Chris Polk
Like any other football junkie, I was enthralled with the NFL Draft. Well, the Draft has come and gone and like every year, there are guys who were taken too high, too low, or didn't get selected at all. A lot of people think that not being selected is a testament to how good they (the player in question) "thought" they were. Others think it's an oversight on scouting. I tend to think that most scouts, GM's, coaches and owners fall in love with "numbers" and not the PLAYER who's putting up those numbers.
While yes, it is true that some guys put up gawdy numbers because of the
system they played in and it's easy to fall in love with stats...Sometimes you have to actually LOOK at the stats and see HOW they were put up! I was told in my college Stats class that there are 3 kind of lies...lies, damn lies and STATS. Statistics tell part but not the entire story. Behind every statistical gain, there is a player behind them. Whether these stats are system generated, roster induced (lack of quality players behind the starter) or basic workings of the team (i.e. Nebraska under
Tom Osborne), there is a player that has worked their tail off to achieve them (college football is really hard...)
This brings me to Chris Polk. I've watched this young man ball his H.E.A.R.T out for the University of Washington over the past 4 years (he Redshirted his Frosh year because of injury). He carried the team in 2009 when
Jake Locker was getting all the love in the Great NW. Everybody knows that every great Quarterback NEEDS a running game. Without a running game, the defense just "sits back" and waits on every pass. Needless to say, when Jake was struggling in 2010, it was Polk who picked up the pieces and gained over 1,400 yards rushing on 260 carries (yeah, you read that right...260).
In his final year at the
University of Washington, the school once again leaned heavily on Chris until first year starter
Keith Price got his feet wet. If you don't believe me about Polk's contribution to the Program, check out his bio for yourself...----->
Chris Polk stats.
All of this, his leadership, playing through pain, getting very little recognition lead him to what...? Not getting drafted? Are you kidding me? This guy played his ass off for 3 years! But you know what? That doesn't matter to Chris. Chris now has an opportunity to play for the Philadelphia Eagles in the
NFL and it's not his "Stats"that got him there...it was his
H.E.A.R.T.
So the next time you think that stats prove a player belongs, or how many accolades he/she has gained or how many
Twitter followers they (you) have. You need to look into their eyes and analyze what's beating in the chest. Because there is nothing worse than competing against someone who still thinks they have something to prove and has one big ass chip on their shoulder...
