In 2020, Justin Herbert walked away as one of the winners at the NFL Combine. The scouts and coaches present at Indianapolis on Thursday were in awe of the dexterity Herbert had displayed. Despite having tough competitors like Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow in the draft, Herbert amazed everyone with his arm slither and agility drills at the Lucas Oil Stadium.
Since then, the Oregon alum has never looked back. While he did have his fair share of critics hurling sharp questions at his skills, Herbert was wise enough to ignore the noise surrounding him to focus on what was at stake: his future in the NFL. 4 years down the lane, Herbert shares his learned advise to the up-and-coming stars in the 2024 NFL combine week, as they also face all the criticism that comes with entering the league.
Justin Herbert on NFL Combine rumors
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“I really didn’t listen too much of it,” Herbert mentioned on how he dealt with the critics. “I think I did my best to just go be myself and especially at the combine the Senior Bowl. I had an opportunity to be genuine and to show teams, ‘this is who I am, this is what I’m about’.”
Herbert concentrated on his NFL dreams, not the obstacles that included his critics. JJ McCarthy and Co, the players who won a National Championship with Jim Harbaugh, the now Chargers’ head coach, are also set to make their way towards the NFL, with NFL Combine being their first step. Hence, Herbert’s words and his fierce fight to reach the top are something that players like McCarthy derive inspiration from.
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Justin Herbert College records
In 2020, Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa claimed their spots as the top 2 QBs in the draft while Herbert had his foot set strong at the 3rd position, to which his appearance at Combine added a boost. Applauses from around the world poured in after Herbert gave the scouts and coaches got stunned by Herbert’s arm strength. Even NFL’s Lance Zierlein claimed that Herbert’s arm strength would be a major danger for the top defenses in the league.
His body of work at Oregon had backed up the assessment in the NFL Combine. Throwing for more than 3,100 yards in each of his final two seasons, he finished his career with 10,541 passing yards, 95 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, a quarterback rating of 153.1, and a Rose Bowl victory in 2020.
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However, his performance during the NFL Combine produced even more appreciation from the scouts. Hence, not paying heed to the naysayers did wonders for Herbert, something that Jim Harbaugh would appreciate his former Michigan gang entering the draft following. What do you think?