Greene shows Stafford what happens when things go wrong
If Matthew Stafford (pictured with Lions assistant Scott Linehan) feels overwhelmed early as a pro, he wouldn't be the first rookie QB to struggle. Ask David Greene.
Five years ago, David Greene was college football gold. He broke the NCAA record for most wins. He threw for more passing yards than any quarterback in SEC history (including Peyton Manning). Maybe he wasn’t projected as an NFL star. But he was drafted in the third round by Mike Holmgren, who had made a career of molding quarterbacks into Super Bowl champions, so that had to mean something.
Today, David Greene sells insurance. “We’re in the risk-management consultant business,” he said. Yeah. Sounds better.
He spent four NFL seasons with four teams and never played in a regular-season game. The systems were different. The terminology was different. The playbook read like Latin. It was year one and, “There I was being re-coached on a three-step drop. I felt like I had zero carryover from college.”
David Greene was a star at Georgia.
Matthew Stafford was a star at Georgia.
It’s the sincere hope of Stafford and the Detroit Lions that the similarities will end there.
David Greene starred at Georgia but he made it into only exhibitions with Seattle and retired after four NFL seasons.
“As talented as Stafford is, he’s got the arm to be successful,” Greene said. “But I don’t know any college quarterback who doesn’t have growing pains as a pro. It’s just a completely different game. Everybody struggles. Look at [Troy] Aikman. Look at Manning. [Ben] Roethlisberger is about the only one who did well, but he had the perfect system to step into and a great team around him.”
When reminded of Matt Ryan’s spectacular first season with the Falcons, Greene said: “He throws off the curve. What he did was unheard of.”
NFL training camps start in two weeks. The Lions aren’t saying if Stafford will start right away. But a franchise doesn’t guarantee $41.7 million to a rookie quarterback with the expectation of him being a potted plant.
Aikman started as a rookie in Dallas and went 1-15.
Ryan started as a rookie, threw a touchdown pass on his first NFL attempt and went to the playoffs.
Stafford? Nobody disputes his NFL talent. His NFL readiness might be another matter. Some scouts have questioned his feel for pressure in the pocket. There were accuracy issues at times in Athens. Also a few underwhelming performances in big games.
Greene never had Stafford’s physical attributes. But on the field, it was as if coach Mark Richt cloned himself and sent his copy into the huddle. Greene operated the offense to perfection. He even spoke in the same monotone voice as Richt. Greene projected as at least a solid NFL backup because he was successful, smart and never appeared overwhelmed.
But he struggled with the West Coast offense in Seattle. He struggled with the size and speed of pro defensive fronts. He played only in exhibitions with the Seahawks for two years. New England had him on the practice squad for almost a year. He passed through Kansas City, then Indianapolis. The New York Giants phoned this past winter, but Greene said: “I felt like I was beating a dead horse.” He had a wife and toddler at home in Gwinnett County and grew tired of his vagabond life. So he retired and went into business with another former Bulldog, Matt Stinchcomb.
If nothing else, Greene hung with the NFL elite. His coaches: Holmgren, Bill Belichick, Herm Edwards, Tony Dungy. (Those guys don’t sign dumb quarterbacks.)
His classmates: Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Brady and Manning.
He went to a Super Bowl with the Seahawks. He watched an undefeated season (until the Super Bowl) with the Patriots. But it just never clicked for him.
“With Stafford, it’s just going to depend on how well he catches on,” Greene said. “I never got comfortable playing in the system and my reps were limited.”
Stafford will get his shot. Reps won’t be an issue. Defenses could be. Greene learned carryover isn’t automatic.
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96 comments Add your comment
Chris
July 18th, 2009
7:37 pm
All you clowns who said he didnt make in the NFL probally never even suited up in PEE-WEE football
Gen Neyland
July 18th, 2009
8:10 pm
Gotta love the ‘fans’ that think the rest don’t know diddly-squat…Gee, can I have your autograph and what year did you go into the hall..?
GTDog
July 18th, 2009
8:24 pm
You know, the whole tint of the article was NOT what Greene can teach Stafford in respect to having a sucessful Hall Of Fame NFL career. The thought was what wisdom he could impart regarding the rigors of the league, determination, required dedication, etc.
Granted, Greene didn’t have a sucessful NFL career but I am sure that he gained a little insight into what it takes to be sucessful in the league.
