Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Speedy Kansas State wide receiver Brandon Banks rounded the corner on a double-reverse play Saturday, eyes downfield seeing two blockers and only an open field between him and six points. Somehow, 15 yards into the run, senior safety Darrell Stuckey split two Kansas State blockers with his arm and spun the racing Banks off of his course and out of bounds.
Stuckey’s strong arm in this play was possibly the only one seen in the game at Kansas State. And now, with the 2009 season winding down, many are looking at Stuckey’s talents and judging whether he will make an impression in the NFL.
Stuckey has many qualities NFL scouts look for. His six-foot, one-inch frame and 205 lbs. are average for strong safeties in the NFL. Scouts believe his reach is long enough to break up passes without interference calls and is quick enough to recover if he makes a false step defending a receiver, according to www.nfldraftscout.com. As Kansas fans have seen countless times, when an opposing player breaks through the second level of the Kansas defense, Stuckey has been able to chase the runner down with relative ease.
One of the most memorable of these moments came against Missouri in Arrowhead Stadium when Stuckey chased down Chase Daniel like a hound on a hare in the 2008 Border War and tomahawked the football out of Daniel’s arm.
Yet, Stuckey has done more with his college career than prepare for the NFL. Stuckey is involved in the KU Student Senate and has been named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes 11 student athletes for their important contributions off the field. His roles working with youth groups, and working with the Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity has really projected Stuckey into one of the nation’s elite student athletes.
The intangibles that come with Darrell Stuckey are what add to his draft stock. Scouts see great leadership abilities in him, as well as a professional mindset lacking in many NFL players today.
Then again, the NFL is mostly concerned with football, and Stuckey delivers on that angle as well. He is a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award this year for his efforts on the field. Given to the best defensive back in the country, the Jim Thorpe Award would be an immense draft booster for Stuckey, who is already listed as the number one strong safety in the 2010 draft by www.nfldraftscout.com.
As of now, Stuckey is projected to be an early pick in the second round. Although some have doubted his ability to contribute to the NFL because of his size, Stuckey continues to make strides to improve his personal game. Scouts for www.nefldraftscout.com say that Stuckey needs to improve his tackling technique. This can happen here at Kansas in the last few games if Stuckey stays down to earth, unlike the rest of the defense, which, for some reason, already has its head in the clouds.
— Edited by Jonathan Hermes
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