Ex-Husker Stokes knows special talentBy STEVEN M. SIPPLE / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, June 6, 2012 11:50 pm
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Eric Stokes, however, possesses a keen appreciation for that talent, an appreciation that grew over the years, in large part because he evaluates NFL talent for a living.
Consider: In 1996, Stokes started 12 games as a senior for a Husker defense that included no fewer than 17 future NFL players. Think about that for a second.
The 38-year-old Stokes last week took over as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' director of college scouting. In his new role, the Lincoln East graduate gathers and organizes the enormous amount of player information the franchise accumulates for the draft. Stokes supervises a team of nine scouts. He spent the past decade in the Seattle Seahawks' personnel department, most recently serving as assistant director of college scouting.
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Rewind to 1995. Phillips was electrifying, a force to behold (
yes, I'd take him over Mike Rozier). Unfortunately, Phillips largely wasted his talent because of debilitating personal issues. How talented was Phillips? Well, Stokes believes L.P. was headed toward a 2,000-yard rushing season in 1995 before his run of trouble began following the season's second game — a win at Michigan State — where Phillips rushed for 206 yards and four touchdowns. He was suspended for the following six games. "I get asked more about Lawrence Phillips than any other player because he was that good," Stokes says. "Guys from all over ask, 'What was it like to play with Lawrence Phillips?'
"I think we saw only a glimpse of how good he was."
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