I met a quality young man. He had a thirst for knowledge. He was like a sponge. We studied film for about an hour and a half. I could see that he is ready to play in the National Football League from a simple playing perspective. The conditioning, nutrition, proper study habits, those things must come. But nobody, I mean nobody, comes into the league being a polished pro. It takes a year or two and sometimes longer. But the ones that develop faster make a quicker impact and more meaningful contribution to the team and its success.
To that end, where I tried to give him meaningful advice, I said he was slow off the ball at times, and what I meant by that term is you have to come off that edge in simultaneous movement with the ball. The word slow is not as important as saying he is a little late, a little hesitant at times at the snap. I encouraged him to use that advantage where he knows tendencies, he knows formations and he has the ability to get a quicker jump, especially playing in his own stadium when the crowd noise makes it difficult for the offense to hear signals. A fraction of a second can make a difference in getting a quality hit on the quarterback. And we know that maybe the most valuable play for a defense is the sack/fumble.
He is going into a similar situation, the first player picked, a team statistically the worst in the league. Big shoes to fill. He needs to hit the ground running but not ignore the process. There are going to be frustrations. There are going to be times he needs to talk to someone with experience who can help in his ability to grow. That type of maturity must take place each and every day and in it he must become more confident each and every day. I understand he will be spending most of his time in Cleveland this offseason. That is smart. Get acclimated to the job.
These young players have access to so much, and that’s great. When I came out, football was not necessarily a year-round job. Look at the weight rooms today, the nutrition programs, the tablets and technology they use now. We had projectors. But these young men still have to work. I know the safety of the game is important, but putting on pads and hitting is a necessary evil and if you don’t, the quality of the game, the execution and fundamentals are compromised.
The NFL should use former players and Hall of Famers more. It is our duty to help these young men. There are invaluable lessons to be taught. I wish I had a Deacon Jones in my first or second year in the league. I hope the time spent with Myles will help him become an impact player faster in the league.
