Ball State's Nate Davis leaving early

BGSU33 · Post by **BGSU33** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 6:41 pm

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/n ... id=3830190

cw08 · Post by **cw08** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:40 pm

Must have never heard the story of Omar Jacobs.

freefalcon · Post by **freefalcon** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:56 pm

Got to meet Coach Parrish and Nate Davis in the summer two years ago and he stated (Coach Parrish) at that time Nate would leave the NFL after his Junior year.

Heck of a football player and maybe even better basketball player.

Hope he gets his degree from Ball State in the near future. It would help him in the future after the NFL

Best of luck Nate

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 7:57 pm

This is absolutely the right call for him. He should be a 2nd-3rd rounder and his stock will not get any higher.

Then again I still maintain that Omar made the right decision as well. His stock was not going to get any higher either. If anything he maybe should have left after his sophomore year.

If the NFL is your goal you should leave when your stock is at its highest. These guys playing in these shotgun offenses against MAC competition are not going to raise their stock that greatly by returning for a senior season. Besides that their NFL careers stand a better chance for success by getting started with NFL coaching a year earlier.

NY-BG-FAN · Post by **NY-BG-FAN** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 8:33 pm

In terms of "stock," Omar made the right decision. His attractiveness (if that's even a word) to NFL teams would've remained the same at best if he came back for his senior year.

However, as Omar got started in the NFL, it became increasingly clear that even though he is a superb athlete, he wasn't going to be an NFL QB, no matter what year he entered the draft. If he could do it again, I'd bet he'd return for his senior season and not give much thought to the NFL, just to play one more season at BGSU...I'm sure he appreciates how rare that opportunity is. I was excited for him and expected him to do better in the NFL, but remembering the remarks he made at the press conference and how broken up he was when he made the announcement, he really did love BG and appreciated his time on campus, and wasn't only using BGSU to make the NFL. His arena career could've waited another year for him to play with the Falcons.

I guess Omar's story is just a great way to appreciate the kind of world class athlete you have to be just to make an NFL roster, let alone be a star. Omar might have been THEE most accurate passer in all of college football in 2004. He certainly left us with some good memories.

BGFootball · Post by **BGFootball** » Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:33 pm

Davis had how many fumbles in his last 2 games??

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 12:12 am

hammb wrote:This is absolutely the right call for him. He should be a 2nd-3rd rounder and his stock will not get any higher.

Then again I still maintain that Omar made the right decision as well. His stock was not going to get any higher either. If anything he maybe should have left after his sophomore year.

If the NFL is your goal you should leave when your stock is at its highest. These guys playing in these shotgun offenses against MAC competition are not going to raise their stock that greatly by returning for a senior season. Besides that their NFL careers stand a better chance for success by getting started with NFL coaching a year earlier.

In fact, best case is that a player's stock stays the same. If he has the same numbers, chances are it goes down because it looks like he is topped out.

Don't forget there may be a lock out in 2010 too.

redskins4ever · Post by **redskins4ever** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:33 am

cw08 wrote:Must have never heard the story of Omar Jacobs.

My thoughts exactly.

If you aren't in the first round... why leave?

daspollak · Post by **daspollak** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:09 pm

redskins4ever wrote:
cw08 wrote:Must have never heard the story of Omar Jacobs.
My thoughts exactly.

If you aren't in the first round... why leave?

Because 2nd and 3rd round picks still make millions.

Ryan Autullo · Post by **Ryan Autullo** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:28 pm

I think it's the right decision. With a solid combine I could see him sneaking into the first day of the draft, and a QB chosen in round two is considered a franchise's future. Davis' coach has left, and his replacement is 62 years old. Would that excite you? Also at play is Davis saw his buddy's NFL aspirations dashed by a horrific career-ending injury. Get your money while you can, Nate.

But there's another issue to consider here. It has been widely reported that Davis suffers from some sort of learning disability and that Ball State really caters to his needs. Maybe Davis is just tired of being in a classroom, tired of burying his nose in a book, and sees this as a way to forgo all of those frustrations. I totally get that. Good luck to him. I enjoyed following his career.

