I got to thinking about this certain topic when someone in the ESPN AFC West blog mentioned that Tim Tebow is the hardest working person to get into the NFL. I disagreed with the poster mainly because it seems to me that Tebow came up from a healthy upbringing so he didn't have to deal with some hardships like losing family members or being homeless. And then I got to thinking, will Tebow be the hardest working person now that he is in the NFL. And to that too I disagree. It is true that Tebow will have the motivation to prove plenty of doubters wrong but imagine a player that excelled in college, showered with praise by the students, revered in his hometown, and has that feeling that 'hey maybe I will be in the nfl,' only to not have his phone ring during the days the NFL draft is held. And then the undrafted player receives a phone call to come to camp and compete for at most three spots against 20 other highly motivated undraftees. And even if they do make the cut, ever year or even every game could be their last until they have definitely proven themselves to the team. These players are the hardest working in the NFL. The biggest of them all I think is Kurt Warner, but the Chargers are littered with them most notably:
Antonio Gates. Who in my opinion will at the least end his career as #1B to Gonzo's #1A as the best tight end to play in the NFL.
Kris Dielman. Talk about coming from nowhere, Kris has been a probowler 3 of the 5 years he's started for the team.
Stephen Cooper. Not exactly the tackling machine that Donnie Edwards was, but Stephen has more and more every year taken the leadership role for the Chargers defense.
Malcolm Floyd. M80 has shown flashes of brilliance opposite of VJ, and this coming season will see how he is as the number one wideout.
Other key Chargers' undraftees: Jacques Cesaire (starter), Ogemdi Nwagbuo (starter), Mike Tolbert, Brandyn Dombrowski, Steve Gregory, David Binn, Jyles Tucker, and Antwan Applewhite.
I tried thinking about other key UFA's in the AFC West but the only ones I can really think of are Brian Waters(awesome guard) and Corey Mays of the Chiefs and Tommy Kelly and Hiram Eugene of the Raiders. I would like to include Tyler Polumbus for the Broncos, but personally I thought he played horrible filling in for Ryan Harris.
Learn, discuss and debate what's going on with the teams in the NFL's AFC Western Division minus the hate, immaturity and stupidity found on the ESPN Blog or anywhere else.
Nice post jefffree. All good points and I agree... I don't think Tebow is the hardest working person ever to make it to the NFL. Some Tebow-maniacs will blow a gasket at such statements because they think you are saying Tebow is not a hard-worker. Read the statement and understand what it is saying... It doesn't deny that Tebow is a hard worker... it merely states a fact that there have been players who have had to work harder to make it to the NFL. Wayne Chrebet is one of those guys who comes immediately to my mind as someone who had to work his azz off to prove he belonged in the NFL.
ReplyDeleteOh, and to add to my point above, Chrebet was an unheralded player who pushed, scraped and fought his way into the starting lineup. Then he proved his worth over and over again. Tebow is a heralded player with a huge spotlight on him... AND has yet to prove himself as a player worthy of the NFL stage...
ReplyDeleteWayne Chrebet and Wes Welker are two UFA's that will be mentioned in the future when discussing the best slot receiver ever in the nfl.
ReplyDeleteAnd to think we had Welker here in SD and let him slip away... Bummer.
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