• Events
• Photo Sales
• Posters and Reprints
• Press Pass Card
• Reader Rewards e-Newsletter
• Newspaper in Education
• MyDFWstore.com

Posted on Fri, Apr. 25, 2008

It's not Blake's ability that scares NFL teams

By RAY BUCK

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

TCU defensive end Tommy Blake could be in for a rough weekend.

I hope not.

We should all pray -- for his sake -- that the sun comes up Monday morning and Blake belongs to an NFL team -- one willing to roll the dice, one willing to spend a second-day draft choice, that says, "Hey, you're not only welcome here -- you're wanted here."

There is no bigger mystery man in this draft than Tommy Blake.

He built an early résumé at TCU as a first-round talent... only to turn around his senior year and scare the bejabbers out of most NFL scouts with his "condition" -- clinical depression and a social anxiety disorder.

Blake isn't rated "high risk" because of a broken leg that mended crooked or a rap sheet longer than his coat sleeve.

Nope, it's far worse because NFL teams know so little about mental illness. It scares them.

An injury is tangible. You appoint an orthopedic surgeon to diagnose it. A police record is tangible. You investigate records or tiptoe around it or a little of both.

But most NFL teams don't have a clue about depression. The more Blake explains it, the more we all learn about it, the more of a red flag it seems to become, and that's sad.

Now we're told that pressure can trigger depression. Oh, great. What's the NFL Draft to a young man coming out of college with first-round potential and a low-round (or no-round) projection other than pressure and anxiety?

"Great question, but I'd better pass," said ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen when asked about Blake on a Tuesday conference call.

Ron Jaworski, ESPN's Monday Night Football and draft analyst, says mental illness is frightful to NFL teams accustomed to textbook calculations from scouts, coaches and friends of scouts and coaches.

Said Jaws: "Clinical depression is something we're all somewhat unfamiliar in evaluating, as far as how that will impact a player in the National Football League."

ESPN's E:60 ( www.e60.com) this week devoted eight minutes to Blake's Aug. 14 walkout on his team, how he returned and eventually played, albeit "slower and heavier."

Blake and his sister spoke candidly on-camera. The segment was tastefully done without skirting key issues.

At the NFL Scouting Combine two months ago, Blake underwent hospital tests while other players did interviews.

Inquiring minds wanted to know if he enjoys football. Or might he walk out on his next team?

At TCU's Pro Day on March 6, Blake appeared lean and mean, and lit up the workout with his desire to play at the next level. Still, it's his word now against his actions last summer.

One psychologist -- speaking in general, not specifically about Blake's case -- told E:60: "[Depression] is biologically based. It has to do with changes in brain chemistry," then added that pressure can trigger depression.

Here's wishing Tommy Blake makes it through the weekend.