The dreaded "character" question ...
... is apparently being asked of N.C. State defensive tackle DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler as the NFL Draft approaches.
This article from the Elgin (Ill.) Courier Journal, a su suburban Chicago paper, mentions Tyler and his issues. Apparently, as the KC Star points out as well, the Chiefs are also concerned.
While I'm certain that "character" needs to be a factor taken into account by NFL GMs, right alongside measurables like 40 times and shuttle runs, the Tyler situation gives me pause.
As someone who has covered a lot of N.C. State football for the last three years, I can honestly say that Tyler was never one of the guys who came up in conversation - both on and off the record - as a "problem player." Certainly not in the T.A. McClendon, Derek Morris mold. Was he a bit of a hot head? Perhaps. But he never seemed to be a dirty player or a cheap shot artist. The spitting incident at Southern Miss got him in trouble, although he insisted it was more a case of overemphatic enunciation than malicious intent.
The issue with the police office can't be dismissed either, but I'm still not sure we're coming anywhere close to Pac Man Jones/Chris Henry levels here.
Make no mistake folks. That's what's driving this renewed emphasis on "character." Jones and, to a lesser extent, Henry, have put a new level of fear in GMs. It's not just the bad PR they bring the league. It's the possibility of drafting a talent who might run afoul of the commish and then wind up suspended for a good chunk of the season.
It's a reasonable fear, but it's unfortunate if Tyler gets swept down the draft charts because of it. While I can't draw conclusions about his character based on our brief conversations over the years - he was always friendly, approachable and highly quotable, by the way - I also don't think NFL personnel guys should define Tyler by the two incidents that are currently dogging him.