Coaches Triple Black and Mike Patterson tackle the question of why college football recruiters get picky about undersized players. Triple B hammering the fact that there are plenty of good examples of great undersized players, both in the NFL and the college levels, runs right in the face of those recruiters that call the shots based on height. Is height all that important?
If we take for instance two great undersized quarterbacks in NFL history: Drew Brees and Russell Wilson, the factor of size poses a problem relative to the play styles of each QB and what they must accommodate for on their team. Drew brees is known for creating great structured plays, while Russell Wilson has a more spontaneous approach. Brees is likely going to be the one you’d want to depend on to capitalize on those plays that utilize speed over size.
Although these examples are unique given the star power of NFL QB’s, it poses the question of how the tables might turn for undersized players. Will hard work and smart self-branding get you across the recruiting line? Coach Patterson certainly leans in that direction, “you can’t coach size,” he says. “Where are the guys that got the heart, that they’re gonna lay it out on the line every single day because they really want it?”