Michigan quarterback Dan Lefevour

Amidst the omnipresent squabbling of ESPN college football analysts,
former Central Michigan quarterback Dan Lefevour is shown embracing
his family and friends as he is drafted by his childhood team, the
Chicago Bears. The analysts, Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, can be
found on ESPN throughout the college season dissecting the talents of
collegiate athletes from early September, to late April. But on
Kiper’s Christmas, the nfl Draft, the draftees steal his thunder. The
sheer joy on the faces of the players to just have an opportunity to
play in the nfl, overwhelms the constant drone of McShay and Kiper on
draft day.

It is a truly beautiful thing to see these fresh-faced nfl prospects
celebrating with humility on draft day. Lefevour is no exception. With
his home filled with close family and friends, Lefevour is shown
smiling and hugging some of them when he learns he has been selected
by the Bears. Being a local kid from Downers Grove, IL, I’m sure
Lefevour is well-schooled of the mystique that follows the Chicago
Bears franchise. It is every kid’s dream to play for the organization
that you grew up watching. It may be a cliché, but it really is
opportunity of a lifetime for Lefevour.

As a Chicago Bears fan, I instantly think about successful MAC
quarterbacks. Ben Roethlisberger, Chad Pennington, and Daunte
Culpepper come to mind, and I can’t help but get a little excited
about the 6th round draft pick. Former nfl quarterback and current
ESPN football analyst, Ron Jaworski, quickly kills my buzz. Mentioning
the Bears offensive coordinator and supposed offensive guru, Mike
Martz. We’ve all seen Martz make magic come to life with his
“air-it-out” offensive scheme, most notably the St. Louis Rams’ “The
Greatest Show on Turf” in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, but I don’t
see it happening, at least this year for Chicago. With offensive line
woes, and big-armed quarterback Jay Cutler, prone to mistakes, it’s
hard to see the Bears’ offense taking off this year. However, Martz’s
past history with developing quarterbacks can encourage to Bears fans
to believe that Lefevour could be a Tom Brady-like steal in the 6th
round.

In the highlight reel that ESPN showcases Lefevour, you can’t help but
notice Lefevour’s above average athletic ability for a quarterback.
Kiper raves about Lefevour, and his underrated accuracy along with his
above-average arm strength. He goes on to say he could be a Chad
Pennington-like quarterback in the league. McShay disputes Kiper’s
claim that Lefevour possesses the accuracy to play quarterback in the
nfl, but before the analysts attempt to steal Lefevour’s thunder,
ESPN’s host Trey Wingo brings them all back and exclaims, “those are
the moments that make the draft,” when ESPN cuts to Lefevour
celebrating with his family. Wingo is exactly right. Despite the
shortcomings of these late-round draft choices, they are blessed with
the opportunity to play in the National Football League, something
that very few people can ever say. And you can bet that Lefevour will
watch the clip of himself being drafted over and over, and he will
fight with everything he has to make his childhood dream come true: To
become a quarterback on the Chicago Bears.

Tags: Chicago Bears, Dan LeFevour, ESPN, nfl, NFL Draft