Former USC LB Hayes Pullard writes open letter to NFL teams
Hayes Pullard is publicly making his case to NFL teams for selection in the NFL draft.
The former USC linebacker wrote a letter published on the Players' Tribune on Tuesday marketing himself to NFL teams.
Here's a sampling:
The NFL is a complex game and I pride myself on being an intelligent linebacker. In my four years of starting at USC, I played a lot of snaps against teams that relied on the speed option. This allowed me to develop great instincts for reading plays, as proven by the fact that I led the team in tackles three straight seasons. You can be the strongest and fastest guy in the world, but you’re not going to be able to do much on a football field if you don’t have a feel for the game. The ability to see a play unfold before it happens can’t be measured with a stopwatch or measuring stick, but you’ll notice it in the final score.
He even notes USC's defensive turnover in his four seasons with the school. While at USC, he had Monte Kiffin, Clancy Pendergast and Justin Wilcox as defensive coordinators. He cites the coaching changes as a strength, saying he's easily able to adapt to different defensive systems. He played both inside and outside in his USC career.
Pullard led USC in tackles last season with 95 and is projected as a late round pick if he's drafted at all.
Will the letter serve as the impetus for an NFL team to draft him? No, probably not, given that many teams have already established their needs and the players they're looking at. But the letter is certainly a unique marketing tool and makes Pullard more notable, which in this case isn't necessarily a bad thing. If he's not drafted, Pullard will likely be a highly-sought after free agent, so he shouldn't have any trouble finding a team.
For more USC news, visit TrojanSports.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
