Draft prospects in support of non-specialization
INDIANAPOLIS — One after another, the NFL Combine’s top prospects have taken the stand and answered some form of the question, ‘What sets you apart from other players at your position?’
The answer is almost always “versatility.”
But, for some prospects, that statement holds a little more truth than others. Those with multi-sport experience have found that it’s the work outside of the football field that has helped them find football nuance. And as they stood at the podium at Wednesday’s NFL Combine, they detailed why those other sports are probably the reason they’re standing there today.
Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy (6-foot-5, 276 pounds), a projected firstround pick who’s very much in play for the Detroit Lions at No. 6, was a pitcher. According to him, “at 14, 15 years old, I was the big, 6-4 lefty on the mound throwing 89-90 mph.” He had a nasty two-seamer with some bite.
“I wasn’t the most accurate pitcher, but I did my best,” Murphy said. “I got my first three (scholarship) offers in football and
I said, ‘I’m going to stick with that.’”
Murphy is able to relate pitching to edge rushing. In each game, both positions are forced to repeat the same task over and over again.
“That discipline part. Staying consistent with my work. Regardless of how good you are — in baseball, regardless of how good a pitcher I was — I had to stay consistent in practice to stay good and get better,” he said.
Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald, meanwhile, actively avoided football. He preferred jiu-jitsu, soccer (goalkeeper) and basketball. That is, until a high-school football coach finally convinced him to come out to the field. As the story goes, the coach asked him to put his hand in the dirt and try to beat the school’s starting tackle. He did — three times.
“And then, that’s when we figured out, you know, I was a pass rusher,” McDonald said. “So, I just developed my game from there, tried to master it.”
McDonald said, “I pulled all four of those components together and I kind of just made the type of player.”
Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness came close to becoming an Illinois state champion in hockey back in 2020 before Covid ended his senior year prematurely.
“I think I attach hockey to a lot of my skills and my balance that I have today,” Van Ness said. “It’s a hard sport to play. It’s very physical. It’s very demanding.”
At 21 years old, Van Ness is 6-foot-5, 275 pounds. As one might imagine, he took quite a few penalties in his days as a defenseman at Barrington High School (Ill.)
“Over the last two years, I think I led the league in penalties. Just due to my size, unfortunately, which was kind of part of the game,” he said. “There’s really not that many big kids that play hockey. So, just due to my size and my weight, I (was called for) a lot of penalties that, in my eyes, I don’t think were fair.”
Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell was another three-sport athlete. He didn’t think he’d go pro in any of the other sports — “I was terrible in track. I ran the 200,” he said — but did find the benefit of remaining competitive year-round.
“Being able to compete year-round, I think, is invaluable,” Campbell said. “A lot of people don’t realize that. A lot of kids nowadays focus on one sport, but you only have your season to — I wouldn’t say develop your competitive edge, but going through the year and being able to compete, I don’t think you can simulate that.
“Then all the little things you pick up. Basketball helps you with footwork. Track with your sprinting and running mechanics. Then the most important thing is hanging out with your buddies.”