As for Omar, I said it at the time and I still maintain that he made an ok decision. All of his playmakers (Sharon, Sanderson, Lane, Pope) were leaving as was his left tackle (Warren). As someone else mentioned, Omar wasn't going to cut it in the NFL even if he did come back for his senior year. He just didn't have the intangibles, and I think Pittsburgh alluded to that when they sent him packing. Pittsburgh obviously doesn't make too many wrong decisions. That doesn't change the fact Omar was as good of a college quarterback as just about anyone who has come through the MAC.

factman · Post by **factman** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:45 pm

So......................you are telling me that Davis has a learning disability of some sort, and the books may be getting to him at Ball State. A QB in the NFL does nothing BUT study, and that could mean that the NFL playbook would be a real challenge to him. Doesn't sound like a good scenario to me.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:02 pm

factman wrote:So......................you are telling me that Davis has a learning disability of some sort, and the books may be getting to him at Ball State. A QB in the NFL does nothing BUT study, and that could mean that the NFL playbook would be a real challenge to him. Doesn't sound like a good scenario to me.

I'm pretty sure Davis has dyslexia. It's what caused him to be recruited by Ball State when big time programs backed off, and so did BG & UT.

I do think that it will probably effect him in some way at the pro level as well.

Even if it does, it doesn't matter, this is a good decision for him. If you plan to make the NFL your career (or at least attempt it) you should ALWAYS leave when your stock is at its highest. Whether that's a first rounder, a 3rd rounder, or (in the case of Omar) a 5th rounder. The higher you get drafted, the more money you make, and more importantly the more the NFL team is willing to put up with growing pains.

Yes, you miss out on that additional year of college ball, but to get your pro career started I don't think that's a huge price to pay for most of these guys. Beyond that, if you really want to get your education college will always be there, and the money you make even as a late draft pick will easily pay to finish up your schooling.

For guys like Omar & Davis their stock wasn't going to get any higher by returning for another season. An injury or a poor season could send their stock plummeting downward. That's a pretty big gamble to take just to enjoy the college experience for another year. I loved college, and would have loved to play college ball, but if I had thought my NFL stock was at its highest I would bolt immediately. If you're a first rounder there really isn't even a question about it, it's foolish to return to school.

FWIW, I saw a lot of projections that had Davis as a potential first rounder before the last 2 games he played. I don't see him going that high, but there has been talk of it. I do think he's a 2nd/3rd rounder and that's high enough (like Ryan said) to be considered somebody's future answer at the position. That buys you at least 2 years of a good NFL salary and will give him every shot to earn a starting gig in the NFL. Returning to Ball State when their coach is gone and he already watched his best WR have his career ended early would make no sense. I wish him good luck.

bgsukid · Post by **bgsukid** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 3:45 pm

cw08 wrote:Must have never heard the story of Omar Jacobs.

He's better than Omar, let's get that out of the way right now.
In terms of his stock, probably a good choice although another year of developing in college couldn't hurt. It's good for BG that he's out of the league in terms of our chance to win it, but bad overall for the conference since it makes the conference worse to lose it's premier player.
Congrats to him, hope it works out and he gets drafted into a good situation.

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:16 pm

I think its like this. ITs a dream shot and a person always has to follow thier dream, even if at the expense of another dream already attained.
A dramatization...
A member of the BGSU band, is a Jr, and holds a very important position in the band. He/she is invited to try out for two major orchestras. Hitch is if you go to try out for a Major orecstra you can never go back to college. The agent you have retained has told you that you will not get any more out of college marching band, and that these odds at say 4th chair dont come around very ofter and you have a very real shot at making it.
what do you do?
Your lifes dream is to play music, to be able to play at the highest level, with best in the world is an amazing shot.

While not accurate, its some what close.

Omar just caught a bad break and I admire him for trying, something few ever have the chance to try.
at any rate if I were to know Nate...I would encourage him to stay, and just show him the number of MAC guys who went to the draft, early or after graduation that attained roster spots...its not real high..so if he loves playing the game, he should stay.

BGorDeath · Post by **BGorDeath** » Wed Jan 14, 2009 4:45 pm

On this subject, here is an article from Ross Tucker and going pro early.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/w ... index.html