Pro Mindset® Podcast host Craig Domann interviews Ric Serritella, the president and founder of the NFL Draft Bible, who shares his passion for scouting players in the months leading up to the NFL Draft. Ric travels the country, watching college athletes and recruiting players. In 2002, after walking away from his job with the Wall Street Journal, Ric started the NFL Draft Bible to pursue his passion for the NFL Draft, and fill a void in the market. The NFL Draft Bible has become an invaluable tool among NFL scouts and has helped hundreds of players achieve their dreams of playing at the highest level. He shares his perspective from years of scouting and gives his view of what he believes makes a successful athlete in the NFL. Ric’s words of wisdom will give you a new outlook on the NFL Draft and what it takes to stand out from other players.
Ric explained what he believes makes the most significant difference in athletes in terms of the “bust factor.” Many athletes are given the same abilities, talents, and college backgrounds but have different outcomes to their NFL careers. Ric said that it is very difficult to know how an athlete will perform in the NFL or what makes the difference between a bust player and a successful player. Unfortunately, there is no secret formula to determine the outcome of a player, and it is impossible to measure mentality or their heart. However, scouts and coaches can get to know the player and the player’s background. They can gather information on their childhood and their relationship with their family. They can investigate their support system and weigh their coaching background. The athlete’s ability to adapt can be measured. Many “busts” take place when the coach does not adapt the players talent. “They adapted to the talent rather than making the talent adapt to the scheme. There are coaches out there that'll just say, ‘Hey, this is my system, my scheme, and you've got to adapt it.’ To me, that's where the busts happen.”
In these cases, the athlete does not mesh with the program and the coach does not try to facilitate the change. This is what leads to most busts. “It's being able to adapt to the person, instead of taking a round peg and trying to fit it in a square hole. You've got to be able to adapt.” In addition, there must be continuity between the player and the coach. A talented coach will mold their system around their player. “Nine times out of ten, a first-round quarterback is a bust not because he's not talented. It's because the coaches he got linked with just wasn't a good fit.”
Ric and Craig also talked about the importance of finding a “hungry player.” To explain this point, Craig used the analogy of a hungry dog. “A hungry dog always gets the bone, not the fastest one. The fast one gets there first, and then the meanest one shows up and takes it out of the mouth of the fastest one. Then the hungriest one comes and takes it from the meanest one, and the hungry one wins.” Teams need to find the players that crave success. They may not be the most talented, but they aggressively hunger for what they want. They are motivated and have a strong desire deep within them. Motivation is one of the seven elements of a Pro Mindset. To have the right mentality, an individual must be motivated. Finding your motivation, desire, or “hunger,” will bring you closer to developing your own Pro Mindset.
To hear more of Ric Serritella podcast interview, click here or search your favorite podcast platform, including Apple & Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and many more.