The clowns who want to bash the kid for wanting to spend more time with his family rather than cash a paycheck in NY are clueless. Utterly clueless…
dawg farts
July 18th, 2009
8:46 pm
stafford over rated just like david greene…david will show stafford how to hand out the gatorade….hold the clipboard…..where to sit on the bench and last where to hang his uniform!
gratefuldawghead
July 18th, 2009
10:38 pm
Good Luck to Stafford Go Joe Cox!
ChefChuck
July 19th, 2009
12:57 am
Enter your comments here
ChefChuck
July 19th, 2009
1:06 am
Dawg recruit overrated…no way!!! Ray Goof had top-ten classes every year and just look at all of those great top-ten teams he had. Fortunately, his Ugay paychecks launched a great fast-food career(and provided numerous employment opportunities for a new generation of leg-humpers). Go dawgs!!!
Dale Morphy
July 19th, 2009
1:23 am
The biggest difference between Matt Ryan and Matt Stafford: timing. Ryan doesn’t have Stafford’s arm, but even in the NFL that is not the most important attribute (neither is a high IQ). It’s all about field vision and timing. How many wide open guys did Stafford miss in his career? I’m just not sure you can really teach timing and accuracy, so I’m not sure Stafford will ever be as successful as Ryan. I’m SURE he won’t in his first two or three seasons.
Matthew Stafford Is No David Greene
July 19th, 2009
4:06 am
[...] bum, doesn’t mean that the bum will be a superstar, and vice versa. I bring this up because Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution used former Georgia QB/NFL flop David Greene as a warning sign for Matthew Stafford’s [...]
hedgepruner
July 19th, 2009
7:11 am
Joe Hamilton had a more lucrative NFL career than David Greene so why not give some ajc love to our team for once in awhile….45-42
MJK
July 19th, 2009
7:38 am
Nice article Jeff. I’m glad to hear DGreene has a family and has settled down to the rest of his life. I suspect his NFL experience wasn’t all that out of the ordinary and he can be thankful for his health and the experience.
The stakes are much different for Stafford, however. Matty Ryan has made it very difficult for highly drafted QB’s.
Gen Neyland
July 19th, 2009
7:47 am
Much depends on the system one is drafted into. Does the next level take one’s set of skills and develop them further or try to remake them..?
Rex D
July 19th, 2009
8:26 am
I had no idea that David Greene was completely out of the NFL already. Thanks for the update Jeff.
Lilburn Dawg
July 19th, 2009
8:43 am
I’ll never understand why David didn’t make it in the pros. It’s beyond comprehension. Stafford, however, is a different story. I would change this line in the story: “There were accuracy issues at times in Athens. Also a few underwhelming performances in big games” to: “Most of the time accuracy is a problem with him beyond 20 yards. Has trouble hitting receivers on the run beyond this distance. Throws the ball so hard to players at short distances that they have a hard time catching it. Doesn’t use his head. Didn’t win the championships”. I’m not one that thinks he is going to be a big superstar in the pros. Time will tell. But I’m glad he is gone from UGA and I’m glad Cox will get a chance and hope he does very well!!
Sunday reading « The Chapel Bell
July 19th, 2009
9:52 am
[...] AJC’s Jeff Schultz writes about the similarities and differences of Georgia legendary QB David Greene and Matthew [...]
TX DAWG
July 19th, 2009
11:01 am
Hey, DOGFIGHTER RETURNS, what the $ell is your problem? You obviously aren’t a Georgia fan or you wouldn’t be talking about a Georgia player like that, or any player for that matter. Greene is a class act. So what if he didn’t stay in the NFL. The last time I checked, the amount of time you played in the NFL doesn’t determine if you were a good college player. I guess the fact he won more Division I-A games than any other QB doesn’t mean anything to you. By the way, how many college games have you played in?
Fans like you make me sick. You have no class or respect. Grow up!!
Ali Akbar Allah
July 19th, 2009
11:20 am
The only thing that will save Stafford from the NFL scrapyard will be CJ. CJ will catch most of Staffords mis-throws.
bamalamma
July 19th, 2009
11:31 am
if greene was AFRICAN AMERICAN, there would be 500 comments on how ‘DUMB’ he was and ‘too stupid’ to comprehend an NFL playbook……you CRACKERS are so hypocritical!!!
Hay Maker
July 19th, 2009
12:11 pm
David Green was a great kid at UGA, and I am sure he will be just fine in the NFL or not. I went to a lot of UGA games and I did not think he was a great QB so I am not surprised that he is out of the NFL. I will not be surprised when Stafford does not make it in the NFL he is no where near what a lot of people think he is. I am surprised that D.J Shockly has had such a hard time I don’t know what it is about him that just can’t put him over the top mayby it’s all the injurys he has had. Any way I love the Bull Dogs but we will be a bad year for us. Bobo is coaching way above his head, and Martinez would not know a real football player if one ran him over on the side line. Coach Richt will not beable to cover up their weeknesses. Only 7 wins for us this year guys.
