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FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
FEBRUARY 2, 1976

SI writer George Plimpton quoted an NFL scout describing his daily routine as he scoured the country for that rare combination of size, strength, acceleration and speed that would give a college star a shot at making a difference in the pros.

THERE'S always a tape measure. We are always measuring people. I carry an architect's plastic drafting angle to use against the wall and get the kid's height exactly right when he's standing up there, because a lot of them strain to get an extra millimeter or so, tilting their noses back, thinking that's going to heft them up a bit. In fact, it does just the opposite. You have to watch their feet, making sure they don't curl their toes under to push themselves up. Harley Sewell, who scouts for the Rams, told me that he always calls out, "O.K., let's curl those toes up, son." That stops 'em. But kids these days are so damn big that you need to climb a ladder to measure them.

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Cover
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID WALBERG
INSET PHOTO: ELIZABETH KREUTZ

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