TOP 5 PROSPECT FALLING FAST
The amount of money Outland Trophy winner, Alabama's offensive tackle, Andre Smith, has probably flushed down the drain is frightening. We're talking millions of dollars. An uninjured player free falling out of the top five so far he's not even on some team's draftboards anymore. He's down to #15 in my rankings. In mid-December he was a top-5 pick & got himself suspended from the Sugar Bowl for having contact with an agent before the season was over. Alabama had to flip flop their O-line, with two players in new positions & minus Smith, the Tide gave up 8 sacks getting smoked by Utah. I had really looked forward to watching the matchup of Smith & Utah DE Paul Kruger. Since Smith was a junior, he couldn't compete in any of the post season all-star games. Then came the debacle at the NFL Combine last month in Indianapolis. As soon as he checked in, he told NFL officials he wouldn't be working out since he was out of shape. Last game he played in was the SEC Championship game the first week of December & apparently after he was suspended, he just stopped working out but continued eating as if he was. The NFL guys said O.K. just attend the team interviews & take your Wonderlic Test. Several teams complained he showed up late & wasn't dressed appropriately. Saturday morning you could hear them paging him over the stadium PA as he was now officially M.I.A. Later that afternoon it was announced that he had gone to Atlanta to work out. Huh?
At that point he began to fall so knowing he had to be ready for his Pro Day on the 'Bama campus March 11th would certainly motivate him to bust his butt to get in some kind of shape right? Not so much. Oh he went through all the drills, did the bench press & ran the forty yard dash. All times & measurables were not even in the top ten for his position, in fact some weren't in the top 20. Watching him run shirtless in his first 40 was almost painful, he needed a sports bra. By the end of the workout, many of the 50+ GM's, coaches & scouts decided they'd seen enough. He was taken completely off some draftboards and dropped on just about everyone else's. You watch this kid play & he absolutely dominates, but at this point he looks a long way from where he was last season & one has to wonder exactly what will motivate him to get in top shape & stay there. When you watch Jason Smith running shirtless, you see a huge, chiseled in-shape body. His agent isn't new to this process & Andre's a pretty smart young man, but is staying in shape as important to him as it should be?
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