They come from football powerhouses and small colleges. Some are rookies, full of bounce and bluster, looking to prove themselves. Others are nearing their last shot, their physical gifts blunted by age and injury. Each year they arrive at training camp to battle for a few open slots. So they are pitted against teammates, with every play endlessly looped and dissected. When their big break comes, it?s often at the expense of someone else.
Alas, rank-and-yank is not a cruel vestige. It is a means of survival for National Football League coaches and personnel directors. The brass huddle together to whittle down the roster after practices and exhibitions. They look for the right combination of 53 guys who can compete, grow, and embody the franchise, the 53 guys who will do the right thing in the right way at the right time?together.
What separates the guys who make the roster? In reality, it is many of the same traits that differentiate those who get hired and promoted in business. Usually, they possess? fundamentals and mindsets that are easy to describe but difficult to apply. Here are six of them:
1. Be flexible. Teams look for players who can contribute in various ways. Take linebackers. They need to do more than shutg down runners and handle short passes to make the team. Can a linebacker also blitz from various spots? Could he call formations in a pinch, or play special teams? Does he have the speed to play every down? If a player can handle multiple roles, he frees his coach to plug holes elsewhere. Sure, experts say, players must do one thing better than anyone. The best players do. But guys need to get in the door first. And the fastest way is to be a jack-of-all-trades. You will master one eventually.
2. Bring what?s missing. Teams lose for a reason. Maybe their offense doesn?t stretch the field with speedy receivers. Maybe their defense lacks a tackle who clogs the middle. Or perhaps they lack intangibles like passion or leadership. So teams spend millions to correct their deficiencies. But dollars don?t always produce performance. And that means opportunity. It?s no secret how to get a coach?s attention: Offer something the team is missing. When a player displays it, he?ll get more practice reps. And that exposure increases his odds of making the team.
3. Show high potential. In shaping a team, the people in the front office don?t just evaluate who can perform now. They also project how players will develop down the road. In other words, they factor potential into the equation. They evaluate which players possess innate tools that coaches can mold. They measure players against standouts at similar stages of development. And they visualize whether those players have the drive to maximize their potential. In their evaluations, they return to one question: Is this guy really worth it? Sure, identifying diamonds in the rough is as much hunch as science. It?s a gamble wrapped in opinion and covered with sentimentality, just like any hire. But the greater a player?s perceived potential, the more likely he will make the roster.
4. Fit. It isn?t always about talent. For some teams, winning is about fit as much as ability. They assess players against whatever their philosophy prizes: smarts, character, passion, and fundamentals. The decision makers ask themselves questions like, Do these prospects quickly digest the playbook, follow directions, and play within the scheme? Do they push themselves, or do coaches rag on them? Do other players enjoy their company, or do they stir dissension with shortcuts and complaining? And do they help teammates by performing less glamorous fundamentals like blocking? Bottom line: Some teams value focus and cohesion above all else. They don?t want players? baggage infecting their culture. They understand that over time players can?t hide who they really are. Players will reveal, by their words, body language, or effort, if they buy in and truly want to be there. The ones who do are the ones who stick.
5. Breathe desire. Teams want players who love the game, so they look for intensity. They seek guys who run hard and hit even harder. They scout players who stay enthusiastic, whether baking in the sun or slopping through the mud. Most important, teams demand urgency: They covet guys who never let up, who understand that they aren?t entitled to a spot and so compete for it every day. Of course, desire is usually revealed off the field. The players who make teams take notes in meetings and watch extra film at home. They turn in early so they stay fresh. And they treat conditioning, nutrition, and stretching religiously, to reduce fatigue and injury. In short, they do the little things that might give them an edge on game day. The fans may not notice, but their coaches and teammates do. They set standards and become leaders. And real leaders are few and far between.
6. Be adaptable. Every camp hopeful dominated in college. But some are naive enough to believe they can immediately do the same as pros. Then they quickly learn: Everyone is good at this level. Some guys crack after discovering they aren?t special. However, the real pros simply adapt. They work harder to prove they belong. When they make mistakes, they don?t dwell and go into a funk. They fix what?s wrong and move on. They display what coaches cherish most: improvement. Games rarely go according to the plan. Teams blow opportunities, get flustered, and fall behind. But teams populated with guys who can adjust, who can settle down and focus strictly on the next play, are the ones that pull themselves up. That ability to adapt?to accept, persevere, and grow?will get a player on someone?s roster. It?s only a matter of time.
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