Southern California QB Sanchez to enter NFL draft

[huedawg]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/n ... &type=lgns

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Southern California quarterback Mark Sanchez will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft.

Sanchez and Georgia’s Matthew Stafford, another junior coming out early, are considered the top two quarterback prospects in the draft. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford of Oklahoma decided to return to school.

Sanchez is coming off a spectacular Rose Bowl against Penn State. The fourth-year junior went 28-for-35, setting a Rose Bowl record by completing 80 percent of his passes. He threw for 413 yards and four touchdowns, and also ran for a score in the Trojans’ 38-24 victory.

“In the end, after sleepless nights and lots of prayers, I’ve decided I’ll forgo my fifth year and declare for the NFL draft,” Sanchez said Thursday at a campus news conference. “It is with a heavy heart I am going to leave this university.”

Thursday was the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft.

Trojans coach Pete Carroll tried to talk Sanchez into coming back for another year, noting that he started only 16 college games and NFL teams often prefer quarterbacks with more experience.

“Mark is going against the grain and he knows that,” Carroll said. “And he’s OK about that.”

Sanchez started just one full season at USC, leading the Trojans to a 12-1 record and No. 3 national ranking. He started three games the previous year when John David Booty was hurt, going 2-1 in those contests.

Sanchez is the fourth in a line of outstanding quarterbacks to play under Carroll at USC, joining Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart along with Booty. All three are playing in the NFL.

Palmer was the first overall pick in the 2002 draft and Leinart was selected 10th in 2005. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Sanchez is the only one of the four to leave school early for the pros.

Dressed in a snappy suit, Sanchez said he plans to complete his undergraduate degree at USC this spring.

“I’m not quite leaving early,” he said. “I’m just forgoing my fifth year.”

A high school star in nearby Mission Viejo, Sanchez finished this season with 3,207 yards passing, 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He passed for 695 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions as a sophomore in 2007, and 63 yards and no touchdowns with one interception as a freshman in 2006. He redshirted in 2005.

After the Rose Bowl win over Penn State, many in the crowd of 93,293 chanted “One more year!” to Sanchez.

[Orestes]

Contrast this to JT's support of Beanie. Sanchez is likely a top 5 pick and it would be idiotic to stay. Petie cares about himself... not Sanchez. This is from an epsn.com blog.




Is Carroll angry that Sanchez opted for NFL draft?

January 15, 2009 4:07 PM

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

USC coach Pete Carroll said he tried to talk quarterback Mark Sanchez out of forgoing his senior season and entering the NFL draft.

"Mark is going against the grain and he knows that," Carroll said in the AP story. "And he's OK about that."

But is Carroll OK with it?

Here's the LA Daily News Scott Wolf's take on his blog from Thursday's news conference:

USC coach Pete Carroll was extremely ungracious during the Mark Sanchez press conference. He stormed out of the room and did not even sit at the table before Sanchez addressed the media. Something he never did when Matt Leinart, etc., announced their decisions.

Carroll never sat down at the table but stood with his palms on the table. His anger was clear if you spend time around him.

Not a great moment.

Wolf also added this:

There's quite a bit of anger being expressed within the athletic dept. at the highest levels right now regarding Mark Sanchez's departure.

I'm getting the feeling Mark Sanchez will not be honored at any functions in the near future.

And this:

Considering Pete Carroll's demeanor and actions at Mark Sanchez's press conference, I'm wondering what he will tell NFL teams when they call about Sanchez. Because he plays quarterback it might not matter, but one has to think Carroll will give an unvarnished opinion now that Sanchez left without his seal of approval.

[seofan_via_dublin]

That's what happens when Pete has a less than stellar immediate future
at QB with Sanchez leaving.

For once, Pete may have to coach instead of just recruit and throw
pep rallies.

Palmer, Lienart, Booty, Sanchez, now he has to struggle a little.

