Geno
Smith has been sacked and hasn't even played a down of NFL football.
Smith is the latest, college-to-the-pros, black quarterback to face
nasty rumors and innuendo about his character.
 |
| Geno Smith |
Both Cam Newton and RG
III, Robert Griffin III, got the same treatment just before the
draft. Once is an aberration. Twice is aggravating. The third time is
a pattern.
Nolan
Nawrocki is part of the pattern and part of the problem. What has
been written and said about these men isn't just mean and nasty, its
racist. And in the cases of RG II and Newton, what Nawrocki has
written has been proven untrue.
 |
| Nolan Nawrocki |
Nawrocki
writes for Pro Football Weekly. In April, just days before the NFL
draft, Nawrocki trashed, Smith, the former West Virginia quarterback.
Nawrocki's evaluation of Smith reads, in part:
“Mild
practice demeanor...“Not a student of the game, marginal work
ethic...Nonchalant field presence...did not show an understanding of
concepts on the white board.”
Smith
isn't some scrub. In four years with the Mountaineers, he threw for
more than 11,000 yards, 98 touchdown passes and had a QB rating of
153.5. One wonders how anyone with those numbers could get away
with not working hard or being smart. The numbers speak for
themselves. So when Nawrocki heard this crap about Smith (he's
admittedly never met the man) a huge red flag should have been raised
in Nawrocki's mind.
 |
| Cam Newton |
Three
years ago, in the 2010 draft, Nawrocki went even further in his
critique of Cam Newton. And by that I mean, he gave assessments of
the man that had nothing to do with football.
“Very
disingenuous — has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has
a selfish, me-first makeup. Always knows where the cameras are and
plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that
continually
invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law...”
But
wait there's more!
“Only
a one-year producer. Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness
— is not punctual, seeks shortcuts and sets a bad example.
Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable.”
By
saying Newton is “not punctual,” Nawrocki is simply saying Newton
is on CP time.
Nawrocki
didn't accuse any other QB of being, “not punctual,” but
using this phrase to describe a black man's on time record,
particularly along with all the other stereotypes Nawrocki uses, is
going to enable prejudice.
After evaluating
Nawrocki's evaluations of all QB's he evaluated for Pro Football
Weekly in the 2012 draft, I've concluded Nawrocki used
stereotypes of black QB's to handicap their talents. Here's a look at
his racial tainted judgments.
Nawrocki
on:
 |
| Jacory Harris |
*Jacory
Harris-Miami
Coasted
on natural talent and is a developmental project who could
struggle adapting to the speed and complexity of the NFL game.
Nawrocki
on:
*Dominique
Davis ECU
Shoddy
judgment. Does not exhibit a commanding on -field temperament.
Nawrocki
on:
Darren
Thomas Oregon
could
require patience adapting to a sophisticated playbook. Character and
coachability need to be looked into.
Nawrocki
on:
Chester
Stewart-Temple
Immature
and mentally weak. character is a concern.
Nawrocki
on:
Jordan
Jefferson-LSU
Shaky
decision maker — Character needs to be investigated.
In
everyone of these first five examples, every QB has either,
questionable maturity, judgment, character, or ability to think at a
level required of an NFL QB. Jacoby Harris “coasted on natural
talent.” Where have we heard before that a black athlete is
naturally gifted but doesn't work hard?
Nawrocki
on:
Russell
Wilson-Wisconsin
 |
| Russell Wilson |
Versatile
player who could even be sprinkled into the game plan on a weekly
basis to take advantage of his dual-threat ability. Is the type of
player you root for and want on your roster.
Wilson
led his team, the Seattle Seahawks, to the NFC championship game, but
Nawrocki thought Wilson would be best used, “sprinkled into a game
plan...” That's a really bad call. How could Nawrocki have been so
wrong?
Nawrocki
also said this about Wilson, “mature, grounded, motivated athlete
with a professional makeup and work ethic. Quickly assimilated and
earned the respect of his new teammates.
But it shouldn't be hard to compliment someone who threw for 11,470 yards,
had a 60.9% completion percentage and a QB rating of 147.2 while
playing for North Carolina State and Wisconsin.
Before
last year's draft it was RG III who got sucker punched. Milwaukee
Journal-Sentinal writer Bob McGinn quoted several unnamed NFL scouts
about RG III.
 |
| Robert Griffin III |
Most
were positive but the last one was extremely negative. “This guy,
the only way he gets big plays with his feet is if he's got a
wide-open field and the sea opens for him. He's got a little bit of a
selfish streak, too. Everybody was laying on Cam,(Newton) but for
some reason this guy has become gloves off. He doesn't treat anybody
good." Another scout also questioned the way Griffin deals with
people.”
Griffin
was taken by the Washington franchise as expected, but we'll never
know if Griffin, and Newton spent their first year doing something no
other white QB had to even think about; over compensating, spending
extra time and energy, proving they do treat “people good,” in
addition to playing in the NFL.