Jeff Schultz
July 19th, 2009
12:27 pm
AthensDawg: To a degree, every coach is a system coach. Not every one is as extreme as say, the spread or the run-n-shoot, but every coach has a system that he plugs players into. In college, coaches recruit for that system. In pros, they draft, trade and sign for the system.
TrueFan – Agreed. Even Georgia coaches said that after Stafford left. Bobo wasn’t criticizing Stafford but said he understood the kid’s dreams always were the NFL. Bobo’s own dreams pertained to college.
Rex D—Thanks. It’s surprising but it was, to a degree, his choice. Having a young kid and not wanting to live out of a suitcase had a lot to do with it.
Jeff Schultz
July 19th, 2009
12:28 pm
Heymaker: Not saying Georgia goes to a BCS bowl but I’ll take the “over” on 7 wins.
The Dogfighter Returns
July 19th, 2009
12:30 pm
Jeff can you find Quincy Carter and let’s get his perspective on playing in the NFL for America’s team and any insight he has for Matt Stafford?
Why do we want to hear from a guy who approached his NFL career the way highschool teens approach their jobs at fastfood restaurants.
TXDawg
July 19th, 2009
12:35 pm
If David Greene got the opportunity and reps that Eli Manning got when he got to NY, we would all be reading about how great a qb he is in the pros. Eli Manning got his chance because of his family name and the exposure being a part of that family. He has done well & will continue to do so in the future. However, if Greene had the same exposure, the same opportunity, the same reps in practice and in the games, Stafford would be contacting him for advice. Very few qbs could make a fake like Green to set up a play that made his team mates look great. He also didn’t force plays that were not there and always had “team” ahead of self. His humility, coupled with his intelligence, in addition to realizing that family is more important than a game, makes David Greene a winner in life!
ManOfAction
July 19th, 2009
12:52 pm
There are more than a few armchair quarterbacks leaving comments here. David Greene didn’t excel in the NFL because he wasn’t good enough. Period. Point blank. He admitted to having problems adjusting to the size and speed of NFL defenders, no college coach in the land can prepare you for that, and it’s not the college coach’s job to do so. The college coach’s job is to prepare you to play on Saturday, not Sunday. In professional sports, you’re either good enough to play, or you’re not, it doesn’t matter what college or university you attended, and Matthew Stafford is more than good enough. He operated within the offense that is run at Georgia, which did not play into his strengths. Georgia runs an obnoxious amount of screens and bubble screens, which is good for a weak armed quarterback(Greene, Tereshinski), not so much for QB’s who carry cannons for throwing arms. Stafford played behind patchwork offensive lines every year he was in Athens, so he should be ok in Detroit if they can keep him upright.
Post a Comment | Betting FBCC: Atlanta Falcons
July 19th, 2009
1:07 pm
[...] Greene shows Stafford what happens when things go wrong If Matthew Stafford feels overwhelmed early as a pro, he wouldn’t be the first rookie QB to struggle. [...]
Jeff Schultz
July 19th, 2009
1:27 pm
Dogfighter — Quincy Carter had issues in the NFL other than skillset: drugs. Otherwise, he probably would’ve made it. Google around, you’ll find plenty of stories.
Man of Action — Agree with most of your points, but there have been a few “weak-armed” QBs who’ve done well in the NFL — Montana and Brady come to mind. Obviously not putting Greene on that level. But you’ve really got to have other aspects of your game and certainly want to put in the time to develop it, and obviously Greene didn’t.
But I repeat: I think it says something when you look at the coaches who wanted to bring him in: Holmgren, Belichick, Edwards, Dungy. And Coughlin wanted to bring him in this winter but Greene said no. That’s a stunning set of coaches who want to look at a guy who never played a regular season game.
The Dogfighter Returns
July 19th, 2009
3:10 pm
Jeff everyone knows about Quincy’s drug problems, however, since you have selected a UGAY Dawg to indicate what goes wrong why not select Eric Z and Quincy to hear their perspective about what it takes to get it right on the field in a future article?
Quincy started 7 games as a rookie, Matt Stafford is probably going to start this year. Eric Z has lasted longer than any othe UGAY Dawg since Fran.
Considering the fact that Greene was not willing to move to ny why does Q continue to toil in the minor leagues slinging a football and is he interested in the ufl?
