The Reason For Former Texas Stars Difficult Transition to the NFL

alen1 · Sep 19, 2008

Being a former star at Texas means having a much harder transition into life as a pro football player. This isn't a shot in the dark, either. I've had more than one NFL executive tell me that players who spend their college days in Austin get quite accustomed to being treated like gods. And once those same players leave college and enter the NFL, they quickly discover that success is much harder to find when the world isn't colored in shades of burnt orange.

By the way, some players who've competed at Texas share the same belief.

"We definitely have a comfort zone at Texas," said Detroit Lions defensive tackle Cory Redding. "We get used to winning and as far as fans booing or negative press, those things really don't happen down there. When you get into the NFL, it can be really hard to adjust if you're not ready for a different kind of atmosphere."

Johnson even said his college coaches were just as willing to treat players with a lighter touch. He said Texas coach Mack Brown had a rule that prohibited assistants from swearing at players when coaches were criticizing mistakes. So once Johnson joined the Chiefs as the 15th overall pick in the 2005 draft, he had to get accustomed to the daily arsenal of profanity that is the trademark of defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. Even though Johnson was a grown man, there were more than a few nights when those verbal shots bothered him as he sat at home.

The point to be made here is that all this coddling can have a negative impact. Though Brown is adamant that he's not soft on his players -- "If they screw up, they know they'll get punished but it will be in private," he said -- the fact is that Young was rattled by booing by his fans in a season-opening win over Jacksonville and Young's mother later rallied to her son's defense by claiming that all he needed was more love and support. Those moments show how little Young knows about life under a real microscope. It's also an indication of how much work he must do to harden himself for the increased scrutiny that will follow his eventual return to the lineup.
Click to expand...

ESPN - Former University of Texas stars face difficult transition to NFL - NFL

Wasn't sure which forum this went into. If its in the wrong one, I apologize.

Regan21286 · Sep 19, 2008

Ricky Williams (chronic smoking of chronic)
Click to expand...

:lol:

Honestly, I don't think it's really any different from other schools especially since guys like Roy Williams, Jammer, and Derrick Johnson all stood out their first few years. Now if it were a QB coming from a Tedford or spread offense, then there's going to be trouble adjusting but otherwise, it's all the same.

Coral Reefer · Sep 19, 2008

Regan21286 said:

:lol:

Honestly, I don't think it's really any different from other schools especially since guys like Roy Williams, Jammer, and Derrick Johnson all stood out their first few years. Now if it were a QB coming from a Tedford or spread offense, then there's going to be trouble adjusting but otherwise, it's all the same.
Click to expand...

Yeah, this is just some whiny crap theory players from there are conjuring up.

The pressure to succeed and the "God like" status on campus of any University is present.

The reason some college stars have a hard time transitioning into the NFL is because it's a league of elite talent. The game is different, faster and the weakest links of pro teams are endlessly more talented than the weak players teams can focus on in college. Changes the game for these guys completely when they get to the NFL.

These guys can try and sell this hooey to someone else.

alen1 New Member

Regan21286 MCAT's, EMT's, AMCAS, ugh

Coral Reefer Premium Member

Share This Page