You know what they say about quarterbacks with small hands — their signing bonuses are smaller.
So in an effort to fix one of the most peculiar and yet meaningful measurements at the Scouting Combine, one prospect is trying to make his hands bigger before the scouts measure them this week.
According to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports, Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen has worked with a massage therapist to try to increase the thumb-to-pinkie measurement which some deem as crucial.
“It’s obviously something I can’t control,” Allen said, mentioning the masseuse has tried to stretch his hands twice a week “to maybe get another 1/2 inch or 1/4 inch here or there because the muscles in my hands were really tight and this can loosen them up. I have long fingers.
Yes, that’s right. He’s trying to stretch his fingers so his hands look bigger. Because that matters.
Allen’s hands measured at 8 1/2 inches at the Senior Bowl, the smallest of the quarterbacks there. Usually, anything under 9 inches is viewed with suspicion, as the larger the hand, the easier it is to grip the ball and throw it in windy conditions.
Browns coach Hue Jackson admitted it was something he looked at in a quarterback.
“Oh yes, it does. It does,” Jackson said. “It matters because we play in a division where all of a sudden there’s rain, there’s snow and it’s different. I think guys that have big hands can grip the ball better in those environmental situations and so we’ll look for a guy that fits what we’re looking for in a quarterback and is hand size important? Yes it is.”
Again, it makes for an easy joke, especially when small-handed guys such as Tony Romo (sub-9) have problems with ball control over the years. But the fact that Allen is actually trying to stretch his now shows how important the measurement is.
Even if people think he’s circus folk, and smells like cabbages.