(S23) - PT 4 - The Butterfly Effect

[Rusfan]

College is perhaps the most important time in the life of a young athlete. Joel Drake's decision to walk on to Louisville instead of taking one of a few offers to go to lesser colleges where he would be guaranteed a roster spot. This decision actually helped uncover a previously unknown talent in the area of special teams, mainly on defending punts and kickoffs. Walking on to Lousiville also seems to have helped Drake's career longevity, with his first 2 seasons mainly only seeing action on special teams, he does not have the 4 years of the wear-and-tear present in other athletes, much in the same way as a backup running back, or a modern-day quarterback. It's not entirely positive though, since missing two years of experience could be said to have slightly hindered Drake's development, mainly in the areas of reading an offense and gaining much-needed tackling experience. It's not as if these things are unlearnable, it just means that Drake will be slightly behind the curve of other defensive players with a full 4 years of starting experience. All in all, It can be said to have been a bit of a mixed bag in terms of positive and negative effects, but the main point in overcoming adversity cannot be denied.





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