It goes without saying that quarterback Spencer Rattler’s college career didn’t exactly go according to plan.
Once a top-ranked high school recruit, Rattler ended up committing to Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners. Following several rocky performances, Rattler was benched in favor of Caleb Williams. (Look how far we’ve come!)
Rattler ended up transferring to South Carolina where he was able to reset himself and ended up finding some shred of success.
While he didn’t end up being a first-round prospect like he was originally projected to be when he first step foot in Norman, Rattler entered last week’s draft as an intriguing wildcard.
Most analysts had him pegged as a day three pick, however there were some who thought he could go as high as the second or third round.
At the end of the day, Rattler ended up falling to the fifth-round where he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the 150th overall pick.
Interestingly, the reason why every team passed on him multiple times isn’t just because of X’s and O’s or football-IQ.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, several teams were extremely turned-off by Rattler’s behavior from a reality show he filmed while still in high school.
“Spencer Rattler did a reality show in high school … It did not make him look great and it is unbelievable how many different teams mentioned to me the image in that show and how they can’t get it out of their heads,” Rapoport reported.
The reality show Rapoport is referring to is “QB1: Beyond the Lights,” which was a popular Netflix series famous for documenting top quarterbacks as they navigated their way through their high school careers.
If you watch clips from the show, it’s easy to see why teams were hesitant to draft Rattler…
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being competitive and pushing your teammates to be the very best they can be. That intense drive is what all of the great ones have.
However, that’s the exact opposite of how Rattler acted in the show.
He couldn’t have possibly come across as a more selfish brat than he did. Never taking accountability for anything, Rattler always pointed the finger at everyone else and was never hesitant to through his teammates under the bus.
Having said that, it can be harsh to judge someone off how they acted in high school.
Everyone makes mistakes. And everyone grows. Or at least most people do.
To Rattler’s credit, he by all accounts matured greatly during his time at South Carolina. His coaches and teammates all spoke very highly of his attitude and leadership.
In other words, Rattler seems to have grown up. Good for him.
Unfortunately, his growth and maturity weren’t enough to convince everyone that he’s a changed man.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer went to bat for Rattler and made it clear that the negative narrative surrounding him was nothing but nonsense.
“Such a tired , lazy narrative. And bullcrap,” Beamer stated. “None of the NFL teams that called me said that. And any team that thinks that clearly hasn’t done their research. He dealt with adversity at OU in a class way – came to SC – was a great player and was voted by his TEAMMATES as a captain…TWO YEARS IN A ROW. He’s a great person, great player and some team is getting a future starter today.”
ESPN broadcaster Molly McGrath also came to Rattler’s defense on social media.
“I hate this so much. Spencer has changed so much since high school and that experience made him a more self-aware, humble person. I guarantee 99% of people would regret how they looked if cameras followed them around in high school. Spencer is a good guy, great leader, and this whole narrative is BS.”
Rattler now has a golden opportunity to prove all the haters wrong … What more can you ask for???
He has a chance to learn and develop in a stabile organization behind veteran quarterback Derek Carr.
Who knows what the future holds, but he’s the one in control of it…
What are your thoughts on Rattler as a quarterback?
Were teams right to hold his behavior from “QB1” against him?
Did the Saints come away with one of the biggest steals of the draft?
Looking at the big picture, how do you envision Rattler’s career going???