In my research into Kevin Hogan, I discovered why he wasn't drafted higher. Although he started at Stanford for 3.5 years, and kicked everybody else's butts, and won his Bowl games, he was a "game manager".
He averaged only around 218 passing yards per-game thoughout his college carreer. Despite his 65-plus percent completion percentage and tying Jim Plunkett's 47 year-old (really? I'm that old?) run-yardage record, today's NFL scouts weren't impressed.
If you look at the top picks from every draft, let alone his own, NFL scouts look for 300-plus yards per game, along with a 65%-plus completion percentage, along with average yards per-attempt (long story: lots of college quarterbacks can dink and dunk, but yards per attempt separates the wheat from the chaff.)
However, Hogan's average yards per attempt was a little over 8.5, which was pretty damn good for 65%-plus completions. I suspect that the "NFL scouting community" (Andy Reid aside) whiffed on Kevin Hogan, because they were looking for more than 9 yards per-attempt and over 290 yards per-game.
The Chiefs drafted him in the fifth round because (I have discovered) Kevin Hogan is Alex Smith 2.0.
As if playing for Stanford wasn't enough, Hogan posted 38 in the Wonderlick. He is really, really SMART.
The Chiefs later released him. If you think that means he sucks, you are dumber than a bag of hammers. Don't make me go upside your brain again on this!
From his taking over (for the last five games) as a frosh at Stanford, he found ways to win, and came through in critical situations vs ranked teams and in bowl games.
Another oft-abused cliche I can't stand is "he's a winner", and a secondary one is "he's got 'it'", but once again, for Rodney Hoganfield, I have to use both of those. Kevin Hogan finds ways to win.
And yes, a much more apt comparison to Hogan than Brian Sipe is Alex Smith (aka Rodney Smithfield).
Right on the money, almost like Hogan is a Smith clone!
I'll buy that for a dollar! Hogan is a brain, accurate, conservative, a dual threat, and labelled a "game manager". He's about the same size as Smith too, but listen carefully:
Look at what Rodney Smithfield the "game manager" with "questionable arm-strength" is doing to the rest of the NFL RIGHT NOW.
This guy ALWAYS had a good arm! Alex Smith is a match for any quarterback in the NFL. Kevin Hogan has all the same tools, Hue Jackson coaching him, and (trust me) has already studied Smith's history, and will try to "skip some steps" to catch up to him.
If I were Rodney Hoganfield, I would reach out to Rodney Smithfield in search of advice. In fact, being a humble genius myself, I kinda assume he already has, and that Smith has gladly responded as a mentor.
But I digress: I was unable to dig up much on Kevin Hogan the person. The closest I got was this article, which again reminded me of Brian Sipe.
Based on what little I have to go on, Kevin Hogan is soft-spoken, thoughtful, "laid back", easy-going, almost detatched, and...just an "even keel" guy who never gets high or low...like oh, I don't know...Brian Sipe or Alex Smith.
Seriously, most of you don't get this, because you think quarterbacks are supposed to grab facemasks and yell at people or else they're sissies who can't lead.
Tom Brady fits your profile of a "leader". Ok. How 'bout either Manning, Rodgers, Brees, Smith 2017, or even Cam Newton?
Leadership comes in many forms, but most commonly, especially in sports, is by EXAMPLE.
Kevin Hogan already owns this team, because he has earned their respect. It would be a profound mistake for Hue Jackson not to start him this sunday. The whole team knows that Hogan is (for now) better than Kizer by a huge margin, and actually think they can beat the Texans if he...and not Kizer...starts.
Let's not get mystical here: This whole team, including the defense, knows that the quiet, unassuming Kevin Hogan gives them the best chance to win. All by itself, that makes him a "leader".
But I digress: My limitted research says this about Kevin Hogan:
1: He finds ways to win by any means neccessary.
1a: He has apparently never found a way to lose, since he was born.
2: He is smarter than your average bear.
3: He cares less about personal statistics than he does about winning.
4: He is extremely adaptable, and learns at lightspeed.
5: He brushes off setbacks; is unflappable and relentless...determined...can NOT be intimidated.
6: Did I mention how smart he was?
His grandfather and two uncles played high level college football; the uncles at Notre Dame...
The lack of internet info on this guy as a kid (superficial search here) is maddening to me. My search thus far has come up empty, but that's by my standards.
Anyway, Rodney Hoganfield looks to me like an extra-smart, extra-athletic, disciplined and determined middle-class kid who is not overly ambitious, greedy, or egotistical.
I believe that Kevin Hogan does love playing football, and that this is his "dream job", but that he had a "plan B", because he wasn't sure how that would work out.
I think Kevin might well have been even more shocked than many of you are that he played well as a rookie, and is (or gdammit should be) a starting NFL quarterback in his second season in the NFL.
I expect him to grab this opportunity by the horns, and to be pissed off, and determined to do what he's always done: WIN.
As I've stipulated, I think Watson and the Texans will probably beat him, but Kevin will give them hell, and might just upset them.
Sadly, unless the Hogan-led Browns do pull off that upset, everything Hogan does goes right down the terlet, and Hue Schottenheimer might bench him for DeShone Phipps...
Now, just imagine what could be if Hue Schottenheimer would run a zone-blocking scheme!
They might have been at or over .500 even with Kizer! They could be legitimate contenders right tf now...but noooo...
Gdammit
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