Packers sign troubled former Oregon TE Colt Lyerla
Colt Lyerla just proved the professional sports adage we’ve all known: if you have talent, there will always be a team willing to give you a shot. And that’s what’s happening in this case.
Lyerla is a former 5-star recruit who left Oregon’s program in October because of a number of behavioral issues, including constantly being late and missing team activities. His professional career seemed in doubt when he was arrested for cocaine possession a few weeks after leaving the football team.
In three seasons, Lyerla posted 34 receptions for 565 yards and 11 touchdowns, and 94 yards and two touchdowns rushing for the Ducks. Though his numbers won’t blow you away, he was versatile, a mismatch and had similar skills to Aaron Hernandez at Florida.
“I’d say he’s as hungry as I’ve ever seen a player,” Lyerla’s agent, Vinnie Porter, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. “As much as you try to avoid the media and some of the stuff that’s being said about you, you still hear a lot of it. The motivating factors are out there for him, and he just doesn’t see himself like he’s portrayed and he’s eager to prove everybody wrong.”
The Packers don’t usually come across as an organization keen on taking chances on character guys the way the Raiders and Bengals frequently do, but with Jermichael Finley recovering from major spine surgery, they probably figured signing Lyerla was worth the shot. I don’t imagine he’ll have a very long playing career.
