Posts tagged Chad Spann

The Hard Life of an NFL Longshot

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Chad Spann was a teammate of Falcons LB Pat Schiller at Northern Illinois. Schiller is featured in the New York Times Magazine this weekend and he provides a glimpse into his rookie training camp and preseason. Photo by Icon Sports Media, Inc.

If you haven’t read Charles Siebert’s feature on his nephew, Atlanta Falcons middle linebacker Pat Schiller you need to take 30 minutes to do so. Schiller was an undrafted free agent signed by an NFL team. This is a strong, interactive feature that also features video segments of Schiller talking about his experiences and playing the game.

If you find that you want to learn more about this perspective, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chad Spann, Schiller’s former teammate at Northern Illinois who bested Cam Newton as the touchdown leader during his senior year, and was an undrafted free agent signed by the Colts before having stints on the Buccaneers and Steelers practice squads. You can find more about Spann here.

Reads Listens Views 11/9/2012

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Trane and Adrian Peterson have a lot in common. Photo by exquisitor

Thank You 

If you’re a new visitor to the Rookie Scouting Portfolio, thank you for checking it out. Friday is the time of the week where I post links about a variety of topics. It’s also a time where I thank my readers for checking out my Rookie Scouting Portfolio publication that I make available for download every April 1st – no joke. You can learn more about it here.

I’d also like to encourage you to try FantasyThrowdown.com. It’s 1-on-1, weekly fantasy football, which means you can play daily or play when convenient. You and your opponent chose three weekly match ups to build a draft pool of players to build a starting lineup. You can draft with team defense or IDP; PPR or non-PPR. The whole process can take 15 minutes or you can slow draft throughout the week.

The site is free. All you have to do is register with an email address to get started. You can challenge other players in the lobby, or you can challenge a friend by email.

Views

Steelers need a healthy back. The Bengals don’t trust theirs. The Raiders and Cardinals could use a healthy runner. The Packers are in the market. Don’t even get me started on the Jets. Remember when Cam Newton led college football in touchdowns in 2010?

No you don’t.

Because this guy at Northern Illinois did and I still think he can contribute to an NFL team. There are Colts and Steelers that know I’m speaking the truth.

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Just sayin’ . . . perhaps they’re waiting on this prospect below.

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Thanks Chad Lemoine for the advanced scouting. I agree with the sentiments of the comment on this YouTube thread about the soundtrack to the highlights. Not cool to match with this budding superstar. Thankfully, the mute button does the trick. Getting a chance to watch this speedster with balance and vision is a fun watch. Watch out Chris Johnson . . .

Football Reads

How are the Bears Targeting Brandon Marshall – NFP writer and former NFL DB Matt Bowen breaks it down.

Midseason Mock Draft –  I’m not a mock draft type of guy, but lots of folks are so it gives me a chance to tout Josh Norris and Eric Stoner at Rotoworld. Good guys, good knowledge, and not afraid to give thought-provoking analysis.

The NFL Will Conduct 10 Regional Combines in 2013  – Jacksonville wide receiver Kevin Elliott and Rams kicker Greg “Legatron” Zuerlein got a shot due to this process in 2012.

Non-Football Reads 

The Story Behind John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ – When I was 16 years-old I bought my first John Coltrane album, Blue Train. As an aspiring tenor saxophonist this album, and Charles Mingus’ Better Git it in Your Soul were my first taste of blues and gospel-tinged improvisational badassery. Think of Coltrane as the Adrian Peterson of saxophonists – two individuals whose work weaves incredible paths with power, agility, soul, and will. Throw in trumpeter Lee Morgan – whose playing on stage embodies the spectacular flights and versatility of a Percy Harvin on the field – and despite the fact this was 1986 and I was going to concerts to see Van Halen, Journey, George Thorogood, and jamming to the Fresh Party, the first rap program in Atlanta, on V-103 FM every Friday night, the music of jazz was getting a hold of me.

Two years later, a fellow tenor player gave me a tape of A Love Supreme. I wish I could have told you it was love at first listen, but I didn’t get it. I couldn’t even listen to it all the way through. It was too intense. I physically couldn’t handle it.

But great art is sometimes something you have to raise your game to grasp it. It’s not that I had to practice listening to it or that I had to take classes to understand what was going on to get it. The more I lived life, persisted, endured, felt joy and pain, and experienced the dynamics of the tension and release in everything around us, the more I found myself connecting with ‘A Love Supreme.’

If could take only one piece of art, literature, or music with me, this album would be it.

