UCLA head coach Jim Mora sees a ton of potential in Josh Rosen, and he doesn’t want to see the sophomore quarterback blow that by making bad decisions.
In an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show” Friday, Mora predicted that Rosen would have been the top overall pick in the NFL Draft this year if he were eligible. He praised Rosen for having more ability and intelligence than any other 19-year-old quarterback he has ever seen, but he also cautioned him to be careful off the field.
“Unless he continues to work hard, unless he makes good decisions, unless he dedicates himself the way that guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees and Peyton Manning have then it’s a pipe dream,” Mora said, as transcribed by Joe Piechowski of Bruins Nation. “And, I’ve asked him, ‘Who do you want to be — Johnny Manziel or Tom Brady?’ And, you need to make that decision right now and you need to start working in the direction that you want to work in.
“So, if you’re going to go out on Donald Trump’s golf course and wear a hat that says ‘F– Trump’, I said, you’re heading towards Johnny Manziel. So, let’s head toward Peyton Manning. Let’s head towards Tom Brady. Let’s head towards Troy Aikman, who spent an hour with him on Sunday, which was fantastic, talking to him about the responsibilities of being a quarterback.”
Rosen’s anti-Donald Trump hat (see it here) created quite the buzz on social media. He also got a few laughs when he installed a hot tub in his dorm room and was forced to remove it.
Obviously, Rosen is nowhere near becoming Manziel, whose life is literally spiraling more and more out of control by the day. That said, the former Cleveland Browns quarterback is an excellent example of how talent means nothing without good decision-making.
