By now you’ve heard about former Alabama quarterback, Greg McElroy’s, reported 48 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test given to all NFL draft prospects at the combine. McElroy can now add highest score for a quarterback (tied with Harvard QB Ryan Fitzpatrick) to the list of career accomplishments to go along with a Texas High School Championship, BCS Championship, and being named a team captain and a Rhodes Scholar Finalist. He is even giving this guy a good run for most successful Alabama Football player. 

Forrest_Gump_front 

But it’s really McElroy’s next accomplishment/job that has me really intrigued. If we do have a 2011 NFL season, McElroy will either fight his way onto a NFL roster or there is the alternative: Taking a job at ESPN.

Currently projected as a 5th round pick, McElroy’s chances of making a NFL roster is pretty much a coin flip if the 5th round projection that most people have him at is accurate. Looking at the at the last 4 drafts shows 6/11 of those signal callers still in the NFL although only 4 of them were on the roster all season long and not  on practice squad or a late season addition.

Then there is the other option, where McElroy reinvigorates college football coverage at ESPN. Apparently a job offer has already been implied after McElroy absolutely killed it in guest appearances leading up to the BCS Championship.

“They haven’t said anything specifically to me, but rumors around were that if I wanted to come on, there was a place for me,” McElroy said. “They were happy about the way things went, and I felt pretty confident about how I handled myself. It’s a lot more difficult that people give it credit for.”

If you’re a little miffed where all this is coming from, I take it you’re not one of the many whose jaw was injured upon hitting the floor when McElroy absolutely overshadowed ever single other ESPN analyst and personality leading up to the BCS Championship Game. Think I’m crazy? Maybe, but I’m certainly not alone as evidenced by these clippings of similar sentiment.

“He honestly sounds like a seasoned analyst. I’m blown away with how articulate he sounds.”

“Was very impressed….He was on set with Palmer, GM was much smoother! Enjoyed listening to him.”

“i thought to myself,”this guy talking is good”,very good .who is he? and later i found out who he was. i was very impressed with is delivery,style,poise and knowledge.i couldn’t believe he was a college student.so young but,so good”

Given all those quotes didn’t come from the same Alabama message board or any Bama board/blog and were actually from various places, gives a lot of credibility to the idea that McElroy could step in and be a major asset for ESPN and boy do they need it to reinforce a talent pool that has seen much better days. Over the last year we’ve seen:

Ron Franklin fired for sexist comments

Bob Griese retire

A massive increase of Matt Millen on your television Set

Growing disdain of Mark May 

– Sub par years from guys like Holtz and Corso who are likely winding down at ESPN in their twilight years 

There are still a lot of valuable assets on ESPN’s roster but there hasn’t been a rising star for quite a long time. You’d imagine Fowler, Davis, Herbstreet, and Musberger will be around for awhile and I’m sure Urban Meyer will play a big role going forward but none of those guys really ever blew me away the way McElroy did in his handful of appearances on ESPN. 

The video of McElroy’s work on ESPN is nowhere to be found and has actually been taken down off of Youtube so you can either take my word for it or just think that I develop man crushes rather easily.

The reports of the Wonderlic score now only reinforce what I already assumed. Greg McElroy is SIGNIFICANTLY smarter than the folks at ESPN. The fact he’s an accomplished quarterback, student, and extremely well spoken guy only adds to the potent mix that will hopefully be gracing your television sets this fall. That’s only if he doesn’t earn a job in the NFL and its hard to say if he’d consider jumping straight to ESPN if he doesn’t earn a roster spot (practice squad and UFL, CFL, and AFL are viable).

If your ears also bleed as Mark May rants and raves about the topic du jour and you think its probably a good time for Corso and or Holtz to move on than you can join me in selfishly hoping McElroy’s NFL career fizzles out sooner than later. Mean spirited, probably, but regardless which way things turn out, I think McElroy is going to be just fine either making millions in the NFL or with ESPN.

About Ben Koo

Owner and editor of @AwfulAnnouncing. Recovering Silicon Valley startup guy. Fan of Buckeyes, A's, dogs, naps, tacos. and the old AOL dialup sounds

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