In about ten days, 31 NFL teams will look at ILB Michael Mauti, and they will be blinded by knees that are seemingly composed of fresh jello. At least half of the league’s coaches and general managers have already erased Mauti’s name from their draft boards. That’s what happens when a player tears his ACL a whopping three times in five seasons of playing football. However, it will only take one team to see past the risks and focus on the improbable three comebacks from an injury that is known as a football player’s worst nightmare.

Now, before indulging further, I must admit I know Michael and his family personally. But writing this feature was not asked of me, nor is it expected by anyone in any way. To be objective, I think it’s only fair to start with a strictly on-field evaluation.

Before we do, it’s absolutely worth mentioning that there are currently four inside linebackers that are projected to be first round picks (or early second rounders at the latest):

• Manti Teo (Notre Dame)
• Kevin Minter (LSU)
• Alec Ogletree (UGA)
• Arthur Brown (K-State)

With that in mind, let’s first take a look at Mauti’s NFL “measureables.” Mauti was listed at 6’2, 243 at the NFL combine, just two inches shorter and 7 pounds lighter than the tallest and heaviest inside linebackers there. He has ideal size for an ILB in any scheme, and he may be versatile enough to play weakside linebacker in a 4-3. Don’t blame his fragile knees on a bad work ethic. Mauti definitely spent his fair share of time in the weight room. His 28 reps (of 225 pounds) on the bench press were three more than any other linebacker in this year’s class.

EDITOR’S NOTE: For those interested, I’m stoked when I get four reps. So from normal guy’s perspective, 28 reps seems ridiculous and practically inhuman. 

Mauti is bigger than Manti Teo, Arthur Brown and Kevin Minter, and he has identical measureables to Alec Ogletree. His 32.50 inch arm span is longer than Teo and Minter’s. And there’s a good chance that, when healthy, Mauti runs faster ’40 times than Minter (4.81) and Teo (4.82) as well.

It’s strange to think that if it weren’t for two or three unlucky plays… a freak accident or two… Mauti could very well be considered in that top tier with the aforementioned early-round prospects. Mauti was putting together an extremely impressive senior campaign (96 tackles, four for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three interceptions) before tearing his right ACL again against Indiana.

I’ve watched a lot of film on this year’s ILB class in preparation for the draft this April. I’ve seen at least 500 cut-up snaps of the four big names in this year’s class. I mentioned in my mock draft that I found three of the four potential first rounders to be highly overrated by the media (with the lone exception of Arthur Brown, who I think will be a stud). Kevin Minter is my second ranked ILB in this year’s draft class. But after watching tape of Minter, and then a healthy Mauti… the tape doesn’t lie; there’s little difference between the two, if at all.

After reviewing the film, these are the notes of the honest evaluation I’ve come away with:

STRENGTHS:

• Size – isn’t overmatched at point of attack
• Physicality – can shed blockers and get through clutter
• Instincts – reads, reacts and diagnoses plays well
• Leadership – loves and understands the game
• Tackling – wraps up, solid technique

WEAKNESSES:

• Athleticism – lacks NFL athleticism, could be overmatched at times
• Explosiveness – first step sometimes quick, but because of feel, not burst
• Speed – sideline-to-sideline range was solid in college, decent at best in NFL
• Injury History – more so than any draft prospect

Overall, I was very impressed watching Mauti’s cut-ups. His best case reminds me of Zach Thomas, the former Pro Bowl middle linebacker for the Miami Dolphins. Thomas was a little smaller than Mauti. He clocked in with a 4.78 ’40 time years ago, and he was thought of to be a little slow and unathletic by NFL standards. But Thomas was an extremely tough competitor who had great instincts and an incredible nose for the football, similar to Mauti. Thomas was a tackling machine that could end up in the Dolphins’ Hall of Fame. Growing up, I drafted him yearly in my fantasy football leagues when individual defensive players were beginning to become an option. I loved watching Thomas play; he was always near the football. What’s more: the Dolphins drafted him in the 5th round of the NFL draft, which is about where Mauti is projected to go.

NFL Network’s premier draft analyst, Mike Mayock had this to say when evaluating Mauti’s draft stock: “He’s coming off a season-ending knee injury, which has prevented him from working out for teams and that has hurt his stock. But he’s a good player. He can play inside or “WILL.” Most teams I talked to about him talk about playing him inside. If he went in the fourth or fifth round, that would be real solid for him.”

