Great article on Leslie Frazier. It looks like he”s off to a good start. Leslie has always been the consummate overachiever. At every stage of his development/career, he has performed well above expectations.
This started in high school when we were all a bit surprised (only a bit) when he signed with Alcorn. While he was an excellent athlete, he developed late, and, if I recall correctly, was one of the last scholarships offered by Alcorn that year. He went on to become an All-American at ASU. When his college career was over, he was not drafted in the NFL. He was given a tryout with the Bears because a coach at Alcorn had a contact with the Chicago organization and saw the potential in Leslie. He signed as a free agent and went on to become a starter for the legendary 1985 Bears and led the team in interceptions for the three seasons he was with them. His career was cut short due to a serious knee injury in the 1985 Super Bowl. Mike Ditka, the coach of the Bears during that era called Leslie, “the most underrated cornerback I”ve ever been around.”
Once again, some of the national media and the NFL have given Leslie only a lukewarm response. He has applied for seven NFL head coaching jobs and has yet to be given the full-time nod.
Leslie is cut from the Tony Dungy mold, meaning he is seen as a great guy. And he is. I wonder if the decision makers in the NFL question whether or not a “great guy” can make it in the NFL world? They could sure use a few.
If Leslie”s past is any predictor of his future he will, once again, surprise a lot of folks.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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