Watch: Players, coaches unpack first Les Schwab Bowl evaluation day — ‘a 2-hour learning experience’

Players discuss their experience at McDaniel High School, and coaches share what they look for most when scouting high school athletes.

The Les Schwab Bowl, Oregon’s premier all-star high school football event, continues to evolve in its ninth decade of existence. 

Saturday marked the Bowl’s inaugural “evaluation day,” a chance for prospective game participants to work out in front of coaches ahead of next weekend’s player draft, as well as to show their skills to numerous college coaches and scouts in attendance. 

In the video above, players discuss the experience at McDaniel High School in Northeast Portland, and coaches share what things they look for most when scouting high school athletes. Spoiler: It’s something much more than talent.

“The biggest thing I’m looking for is coachability,” said George Fox running backs coach Torey Smith. “They’re all talented, they all have athletic prowess, they’ve been playing this sport for a while, but I’m looking at how coachable are they? How quickly they pick up concepts and run with them and then incorporate those concepts in their game.”

Tualatin coach Dom Ferraro agrees.

“There’s a lot of good athletes out here, a lot of talent, and so the difference between players might not be that much in terms of their athleticism,” Ferraro said. “But I’m looking for them to be coachable and what kind of effort they’re giving.”

Video by Ben Wilson; photos by Dan Brood 

Earlier: 

Les Schwab Bowl’s inaugural ‘evaluation day’ shows continued growth of Oregon’s signature all-star football event