Stafford undaunted by past Lions’ QB woes

http://www.ajc.com/uga/content/sports/uga/stories/2009/02/19/stafford_nfl_draft_lions.html

Detroit — Matthew Stafford knows what it would mean if the Lions draft him first overall April 25. He knows about Bobby Layne.

And he is undaunted.

“I know about the curse,” Stafford said Tuesday in a phone interview from Phoenix, where he has been training since leaving Georgia after his junior season. “I know he went to my high school. I know it all, man.

“It’s crazy. It really is weird to think about. It’s kind of a cool irony, I guess, that it could happen.”

Layne led the Lions during their glory years in the 1950s. But they traded him to Pittsburgh in ‘58, and he supposedly said they wouldn’t win for 50 years. They have had one playoff victory and one Pro Bowl quarterback since.

Now, 51 years later, the Lions are coming off the NFL’s first 0-16 season. Before he was even hired, their new coach, Jim Schwartz, cracked in a news conference: “It’s probably time to find a replacement for Bobby Layne.”

And here comes Stafford, who went to Dallas’ Highland Park High, the alma mater of Layne and Doak Walker, another Lions Hall of Famer from the 1950s.

Many mock drafts have Stafford going to Detroit first overall. It isn’t because of the Layne thing. It’s because analysts rank Stafford as the best quarterback available and the Lions need a QB for the future.

Still, doesn’t it seem like destiny?

“I don’t know if it’s destiny, but I’d love to have the opportunity to be a Lion, for sure,” Stafford said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me. It could work out in the end, for sure.”

The Lions have already called. While Stafford and Lions general manager Martin Mayhew were in Tampa for Super Bowl XLIII, Mayhew played phone tag with Stafford’s father, trying to find a time when they could meet. They never connected.

But they will at the NFL scouting combine in the coming days. Stafford expects to have more than the normal interview with the Lions.

“I’m definitely going to try to make as much time as possible for them,” Stafford said.

Schwartz said interviewing Stafford will be “a group effort.” It will involve everyone from Mayhew and Schwartz to likely offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and quarterbacks coach Jeff Horton.

The Lions must vet potential No. 1 picks carefully. Whomever they choose, he likely will receive around $30 million guaranteed and become a cornerstone of the franchise.

“I think when you talk about the slot there and how much money it’s going to take and things like that, yeah, it is a different animal,” Schwartz said. “I’ve said before, we want to make sure we get the right person there, not necessarily lock in to a particular position.”

Stafford said he just wants to be honest and be himself.

“I want to win and do anything that it takes to get the job done,” he said. “I think in the end the stat that matters for the quarterback the most is the wins and what he can do to help his team around him. That’s the job of a quarterback, and that’s something that I pride myself in being pretty good at.”

If money weren’t an issue, would Stafford rather be the No. 1 pick, go to a team like the Lions and deal with the enormous pressure, or would he rather go a little later to an established team with a better chance to succeed?

“Truthfully, I’m a competitive person,” Stafford said. “I really do love a challenge, and I would love to have a chance to be the No. 1 pick and coming to Detroit and trying something new.”

Former Cowboys personnel executive Gil Brandt, who lives about three blocks from Stafford’s Dallas home, said: “He can handle the pressure, I’ll tell you that. He reminds you a lot of Layne in that he’s not a stiff, rigid guy. He’s just a good guy.”

But ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said Stafford is not a “super elite” prospect, even though he could go No. 1. Kiper praises Stafford’s arm strength but criticizes his inconsistency.

Stafford plans to do drills like the 40-yard dash and vertical leap at the combine, but not throw.

“I really don’t know how much that’s going to help my stock, to tell you the truth,” Stafford said. “From what I hear, it’s only about 15, 20 throws, and teams never really get to get a good look at how a guy can make NFL throws.

“A lot of it’s stationary targets and things like that, and I want people to understand that I can make all the throws when the bullets are flying and guys are running around.”

Stafford will throw at Georgia’s pro day March 19. He said if the Lions want a private workout, he would love to throw for them, too.

Layne and Walker have memorials honoring them at Highland Park High. Stafford?

“No,” he said, laughing. “Not yet.”