Oakland Raider player analysis: Raiders' cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha elite on and off the field

July 27, 7:42 PMOakland Raiders ExaminerPatrick Patterson

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Nnamdi Asomugha signs autographs at the Raider Nation Celebration

The headlines are filled with the failings of today's athletes. Everyone and their dog has heard about guys like Adam "Pac Man" Jones and Odell Thrumon having trouble staying out of jail, not to mention the colossal implosion of Michael Vick. Even the Oakland Raiders team was touched by problems when Javon Walker found himself unconsious in a Las Vegas alleyway. The other ways most players make headlines is by whining and crying about the "pittance" they are making becuase its only seven instead of eight figures. Brett Favre, who is a future Hall of Famer, has thrown himself into every lead-in to SportsCenter with his temper tantrum because his team took him seriously when he cried on camera that he was ready to retire. Nnamdi Asomuga, on the other hand, has had every oppourtunity to whine and cry about having been stuck with the franchise tag on a team that has been 19-61 in the last five years, but has instead handled himself with the utmost class and dignity.

Nnamdi Asomugha's predecessor in Oakland, Charles Woodson, who surpirisingly is a close friend of Aso, played his cards in the opposite manner and is now playing in the Frozen Tundra. Rob Calonge of Thoughts from the Dark Side recently illustrated the difference between the two when he was musing over the state of the Raiders and decided that "Nnamdi is the man."

Did anyone ever doubt that Nnamdi IS the MAN?

I didn’t.  I knew that he was a team player, a hard worker, and generally a gem of a person, but count me in as shocked when I heard the news that Asomugha was coming to camp on time.  I expected that he’d hold out for at least a week, and hoped that it wouldn’t be longer.  Like the true class act that he is, he swallowed his pride, signed his tender, and got on the field on time for the betterment of the team.

This is what he said about it:

“I had heard all the apocryphal stories during the offseason of what was going on so I wanted to put everything to rest and just show up . . . It went both ways. I had a lot of people saying don’t show up and I had enough people saying show it up so it helped me out. I sought out the counsel that was needed in this situation and I was able to come and be here.“

a·poc·ry·phal (-pkr-fl) adj. - Of, or pertaining to, the Apocrypha; Of doubtful authenticity; Of dubious veracity; of questionable accuracy or truthfulness; in the nature of an urban legend.

Now that we got that out of the way, yeah I don’t remember ever hearing that word before and I won’t forget it soon, let’s talk about the most incredible part of the whole story.  HE CONSULTED WITH CHARLES WOODSON on what to do and he still came into camp on time.  For me, that’s worth another dozen points or so of respect.  Nothing better than a guy with his own mind about things.

This is a far cry from the usual talk about players off the field. Rather than getting in trouble, Aso spent his offseason speaking at seminars and never ONCE publicly complained that he got the tag. When asked about it, the closest he came to a criticism of it was staing matter of factly that it limits his options and has no long term security. He didn't pull an Asante Samuel or Lnace Briggs and refuse to sign on the dotted line until he got a promise not to be tagged. He was there in training camp on day one ready to work with the team.

So, Aso is a swell guy. That is all well and good, but doesn't mean jack once he steps on to the gridiron. Besides, being someone who can be looked up to off the field, he has become one of the elite cornerbacks in the league. When he was picked at #31 former commissioner Paul Tagliabue couldn't even pronounce his name correctly. (Nor could any video games I have played.) He was derided as a "reach" and considered a wasted pick. He was able to finally break through in 2006 when he grabbed eight interceptions and got a last minute Pro Bowl invitation that he could not attend. He followed that up with only one pick in 2007, but only twenty-something passes thrown his way. Top echelon quarterbacks like Favre and Peyton Manning simply avoided Asomugha becuase he had his man blanketed. Even Deion Sanders remarked that Aso was among the best corners in the game.

Unfortunately, many in the Nation look at the 2007 performance as a liablity. "He only had one good year." "He didn't get tested." Well, when even likely Hall of Fame quarterbacks are simply looking elsewhere, that means that he is doing his job. True Antonio Cromarte of the San Diego Chargers had more picks, but Aso was doing his job so well he didn't get the opportunity. He is the defination of shut down corner and mans the position in a way the Raider Nation hasn't seen since Lester Hayes was so smeared with stick-um that he literally was stuck to his guy. Asomugha is the definiation of "shut down" corner in that his man is so shut down that the quarterback just doesn't even bother to throw to that side of the field.

Hopefully, this elite athlete and class individual will get a long term contract in Oakland so that he can honor the tradition of the Silver and Black greatness at cornerback that has prevailed through the Raiders' glorious history. It is great to see an athlete that can also be looked up to as an individual, and to know that he represents the Raiders' "Comitment to Excellence" on and off the field.