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Shunned by NFL, Texas Tech's Harrell heads to Canada - NCAA Football Sports News
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Texas Tech Red Raiders
Location: Lubbock, Tex. | Founded: 1923 | Enrollment: 28,001 | Colors: Scarlet and Black | Stadium: Jones AT&T
Capacity: 53,000 | Coach: Mike Leach

Record: (7-4, 4-3 Big 12)
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Shunned by NFL, Texas Tech's Harrell heads to Canada

REGINA, Saskatchewan -- Graham Harrell is headed to the CFL.

The record-setting Texas Tech quarterback signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday.

Harrell is the NCAA Division I career leader in touchdown passes but wasn't drafted by the NFL. His workout with the Cleveland Browns did not result in a contract.

Harrell had to fight the perception that his numbers were the product of Texas Tech's offensive system and he didn't have the arm strength to succeed in the NFL.

The Roughriders are already two games into their season and have three quarterbacks on their roster. Their starter is former North Carolina quarterback Darian Durant, who had only four career CFL starts coming into the season.

Copyright 2009 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
 
 

Red Raiders Headlines
Talk Back
Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Nov 8, 2006

July 16, 2009 3:13 pm
Quarterbacks that come from the spread option attack never make it in the NFL.  It's interesting, because other system quarterbacks, such as scramblers and option quarterbacks, have made the transition.  But check out this list:

Texas Tech.  In addition to Graham Harrell, they have had B.J. Symons (7th round) and Kliff Kingsbury (6th round) drafted.  Sonny Cumbi
...(more)
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Aug 24, 2008

July 16, 2009 7:34 pm
Let me ask you this....after seeing what happened to Graham Harrell, if you were a stud high school QB , would you go to Texas Tech?  Now the offensive system that Texas Tech runs is to blame. You can set records in the NCAA and be a dominant QB but you won't go to the NFL. That really hurts Texas Tech.  I would select another school. Thoughts?  &n ...(more)
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:May 1, 2009

July 16, 2009 7:26 pm
The CFL is like the minor leagues of football with thier own set of rules. However if he does well over the next couple of years Im sure an NFL team will take a gamble on him.
Reputation:72
Level:Pro
Since:Jan 30, 2007

July 17, 2009 12:34 pm
I honeslty think the Riders are fine with who they have as their QB, I think this move was done more for trade value, as far as Harrell in the CFL? He is taylor made for this league, and this crap about lack of arm strength? Let me tell you, if he doesn't have the arm strength there is no way he will succed up here, that 65 yard wide field is even bigger if you don't have the strength to get ...(more)
Reputation:93
Level:All-Star
Since:Sep 22, 2008

July 17, 2009 7:46 am
      I watched this kid all year and he has the makings of a superstar, maybe I'm wrong, i have been before.  I am not a Texas fan, I usually root against any Texas team being from the NorthEast.  What i saw from this kid last season was nothing less then spectacular.  He made all of his recievers look good.  He continuously delivered the ball to the s ...(more)
Reputation:98
Level:Superstar
Since:Apr 30, 2007

July 17, 2009 11:04 am
This is a prime example where stats can be misleading and only one part of assessing talent.  I am not demeaning the talents of this young man, but clearly stats can only take you so far.  I also would not be surprised to see this guy in the NFL in the short future...
Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Sep 6, 2006

July 16, 2009 8:39 pm
So what was it that didn't enamor him to the NFL??? Was it his inability to read pro defenses? Didn't he have the arm strength? Couldn't he bench press 225lbs. enough???

Maybe he just didn't live up to the pre draft "grades" that went out to Tim Couch, Ryan Leaf, Jamarcus Russel, and Vince Young.

The NFL is BULLS***!!!

Wanna let the kid play and the
...(more)
Reputation:95
Level:Superstar
Since:Mar 10, 2009

July 16, 2009 2:57 pm
Or something else that shied away teams from Harrell. I know the story brings up his am strength (or lack thereof for the nfl), but I just can't help but think there's more to it than just those two reasons. Colt Brennan had the same " product of a system " hanging over his head, yet he's in Washington, and being called by some fans as their " future " at that position (I' ...(more)
Reputation:99
Level:Superstar
Since:Sep 6, 2007

July 16, 2009 2:56 pm
i still am amazed that no team took a flier on harell during the draft. yes texas tech played in a spread offense. but they also played in one of the toughest confrences in football and the man was money all year long, breaking records left and right. oh ya and there is the minor discrepancy that michael crabtree played in the same offense! and was still a top 10 pick in the draft. how does he not ...(more)
Reputation:95
Level:Superstar
Since:Oct 19, 2006

July 16, 2009 10:14 pm
If he was SEC,  he would have went to the NFL, but since he was in a joke of a college confrence, he went to Canada. Thats just the way it is. If you want an education go to college, if you want the NFL, and an education go to the SEC! Nuff Said!
Reputation:94
Level:All-Star
Since:Nov 18, 2006

July 19, 2009 12:27 am
He was snubbed for being undersized, then did very well in the CFL. Then he came back to the NFL and did decent work for quite a few years. Harrell could do worse than follow that path; or, for that matter, Jeff Garcia.
Reputation:92
Level:All-Star
Since:Mar 14, 2008

July 16, 2009 5:20 pm
Texas Tech was a much better team than our team here in Reno Nevada, but we managed to keep it pretty close with them. It was mostly because of the poor play of this guy. He had an insane amount of time to throw and our db's were getting smoked! He underthrew a couple for sure touchdown passes and also threw some very inaccurate passes that lead to int's. We were lucky he was playing the QB positi ...(more)
Reputation:97
Level:Superstar
Since:Sep 30, 2008

July 17, 2009 9:41 am
I mean, there're a lot of teams that need a QB and Graham Harrell could be that QB of the future. I think that that team would be (even though I hate them) the Vikings. Yeah, I know they will probably get Favre (that trader), but he will only be there for 1 year IF he goes. Then who do they have? Sage Rosenfels, Tavaris Jackson. Who the hell are they?!?!?!

Harrell has a great arm. He a
...(more)
Reputation:91
Level:All-Star
Since:Feb 16, 2009

July 16, 2009 4:11 pm
Note:  I'm not trying to be provocative, I'm genuinely trying to get a list of quarterbacks that ran a spread/option or something similiar in college and successfully transitioned to a pro offense in the NFL --OR-- sucessfully ran a similiar offense in the NFL.  Also, I'm wondering if the west coast offense should be included in the list.
Reputation:84
Level:All-Star
Since:Nov 6, 2006

July 16, 2009 3:48 pm
This may also be an opportunity for him to showcase his talents and prove some doubters wrong about arm strength.  Even if he doesn't make it to the NFL, he may be extremely successful in Canada.  Doug Flutie and Warren Moon are two examples of QB's that went North and came back eventually to the NFL to have long and productive careers (in Moon's case, HOF career).  Go North Graham, ...(more)
 
 
 
 
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