[ohbuckeye2]

That's what happens when Pete has a less than stellar immediate future
at QB with Sanchez leaving.

For once, Pete may have to coach instead of just recruit and throw
pep rallies.

Palmer, Lienart, Booty, Sanchez, now he has to struggle a little.

Sounds pretty selfish to me when the sports writers are predicting him to go high in the draft. Looked like he treated him pretty bad at the news conference, SAD.

[Orestes]

You would think he would learn after trying to convince Bush and Leinhart, especially since Leinhart lost a fortune by staying in school.

Sanchez is from a low-middle class background and could use the money. It is either he or Stafford for the #1 QB taken, and it should be Sanchez IMO. Petie is an a-hole for trying to convince him to stay in school. Parents with good high school players need to wake up and realize which coaches care about the kids and which ones want to use their kids to win.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

The name escapes me right now but the player who backed up QB 1 last year will be a big time player when all is said and done.

I will look up his name later.

[Orestes]

Mitch Mustain.

Supposedly he looked pretty rough this season in practice though. That may be why Petie is pouting.

[Bubblegumhuffy]

I really don't think this was a good idea by Sanchez, he only has a year of experience and wasn't really that impressive except the rose bowl. Though, i can't say that i blame him for going after Bradford and Tebow decided to stay, he should go high now.

[Orestes]

I really don't think this was a good idea by Sanchez, he only has a year of experience and wasn't really that impressive except the rose bowl. Though, i can't say that i blame him for going after Bradford and Tebow decided to stay, he should go high now.

No one should ever turn down top 5 money. Never. There are far too many things that can happen between this year's draft and next year's draft. Plus, NFL money is nothing guaranteed.. except for those signing bonuses that are beautiful for top 5 picks...

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Aaron Corp, is the QB I am high on.
I was able to see some of his games on Fox college sports.

[Orestes]

Aaron Corp, is the QB I am high on.
I was able to see some of his games on Fox college sports.

Oh. I have never seen him. Though, I did see a guy on an OSU forum predict that he would beat out Mustain. You may be dead on.

Something must have Petie's feathers ruffled. Maybe Corp just isn't ready yet either. I am sure one of those guys will be a stud eventually though. That's how it goes at SC.

[Frank Reagan]

Pete Carroll is a jerk, plain and simple. He's more worried about the bottom line, next season, than his player's future. What a jerk!!!

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Aaron Corp, is the QB I am high on.
I was able to see some of his games on Fox college sports.

Oh. I have never seen him. Though, I did see a guy on an OSU forum predict that he would beat out Mustain. You may be dead on.

Something must have Petie's feathers ruffled. Maybe Corp just isn't ready yet either. I am sure one of those guys will be a stud eventually though. That's how it goes at SC.

I only hope he waits until afte rthe State game to become the star I think he will be.

[Orestes]

If OSU beats USC, then USC was down and wasn't any good anyway.

[Orestes]

NB


the "word" around the USC football family is that Petey had "something" to do with Sanchez "skating" on that little incident that he had early in his football career with a co-ed.....



and that somehow, someway Sanchez "owed" Petey.....

[qualified101]

Mitch Mustain.

Supposedly he looked pretty rough this season in practice though. That may be why Petie is pouting.

heard this off of espn radio.

they said sanchez told coach carroll that he was coming back for another year. carroll goes on vacation and sanchez calls this press conference and announces this. this is against his dads wishes and the data that usc had gathered for him on where he would be drafted. so sanchez lied to his coach, announces this press conference, so carroll has to fly back from hawaii and do the press conference. yeah, i would be a little upset. sanchez has no integrity if this is true.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Mitch Mustain.

Supposedly he looked pretty rough this season in practice though. That may be why Petie is pouting.

heard this off of espn radio.

they said sanchez told coach carroll that he was coming back for another year. carroll goes on vacation and sanchez calls this press conference and announces this. this is against his dads wishes and the data that usc had gathered for him on where he would be drafted. so sanchez lied to his coach, announces this press conference, so carroll has to fly back from hawaii and do the press conference. yeah, i would be a little upset. sanchez has no integrity if this is true.

