Addazio's advice comes from the heart and a lifetime in football.
In the book section at the Roslyn Genuardi's they have a whole row of magazines dedicated to the NFL draft. I picked up the thickest one and quickly paged through to the list of top running backs.
In this particular one, Bernard Pierce wasn't listed in the top 15.
They had such luminaries as San Diego State's Ronnie Hillman and Virginia Tech's David Wilson listed ahead of him. I know Bernard Pierce is better than those guys. You know Bernard Pierce is better than those guys, but that's Bernard Pierce's problem and why he won't be selected on the first night of the NFL draft Thursday night.
Nobody else does.
The lesson in this is for future Temple players to listen to Addazio and not some agent whispering dollar signs in his ear
At least not the people who should matter, NFL executives.I put the magazine down and realized that Steve Addazio was right all along.
Bernard Pierce should have stayed at Temple another year.
Had he done so, everybody would have known about him.
Heck, with another Bernard Pierce year like the one he had in 2011, he would have probably been one of the top one or two running backs coming out of the NFL draft in 2012, coming out of a BCS conference and perhaps leading Temple to a marquee bowl win.
The lesson in this is for future Temple players to listen to Addazio and not some agent whispering dollar signs in his ear.
Sweet nothings, as far as Addazio is concerned.
"I've been at this a long time," Addazio said. "I counseled one of of the Pounceys at Florida to go pro, the other guy I didn't feel it was right. It turned out good for both guys. I don't have an agenda. I deal in the facts.
"My belief is that if you are not a first-round pick, you should stay, get your degree and improve as a player."
Addazio turned out to be right about the Pounceys and he will turn out to be right about Pierce.
Hopefully, Pierce stays healthy because nothing is guaranteed when he gets drafted in the third round or lower later on this week. I ran into Bernard on Cherry and White Day and asked him if leaving Temple was a hard decision.
"Not really, because we have a new offensive line," Bernard said.
I asked him about the rumors that the Eagles would pick him because LeSean McCoy is not yet signed.
"I heard that, too," Bernard said. "That would be great, too. I would welcome the opportunity to come in and compete."
I shook Bernard's hand and wished him well, but I knew things could have been better for him had he stayed one more year at Temple.
"We won't miss a beat on our offensive line," Addazio said.
If Addazio is right again, and I believe he will be, Bernard cost himself a couple of rounds and some guaranteed money with his decision.
Now nothing is guaranteed but, if I was a betting man, Bernard Pierce will be a great pro. It would have been a better life story, though, had he not passed on the opportunity to do it as a No. 1 pick coming off a spectacular senior year.
Ronnie Hillman and David Wilson?
You can have them.
Tomorrow: The other Temple guys in the NFL draft
