There were five other NFL scouts at Tubby Raymond Field in mid-November watching Division I-AA football. There is no secret about why all they’ve gathered in Newark. They’re all there to watch No. 5 in the blue jersey. And, as you can imagine, it’s always a chatty bunch, filled with gossip and tales of the road and players and, quite frankly, poker. Some scouts are friends and exchange real information, and some are strangers that circulate strange information.
But, inevitably, guys start talking. And initially, no one was impressed.
“This guy can’t play,” said one NFC scout, talking about Flacco.
“He’s got a big arm, but he’s like a wooden Indian out there,” said another. “He’s stiff. He’s another Dan McGwire,” a reference to another 6-foot-8 gigantic quarterback and brother of infamous baseball home run and steroid man Mark McGwire, who played at San Diego State in the 1980s and was drafted and played briefly for the Seattle Seahawks.
Despite the criticism upstairs in the peanut gallery, Flacco wasn’t having a bad day down on the field vs. Richmond.
He threw an 84-yard touchdown pass and ran in another short score in the first half and was leading the Blue Hens down the field in a two-minute drill up 21-17 with 25 seconds remaining before the half. He was in shotgun and nearing midfield, but was slow to get the ball released on an out route. Flacco was a little aggressive and the cornerback undercut his throw and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, giving Richmond a 24-21 lead with just 16 second left in the first half.
Commonly referred to in football as a “Pick Six” – because the defenses got six points by “picking off” a pass and returning it for a touchdown the other way – this is the deadliest sin in the sport for a quarterback. Especially with so little to gain and so little time left on the clock.
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In a sold out, energy-filled stadium leading the No. 6 team in the country against No. 9 Richmond, Flacco had clearly disappointed some NFL scouts. Five of the seven scouts in the press box grabbed their jackets and made their way to the exit. They had seen enough of Joe Flacco. Several were headed to College Park to see Matt Ryan and figured they’d get a jumpstart.
It’s not unusual for scouts to leave any college football game in the fourth quarter to beat traffic or to catch a flight on a Saturday afternoon. You always have the ability to watch film later. So the last taste and look that five of the seven NFL scouts got in Newark in November 2007 was that of Joe Flacco chasing a kid from Richmond named Seth Williams down the sidelines in vain and watching the defense celebrate at the feet of No. 5, who walked into the locker room with his team down three points due to his carelessness with the football.
Flacco didn’t throw his helmet. He didn’t admonish his wide receiver for running a different route. He simply walked to the bench. He didn’t hang his head and didn’t show any outward self-frustration at what a horrible pass it clearly was and what a poor decision in that circumstance it was for the team.
Only two scouts remained for the halftime meal and the second half of Richmond at Delaware: Joe Douglas and Andy Weidl.
“Our first thought was: let’s see how he responds,” Douglas said.
Flacco came out in the second half with some anger and led a go-ahead drive and later had a drive end with a field goal, but the game was tied 31-31 at the end of the third quarter. Delaware fell behind midway through fourth quarter and Flacco led a monster drive in a no-huddle, two-minute drill, this time running in a quarterback sneak on the last play of regulation to tie the game, 38-38. The sold out crowd in Newark went wild.
