What makes a good NFL quarterback? A question that befalls every team that ends the season without a clear signal caller and an offense that leaves a little left to be desired. So if NFL general managers with years of experience and head coaches can’t seem to figure it out, who am I to judge. I moved to America during my freshman year of high school and I barely knew who Tom Brady was, but with some research and looking at numbers maybe I can convince you.
Many college quarterbacks with huge numbers look like a sure bet coming out of college. A lot of people say numbers don’t lie, but the majority of college quarterbacks who put up astronomical numbers struggle to translate their success into the pros. The current leader in career passing yards of all NCAA teams is Case Keenum, with a close second in Tommy Chang, one a perennial backup who just turned into a starter after one great season and the other a largely forgotten quarterback for the Hawaii Warriors. The biggest name in the top 30 is Phillip Rivers at number 13, then Derek Carr and Jared Goff much further down, one a potential future hall of famer and the other 2, young quarterbacks still trying to prove themselves.
So now that college success in terms of numbers is out of the window, what college metrics best prove college success? As psychology’s role grows in the NFL, more and more scouts pay more attention to mental traits. According to Bleacher Report, most scouts look for traits over numbers. Poise, mental toughness, consistency, leadership, competitiveness, work ethic, moxie, coachability, and character are the characteristics most desired in a future pro quarterback. This is also totally warranted, names like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Namath, and Joe Montana and many more greats come to mind. Although numbers are crucial to NFL teams and are what make offenses great, it doesn’t always translate to college success but some numbers are still really important.
In 2017, the only starting quarterback in the NFL under 6”0 is Russell Wilson and the only quarterback standing at exactly 6”0 is Drew Brees. Although both are incredibly successful, they are anomalies. Drew Brees has a similar pocket presence to some of the best quarterbacks in the game, and comparisons of some of the best short college quarterbacks are totally unwarranted. Furthermore, Russell Wilson is a once in a lifetime athlete and achieves greatness in the league through his athletic ability. In today’s NFL, short quarterbacks find their way into starting lineups through sheer genius or exceptional athleticism. Prototypical quarterback size is 6”2, and looking at the list of the top 10 winningest quarterbacks of all time shows no difference.
Although some numbers play a clear role in creating a tried and true prototypical NFL quarterback, it is psychological traits and the immeasurables that propel college quarterbacks into NFL success.