ESPN NFL

Updated: February 27, 2005, 6:25 PM ET

McPherson must show his wares

At the combine in Indianapolis, it's a battle to be the third quarterback selected in the NFL Draft.

Email Print Share

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- There is little doubt that, no matter how well they throw the ball in a Sunday morning workout at the Georgia Dome, none of the other quarterback prospects in attendance for the annual predraft scouting combine figure to close the gap on the duet currently rated as the top two guys in the lottery.

Aaron Rodgers of the University of California and Utah's Alex Smith, in some order, are going to be the first two quarterbacks whose names are called on April 23. One of them, in fact, could be the top overall pick. And everyone else is battling, it seems, for the No. 3 spot in the quarterback pecking order.

"That's what everyone says and, yeah, I think it's a very fair assessment," said Georgia quarterback David Greene, who is among the several contenders for that No. 3 spot. "I think any of us other quarterbacks who tell you different than that is just lying, to you or to themselves. But it's going to be pretty intriguing to see who gets chosen once those first two guys are gone."

Along with Greene, some of the other possibilities include Charlie Frye (Akron), Andrew Walter (Arizona State), Jason Campbell (Auburn), Dan Orlovsky (Connecticut) and Kyle Orton (Purdue). Greene won't throw in Sunday's drills, preferring to save his arm for his personal on-campus workout next month. Campbell plans to throw but could change his mind by Sunday morning, while most of the others are undecided.

McPherson can't change the past, but he's looking toward a new future.

But one quarterback prospect who absolutely has to participate in all the passing drills, as he continues to rehabilitate his reputation and his life, is former Florida State standout Adrian McPherson, a compelling guy who scouts are anxious to see. In his two days here, McPherson, like the 338 other draft prospects in attendance, has been poked and probed and prodded by team physicians. But it's likely that no other prospect here has had the depths of his psyche so plumbed by the NFL scouts who consider themselves amateur psychologists.

If your memory is short, a refresher course on McPherson, who has been out of the public eye for several months as he prepared for this audition: Twenty-seven months ago, he was booted off the Seminoles squad in the wake of charges he had gambled on college football games. The only high school player in Florida history to earn the prestigious Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball honors in the same year, the Bradenton native unsuccessfully attempted to resurrect his college career at Murray State and Tennessee State, and then last year signed with the Indiana Firebirds of the Arena Football League.

Not too far from the RCA Dome, maybe a 15-minute ride north, McPherson lived in a tiny apartment, with an index card taped to the wall above his bed. On the card was written two words: "New York." It was a daily reminder to McPherson, who thrived in the Arena league, that he should still pursue his dream of one day being on stage in New York, one of the top selections in the NFL draft. That won't happen, of course, but with a good workout on Sunday, the youngster can raise his stock in the eyes of scouts.

"And that's what this is all about, winning back their confidence, showing them what I can do with the football," said McPherson, who weighed just 175 pounds when he first enrolled at FSU, but who checked in at 6-feet-3½ and 218 pounds a few days ago. "I mean, some of the other guys, maybe they can afford not to throw. Maybe they feel they have something to lose. Me? Hey, I lost it, and now I'd doing everything I possibly can to get it back. So if they ask me to throw 1,000 passes, well, I've got no choice."

McPherson, 22, has been training months for this opportunity. He is in excellent shape, physically and mentally. While he was perhaps less candid in the media sessions here than in an interview with ESPN.com last May for a feature story, McPherson isn't trying to hide from his indiscretions of the past. He insisted Friday that he did not gamble on games but did float bad checks. McPherson eventually pleaded "no contest" to a variety of charges and was sentenced to jail time, community service and 30 months probation.

The probation period is coming to a close and, while McPherson would prefer to close the books on his past mistakes for good, he acknowledged they have been part of every one of his personal interviews with officials from most of the 32 NFL franchises. And he has told them all, McPherson said, the same thing.

"I made mistakes," McPherson allowed. "I was young but, you know what, that isn't an excuse. What I did, hey, it's on me. My biggest regret, like I told you last year, was that it brought a lot of hurt to my family. In all the interviews, when teams ask me about it, I don't dodge their questions. I look them right in the eye and tell them what happened. And I also tell them I'm a lot more mature now, more ready for whatever is out there for me, and am ready to move on."

Scouts and coaches surveyed here admitted that the gambling allegations are cause for some pause when considering McPherson. Many of them concede, though, that there have been bigger character risks taken by teams in the past. Gambling, no doubt, carries a certain stigma, and NFL officials scrutinized McPherson's recent past very closely before granting him draft eligibility as an underclass prospect.

"Obviously, there are some issues to deal with, no doubt," said Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy. "But there's no denying he is a talented guy. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be here. It will be interesting to see how he does and where he ends up going."

Around the combine