LSU churning out disappointing players

[cawacko]

Never too early for a little off season trash talk. And way to go Superfreak, it seems your Chiefs don't learn well.


LSU churning out disappointing players

NFL evaluators wonder what's going wrong.


Word began spreading in the draft hall early in the afternoon. The Kansas City Chiefs were about to do it again.

It was a Saturday afternoon in April at New York's Radio City Music Hall. NFL draft day 2009. The Chiefs had the No. 3 overall pick. So many options. A can't-miss linebacker named Aaron Curry? A franchise offensive tackle, such as Eugene Monroe?

Late in the afternoon, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell approached the lectern and made the announcement.

"With the third pick in the 2009 NFL draft," Goodell said, "the Kansas City Chiefs select Tyson Jackson, defensive end from LSU."

The crowd gasped. Some booed. Jackson's name was a surprise, but other things were not. He filled a need on defense, and the college program that produced him was one the Chiefs seemed comfortable with. For three years in a row, the Chiefs made an LSU player their top draft pick.

Before Jackson, there was defensive lineman Glenn Dorsey at No. 5 overall in 2008. A year earlier, the Chiefs drafted wide receiver Dwayne Bowe at No. 23 overall.

Those players have something else in common: None has lived up to expectations or their draft slots. That trend is known now to the Chiefs' organization, but perhaps it should've seen it coming earlier.

LSU has produced 35 NFL draft picks since 2003, but there are many more stories of failure than success. Of those 35 players, nine of whom were first-round picks, only one has been selected for a Pro Bowl: Indianapolis running back Joseph Addai's appearance as a reserve in 2007. The handful of successes are overshadowed by players such as Oakland's JaMarcus Russell and Dorsey — who have shown little evidence that they'll live up to their draft-day hype.

"I don't think anybody has seen or heard from Glenn Dorsey," said former NFL coach Jon Gruden, who drafted former LSU receiver Michael Clayton to the Buccaneers in 2004.

LSU is known as one of the last decade's most successful college programs, winning national championships in 2003 and 2007 and helping elevate hungry and talented players into college superstars. But according to some outside the LSU bubble, NFL teams have learned the hard way that, at least lately, a draft pick who played for the Tigers isn't a sure thing.

"Word has been out there that the guys aren't working real hard," said Chris Landry, a former NFL scout who now works as a consultant for nearly a dozen teams. "It's been talked among scouting circles for a while. It's more: Buyer beware.

"It gives (LSU) a bad image. It gives it an attitude of just: 'What the hell is going on over there?'\u2009''

The signs were there. That's what LSU insiders and observers said. Dorsey paid less attention to conditioning after his junior season. Bowe's hands weren't improving. Russell's work habits were questionable from the start.

"JaMarcus was a bust waiting to happen," said Landry, who lives in Louisiana. "A lot of people have misevaluated LSU players."

Landry said the problems started when those players emerged as NFL prospects, and their work habits slipped. He said LSU's coaches failed to push those players, and as a result, they adopted poor approaches as acceptable.

"The program has slipped from a discipline and work-ethic standpoint," Landry said. "They're not nearly as demanding on them."

As other dominant college teams became factories for NFL superstars — Miami, Southern California and Texas produced a combined 97 draft picks and 19 Pro Bowlers since 2003 — LSU was churning out players who looked the part, passed the combine tests and had futures that looked bright. And then something goes wrong.

The theory going around is that the hunger dies once they get their first big NFL contract.

Of Louisiana's 4.4 million residents, 19.4 percent live in poverty. That's the second-highest percentage in the country. Some of those residents are children. Some play football. Coaches know how to motivate Louisiana's youngsters.

"Hey, you've got a chance" to reach the NFL, said Larry Dauterive, coach at East St. John High, 53 miles southwest of Baton Rouge. "We've got some there. You can get there. That's the carrot we dangle in front of them."

Per capita, Louisiana has more players in the NFL than any other. The best ones go to LSU. Marcus Spears was a can't-miss. So was LaRon Landry. Dorsey, too. Bowe, Russell, Dorsey and Spears are among those who've been criticized for their conditioning habits. Others have been chided for work-ethic concerns.

Perhaps when they get that big carrot, or contract, the motivation is gone for these players from poor economic backgrounds.

"A lot of people do fall victim to that: They think they've achieved everything," said John Murray, a sports psychologist in South Florida. "You lose your entire purpose when you don't have something to strive for."

http://www.statesman.com/sports/pro/...rs-597656.html

[Minister of Truth]

Hey, Toppy:

[Topspin]

Fuck both of you assholes. Make you feel good picking on the poorest people in the country. Have fun. They did say we have the most in the NFL. Bet you can't name a recent superbowl champ without a tiger.

[Topspin]

Dorsey was viciously illegally chop blocked an injured his knee in the Auburn game his junior year. My son played with him so I know. Many thought he wouldn't make the NFL. Tyson Jackson couldn't even full time start his senior year. who picks an unproven part time player with the 3 rd pick in the draft. Is the chiefs GM from the pac10? Saints have several Tigers starting as do the colts and Giants.

[Cancel 2016.2]

Fuck both of you assholes. Make you feel good picking on the poorest people in the country. Have fun. They did say we have the most in the NFL. Bet you can't name a recent superbowl champ without a tiger.

Toppy... all you have to do is point to the failures of those wanna be football players from the Puss 10... especially from USC....

Matt Leinart??? LMAO.... great QB....

Reggie Bush..... a decent THIRD down back. Not a three down back and certainly not worthy of a number one.

That said... Russell sucks almost as bad as that other PAC 10 failure Ryan Leaf

Bowe is lazy
Dorsey and Jackson... I will give them a bit more time, but thus far not too impressive.

[WinterBorn]

You could probably pick any college team and find flops in the NFL.

LSU managed to have a decent schedule in toughest conference in the country. Add to that the amazing number of players drafted from the SEC, at least when compared to the rest of the NCAA, and you have Topper's defense.

[Mott the Hoople]

LSU managed to have a decent schedule in toughest conference in the country.

LSU is in the Big 10?

[WinterBorn]

LSU is in the Big 10?

Big 10? Toughest conference?




Thanks Mott, its always great to start my day with a big laugh!

[Topspin]

We have a tough road with bam a and fla on the schedule.

[WinterBorn]

We have a tough road with bam a and fla on the schedule.

The Gators have to come to Tuscaloosa this year, just like Penn State does.

If the defense clicks early we may get FL again in Atlanta.

But Bama plays ya'll in Tiger Stadium. We have a good record there. I am looking forward to the 2010 season.

[Minister of Truth]

LSU is in the Big 10?

[Topspin]

Yeah three dork we crushed your boys. No wonder you hold a grudge.

[Minister of Truth]

Yeah three dork we crushed your boys. No wonder you hold a grudge.

Retard, there was no crushing. You're just mad we almost beat your sorry ass, and then a week later you survived yet another squeaker.

[WinterBorn]

LSU is in the Big 10?

We have been through this before, and have usually talked about what teams and conferences win how many games.

But look at the draft this year. The SEC had 49 players drafted into the NFL. In the last 13 years, the SEC has had the most, or tied for the most, players drafted.

It has been said over and over that the SEC rarely recruits outside the southeast. Or at least they don't do any volume recruiting. But we had 49 players drafted. Does that mean we teach players better or that the southeast grows better players?

[Topspin]

Retard, there was no crushing. You're just mad we almost beat your sorry ass, and then a week later you survived yet another squeaker.

Huskies blow, you actually think you did something beating USC's worse team in a decade on your home turf. then you ankle grabbed for the rest of the season.