Why We’re Obsessed With Wayne Shorter – John Coltrane once remarked to Shorter that he liked how he ‘scrambled them eggs.’ If you listen to either saxophonist enough, you’ll know what he means.  Shorter also has one of the best ballads on record. If you want a true tender moment with that special someone – no I’m not talking about getting laid – put this on, dim the lights, hold that loved one, and listen intently.

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First Black Female Chess Master – There would be a lot more if introduced to the game at a young age – trust me.

Listens

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Looking for Mr. Dunn: LaMichael James

0 Comments read Players, Reads Listens Views, Running Back

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If there’s an alternate universe, I’m a running back in it. There isn’t a week that goes by that I walk along the field that held the first football game at the University of Georgia and daydream of ripping off a run like Garrison Hearst’s 96-yard touchdown versus the Jets. I just don’t act it out (although the urge is there). It’s probably why most of my analysis this month has been quarterbacks, receivers, and tight ends. I want to save the best stuff for last – the way your son or daughter might save a favorite dessert.

One of the running backs of the past 20 years whose game I had grown to admire was Warrick Dunn. He was listed at 5’8″, 187 pounds, but I bet 5’6″, 178 is closer to the truth. Even if his listed weight is correct, I like the tall tale version more – it befits a back of his size who carried the load for Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking scheme for the Falcons.

I love what LaMichael James brings to the table, but it isn't in Hungry Man portions - if you know what I mean. Photo by Neon Tommy.

Since Dunn, Continue reading →

Chad Spann: Post Rookie Debriefing

0 Comments read Players, Running Back
UDFA RB Chad Spann began his rookie year with the Colts, mid season with the Buccaneers, and the rest of the year as a Steeler. Spann explains how Coach Mike Tomlin and the team create a culture that he appreciates.

Chad Spann is a reserve running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers after stops with the Colts and Buccaneers. I have interviewed Spann multiple times since this time last year. The former NIU walk-on who began his career ninth on the depth chart and ended it as the 2010 NCAA touchdown leader is a confident but grounded player who learned early that everything he’s going to get as a football player will be earned with hard work and persistence.

It won’t be a surprise to most fans if Pittsburgh drafts a running back in the mid-to-late rounds as a hedge for Rashard Mendenhall’s recovery from a knee injury. Even so, Spann is still the only healthy running back on the roster with change of pace, third-down skills. There’s a strong likelihood that Spann’s name becomes more common on the lips of beat writers this summer.

Q: I read your DLF interview and I’d like to build on it. You talked about the Steelers organization with me in the past. Now that the season is over and you’ve had time to reflect, tell me specifically what you like about being in Pittsburgh.

A: Man, it was really just a culture shock going in there after being in Tampa and Indianapolis. It was completely different. The environment. The coaches. The players. The very first day I was there Coach Tomlin Continue reading →

Chad Spann: Lessons Learned and Work Ahead

0 Comments read Players, Reads Listens Views, Running Back
Chad Spann began his career as a walk-on and ended it the MAC MVP. As Spann likes to say, "Falling Forward..."

Chad Spann is a reserve running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers after stops with the Colts and Buccaneers. I have interviewed Spann multiple times since this time last year. The former NIU walk-on who began his career ninth on the depth chart and ended it as the 2010 NCAA touchdown leader is a confident but grounded player who learned early that everything he’s going to get as a football player will be earned with hard work and persistence.

It won’t be a surprise to most fans if Pittsburgh drafts a running back in the mid-to-late rounds as a hedge for Rashard Mendenhall’s recovery from a knee injury. Even so, Spann is still the only healthy running back on the roster with change of pace, third-down skills. There’s a strong likelihood that Spann’s name becomes more common on the lips of beat writers this summer.

More stories about Spann at the RSP blog:

Bottom line, I liked Spann’s game before I had a chance to speak with him. However, I have no problem admitting Continue reading →

Reads Listens Views 3/9/2012

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John Wooden on true success

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Ahead at the RSP Blog

The 2012 Rookie Scouting Portfolio will be available on April 1 via a link to my shopping cart site. Learn more about the RSP process and content here.

Pre-order the 2012 RSP and buy past RSPs (2006-2011) here.

Steelers RB Chad Spann and I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago (preview below) and he has agreed to spend time studying a game of Ray Rice’s with me. Expect transcripts of that session in mid-April or early May.

The RSP Writers Project is still on, but I decided to push back the process of picking players until May since most of us doing the work are busy covering the draft. Expect an unveiling of teams in July and August.

Preview of Next Week’s Q&A Sessions with Chad Spann

Chad Spann has been a Pittsburgh Steeler since late fall. He's a long-term sleeper to monitor. Learn more about what he's learning to compete at the highest level.