It may take you more than one phonecall but that is what being a journalist is all about. You can’t sit in your office and expect everything to fall on your desk or people to call you.
honky jones
July 19th, 2009
3:49 pm
buck belue is da man!
surfdawg
July 19th, 2009
4:12 pm
Bamallama- are you a racist?
honky jones
July 19th, 2009
4:51 pm
surfdawg just cause you got your period don’t mean ya gots to make accusations….
surfdawg
July 19th, 2009
5:01 pm
You’re right Honky Jones “You Cracker’s are so Hypocritical” is by no means a Racist statement. What was I thinking?
Mystank E. Turbin
July 19th, 2009
7:02 pm
Decent column Jeff, but it doesn’t go into enough depth about our star QB who couldn’t count to four. One day we’ll have a QB in the NFL too, but on second thought… maybe not with Paul Johnson’s offense.
ManOfAction
July 19th, 2009
10:12 pm
Jeff, I wasn’t saying that weak armed quarterbacks can’t perform in the NFL, I was stating that Georgia’s offensive scheme is friendly for those with a noodle arm. It says something to me that David Greene couldn’t beat out Jim Sorgi though.
Recovering Scribe
July 19th, 2009
10:28 pm
“Holmgren, Belichick, Edwards, Dungy”
Sounds like a football SAT question for, “Which name doesn’t belong here?” Really. Edwards with those three?
Boss Hogg
July 19th, 2009
10:41 pm
If David Greene was as physically gifted as Stafford, he would still be in the NFL. Stafford=Jeff George
ButlerDawg
July 19th, 2009
11:48 pm
Yes boys and girls, that famous 80’s pop icon Elvis Costello now moonlights as sportswriter for your AJC. Enjoy!
Jack in Snellville
July 20th, 2009
8:16 am
I followed the careers of David Greene and David Pollack. I was disappointed for both of them that their NFL careers did not work out. But, both guys gave me some great memories . Oh, the possibilities…
DawginLex
July 20th, 2009
9:05 am
hey belittle,bebold,
Question for you? Where did you play in college?
I’ll anxiously await your reply.
Rambler, attacking the all time winner among college QB’s makes you look like a dumb jealous loser. David Greene has more class in his pinky than you and “m” put together. ACC education? WOW, what a joke.
WalkerMuhDawg
July 20th, 2009
10:41 am
The only similarity between Greene and Stafford is the position they play. Greene never had the physical tools or mechanics to project as anything but a back-up in the NFL. Stafford will lead the Lions to the playoffs within 2 years and the SB within 4.
And BruffDawg, were you even around when Herschel played for the Cowboys. I don’t know the current stats, but for many years throughout the 90’s and perhaps beyond, HW was the NFL All-time league leader in All-Purpose yardage.
I would call that the definition of a huge NFL star! Sheesh!
Matthew Stafford Is No David Greene « nflaccess.info
July 20th, 2009
1:00 pm
[...] bum, doesn’t mean that the bum will be a superstar, and vice versa. I bring this up because Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution used former Georgia QB/NFL flop David Greene as a warning sign for Matthew Stafford’s [...]
harry dawg 73
July 20th, 2009
1:41 pm
Greene’s record at UGA is in stone. he was higly regarded by all tv commentators as a solid, steady maybe great and very accurant COLLEGE QB. most UGa grads could care less about the falcons, the nfl of thugs anway. It matters not if they are great at the nect level.
Besides, UGA grads DID graduate from a wonderful school and we love most of our football memories anc simply care less about the thug
(labor union ) nfl. Who cares ABOUT The Ray Lewis type of players anyway??? THUGS like the nba of thugs. Tatoos are not gonna cut it with UGA sorority gals anway.
go DAwgs !!!
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Kenny with NFL knowledge
July 20th, 2009
2:49 pm
ok, well Tom Brady is GREAT and Todd Collins sucked, Heath Schuler sucked and Peyton Manning is GREAT!!! who cares what a guy did before from the same school, get a clue! MORON
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UGA2010
July 20th, 2009
5:48 pm
Stafford is starting off in a situation much like Aikman did in the early 90’s; a very, very underdeveloped team lacking a solid line amongst many other functional football team essentials. Stafford has the acquired winning mentality, and his competitive drive will get him through the first season, which quite frankly is going to suck. If the Lions can get some things right in the office (asking for a prayer) then Matty might be able to turn them into winners. The Lions always draft talent but never build anything around their draft picks, hence the losing streak. I know that Aikman has already reached out to our former Bulldawg, and I’m interested to hear more of his personal opinion during the Sports Legends Challenge come September.