Are NFL scouts hurting college players?
September 16th, 2010 . by adminAlabama coach Nick Saban seems to think so. In August, he told scouts from several different teams to hit the highway, banning them from Crimson Tide practices. Previously, Saban had criticized the scouts for damaging the eligibility of players, such as in the case of the Crimson Tide’s defensive end Marcell Dareus. The student had supposedly attended an agent party back in May.But is the presence of NFL scouts really damaging to playersany more so than the constant stresses that regularly accompany varsity-level play? For players interested in hitting the big time, the scouts are the representation of the long arm of the NFL. As long as players follow the NCAA’s “no contact” rule, there should be nothing wrong with a little extra motivation. Besides, as 16-season scout Pete Russell explains, the scouts and NFL coaches have a lot riding on this, too. Without the information to make an educated decision, he told Fox Sports, “it could be the quickest way to the unemployment line.”
