With all the focus on the off-field questions regarding Cam Newton, it has been widely assumed that the other top quarterback prospect, Blaine Gabbert, has none.
Well, Gabbert has at least one. It’s not a huge one, but it’s there.
Gabbert, his brother, Tyler, and Missouri linebacker Andrew Gachkar reportedly got into a fight last year with another group of men outside a pizza place in Columbia, Missouri. Police made no arrests and issued no citations, even though the police report indicated that all of the men involved likely had been drinking -- and even though the Gabberts were under the legal drinking age.
So what does it mean? It possibly speaks to the existence of a temper that in some situations within the confines of football could be a good thing, and that in some situations within the confines of football could be a bad thing. Like every other draft-eligible player, it’s an issue that requires further exploration, examination, and investigation.
Especially if there’s any chance that there may have been other times that the cops in Columbia looked the other way when guys from the local college football team may have gotten themselves into trouble.
And, obviously, the issue of underage drinking -- though very common -- at least requires some background work by the teams on whether drinking ever crossed the line for Gabbert from periodic recreational activity into “problem” territory.
We’ve got a feeling that any teams seriously interested in Gabbert have explored those issues thoroughly. If they haven’t, they should.