After he was carted off the field strapped to a stretcher following an injury in a game against the Giants earlier this season, one would think that Lions’ linebacker Zack Follett would be sensitive when it came to talking about player injuries. One would think…
When asked what he thinks of Matthew Stafford in a recently interview with ESPN Radio 1430 AM, Follett called his quarterback a “china doll.”
From the Detroit Free Press:
“Stafford, good guy,” Follett said. “He’s a china doll right now. Anytime he gets hit, he goes down. But the kid is — hopefully, it’s just patiently waiting for him, because the kid is an awesome talent. He has a tremendous arm. The throws that he makes during practice when no one can touch him, he looks like an All-American quarterback, but put him in a game, and you hit his shoulder. So hopefully, say a couple prayers, keep him healthy next year, and the Lions can do some damage in the NFC.”
As usual when it comes to controversial comments, I wonder if we’re getting the full context of the interview. If we are, then I wonder why a player (a former seventh round draft pick who hasn’t done squat in the league, no less) who ended the season on IR would throw his quarterback under the bus like that. Did Follett compliment Stafford? Yeah, he basically said that Stafford is an amazing talent and can make all the throws in practice when nobody is trying to defend him. That’s like saying a student is a great test taker when he’s at home and can look up the answers in the back of the book.
That said, it’s not like Follett didn’t speak the truth. Some fans are always saying how they’d wish athletes were more honest and say what’s really on their minds, and that’s what Follett did. Stafford has missed more games (19) than he’s played (13) in his first two NFL seasons, so it’s not a stretch to call him call him injury prone.
But again, if you’re a seventh round draft pick that wasn’t playing very well before you suffered a horrific season-ending injury, then just keep your mouth shut. What has Follett done to earn the right to call Stafford a “china doll?”
