Fresh off his prolific college career at the University of Toledo, Bryant Koback did not need any more motivation as he sets off in pursuit of his NFL dream.
But another splash of fuel on the fire never hurts.
And, yep, he got just that last week.
When the NFL announced the 324 players invited to its annual scouting combine, Koback was not on the list.
How to explain it? You can’t.
Take this blind resume comparison of the stats last year of two draft-eligible Division I running backs:
Player A: 167 carries, 647 yards, 3.9 yards per attempt, five touchdowns; 13 catches, 25 yards, no touchdowns.
Player B: 208 carries, 1,400 yards, 6.73 yards per attempt, 15 touchdowns; 30 catches, 334 yards, three touchdowns.
Player A, the starting running back for Rutgers, was invited to the combine. Player B is Koback.
Now, we’re not suggesting that anyone else is undeserving.
But to say the Rutgers guy — who, for the record, did not return punts or kickoffs, either — and 35 other running backs are more deserving than Koback is a slap in the face to Koback, Toledo, and any measure of logic.
Unless production doesn’t matter, it makes no sense.
Among feature backs (minimum carries: 190), the 6-foot, 210-pound Koback led the nation in yards per rush last season, and, underscoring his vision and explosion, was second in both runs of at least 10 yards (46) and 50 yards (four).
If the competition level is a concern, consider how he fared at top-10 Notre Dame — 20 carries, 114 yards — or stacks up against the great Toledo running backs of the past generation, from Wasean Tait to Chester Taylor to Kareem Hunt.
No Toledo running back used as much as Koback has ever averaged more yards per carry in a season, and, in the past 71 years, only Hunt averaged more, period.
In 2014, Hunt had 1,631 yards on 205 carries for an incredible 7.96 yards per rush. The next two seasons at UT, he averaged 5.5 yards and 5.6 yards, respectively, then went on to lead the NFL in rushing his rookie year in Kansas City.
All of which is to say Koback will be just fine, combine invite or not.
“It’s strict motivation to me,” he said by phone from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he’s training for Toledo’s pro day March 21. “I’ve always kind of been the underdog, so I just use it as motivation and keep moving forward. It’s something in the back of my head, when things get hard, it’s another ‘why’ that [drives me]. It’s another opportunity, and it just means my pro day means that much more. I’m ready to go into pro day and kill it and let everything fall where it’s supposed to. Everything happens for a reason.”
Well said.
The rest of us can wonder about those reasons, and note the pandemic-created logjam that has conspired against all prospects this year.
“The problem is the opposite of last year,” said Tony Pauline, a draft analyst for Pro Football Network, who has Koback as his No. 30 running back. “Last year, you didn’t have enough guys on the board, because you had so many guys going back to take a second senior season. Now, you have the seniors this year plus the guys who went back to school. There’s an overload.”
Koback, though, isn’t worried about the odds.
The Springfield graduate has too much to offer, as he showed in four years at Toledo — reminder: if not for the abridged pandemic season, Koback (4,026 rushing yards) might have given Hunt (4,945 yards) a run as the Rockets’ career rushing leader — and has continued to display on the all-star circuit. He was an MVP of the Hula Bowl in Orlando, Fla., then led all rushers with 58 yards on 14 carries at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., two weeks later.
For the MBA-pursuing, two-time team captain — who is also the exact kind of person and teammate you would want on your team — the months to come are but another proving ground.
“In my humble opinion, he’ll make an NFL roster and make an NFL team very happy,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said. “He’s a guy who has a chance to be on the field on all three downs. That’s not a common thing anymore. That’s hard to find. He can pass protect on third down, catch the ball out of the backfield, and run it the way he runs it. He’s also a guy who can play on the kicking units, which is a major plus.”
On what planet is a player like that overlooked by the selection committee in charge of combine invites? Again, great question.
It’s also one that Koback isn’t sweating.
“You can't be mad at anybody or anything,” he said.
No, he’s too busy running down his NFL dream.
Here’s looking forward to watching him catch it.
“Football has been a blessing,” Koback said, “and I’m excited and looking forward to what’s to come.”
First Published February 15, 2022, 8:12 p.m.
