College Stars’ Standards Need Adjusting

Vince Young, Matt Leinart, and Reggie Bush should be ashamed of themselves. Not because they want a lot of money or to be famous or look good in front of others, but because they refuse to follow guidelines established for evaluating NFL draft talent. What do these guys have to hide that they won't perform as asked in the same environment everyone else has to?

Call me old-fashioned, but I guess I was ingrained with "old-fashioned" principles. As the child of a working single mom, I was raised partially by my grandparents who are both now in their nineties. My grandfather taught me a lot about work ethic and how one should conduct themselves on the job. He is a hard-working man who earned every penny he has. He has lived through two world wars and the most difficult economic time the world has ever seen. Through it all, he learned valuable life lessons that he passed down to me.

One thing he taught me about work ethic is when entering a new career or job to not expect to be paid and treated the same as the boss or someone with superior experience or seniority. When you're just starting out, you're a "rookie" and should prove yourself before demanding a raise or a company car or a corner office. One thing you certainly don't do before you get the job is dictate when, where, and how the interview will be conducted.

Hypothetical situation: I'm a writer who's applied for a job with a national magazine. The secretary calls me to set up the interview and tells me to bring a few writing samples, maybe some layout and design work I've done, and to be prepared for a "live" writing exercise. So I go to the interview and everything on paper looks great — my writing is stellar, the layout looks fantastic, and my references all have glowing remarks about my past work.

Then the boss says it's time for the live writing exercise. But I say, "I'm not going to do that here. I'd rather do it at my house on my computer and printer with the kind of paper I like." That boss would say, "Well, thanks for wasting my time and good luck finding another job."

That's what the NFL should be saying to college players like the guys mentioned above. "Hey, Vince. Ever hear of the Canadian Football League? I hear the Arena League is looking for a few good quarterbacks, Matt. Gee, Reggie, there are a lot of pro leagues in Europe. You guys don't want to do it our way, then take a hike."

Instead, they throw themselves at these guys' feet and cater to their every whim. "It's okay, Mr. Bush, you don't have to run the 40; we know you're fast 'cause we've seen you on TV. Mr. Leinart doesn't want to throw for us? That's all right. Just look at him — we know he can throw. Mr. Young only wants to throw in his own yard to his own receivers? No problem. We'll just move the team that drafts him to Austin and draft all the Texas receivers so he'll be comfortable in the NFL."

It makes me question why these guys are afraid to showcase their abilities in the venue and format the NFL demands every other draft prospect to follow. Is Leinart worried that some other QB might do better than him? Does Young fear that the guys he'd throw to at the combine would make him look bad by dropping passes? Could Bush be concerned that someone might actually be faster than him in the 40? The projected seventh-round pick can't shun the combine and demand he only work out in his home gym with his own guys, so why should the other prospects?

Then, after these guys hold their private workouts, get drafted, and get ready for training camp, they'll hold out for more money, which is a practice that really fries me. Back to the hypothetical situation above. Say the boss agrees to go to my house to conduct the writing exercise. I show him that on my computer with my printer on my paper, I can get the job done and he agrees to hire me.

But, the day before I start my new position, I call him and say I won't come to work unless I get a raise. I haven't worked a day for his company, I haven't proved what my abilities are beyond my college internship and work study jobs, and I don't even know what it's like to work in that type of environment. He'd say the same thing he should have said after the interview: "Nice try, see ya later."

Don't get me wrong; I'm not against people trying to create the best situation possible for impressing a prospective boss, or trying to get more money or advance in the company at a rapid pace. What I am against is college athletes thinking the pro league needs them in order to stay afloat and draw fans to the stadium or watch on TV. Really, the NFL needs Matt Leinart about as bad as it needed Ryan Leaf. I'm not saying Leinart should be compared to Leaf, but he was a highly sought-after quarterback who had an outstanding college career, and we all know "the rest of the story."

With more top-notch college players opting out of the dwindling number of postseason all-star games, the combine is about the only effective tool pro scouts have of evaluating talent on a level playing field (no pun intended). They don't have time to watch hundreds of hours of film on every player in the country. These players who want to conduct business on their "own terms" should be grateful that so many teams are interested in adding them to their roster, and have created an environment where they can display their talents without fear of getting injured.

What it all boils down to is star college players believing they should be treated like star pro players before they've even played a down in the NFL. When the pros start refusing to accommodate these guys and remind them that they're "entry-level" employees, maybe they'll start realizing that it is a privilege — not a right — to play at the highest level. They've earned the right to be considered among the best at the college level, and now they need to earn the right to be counted among the privileged.