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Thurman's risk outweighed reward
Linebacker dazzled as a Bengals rookie before off-field issues caught up with him.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
CINCINNATI — To NFL scouts, Odell Thurman's pro potential coming out of the University of Georgia in 2005 was as dangerous as it was delicious.
He was a 6-foot, 240-pound stick of human dynamite who ran fast, jumped high and hit ferociously hard.
Extras
But his list of off-the-field transgressions in college was almost as long as his list of football accomplishments. And because of it, he was branded:
"High risk. High reward."
Never has a player worn a label so well.
Thurman got thrown off Georgia's team in 2002 for his involvement in a bar fight. He was admitted back in December 2003, but was suspended the first three games of 2004 because of a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.
Nevertheless, the Bengals were willing to accept the risk, selecting Thurman in the second round of the NFL Draft (No. 48 overall).
"He's had a nick in his armor, but he seemed to overcome it," coach Marvin Lewis said on April 23, 2005. "That's always a concern. He had to go the hard way a little bit. I think he learned some lessons.
"He's a great player," Lewis added that day. "He plays blocks very, very well, and is an effective blitzer with just great athleticism and explosion. You like the look in his eyes. He's got a look of determination."
The gamble paid immediate dividends. But over time, the stock fell and eventually crashed.
Thurman's three-year roller coaster ride with the Bengals ended on Monday, May 19, when he was unceremoniously cut in an announcement that came in the form of a three paragraph news release at 11:15 a.m.
One great season was followed by a two-year suspension for violating the NFL's Substance Abuse Policy. One month after his reinstatement by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his addition to the Bengals' offseason roster, he got tossed on the scrap heap known as the waiver wire.
Naturally, Thurman's representatives are curious about the timing of the dismissal. Thurman missed a series of voluntary on-field practice sessions last week because he was attending the funeral of his grandmother in Monticello, Ga.
His advisor, Safarrah Lawson, said on WCKY radio that he won't pursue a grievance against the team even though the Collective Bargaining Agreement states that players may not be disciplined for failing or refusing to participate in voluntary offseason workouts.
It's a smart move because, truth be told, Thurman's absence last week only triggered the inevitable. Lewis even warned that this could happen, saying repeatedly that Thurman had a lot of work to do to win a roster spot. The Bengals did him a favor, cutting him early enough so that he can hook on elsewhere.
Memories? Oh, there's plenty.
Nicknamed "Tip Drill" because four of his five interceptions came on deflected passes, Thurman's signature play was his 30-yard interception return for a momentum-changing touchdown en route to a 31-23 victory over Tennessee.
In a 24-7 triumph at Chicago, he picked up a fumble on the Bears' opening drive and dashed 23 yards to set up the game's first score.
And then there were his two interceptions against Green Bay's Brett Favre.
"My most wired teammate is Odell," former Bengals defensive end Bryan Robinson said after the 2005 season. "He's just a bolt of lightning. He's a young guy and just has so much energy. We try to calm him down when he's in the huddle trying to call the plays.
"He has a real Southern accent, so you can barely understand what he's saying. When he's talking so fast, and he's just got so much energy pumped up in him, he's trying to call the play and it's like, 'What did you say?' Our opponents are at the line of scrimmage and you're still trying to get the defense out of him, but you can't understand him. I said, 'Dude, you must have a fat tongue or something.' "
Bengals fans will remember Thurman as a Fourth-of-July fireworks display, exploding with ooh-and-aah amazement, leading the defense with 148 tackles and four forced fumbles — his five interceptions led all NFL rookies and tied for the club rookie record — and helping an 11-5 team to its only playoff berth in 17 years.
And then, just as quickly, he disappeared.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNew
s.com