After he thought he was staying, McCoy, Bradford, and Tebow all came back.
All of a sudden Sanchez is the #2 QB in the draft and #1 on some boards.
This gives him multiple millions of extra dollars on his first contract.
Integrity, maybe not, but brains yes.

[Orestes]

Mitch Mustain.

Supposedly he looked pretty rough this season in practice though. That may be why Petie is pouting.

heard this off of espn radio.

they said sanchez told coach carroll that he was coming back for another year. carroll goes on vacation and sanchez calls this press conference and announces this. this is against his dads wishes and the data that usc had gathered for him on where he would be drafted. so sanchez lied to his coach, announces this press conference, so carroll has to fly back from hawaii and do the press conference. yeah, i would be a little upset. sanchez has no integrity if this is true.

Where he would be drafted? Likely top 5 and possibly #1.

You tell me. You are staring a $25 million in the face, your coach is putting pressure on you to stay and has the leverage of "talking" to GMs, what do you do?

Plus, I don't believe this story at all anyway. I heard Petie on the radio and he was just saying that Sanchez has more work to do and could get better. LOL. As if that is what matters right now.

Jim Tressel isn't perfect but his recommendation to all 1st rounders is "go." Whether they do or not is up to them but he is looking at the statistics and the likelihood of guaranteed money. He even said he would fill out Beanie's paperwork for him if he wouldn't do it himself. He cares about these guys as individuals and looks out for their best interests... see Beanie not playing in USC game.. when he wanted to play.

[Orestes]

A good article on this matter....


Carroll-ing Season Has Arrived
By Tony Gerdeman

Most people can tell when winter is here by the blasts of an Alberta clipper and the sight of tobogganed reporters embedded at various salt barns around their particular cold-weather states.

This time of year also brings about the migration of college football’s junior class, who declare their intentions to head off to the NFL.

The Buckeyes are no stranger to this phenomenon, having lost a dozen underclassmen to the NFL draft since 2004, including three this year.

But for me, nothing says “winter is here” quite like USC coach Pete Carroll shamelessly advising the underclassmen on his team that they are not ready to leave for the professional ranks--even if they are smack dab at the top of the NFL’s list of prospects.

This time around, it’s redshirt junior quarterback Mark Sanchez’ turn to attempt to pry himself from Carroll’s salacious grip.

By now most everybody has read or seen Carroll’s reaction to what he feels is a bad decision by Sanchez, even though, at worst, Sanchez is the second-highest rated quarterback on most teams’ boards this year. In the previous three NFL drafts, the average contract for the second quarterback drafted is worth $33.7 million with $10 million guaranteed. Sounds like a no-brainer, no?

Yet Carroll has the gall and impudence to declare that he has his player’s best interests at heart.

Yeah, and “this is going to hurt me more than it‘s going to hurt you“.

So on the biggest day in Mark Sanchez’s life, Carroll stood in the same room with his quarterback and talked about what a poor decision he was making, stating that the junior would be tremendously helped by more playing time.

We've heard that from Pete before. Was Matt Leinart helped by more playing time? Had he come out in 2005, he would have likely been the number one overall draft pick in the NFL that year. Instead he stayed for his senior season and dropped to the tenth overall pick in 2006.

Leinart ended up losing $10 million in guaranteed money compared to where he would have been drafted in 2005 and where he actually was drafted in 2006. Add in the $8 million or so in first year salary that he’ll never get back and you’re looking at a decision probably cost him nearly $20 million. It’s a good thing the Leinarts are good about forgiving debts owed to them or Pete Carroll would be $20 million in the hole for not talking Leinart out of coming back.

Then there’s the case of Matt Cassel who apparently needed no playing time at USC, let alone “additional time”, to make his mark in the NFL.

