There’s No ‘Aw-Shucks’ in Shough’s Confidence

The Rams said this week their year-to-year arrangement with Matthew Stafford is a good problem. And because this could be Stafford’s final year in the NFL, or even in Los Angeles, don’t be surprised to see the Rams take a quarterback in this month’s draft.

And if circumstances align, they might take a quarterback who patterns his game after Stafford. That player is seventh-year senior Tyler Shough from Louisville. And while he pronounces his name SHUCK, there’s no “aw-shucks” in his confidence.

“For me, I’m pretty unique, but I grew up watching Stafford and some of the stuff that he does with his arm angles,” said Shough on Friday’s edition of NFL Live. “He's a tough son of a gun, and playing through a lot of stuff in general, playing really well into his late 30s. I've always liked him.

“I also like watching Josh Allen. I kind of feel like I have a little bit of a him in me, when it comes to being a physical force at the line of scrimmage, ripping the ball upfield. I would say those two guys are the ones I watch the most.”

Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky sees the Rams as an ideal fit for Shough. On Friday’s NFL Live, Orlovsky broke down a play from Shough’s final college season in a 31-19 win over Georgia Tech. Impressed by how Shough handled the protection from under center and executed the 42-yard completion to Ja’Corey Brooks, Orlovsky told Shough why he sees him finding success in the NFL.

“This is a play that stood out for me,” Orlovsky said, “where one, you're starting in the gun, then you're motioning, you're underneath the center. You go hard play-action and then that three-level concept of what I would call like a burner pylon, and then a deep cross and a flat route.

“And I see on one hitch, the ball gets launched 40-plus yards down the field. It's perfect placement. So, I loved that because I think it's transferable to the NFL. That's the concept that they're running in the NFL.”

Louisville’s offense incorporates a lot of NFL concepts, unlike Shough’s first college program, Texas Tech. Shough played three seasons for the Red Raiders. The two offenses were night and day. Louisville allowed him an opportunity to execute many of the tasks an NFL team will ask of him.

“I think in the past, you got your Air Raid, deep-choice game, and you're taking three-step drops and hoping the receiver gets open,” Shough said. “Now, I'm being tasked with handling protection, handling the run game, taking seven-step drops, moving the pocket.

“I wasn't great at it at first, but I got a lot of it under my belt and I feel super comfortable with it. And I think that it's become a strength, something I've worked on throughout the whole process.”