Future NFL Stud WR
Chris Conley
Before my friend Kevin Weakley got me thinking about Georgia Bulldog wide receiver Chris Conley’s performance at the NFL Combine, I probably would have said “Star Wars” if pressed for one word or phrase to describe this most impressive young man.
Conley is bright, articulate, and extremely talented — a young man as famous for his directorial skills and devotion to the Star Wars movie series as for his achievements on the football field.
Another word that comes to mind when thinking about how best to describe Chris Conley is underappreciated.
During his four years in Athens, the “worst” play I can remember Conley making was a pass he actually caught — the last second, deflected pass from Aaron Murray in the 2012 a few yards short of the goal line. It was hardly Conley’s fault — a wide receiver’s natural instinct is to catch any ball thrown in his direction.
I know this, because I was once a slow, very short receiver. But I had good hands. Based on personal experience, I believe it’s very safe to say in the same situation, I would have caught the ball, too.
Only a human brain that could process information as fast as a computer would have been able to analyze that situation and determine the best option was to knock down the ball instead of catching it. Because I’m not ready to declare Chris Conley to be superhuman, I’m not ready to say he should have known better than to catch that pass. It would have been one of the few he dropped over his career that I can remember, because Chris Conley was known for being reliable.
Our “speed burner” receivers who stretched the field were supposed to be Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley. Both young men are exceptionally fast; it’s true.
However, our “possession” receiver who most reliably helped the offense move the sticks, allegedly the third fastest Bulldog receiver, ran a sizzling 4.35 forty yard dash at the Combine, the third fastest time recorded for any wide receiver there.
But that wasn’t all.
As Kevin reminded me, only 300 college players are invited to the NFL Combine each year, almost 10,000 total participants since the event began in 1982.
On the standing vertical leap, Conley jumped higher than any other wide receiver in the history of the Combine, 45 inches. Only one other player, a safety, has ever jumped higher.
Conley’s broad jump of 11 feet, 7 inches was also the best for any wide receiver and tied the Combine record for any player at any position.
The Force was indeed strong in this one.
Conley’s performance at the Combine was so impressive, my friend Kevin got worried. He thinks some UGA fans will complain that Mark Richt failed to push Conley to achieve his full potential while playing between the hedges in Sanford stadium.
Sometimes, I think Kevin worries too much. Conley had to share the ball with several other outstanding WRs, several outstanding TEs, and a stable of running backs that included the likes of Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb, Keith Marshall, and Sony Michel.
Bulldog fans are going to need a better descriptor for this now-former Bulldog great — future NFL All Pro wide receiver.
Never would have guessed you played football, John. You are a bundle of surprises.