Modrak says Starks will get his NFL shot
Published: August 26, 2009, 12:26 am
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A few hours after learning that James Starks' football career at the University at Buffalo was over because of a shoulder injury, former Bulls quarterback Drew Willy wrote on his Twitter page, "One of the best teammates I've ever had & gr8 friend. Would go to war with him every day of the week!"
Will the NFL feel the same way about Starks come draft time?
Starks, a senior tailback, will miss his final season at UB after a labral tear was discovered in his shoulder. As a fifth-year senior, Starks does not have any eligibility remaining but Tom Modrak, the Bills' vice president of college scouting, said the Niagara Falls native will be evaluated for the 2010 NFL draft based on his underclass work.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said last December that Starks could be a first-round pick or an early second-rounder in 2010.
"We would have to watch junior film and base our decision on that," Modrak said. "It's not good for the kid and it's too bad for the team and the program, but it's not the end of the world and he'll be able to get some things done."
Starks has a huge body of work for scouts to assess. He leaves as UB's career yardage and scoring leader, racking up back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to become the first UB running back to do so. Last season, despite missing nearly three full games to injury, Starks rushed for 1,333 yards, scored 17 touchdowns and also racked up 52 receptions for 361 yards.
"You don't have recent video and maybe it will hurt him some, but it shouldn't knock him out of the box," Modrak said. "You look at what he did before and you look and see if he's 100 percent and you ask, "Can he do it again?' There have been guys who have gone very high who didn't play their senior year."
In 1985, Ohio State tailback Keith Byars was a preseason favorite for the Heisman, but fractured the bone in his right foot near the little toe in preseason practice. He missed the first five games of the 1985 season, then reinjured the foot in his second game back and missed the remainder of the regular season. Although he was never as dominant as he was prior to the injury, Byars was taken with the No. 10 pick overall by Philadelphia.
There have been several players who suffered setbacks before the draft, only to be selected high. The Bills picked Miami tailback Willis McGahee with the 23rd pick overall just months after he suffered a devastating knee injury during the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
Initial reports have Starks missing the next four to six months, which could push him right to the edge of preparing for the NFL Combine in February.
"It happens," Modrak said. "No question it's a setback, but not one that he can't overcome. He can still get a career going, a lot of it will depend on the medical information and how well he can rehab."
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