Seems like both sides of that sound convincing. There are other examples of great players that wasted away or nearly wasted away. Look at Kurt Warner, for example...
Kurt Warner was not drafted. When he left college in 1994, he went to the Packers training camp. He was released by the Packers without playing. He went on to work at a super-market stocking shelves. In 1995, he was signed to the Arena Football League -- the Iowa Barnstormers. He made the AFL's All-Arena First Team (all-stars) in 1996 and 1997. He also had two AFL Arena Bowl appearances in those same years.
Warner was then signed to the St. Louis Rams in 1998. He started as the Rams QB in 1999. And, he was in the January 2000 Super Bowl. I think that he was named MVP for the season and MVP of the Super Bowl that year. The funny part is that the Rams initially sent Warner to the Amsterdam Admirals of the NFL European league. He was the back-up QB for the Rams in the 1999-2000 Preseason. Trent Green got hurt, and Dick Vermeil sent in Warner.
Dick Vermeil was not happy about starting Warner. I don't think that he had much confidence in Warner's abilities. Warner was third-string after all. Trent Green was injured, and so was Paul Justin (the 2nd string QB). Warner went on to throw for like 41 TDs that year! Of course, he had help from players on the team like Isaac Bruce, Tory Holt, and Marshal Faulk. The Rams had like three 500 point seasons consecutively with that team...
It is hard to imagine that happening, if Kurt Warner was still working a grocery store stocking shelves for minimum wage...
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