Quote:
Originally Posted by tdw28210
Multiple reasons, but often times really good QB's in HS and college can simply rely on their sheer athleticism to excel at those levels. They can get away with misreads and bad decisions because the defensive competition is not good enough to exploit their mistakes. Even in top-level college games, they're playing against kids that have zero chance of playing at the next level. When they get to the professional leagues EVERYONE is really good. The "walk-ons" and "weak links" don't really exist in the NFL.
If these college QB's haven't mastered the study habits necessary to understand NFL defenses and and embraced the mundane aspects of the weekly"grind", they may survive in the NFL but they won't truly excel. Cam Newton comes to mind.
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I'd add, that because many got by on their talent in high school and college, they never had to learn to try hard, adapt, or study their opponent. Ironically, it seems like the QBs who really excel in the NFL come from the pool who were just barely good enough to get into the NFL. (Which is different than saying that those were just barely good enough often excel, as that isn't the case.)
The NFL is hard, both because they take the best players from college and because they have the best players from the past 10+ years. (In high school and college you aren't going to play someone who is 10 years older than you.)