Posts tagged Dan Shonka

Dan Shonka Part V: Scouting Gigs

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Former NFL Scout Dan Shonka talks about his tenure in the profession of talent evaluation. Photo by TipsterHog.

I think it’s accurate to describe Ourlads’ Dan Shonka as one of the ultimate practitioners of football evaluation. Shonka has 39 years of football experience as a player, college recruiter, college coach, and a combined 16 years as a NFL scout for National Scouting Service, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last week, Shonka agreed to speak with me about scouting, players, and the NFL. The scheduled 60 minutes became two hours of football talk that flew by. Dan was afraid I got more than I bargained for, but I told him that I got exactly what I wanted – just more than I could have expected.

In this final installment of our conversation, Shonka tells how he became an NFL Scout and shares some of his experiences in the field. Continue reading →

Dan Shonka Part IV: Prospects Past and Present

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Joey Harrington's NFL story was a sad one according to former NFL Scout Dan Shonka. Photo by Dharmabumx.

I think it’s accurate to describe Ourlads’ Dan Shonka as one of the ultimate practitioners of football evaluation. Shonka has 39 years of football experience as a player, college recruiter, college coach, and a combined 16 years as a NFL scout for National Scouting Service, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last week, Shonka agreed to speak with me about scouting, players, and the NFL. The scheduled 60 minutes became two hours of football talk that flew by. Dan was afraid I got more than I bargained for, but I told him that I got exactly what I wanted – just more than I could have expected.

In this segment of the conversation, Shonka talks about pro prospects from the past and present, including two players he thought would be great who didn’t pan out, a sneaky-good runner he and Wes Bunting both like, and his take on Andrew Luck. Continue reading →

Dan Shonka Part III: Positional School

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[youtube=http://youtu.be/Q6SEXGAqVus]

Dan Shonka explains why former Arkansas safety Steve Atwater is a great example of how technique that was once lacking can be honed to a point that it brings forth other great skills lying beneath the surface.

I think it’s accurate to describe Ourlads’ Dan Shonka as one of the ultimate practitioners of football evaluation. Shonka has 39 years of football experience as a player, college recruiter, college coach, and a combined 16 years as a NFL scout for National Scouting Service, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last week, Shonka agreed to speak with me about scouting, players, and the NFL. The scheduled 60 minutes became two hours of football talk that flew by. Dan was afraid I got more than I bargained for, but I told him that I got exactly what I wanted – just more than I could have expected.

I asked Shonka to indulge me in a game where I named a position on the field and he talked about skills he looked for that could or couldn’t be learned if the player didn’t exhibit them in the college game. Continue reading →

Dan Shonka Part II: War Room Stories

0 Comments read Matt Waldman
Even a player like Ray Lewis sometimes requires a scout like Dan Shonka to stand on the table for him. Photo by rubendn.

I think it’s accurate to describe Ourlads’ Dan Shonka as one of the ultimate practitioners of football evaluation. Shonka has 39 years of football experience as a player, college recruiter, college coach, and a combined 16 years as a NFL scout for National Scouting Service, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Redskins, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Last week, Shonka agreed to speak with me about scouting, players, and the NFL. The scheduled 60 minutes became two hours of football talk that flew by. Dan was afraid I got more than I bargained for, but I told him that I got exactly what I wanted – just more than I could have expected.

This segment of our conversation included war room stories about perhaps the greatest linebacker of a generation, a cornerback who had some great battles with Michael Irvin, a disruptive defensive tackle, and a backup running back from the University Texas whose first name is Anthony but went by a more holy moniker. Continue reading →

Dan Shonka Part I: Confidence and Competitiveness

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Former long-time NFL Scout Dan Shonka tells a great story where he had an epiphany about Peyton Manning at Tennessee. Photo by Jeffrey Beall.

Theory and practice, the ivory tower and the battleground. People will tell you that one is more beneficial than the other. I believe there’s not only a place for both, but they complement each other.

I think NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell is one of the preeminent theorists of player evaluation. I call him a football theorist because he’s never played, coached, or scouted the game in an organization. Yet, this lack of practical experience doesn’t detract from his insights.

In many cases, it allows Cosell to step back and ask questions that NFL teams and personnel would like to think about. Chad Reuter is a similar kind of theorist. In fact he’s done research for NFL teams that lack the time or the knowledge to explore on their own. Thinkers have an important place in the world even if they purposely are doing work in quiet rooms away from the realities of the environments they study.

If Cosell and Reuter are football theorists, then I think it’s accurate to describe Ourlads’ Dan Shonka as one of the ultimate practitioners Continue reading →

Quick Announcement

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If you enjoyed my series with NFL Films’ senior producer Greg Cosell, you’re going to love next week’s conversation series with 16-year veteran scout and former college coach Dan Shonka of Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services.

Shonka spent 7 years with National (National Football Scouting) and then another nine years with the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, and Kansas City Chiefs.

Shonka, who is featured in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, gave me nearly two and a half hours of his time to talk shop.

While I won’t say this tops the Cosell series, I think it might be as good in a different vein.

Expect the first segment on Monday.