74_75_78_79_ wrote:Funny, but being in the ‘Leaf will do better than Peyton’ camp going into the ’98 Draft, my ‘logic’ was Peyton’s inability to beat Florida as well as getting decimated by Nebraska as Leaf and his underdog WSU team played well vs the other co-champ, Michigan. Very, very wrong was I although it did take #18 a bit to win a playoff game along with losing some other big games even after getting over the hump against NE (his pro version of Florida, at first) and winning his first SB.7DnBrnc53 wrote:Those two bowl games should have been bigger red flags to NFL scouts. However, it was stupid TB and Hugh Culvercheap that had the #1 pick that year, so it's no surprise that Vinny went first.I wonder if it was that very Fiesta Bowl, coupled with the previous year’s schlacking at the hands of Tennessee, that hurt his confidence as a pro. As great a coach Jimmy was, I think he overused him.
I do remember concerns about Leaf's maturity at WSU, but that was in a different era, and just didn't receive the attention it should have. Back then, incidents of immaturity were easier to fly underneath the radar, so to speak. ESPN ran a feature on Leaf the other day, and he really thought success in the NFL would be easy, and that 1-14 game against KC destroyed his confidence as a player.