Spending my entire adult life evaluating football players for the NFL has brought me perspective on identifying talent. It comes in all shapes and sizes. We all look for that perfect player who checks all the boxes. We often hear football people say, “That’s how you draw them up on paper.”
Most scouts stick to a fairly stringent set of guidelines and rules. In fact, some systems don’t allow you to jump outside the box to make an assessment if critical factors are not met. Height, weight, speed, 40 times are all objective measurements that start any evaluation. But sometimes the subjective and intangible parts, which are the hardest things to identify, just outweigh all other criteria.
The key is to let a player do what he does best and not get bogged down or put him in a position where he is asked change his game to fit a scheme.
This was the case with soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Famer Zach Thomas. Nobody today is looking for 5-foot-10, 220-pound linebackers. It was no different in 1996. Zach was a fifth-round choice for then-head coach Jimmy Johnson. Some viewed this with skepticism. What would the Dolphins do with him? Play him at safety? Everyone views these outside-the-box decisions with the same doubt.
Zach has had to win people over at every stop. Shoot, when Nick Saban and I got to Miami, we had this very discussion. Because of Zach’s less-than-ideal size, he had to play with a particular style and way that allowed him to be productive. But Nick’s scheme called for a more disciplined and direct route to a block or ball carrier. He had never had an inside linebacker who had to jump around blocks or run through gaps, which sometimes puts the entire scheme at risk.
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I’ll be the first to admit, we were skeptical. Zach did not fit the system from a physical frame standpoint. But guess what? He won us over fast with his production, his heart, his football IQ and instincts and his attention to detail. He also had an off-the-meter infectious motor and will to win.
At times, we get callused as scouts and dwell on the negatives of a player and therefore sometimes forget that intangibles and what’s on the inside matter.
I always have an open-door policy with players as a general manager. Especially our team leaders. I want them to come and see me at any point with concerns, ideas, views, etc. Heck, I want to bounce things off them, too. Discussion provokes thought, and I love to see it from somebody else’s angle. I loved the discussions Zach and I used to have. They were honest and authentic. We went through some hard times in Miami. Rebuilding takes a toll on everyone.
The thing I remember most about my time with Zach was I always knew how he felt. I have so much respect for him as a person that I still remember our last encounter. I had moved on to the Chargers as a senior executive and he to the Dallas Cowboys. Before a preseason game in San Diego, he sought me out and gave me the biggest sideline hug, and we had a very heartfelt exchange. We were only together three years in Miami, but we connected on a higher level, and he rubbed off on me.
Zach probably had a similar effect and connection with his teammates. This is hard to measure or articulate in a rigid scouting report.
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Just like when Zach had to wait until Round 5 to get drafted, it took time to win over coaches and decision-makers at every turn in his career. That’s why it only seems right that he has had to wait 10 years since his last snap to be appreciated and honored at the highest level bestowed on a professional football player.
The moral of the story is, don’t give any book reviews until you’ve read every page. Be open to some outside-the-box thinking, and don’t underestimate how far great intangibles can carry a player above and beyond God-given size and talent. It takes time for certain books and people to grow on you. New Hall of Famer Zach Thomas has been winning over people his whole life.
(Photo: Al Messerschmidt / Getty Images)
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