And
as complimentary as he was about Wilson, Nawrocki never once said he
was smart, or intelligent. In fact, Nawrocki only said that about two
of the eight black QB's in the 2012 draft.
RG
III and DeAndre Presley of Appalachian
State were the only black quarterbacks Nawrocki gave
credit to for being smart.
Nawrocki
uses a different set of words (rules) when evaluating white QB's.
Austin
Davis from Southern Mississippi has, “Marry-your-daughter-type
intangibles —
Kirk
Cousins of Michigan State, “Can be too cerebral...”
 |
| Andrew Luck |
Andrew
Luck say evaluators, “is almost too nice...”
Nawrocki
questioned the character of two white QB's. But both are practically
gangbangers. Nawrocki said Patrick Witt of Yale, “Has
two minor arrests and sexual-assault accusation and character need to
be evaluated carefully.”
 |
| Stephen Garcia |
And
Stephen Garcia of South Carolina: Immature and irresponsible.
Marginal football character, poor work ethic and practice habits.
Carries himself like a high school big man on campus and is only
interested in game days. Has a history of alcohol, drug and behavior
incidents, and stability needs to be scrutinized.
 |
| Patrick Witt |
One
guy has been arrested, twice, and has been accused of sexual-assault!
The other guy has a history of drug and behavior incidents. That's
what it took for Nawrocki to cast a leary eye on a white QB, drug
use, two arrests and an allegation of sexual-assault.
In
his evaluation of QB's in the 2012 draft, Nawrocki only
questioned the maturity, judgment, or character, of
a white QB if they practically had a criminal record. He doesn't
call any white QB, “mentally weak. Nawrocki does not suggest
that any white QB might be unable to adapt to, “a sophisticated
playbook.”
Plus
imagine if Witt would have had the same kind of year, at the same
kind of school, that Wilson did.
In
the end for Nawrocki, there was always a spot on the
roster for a white QB coming out of the 2012 draft.
1.
Ryan Tannehill is a strong candidate to be overdrafted and forced
into action earlier than he should be.
2.
Brandon Weeden Oklahoma State Has the arm talent to function in a
vertical offense with a strong protection scheme and supporting cast
but is most ideally suited for a backup role.
3.
Andrew Luck
 |
| Ryan Tannehill |
Is
one of the safest, surefire QB selections in draft history with few
discernible blemishes
4.
Kirk Cousins Michigan State Could thrive with crisp coaching and
confidence-building play-calling in a precision passing game
5.
Case Keenum Houston only chance to stick will be as a dink-and-dunk
emergency QB.
6.
Nick Foles Arizona might always be content with a backup role.
7.
John Brantley Florida-has enough arm talent and toughness to warrant
consideration as a developmental backup.
 |
| John Brantley with Tim Tebow |
8.
B.J. Coleman Chattanoga-Tenn Has ideal backup traits and tools to
develop that are most ideal for a vertical attack.
9.
Austin Davis- So. Miss Has the type of makeup to will his way into a
lineup and vastly outplay his draft status in 5-7 years.
10.
Steven Garcia South Carolina Best chance to succeed will be in a
high-percentage, rhythm passing game under a demanding positional
coach
(and
Garcia was suspended from the team a couple of times!)
11.
Tyler Hansen Colorado Has ideal makeup to hold a clipboard
12.
Chandler Harnish Northern Illinois university has upside to be
groomed as a smart, athletic, quick-armed backup in a short,
rhythm-timing offense.
13.
G.J. Kinne Tulsa Has a gunslinger’s mentality, and you always will
have to live with mistakes that accompany the plays he makes. Ceiling
is a No. 2.
14.
Ryan Lindley San Diego State is too inconsistent, inaccurate and
heavy-footed to be more than a clipboard holder.
 |
| Kellen Moore |
15.
Kellen Moore Boise State he possesses ideal backup QB makeup to
function competently with minimal reps in a precision-matchup offense
16.
Brock Osweiler-Arizona State he possesses the movement skill and arm
talent to emerge as an eventual starter
17. Dan
Persa Northwestern has outstanding
intangibles and make-it qualities
18.
Patrick Witt-Yale Has the mental acuity to compete for a No. 3 job.
Just
to complete the thought, Nawrocki believed Patrick Witt deserved to
be drafted, but not Cam Newton. But because he knows someone will
take Newton, Nawrocki can't leave him out without embarrassing
himself, so Nawrocki claimed that Newton was only a top 50 draft
prospect. Look, I'm not mind reader. But it seems clear that Nawrocki
used racial stereotypes to describe/evaluate black QB's in the 2012
draft. Even if you don't see that, you have to admit he used
different words and a more positive tone with the white QB's.
Nawrocki only sees fit to praise the black QB's in the 2012 NFL draft
if they are RG III, or Wilson. In other words, if they were
practically supermen.
I've
singled out Nawrocki, for now, but this kind of bias is on blast in
the sports media, and its something you should look for and speak out
against.
