Ryan Mallett Rumors: What Don't We Know About the Arkansas Quarterback?

Character concern—the two most dreaded words an NFL prospect can hear.

Forget 40 times, throw the height and weights out the window: When it comes down to evaluating NFL prospects, character completes the picture. Character is the one factor, above all, that can drag a top-notch prospect down and cost him money awfully quick.

Over the years, we’ve seen numerous high-level prospects grab a ticket for the Titanic and sink down draft boards because of their character issues.

It would, of course, seem likely then that Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett isn’t too anxious for the supposed “closet skeletons” to start flying around, something which has been hinted at by more than a few media circles over the last few weeks.

Wes Bunting of National Football Post quoted an NFL scout as saying, “I got stuff on Mallett that no one even knows about, and I wouldn’t touch him.” http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Is-Ryan-Mallett-worth-a-firstround-pick.html

NFL Network Reporter Albert Breer also added some fuel to the fire in one of his recent columns with the assertion that Mallett could drop in this year’s draft because of undisclosed “off-field concerns.” http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81d83c12/article/broncos-believe-elway-tebow-can-lead-franchise-to-glory?module=HP_spotlight

The question this, of course, leads us to ask is what are these alleged character concerns all about?

One quick look through Mallett’s collegiate history turns up a few small red flags, but nothing that looks like anything major.

His transfer from Michigan to Arkansas may look somewhat cowardly, but when you consider Mallett was such a square peg for Rich Rodriguez’s spread option attack, the move back to his home state seems pretty justifiable.

The only real public knowledge, “off-field” type concern that is evident to a sports fan’s naked eye is Mallett’s arrest for Public Intoxication back in March of 2009.

It’s a crime which is innocent enough, the type of situation that most big school college kids find themselves in at least once (I’ve been there). It shouldn’t draw the ire of too many rational NFL personnel people. Sure maybe he’ll get crossed off the boards of some of the hard-nosed, old-school Bill Belichick types, but it shouldn’t be a real formal problem.

That is unless it’s just the tip of the iceberg?

Is Mallett a partier? Is he the type of guy who enjoys the clubs more than the film room?

We’ve seen Vince Young brawling in strip clubs, we’ve seen Matt Leinart schmoozing with some sevens in a hot tub. We've seen the constant strife that Ben Roethlisberger sidetracked the Steelers with.

Do you see a trend, see the formula?

When you’re the quarterback, you have different responsibilities. You’re the face of the franchise.

Question: Does Peyton Manning seem like a real big partier to you?

Do you think Matt Ryan is a regular at the Cheetah Lounge down in Atlanta?

Sure, Tom Brady is a bit of the exception, but at this point in his life, Brady looks like he's eased into becoming more of a promotional event guy than a partier.

NFL teams want Ben Roethlisberger on the field, but they don't want the Ben Roethlisberger at the bar distractions that come with it.

Still though, no one has any real proof that Mallett's partying ways are actually at the root of these rumors.

Mallett’s personality as a whole, from his body language after a late-game interception to his sideline demeanor, has been the subject of scrutiny recently.

People will ask: Is Mallett a true leader?

We know about the size, we know about the arm, but what we don’t know about is the heart and the head.

We’ve seen tall guys with big arms before. Heck, they come along every year. The rare ones are the quarterbacks with the intangible traits. The ones with the total package.

The great ones stick out. That’s why guys like Manning, Brady and Brees float to the top and stay there in a league which is plagued, year in and year out, by questionable quarterback play.

So what’s to make of all this supposed forthcoming Mallett madness?

Nobody really knows, because honestly, there’s no one who is really privy to the inside goings on down in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

It’s all speculation right now, and the truth is we may never know the real truth when you figure that most of the stuff that NFL scouts dig up about these prospects never gets brought to the surface.

Sure if it’s a positive pot test at the combine, it will be all over the airwaves. But you better not expect to hear about Johnny Superstar sexually assaulting a coed, nor should you ever plan on seeing the weight room attendance sheet of the No. 1 overall pick.

There’s some things scouts see that the normal football public doesn’t. They have the access.

That’s perfectly fine up until the point when rumors and allegations based off hearsay, like the ones surrounding Ryan Mallett, go viral. A lot of innuendo and imagination starts to enter the fray, and things can get out of control in a hurry.

Until we have some substantial and definitive proof on just what these supposed character concerns really are, all we are left to do is speculate.

When American sports fans are left to speculate, form their own opinions and demystify the superstar persona built up by the sports media, they can certainly turn on you in a hurry. And that animosity will last until you do something over the top and spectacular to get back on their good graces.

When it comes to the NFL Draft, it’s like a great action movie; you always need a few heroes and a few villains.

Last year Dez Bryant was the Draft’s lead villain; now it’s time to cast a new face for the role.

Ryan Mallett, get ready, your audition is lurking.