Scouts are valuable to football teams. Football coaches tend to work long hours, particularly over the course of a months-long football season. During this time it can be difficult to track and study the performances of potential players for the seasons ahead. Scouts do this work for the coaches, spending much of their time on the road in study of the prospective football players. A scout may perform detailed analysis of a single player with the hope that the research will lead to well-educated picks.
On-Field Performance
A seasoned player at one level is likely ready, physically and mentally, for the next level of competition. A player's performance can also show his style of play, strengths, weaknesses and mental toughness in a game situation -- attributes that can't be replicated through tryouts and scouting combines. Players perform well in games for various reasons. Some have exceptional control of their nerves, allowing them to perform better in tense moments. On-field performance is the first aspect of a player that draws the attention of scouts.
Physical Attributes
A football player successful at one level does not always make a star at the next level. As players advance from high school to college and on to the professional leagues, the needs of teams change, as does the competition. Athleticism improves, and the concentration of talent is much greater. Players who excel against inferior competition at one level may wilt against superior opponents. Scouts try to project a player's abilities by using measurable characteristics like 40-yard dash times, vertical jumps, weight lifting measurements, height, weight and a number of other attributes. Scouts are always looking for quantifiable ways of measuring an athlete to better predict his success at the next level. Still, these measurements may fail to account for other factors.
Work Ethic
Stories of undersized castoffs succeeding on the field are common in college and professional football. A player's will or determination to succeed in football can compensate for his physical shortcomings as well as his shortcomings on the field. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, for example, went to the NFL Pro Bowl game in 2011 despite never having started for his college football team. But work ethic is more difficult to measure by scouts and is often reviewed and judged subjectively.
Character
College and professional teams do not want to deal with players who have personal problems. Drug problems, tendencies toward crime and a disrespect for authority can be toxic to teams. One player can contaminate other players by bringing them into his habits; exposing others to his attitudes; creating distractions during meetings, practices and games; and getting into trouble that creates bad public relations for a team or causes the player to miss practices or games. Coaches want a full commitment from their players, and scouts scrutinize potential players to estimate the risk in choosing them.
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