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Gosselin: Why pro prospect Joe Cardona would be wise to touch base with Cowboys special teams coach at combine
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Published: 20 February 2015 07:24 PM
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 19: Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham of Oklahoma and formerly of Missouri speaks to the media during the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 19, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS — When you are one of the 300-plus players invited to the NFL combine, it’s reasonable to assume pro football is in your future.
And Joe Cardona certainly hopes it’s in his.
But it may not be in Cardona’s immediate future — not with a five-year military service commitment looming upon his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy this spring.
So the Navy deep snapper would be wise to look up Cowboys special teams coach Rich Bisaccia during his stay at the combine.
When it comes to the service academies, the Cowboys lead the league in patience.
In the game’s modern era (since 1960), only 20 players have been drafted from the service academies. The wait can be daunting for any team in a win-now league. A player who may look like a prospect on draft day may not be that same player years down the road when his military commitment expires.
Of those 20 draft picks, only 13 suited up for an NFL game. Of those 13, only four started at least 100 NFL games — and two of them played for the Cowboys.
In 1964, the Cowboys invested a 10th-round draft pick in Navy Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach. The Cowboys then waited five years for Staubach to serve his military commitment. When he finally arrived in their offensive huddle in 1969, the Cowboys were rewarded with a Hall of Fame quarterback.
“He’s the best player to ever come out of Navy,” Cardona said. “He’s an NFL legend. He’s definitely an inspiration to all of us playing there, someone we idolize and look up to with his successes on and off the field.”
In 1988, the Cowboys invested an 11th-round draft pick in Air Force Outland Trophy winner Chad Hennings. The Cowboys then waited four years for Hennings to serve his military commitment. When he finally arrived in 1992, the Cowboys were rewarded with a valuable member of a defensive line rotation that helped bring three Lombardi trophies to Valley Ranch.
Jameis Winston is the best quarterback in this draft, Melvin Gordon the best running back, Amari Cooper the best wide receiver, Trae Waynes the best cornerback ... and Joe Cardona the best deep snapper.
Cardona was invited to the Senior Bowl and was the only deep snapper invited to the combine. He also was the only member of the three service academies invited to this NFL job fair.
“This is a tremendous opportunity,” Cardona said. “I’m very grateful for the chance to come here and compete. It’s a tremendous opportunity for me to showcase what I’ve worked so hard for.”
But his immediate future remains cloudy. There is a chance, however, that his military commitment could be shortened.
According to a naval spokesman, graduates must serve two years and then can apply to the secretary of the Navy to have the remaining three years doubled to six — time that could then be served in the reserves. The exemption is decided on a case-by-case basis based on “special talents,” and on whether the secretary believes those talents would benefit the Navy by letting him perform both.
Playing in the NFL would qualify as a special talent. Ben Garland has been a beneficiary of a similar exemption from the Air Force Academy and spent his rookie season with the Denver Broncos in 2014.
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Published: 20 February 2015 07:24 PM
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/incoming/20150220-463861440_42340619.jpg.ece/BINARY/w940/463861440_42340619.JPG
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 19: Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham of Oklahoma and formerly of Missouri speaks to the media during the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 19, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS — When you are one of the 300-plus players invited to the NFL combine, it’s reasonable to assume pro football is in your future.
And Joe Cardona certainly hopes it’s in his.
But it may not be in Cardona’s immediate future — not with a five-year military service commitment looming upon his graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy this spring.
So the Navy deep snapper would be wise to look up Cowboys special teams coach Rich Bisaccia during his stay at the combine.
When it comes to the service academies, the Cowboys lead the league in patience.
In the game’s modern era (since 1960), only 20 players have been drafted from the service academies. The wait can be daunting for any team in a win-now league. A player who may look like a prospect on draft day may not be that same player years down the road when his military commitment expires.
Of those 20 draft picks, only 13 suited up for an NFL game. Of those 13, only four started at least 100 NFL games — and two of them played for the Cowboys.
In 1964, the Cowboys invested a 10th-round draft pick in Navy Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach. The Cowboys then waited five years for Staubach to serve his military commitment. When he finally arrived in their offensive huddle in 1969, the Cowboys were rewarded with a Hall of Fame quarterback.
“He’s the best player to ever come out of Navy,” Cardona said. “He’s an NFL legend. He’s definitely an inspiration to all of us playing there, someone we idolize and look up to with his successes on and off the field.”
In 1988, the Cowboys invested an 11th-round draft pick in Air Force Outland Trophy winner Chad Hennings. The Cowboys then waited four years for Hennings to serve his military commitment. When he finally arrived in 1992, the Cowboys were rewarded with a valuable member of a defensive line rotation that helped bring three Lombardi trophies to Valley Ranch.
Jameis Winston is the best quarterback in this draft, Melvin Gordon the best running back, Amari Cooper the best wide receiver, Trae Waynes the best cornerback ... and Joe Cardona the best deep snapper.
Cardona was invited to the Senior Bowl and was the only deep snapper invited to the combine. He also was the only member of the three service academies invited to this NFL job fair.
“This is a tremendous opportunity,” Cardona said. “I’m very grateful for the chance to come here and compete. It’s a tremendous opportunity for me to showcase what I’ve worked so hard for.”
But his immediate future remains cloudy. There is a chance, however, that his military commitment could be shortened.
According to a naval spokesman, graduates must serve two years and then can apply to the secretary of the Navy to have the remaining three years doubled to six — time that could then be served in the reserves. The exemption is decided on a case-by-case basis based on “special talents,” and on whether the secretary believes those talents would benefit the Navy by letting him perform both.
Playing in the NFL would qualify as a special talent. Ben Garland has been a beneficiary of a similar exemption from the Air Force Academy and spent his rookie season with the Denver Broncos in 2014.
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