son of a gun named Archie Manning, is ready right now, many say.
“He’s better than half the guys who are starting in the National Football League,” one NFC general manager said.
“He’s got everything you’re looking for in a quarterback,” said Bill Kuharich, the New Orleans Saints’ president. “He might not have the Dan Marino release or the John Elway arm strength or the Steve Young feet, but he’s above average in all those categories. Where he’s really going to excel is in his football knowledge and instincts–reading defenses, throwing to the right place, being a leader, poise, judgment, all those things.”
Leaf is a different story, not to mention a different sort. He is out there, in the state of Washington geographically and a state of agitation temperamentally, scouts say.
One NFC personnel director had heard the reports on Leaf and went to a Washington State game to observe. He watched Leaf scream at teammates on the field, then head to the sideline alone until the next possession.
“He’d stand down by the corner, and the only guy who would talk to him was the kicker,” he said. “The only guy. Then (coach) Mike Price would saunter up to him. Now that can be a problem. . . . There’s something to being a quarterback. You’ve got to be able to get along and be the leader by example.”
Leaf’s problem doesn’t appear to be one of effort or attitude, a la Jeff George, but of maturity and what some might call people skills. Perhaps it’s because his foil is Manning, also known as the boy next door.
“You hear that Leaf can be kind of arrogant, can turn people off,” Horton said. “That’s the only thing that could possibly hurt this kid. But like somebody told me the other day, `Hey, if the guy’s a great player, who cares?’ You don’t have to have dinner with him every night.”
Leaf said he doesn’t understand where all this started.
“I’ve kind of got that label, and it bothers me,” he said. “If they got to know me . . . well, I guess that’s what the scouting process is about. I just want everybody to give me a chance because I’m a pretty good person. I’m just real competitive.”
Manning’s problem is a little more subtle. He might be the most overscouted player in history. NFL teams watched him closely last year in case he left school early. He didn’t, and now they’ve had another year to pick him over, looking for flaws. His arm strength has been questioned. So has his size (6-5, 222), his ability to avoid and take punishment and his performances in big games. And there are some scouts who believe this is as good as Manning will get, which is still very good.
Leaf might have more growing room.
“I think I might have more upside,” Leaf said. “Peyton is really polished and ready, and I don’t see him getting too much better, whereas I’m real raw and I want to learn.”
Those projected as the top five picks in this year’s draft are all expected to be excellent pros. Moss, a third-year sophomore, is a great athlete, although he has a tendency to let up when he’s not involved in the play, according to draft analyst Joel Buchsbaum. He also has had trouble with the law, but scouts say there has been no indication so far of trouble at Marshall. Wadsworth is quick and aggressive. And Woodson’s star power has been magnified by the award he took home Saturday.
“Woodson is a great, natural, intuitive defensive back,” Buchsbaum said. “A great football player.”
But which players make the most difference in the NFL? Quarterbacks, the men who touch the ball on every offensive play.
Leaf and Manning could be the first two players taken in next year’s draft. One wins widespread recognition. The other hasn’t won as many friends. He may, however, win more Super Bowls.
