“They’ve got to love football. … You want a bunch of people that understand that that’s what we’re here for and that can fit the type of team we want to play, the values that we’re looking for. We want good, tough, hard-nosed players that want to play hard, that are team-first type people that like every part of football, meetings, weightlifting, practice, preparation, like being around the guys and the gals who are involved in it, and they want to go out there on Sunday and let it rip. That’s what we’re looking for.”
That is New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh talking about the type of players he wants to coach.
With that in mind, I spent some time at the NFL Scouting Combine asking NFL Draft prospect what “Love of the game” meant to them. Here are some of the responses I received.
The first two are my favorites. They are the kind of responses I think would get Harbaugh’s attention if he had been asking the question.
Kendal Daniels, LB, Oklahoma
“I love the game of football, but Coach Venables always said you have to live it, you have to breathe it, you have to know football, you have to think about football every day. Love is a word that people just throw around. I love the game of football, but you have to love the game of football when it’s hard, when you don’t feel like getting up, when you don’t feel like you can do this anymore. That’s when you show love for something. That’s when you know you can keep going.
“I’ve had experiences like that. In 2024 season I was on the edge of thinking that I was falling out of love, but you figure out that you love football more than you think you do when you start thinking about what’s next. Going to Oklahoma made me figure out that I really love football, and that’s something people need to understand. Love isn’t when it’s going great. It’s when you’re not doing good, do you still love the game of football and still want to play.”
Tyreak Sapp, DL, Florida
“Love the game to me means you’re down with everything that comes with it. You’re down with the ups, you’re down with the downs. When things aren’t going well are you still with the team, can you still hold the team together, can you still galvanize, the guys, and can you still come to work every day and show up and do your job? It is your job, it is your duty to go out there and get the job done.
“That’s what I think love of the game is. Are you willing to give your all and be with, and go with the flow and go with the punches of everything that comes with this game because this game is not all sunshine and rainbows, it’s not all like a box of ice cream. There are going to be hard times, you’re going to go through adversity, but I feel like it’s your ability to push through adversity and overcome.”
Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU
“You gotta be obsessed with the game. If you want to be great in football everything that you do, what you eat, recovery, when you go to sleep, even when you’re not in season has to revolve around the game. I feel like that’s something I definitely have been doing these last two years. Ever since I got to TCU everything I do revolves around getting that one percent better, getting that competitive edge to be the best player I can possibly be.”
Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU
”Loving the game is not playing the game, but what you do when you’re outside the game. That could be recovery, watching extra film. Really just living football.“
Max Llewellyn, DL, Iowa
“For me, the reason I get out of bed and do what I do is just the brotherhood aspect of the game. Nowadays everyone’s transferring and that’s all great, but for me personally I came in with my guys freshman year, we grew up together, we had five years, we were all working towards a common goal. That last year I played with all my boys, just knowing all the work we put in … that was the most rewarding year of life just knowing all the work we put in and showing up with them. That’s pretty much why I do it.”
Jack Pyburn, DL, LSU
“It’s just overall about caring. I feel like when you love the game you love all aspects of football, but you love the guys around you. To truly love the game you have to be a leader. To be a true leader you have to be a guy that cares about everything that you do and care about the people around you, staff, everyone. Everyone’s job is on the line when you go out there, so having a level of care and passion about the game and the people around you is what makes a great football player.”
Zeek Masses, CB, California
“It’s just your mindset, man. This game is going to come with adversity, so you have to have a great mindset.”
T.J. Hall, CB, Iowa
“To me, loving the game is just really being all about football. I can’t see myself doing anything but playing football right now. I don’t really have a Plan B. I’m all Plan A. I just want to do this. I’ve been wanting to do this since I was four or five years old.”
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