A lot of teams, fans and media members will write Mauti off as an NFL prospect because of his sketchy knees; many believe there’s a slim chance he’ll even be drafted. But chances are that skeptics will be proven wrong. Again.

The reality of the situation is that although it’s a tough business decision for teams to take such a medical risk, it could certainly pay off in the end. Mauti actually has a lot more going for him than most prospects in this year’s class.

For one, he attended Penn. State, which is known as “Linebacker U.” NFL scouts love Penn St. linebackers because they are typically well-coached, discipline players with outstanding work ethics. They also have a strong recent track record in the NFL. In the last six years, a whopping four Penn St. linebackers start at ILB for NFL teams. The impressive list includes Sean Lee (DAL), Paul Posluszny (JAX), Navarro Bowman (SF), and Dan Connor (NYG). Each player was drafted in rounds 2-3.

Not only is Mauti one of the most mature, and toughest players in nation, he’s one of the country’s best leaders.

Mauti’s career at Penn St. was about overcoming adversity, both on and off the field. Mauti was forced to deal with the Penn State scandal, in which assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was found guilty of molesting children in Penn State locker rooms, and the most respected head coach Joe Paterno in the land was accused of hiding the information for years. Penn St. received harsh penalties from the NCAA and an overwhelming amount of negative publicity, fueled by a ridiculous amount of media coverage. Mauti faced a tough situation and stepped up in a major way, acting as the team’s senior spokesman in the face of hundreds of tough media questions and harsh interviews. Mauti handled himself with perfect poise, answering seemingly every question perfectly, shedding a glimmer of positive light on a terrible situation. When legendary Joe Paterno died shortly after, it made the process even more difficult. Mauti spoke at his memorial service as the team captain. It’s worth a watch because it shows the type of guy Mauti is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZISNXwC_eo

He comes from a football family stacked with athletes. His mother, Nancy once ran the New York Marathon, and his sister, Rachel, started for ULL’s volleyball team. His older brother Patrick was a special teams stud at Penn State. And as many already know, his father, Rich, played rugby and football for Penn St. Rich also played seven seasons in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins (totaling 21 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns and averaging 8.1 yards per punt return, 22.8 on kickoffs), per NFL.com.

Michael was raised in a small town called Mandeville. His family is very involved in the community, and I can attest to how caring and genuinely awesome they are. The Rich Mauti Tennis Tournament is held annually at Stone Creek, the nicest sports facility the Mandeville area has to offer. Thousands attend the event every year, and the tournament has helped raised A LOT of money for cancer research. More importantly, in terms of NFL draft stock, Rich and Nancy have raised Michael to stay out of trouble. Rather than frequenting bars, casinos and the like, he’s constantly studying, watching film, in the weight room, and unfortunately rehabbing… harder than anyone can imagine.

Mauti’s teammates respect him, even mentioning that Michael spent his time coaching up the younger defensive players while he was hurt. He’s a team-player. He’s a leader. And he has a work ethic that is second to none. To prove how motivated he is to make his third comeback, Mauti wrote a handwritten letter to every single NFL general manager about how much football means to him.

Seeing as I get tired after writing about two graduation thank-you cards, most general managers had to come away impressed.

Mauti has had visits with many teams so far, including a dinner with the Saints. But the Pittsburgh Steelers have shown the most interest in Mauti thus far. The Saints are a nice fit, as they continue to try to beef up their defense with high-character, team-leading guys in an effort to garner a more positive reputation for Roger Goodell after the bounty scandal. Plus, he’s a local kid, and ILB depth is a need for the team.

Sitting in the same section as the Mauti’s family in the Superdome, it would amazing to see Michael suit up in black and gold, representing Mandeville in such an incredible way.

The Steelers also make a lot of sense because defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau and head coach Mike Tomlin always pursue hard-nosed linebackers who are passionate about the game and love to hit. ILB Larry Foote is entering his final season, and a healthy Mauti could be groomed as an ideal replacement.

No matter what happens, one lucky team will see that although Mauti has grazed knees, he has the heart of a lion.

And even though 31 teams will pass on Mauti because of his injury history, it only takes one courageous team to make the other 31 teams regret it on Sunday.

…

Best of luck, Michael!

-The B.E.S.T. team.

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*Photo Credit: BigStory – AP

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Categories: NFL Feature Stories, The NFL Draft

Tags: michael mauti, michael mauti penn state, michael mauti sleeper