Former NFL TE says Commanders safety is an athletic 'freak'

USA Today

02-07-2025

So you think you could play in the NFL?
Former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen and Craig Hoffman engaged in a conversation on their latest edition of the "Take Command" podcast, discussing the athleticism of NFL players.
Paulsen mentioned the Commanders' rookie undrafted safety last year, Tyler Owens. "He's a freak, right?" said Paulsen. Logan then told of how, though Owens is a physical specimen, he last year only saw action for the most part on special teams. "He's a special-teams backup because he lacks some of that football intuition right now. Can you learn it? Sure. Can you develop it? For certain. I think that is where the starting players are special."
Paulsen broke out and told an old story about how one of his NFL tight end coaches had used a grading system for players for about a decade. The coach graded all but two players as green athletically and had two players whom he graded down athletically as red. The coach was talking with Paulsen one day, conveying to him that in the decade, he had only graded two of his tight ends in the red. Paulsen, curious, asked, only to be surprised to find out he himself was one of the two!
When Paulsen was asked one time to join a bunch of athletic guys in a game of flag football. They could not believe all of the plays that Paulsen was making, such as touchdowns and an interception. Afterward, one of the guys told Paulsen that he viewed him as an NFL scrub, and now he marveled because Paulsen had just proven he was much more athletic than all the other guys playing.
Do you remember Brian Scalabrine? He was a mere role player, spending 11 NBA seasons on the bench. Those who played basketball in high school might view themselves as athletic. Still, they have no idea of the numerous levels of basketball players who have played in college, some of whom made it to the NBA, some were starters, some were All-Stars, and even fewer were superstars.
Scalabrine was criticized by someone who was clueless and had no comprehension of the many levels of athleticism out there, and Scalabrine responded, "I'm way closer to LeBron than you are to me."
The same holds true in every sport; the golfers, swimmers, basketball players, football players, and tennis pros you see on television are far better than anyone you have most likely seen in person in your respective sport.