It appears USC coach Pete Carroll isn’t too impressed with Mark Sanchez’s decision to go pro (Pete Carroll may be ‘disappointed’ in Mark Sanchez, but can he say it out loud?).
Why not? I have a couple of ideas.
Carson Palmer is really the only stud NFL QB to come out of Carroll’s program, and Palmer was there through his senior year. Matt Leinart, who has been a bust in the NFL thus far, was also there through his senior year (and he was redshirt). Sanchez, a redshirt junior, was the starter at USC for only one year, unlike Leinart and Palmer. Much like Leinart and Palmer, however, Sanchez was successful.
But we have to ask ourselves — who wouldn’t be a stud quarterbacking USC? Leinart was essentially the quarterback of a pro team playing other college teams. When you have that kind of talent around you (Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and Mike Williams are just a few big names Leinart had on offense during his time at the helm), it’s hard not to look good, isn’t it?
Let me ask you a question — if Leinart would’ve played for the Kent State Golden Flashes, does anybody know who he is? I would venture to say he wouldn’t have won the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, much less the Heisman Trophy. Leinart is a stiff.
But Sanchez seems to think he’s ready to roll to the NFL, and why not? In fact, he’s inspired me to go pro.
Me: “Listen, boss, I’m leaving early to go pro.”
Boss: “What the hell are you talking about?”
Me: “With all these college players leaving school early to go to the NFL, I figure I need to cash in on my potential and go pro.”
Boss: “You don’t have any potential. You mow lawns and spray weeds. And I pay you to do it.”
Me: “Yeah, well, maybe I’ll just do it on my own. I’ll make more money that way. So it’s kind of like I’m going pro.”
Boss: “I admire your ambition, but I really think you need to stay in our school longer before you’re ready.”
Me: “Hmmm, you could be right. I think most of these college players should stay in school, too. Good call, Boss. I could use another year to perfect my game.”
Boss: “Try another five years.”
1 Comment
January 16, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Mark Sanchez is going to be a 3rd string QB. He needed to stay to gain experience, end of story.