I wonder if Cassel had declared his intentions to leave after his junior year how much we would have heard from Carroll about what a poor decision Cassel was making. I’m guessing he wouldn‘t have even shortened his vacation.

But we’re supposed to believe Carroll’s tempered tantrum is due to the fact that he wants his players to maximize their potential, and apparently the only way they can do that is by staying at USC. As if potential can’t be maximized when they no longer have to worry about classes, books or pizza night, assuming that’s really a problem at USC. Can’t potential be reached quicker and easier when you have more time to devote to it?

And in the meantime you get to support yourself and your family.

But Pete Carroll doesn’t really seem to let his players’ families get in the way of his self-absorbed rationalizations. But then, mercenaries generally don’t.

Take the example of offensive lineman Chilo Rachal who left after his junior season to enter the draft last year. Rachal’s mother had a tumor in her stomach, as he put it, “the size of a six-month old”, and his father, who was 64 at this time last year, had two hernias in his stomach and tendonitis in his knees, yet still had to work construction to take care of Rachal’s mother. So you have a family with no insurance, and all they could get was the type of care that Medicaid provided. And what did Carroll tell Rachal when the two talked about whether or not to declare for the NFL draft? Unbelievably, Carroll tried to convince him to come back to school.

Ailing family be damned when Pete Carroll needs a right guard! Land owners weren’t this reluctant to give up indentured servants at the end of their stated terms.

What kind of man can listen to the story of one of his players, knowing the player had already lost two brothers when he was a child, and is now facing the very real possibility of losing his parents, and then tell the kid it would be in his best interest for him to come back for his senior season?

That’s beyond selfish; it’s almost evil.

Fortunately, Rachal did not listen to Carroll, and instead entered the draft, where he was taken in the second round, signing a four-year contract worth $3.5 million with $1.8 million guaranteed. Could he have made more if he had come back? Maybe. Did he need the money now? Absolutely. Did Pete Carroll care about what Rachal needed? Not even a little.

And let’s not even get into the part about Pete Carroll playing Rachal at right guard because he was worried he’d leave early if he played right tackle.

Does this mean that Pete Carroll’s advice is always terrible? No. He advised several juniors to come back after the 2006 season and they reaped the rewards in the 2008 draft. But that doesn’t mean his intentions were any different than they always are, it’s just that this time it actually worked out for his players.

Now compare Pete Carroll’s actions to those of Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel.

Tressel has a pretty standard rule that if a player is a first-round pick, then they should seriously consider making the jump to the NFL if they feel they are ready.

In the case of running back Chris Wells, Tressel likely would have changed the key codes on the practice facilities just to keep Wells from returning for his senior season.

And if Ohio State one day has one of the top two NFL quarterback prospects on its roster, and he’s grading out as well as Sanchez, and decides to skip his senior season, you would never see Tressel publicly humiliate his quarterback the way Carroll did, even if he felt the player was making a mistake.

He would instead talk about what a great opportunity this is for his player and his player’s family. He wouldn’t stand in front of a group of reporters and bleat like a goat who just had his bottle of milk taken from him.

In fact, most coaches would react the same way Tressel would…and has. Tressel shouldn’t be applauded for doing what is right--it should be expected, of him and other coaches, including Carroll. Parents send their 18-year old kids to these college coaches because they feel these men will have their sons’ best interests at heart. But it seems that when it involves Pete Carroll, the kids’ best interests only come into play if they’re concurrent with Carroll’s own best interests.

It’s a sad state when Carroll’s players are being more mature about their decisions than he is.

Or maybe that’s a tribute to his fantastic mentoring?

Wow, just imagine how much more mature they could be if they’d stick around for another year!

[fightingtigers45]

Not only do they have Mustain, but they have the #1 recruit in the country coming in at QB, which is Matt Barkley. He is one of the more polished QBs I have seen coming out of high school and might walk out of USC as the best Trojan QB ever. He's that good.