Bills QB Josh Allen (Jokingly) Hazes CB Kaiir Elam: 'Stupid Rookie'
The hallmark of nearly every successful football team is a defense which is solid at all three levels: ine, linebackers and secondary.
Widely considered to be among the marquee positions on the gridiron, cornerbacks continue to be sought after, both in free agency and via the NFL Draft. The league’s 2022 rookie class will feature four first-round cornerbacks, along with eight selected in the Top 50.
Though their defensive backfield already boasts one of the game’s top playmakers in Tre’Davious White, the Buffalo Bills selected cornerback Kaiir Elam 23rd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Despite the Florida product’s impressive collegiate resume, Buffalo’s most prominent player is intent on keeping the rookie’s feet planted firmly on the ground.
Quarterback Josh Allen has a ligt-hearted habit of calling every first-year player a "stupid rookie." While Elam clearly fails to resemble that remark, Allen will not waiver from a tactic of which he is certain will motivate young players to prove him wrong.
"All rookies are stupid rookies until proven otherwise," Allen told Fox Sports during a press conference on Thursday. "I called Kaiir ‘24’ [which is his jersey number] yesterday, and he said some stuff about it, so I went right back to ‘stupid rookie,’ and he's not too happy with that."
Elam’s resume was certainly impressive to Buffalo’s brass. He demonstrated a readiness for the pro game since the moment he stepped on a football field for the Florida Gators. As a true freshman for the Gators, Elam started five games, intercepting three passes (four total passes-defensed) while making 11 tackles in 13 games. During his sophomore season in 2020, he started all 12 games, logging 39 tackles and two interceptions. He also led the team with 11 passes-defensed; earning him first-team All-SEC honors from league coaches. Despite missing three games with a knee injury in 2021, Elam made 10 starts, logging 29 tackles, 1.5 for loss, one interception, five pass breakups.
The former Florida Gator has great length and plays with a physical and aggressive style, especially when challenged. He is at his best in zone and press coverages. Still, he can play adequate man coverage, and can be quite effective when he has the opposite to match up with his targets at the line of scrimmage. Originally projected as a day-two target, the Bills found his toughness to be an appealing trait, thus selecting him in round one. As such, he is expected to win the role of Buffalo’s second perimeter corner, opposite White.
While it may seem like harmless rookie hazing, there is a method to Allen’s madness. Each time Elam take the field in 2022, he is likely to hear the words ‘stupid rookie’ blaring over any thoughts running through his mind at the time. As a result, he will use the angst to keep himself sharp.
Motivation of this type typically makes for a better football player … and Elam has his quarterback to thank for it.
