Readers Write on Komlo, QBs, Rogers, Memories
Ask Mike | by Mike O'Hara | 03.21.2009/6:45PM
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Do I remember Jeff Komlo?
That is a question from one of the readers – if I remember Jeff Komlo, the starting quarterback for most of the Lions’ 2-14 season in 1979 who died in a car crash in Greece.
That’s one of the tragic e-mails in this week’s batch. Others were about the draft, quarterbacks and Shaun Rogers.
And Janet wrote to see if I remember a popular assistant coach who had white hair. I suggested several candidates to Janet – but added most coaches who worked for the Lions left with white hair, or no hair.
We’ll start on a sad note, with Komlo:
From Joe Roberts: “As a long-time reader (you called me sharp-eyed at one time when I contacted you regarding an article you did on Tom Landry in the early ‘80s) I was wondering if you had any reaction or memories of the 2-14 1979 season with the now deceased Jeff Komlo at QB.?”
Joe: There are many similarities between the Lions of 1979 and 2008. The biggest difference is that the owner, William Clay Ford, did not fire Monte Clark after the 2-14 season. Rod Marinelli wasn’t as fortunate.
Both years gave the Lions a reward for losing – the first pick in the next year’s draft.
In 1980, they took running back Billy Sims of Oklahoma. He actually made the Lions respectable for four years—9-7, 8-8, 9-7 and 4-5, with two playoff appearances.
As for Komlo, the 1979 season was Clark’s second as head coach. A strong finish in 1978 left the Lions at 7-9, and 1980 was full of promise. It dissipated in a hurry.
Gary Danielson, the starting quarterback, went out with a knee injury in the fourth quarter of the last exhibition game at Baltimore. Why he was still in the game in the fourth quarter remains a mystery of weird coaching. Before that, Joe Reed, his backup, pulled an abdominal muscle lifting weights in some stupid conditioning test in training camp.
Reed aggravated the injury in the opener. That made Komlo, a ninth-round draft pick from Delaware, the starter.
Komlo had a decent arm, but he lacked mobility. Clark also started Reed briefly, Scott Hunter and Jerry Golsteyn, but Komlo got most of the starts and was in over his head. He was gone after the 1981 season.
Football aside, it was a sad ending for a man who reached a pinnacle early.
Mike in Royal Oak asks about Aaron Curry: “Ever since the combine, it seems Detroiters have gotten Aaron Curry fever. But I’ve maintained that there is no value in drafting a LB No. 1 because of how badly you would have to overpay for the position. Brian Urlacher is the highest paid LB at $40 million/5 years. How can you give Curry $60 million/5 years? I think the pick comes down to value, which means picking from the two highest-paid positions: QB (Stafford or Sanchez) or LT (Smith or Monroe). Thoughts?”
Mike: Whoever is drafted first overall will be overpaid, regardless of position. It’s just a fact of having the No. 1 pick. To me, the equation is simple. The Lions have been looking for a quarterback for 51 years, and now they have a chance to take the best QB in the draft. Matthew Stafford might not be the next Peyton Manning, but so what? He just has to be a good, solid starter to help the Lions win. Forget the left tackle—and I assume you mean Jason Smith. Take the QB, and Stafford is way ahead of every other QB in this draft. Pay him, train him, and win with him.
From Craig in Toledo: ”Thanks for the great article “Rememberances.” All you hear in sports is the “T.O” type of crap. It is so refreshing to hear something about some truly good people. Your personal memories truly bring a human perspective that us fans don’t get a chance to find on our own. It brought tears to my eyes to lose these terrific people.”
Craig: Thanks for your kind thoughts. There are many, many great people in sports—and even more associated with them. Players like Dave Pureifory, for example, should not be forgotten.
From a Josh Freeman fan: “What about Josh Freeman at the twenty slot instead, sir? Nah, They’re not that smart, are they Mike? Until they bring in a proven winner like a Mike Shanahan or a Marty Schottenheimer, a good portion of informed fans are gonna pass on purchasing tickets.”
Sorry, but I can’t agree on Freeman. If they’re going to draft a QB, take the best. And Josh Freeman, from everything I’ve seen and heard—you should have heard Jim Miller’s critique on Sirius—is far, far from the best.
From Joe G, on trading for a QB: “Assuming a willing trade partner, would you trade the Lions’ 2nd round pick for either Matt Leinart or Brady Quinn? In terms of pre-draft ratings, how does Stafford compare to either Leinart or Quinn with respect to their pre-draft scores at their same stages? In other words, is he rated as high as each of them were on the eve of the draft, not as high or about the same?
Joe: Great question. Leinart and Quinn both are somewhat taller. Quinn had the best time in the 40 of the three. Stafford is second. Leinart is still running – OK, he’s not that slow, but close. The ratings I’ve seen on Stafford in one service are very high. I don’t recall Quinn or Leinart being as high. Stafford is clearly the best QB in his draft class. Leinart and Quinn clearly were not, but that has no bearing on their rating with Stafford, head to head. Having said all that, I’d be more inclined to trade for Quinn, but I’d rather have Stafford.
Paul from Harbor Beach skewers Shaun Rogers, who says he doesn’t want to stay in Cleveland: “Now I see where Shaun doesn’t want to play in Cleveland because his new coach didn’t say hi to him! Sweet Mother of Pearl! Maybe the coach doesn’t want to be there because Shaun didn’t say hi to him! I have a hard time trying to figure this one out. I cannot see how someone who has been molly-coddled throughout his athletic career can be offended by this. Wait. I just re-read my last sentence. Now, I can see how.”
Paul: I can guarantee this: you are more worried about this than Shaun Rogers is. He is what he is – a big man, with big talent, and a small heart when it comes to playing football.
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