Know Your Colts History: The Answer in Indy
by Jake Whitacre on Nov 21, 2009 11:32 AM EST
9 comments
The recent discussion about whether or not LeBron James would make it as an NFL player, got me thinking about how another NBA player could have had an impact in the NFL, specifically for the Colts.
As we all remember, the 1998 Draft forced Bill Polian to choose between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf. We all know in hindsight that picking Peyton was the right move, it wasn't such a sure bet at the time. The only thing that could have made that decision more difficult is if there had been a third option for Polian to mull over. If it hadn't been for one player who decided to take his skills to the hardwood, this three-way battle could have occured. The player in question grew up in the Newport News area, home of Mike Vick and Aaron Brooks. Many who live in the area will tell you he player was better than both of them. Of course, we'll never know what kind of football career he could have had, because Allen Iverson decided that he had a better career in basketball.
If Iverson had decided to go into football, he would have graduated in 1998, the same year as Manning and Leaf. Maybe it's silly to propose that Iverson would have been in the discussion to be the top pick, but it's hard to say anything is silly when you're trying to choose between Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf. Once you really take a look at NFL climate at the time, envisioning Iverson as a top NFL draft pick isn't as far-fetched as you might think.
You can look at his size and say that he never would have cut it on the pro level, but as BBS has pointed out many times here, size doesn't matter. Size hasn't stopped Drew Brees, it hasn't stopped Darren Sproles, and it sure didn't stop Barry Sanders. Michael Vick isn't much taller than Iverson. Did his height stop him from being the top pick in 2001 NFL Draft? If you can play, you can play. Clearly, Iverson could play.
You can say that he wouldn't have had the smarts to be a QB at the pro level, but I would counter that by saying that Iverson would have entered the league right as the scrambling quarterback revolution was starting to explode. Kordell Stewart had just finished his first season as full-time starter at quarterback and he guided the Steelers to an 11-5 record. That was good enough to win the AFC Central and the team only lost by a field goal to the eventual Super Bowl champions. Those eventual Super Bowl champions were the Denver Broncos, who were led by a quarterback who could still make plays with his feet. Other scramblers like Steve Young, Tony Banks, Steve McNair, and Mark Brunell also made scrambling quarterbacks hot commodities. More than at any other moment in NFL history, general managers would have been willing to overlook some deficiencies passing the ball in order to get someone who could make plays on the run.
Even if you want to dismiss that Iverson would've been taken seriously as a quarterback in the NFL, he certainly would have possessed the speed and ability to be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. A defensive back had beaten out Peyton for the Heisman. Who's to say that another one couldn't have taken the top draft spot away from him as well?
Of course, all of this is conjecture. Manning, Leaf, and Iverson all went down separate career paths that made them famous in different ways. For Colts fan, it certainly worked out for the best that things went the way they did. Thinking about any scenario where Peyton Manning doesn't end up in Indianapolis is a scary one, but it is good for making us stop to appreciate what we have and how glad we are that things worked out the way they did. That's what Thanksgiving is all about, right?
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I know this is tongue in cheeck and not too serious but...
You completely left out the fact that Iverson was a convicted felon. The Idea that Polian would take a player with suck a massive character red flag #1 overall is pretty far fetched.
True
But he was pardoned and the ruling was overturned later. That said, you’re correct that Polian probably wouldn’t have touched someone with his track record with the top pick.
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by Jake Whitacre on Nov 21, 2009 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
Wow, I had no idea Iverson even played football
Great stuff Jake.
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Size
Yes size does matter when it comes to the position of QB.Iversons small structure and height would make it hard for him to break away from possible sacks plus seeing over the front line.
I get what you're saying
Being taller gives you a better perspective to see the field from and makes it harder for the defense to bat down passes. But don’t forget that Drew Brees is only an inch or two taller than Iverson and that hasn’t stopped him from becoming an elite quarterback. Besides, AI faced bigger players in the NBA than he ever would in the NFL. I know that’s a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison, but I think he’s shown through the NBA that he can be elusive and he’s shown time and time again that he can play through pain. Would he have made it as a successful QB in the NFL? Probably not, but I think he could have built enough hype in college to make someone think that he could.
Bullets Forever: A blog dedicated to the Washington Wizards with analysis, commentary, and more YouTube videos than your eyes can handle.
by Jake Whitacre on Nov 21, 2009 6:50 PM EST up reply actions
I think Iverson could have made it as a QB
but like all scramblers, he had to be a QB first and a runner second. I think the reason why players like Kordell Stewart and Michael Vick fizzled out was because they relied way to much on their feet. Players like Steve Young, John Elway, and Donavan McNabb are successful because they were QB’s first. They threw the ball first and relied on their arm first before thinking about taking off. To me, if you have the Legs, use it to keep the play alive for a throw before you decide, “ok I bought enough time in the pocket and no one is open, time to take off”. That is the only way Iverson or any other QB that can scramble can make it in the NFL (Im looking at you Tim Tebow).
Based on the video you provided JTS, I would prefer he play Corner. He has great size at 6’ tall and is fast and physical.
Definitely
I think he had way better potential as a DB, but with the way hype was building for scrambling QBs at that moment, I think any team would have faced pressure to put him in at quarterback.
Bullets Forever: A blog dedicated to the Washington Wizards with analysis, commentary, and more YouTube videos than your eyes can handle.
by Jake Whitacre on Nov 21, 2009 6:43 PM EST up reply actions
Sign him up!
He’s doesn’t have a job in the NBA now.
Get him on the team! haha
He could help out the return game.
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Marcus Pollard was a great player for the Colts
And if I remember right he never played football at Bradley, only basketball.
He had to learn how to play TE when the Colts took him as a UDFA.
by HoosierHorseman on Nov 22, 2009 12:46 PM EST reply actions
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