Q: You talked with me in the past about what your Steelers teammates shared about your game and the advice they gave this year. One of those things was when Will Allen told you about maintaining your drive phase longer. For my audience, can you explain what that means and why it helps a running back?

Spann: If you watch a sprinter run the 100 meters Continue reading →

Behind the Blue Curtain – Part III: Making the Cut the Hard Way With RB Chad Spann

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While Chad Spann won't be playing in Wembley Stadium this weekend, he is there with the Buccaneers practice squad. Find out the price he paid from August through October to earn that chance. Photo by Chris Downer.

Imagine 15-years of work riding on a 60-minute performance that is only partially choreographed and half of the individuals sharing the stage with you are trying to undermine everything you do. Now imagine suffering an injury three minutes into that performance. Welcome to rookie free agent Chad Spann’s world the night he faced the Cincinnati Bengals in the final preseason game of the summer.

The Colts running back and special teams performer described his rookie learning curve at an NFL training camp with one of the league’s great offensive minds at quarterback and  in Parts I and II of this series. In the final installment of this conversation, Spann describes his injury in the Colts final preseason game and why Colts trainers were in disbelief that he managed to play an entire game at a high level.

Waldman: Tell me about the injury that you sustained, how it happened, and later let’s talk about your rehab process.

Spann: The Cincinnati game was the last game of the preseason.  It’s a game where all the young guys know they are going to get a lot of time. Guys can make the team off this game. Blair White made the team off this game last year when he had I think 15 catches and 150 yards. Also Melvin Bullitt the starting safety had 15 tackles in that last game, which helped him make the team. It was important that all of the rookies and especially Continue reading →

Behind the Blue Curtain – Part II: A Glimpse at Colts Training Camp With RB Chad Spann

0 Comments read Players, Quarterback
Chad Spann explains the differences between a pass protection scheme with the Colts and his assignments at NIU. Photo by Mann00.

Former Northern Illinois RB Chad Spann led college football with 22 touchdowns in 2010, but it didn’t get him drafted. No matter, Spann was a local star in Indianapolis and no team offered him a scholarship at his position and that didn’t deter him from finding a team that would give him a chance to prove his ability. This is exactly what the rookie free agent did this summer with his home town Colts, earning a spot with his play despite suffering a grade three hamstring tear that led to an injury settlement. To those uninitiated with the nuances of roster management, Spann simplifies the situation and states he’s been placed on Injured Reserve until he’s available. However, most football fans familiar with IR know that this designation wipes out a player’s entire season.

An injury settlement allows the Colts to keep Spann on the team without going through the step of cutting him and then potentially losing him to another team before they can sign him to the practice squad. Spann is scheduled to be ready to rejoin the team in Week 8. If the Colts decide to cut him there are nearly a half-dozen teams that have indicated interest in signing him.

Spann is one of those players I have the rare opportunity to speak with that is the complete package of skills, smarts, and toughness. There are first-round picks at his position who lack the self-assured confidence that Spann exudes without even trying, but it’s also mixed with a grounded sense of humor and generosity that makes him an enjoyable personality to talk to.

After creating an interview series this summer where Spann and I watched one of his games together and he tutored me on the nuances of his position, Spann agreed to discuss his training camp and preseason experiences with the Colts. Part I details the differences between college football training camp and NFL training camp. Part II addresses the complexity of the Colts pass protection schemes, working with two other rookies at his position while also competing with them, and why what fans see on the field and what coaches see are often completely different.

Waldman: What kinds of things did you learn about your position that were Continue reading →

Behind the Blue Curtain: A Glimpse at Colts Training Camp With RB Chad Spann

0 Comments read Players, Running Back
Colts RB Chad Spann provides a glimpse into his rookie training camp and preseason. Photo by Icon Sports Media, Inc.

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought Chad Spann was messing with me. Every few minutes during our hour-long conversation the running back would grunt, yell, or laugh without any discernible rhyme or reason. At one point as he talked his voice quavered as if someone was jumping up and down on him.

That’s exactly what was happening.

Spann made time for our phone conversation while he was on the receiving end of a deep tissue massage. The unexpected outbursts at various points during our conversation were a back-handed acknowledgement to his trainer/physical therapist doing things to his legs that Albert Haynesworth once tried to do to Andre Gurode’s head. The rookie free agent running back for the Indianapolis Colts has been steadfastly rehabbing a grade three hamstring tear that he suffered in the final preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals – an injury that occurred three minutes into the most important game of his young pro career.

Spann managed to play the entire game with an injury that leaves most people unable to walk: returning kicks, special teams coverage, and even as the running back on the game-winning, 85-yard drive . An injury that my colleague Dr. Jene Bramel Continue reading →