Ignore the “Unimportants”: Why was Cooper Kupp Overlooked?

Teams overvalue the “unimportants” that don’t actually equate to on-field performance and frequently overlook impactful players by not understanding how to value the things that truly matter when it comes to success.

How Was Cooper Kupp Overlooked?

As Los Angeles Rams All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp was preparing for the 2017 NFL Draft, he was largely overlooked by most scouts and teams because he went to a small school and was labeled as slow at a position where the NFL covets speed. In 2021, he put together one of the all-time greatest wide receiver seasons in the history of the league and is widely considered one of the best and most impactful players in the NFL. 

So why was such a productive and impactful player overlooked? Because teams got caught up in the unimportants rather than focus on the traits and skills that dictate success in the NFL. They discounted the competition Kupp played in college due to attending a smaller school, but ignored the fact that Kupp absolutely dominated the competition. They labeled him as ‘slow’ because ran a 4.62 40 yard dash for scouts in preparation for the NFL draft, but overlooked his great route running ability. They discounted and rejected a game changing player because they overvalued the unimportant, which have little importance to being success in a role

Teams overvalued the unimportants so much that the true value of Kupp, his excellent route running, was overlooked. When asked about being ‘slow’ coming out of college, Kupp said, “It’s just not really conducive to understanding what a receiver has to do, and what’s important to playing the position.” What matters at wide receiver in the NFL is getting open consistently and catching the ball consistently, both which are Kupp’s greatest strengths. His smarts are his advantage, not his 40 time. 

Take a fresh look at the skills and qualities you think makes people successful and objectively evaluate if that truly is the case. You may just find that long-held beliefs may actually be misconceptions.

Previous Success over Previous Experience

Teams also have a tendency to place too much value on a person’s experience. Teams need to focus on looking at the skills and behaviors that make a person successful, without overvaluing previous experience. 

Emphasizing the critical question: “Has this person been successful in other environments?” You want to fill your team with people that know how to win because they understand what it takes. Wes Welker only received one scholarship offer from Texas Tech, even though he was one of the best high school players in the nation. He was undersized, but had tremendous ability to dominate the competition, which continued to translate in college and in the NFL, with Welker setting numerous records in college and the NFL on his way to a likely Hall of Fame career.

People often put too much weight into previous experience. Previous experience is overrated, and a common mistake people make. Recruiting in corporate environments misplaces a lot of value on previous experience. Is it more important to find someone who has experience working in HR, or finding someone who is great at dealing with people? This doesn’t mean that they have zero experience, but oftentimes it is previous experience that gets them hired, but doesn’t actually translate to success and elevated performance in the role. People skills are probably more important, but often we see previous experience as what is emphasized in the hiring process, knocking out qualified candidates. 

In recruiting in college football, coaches look for players that play other sports and have success in other environments outside of football. Even though being competing and succeeding in a sport like wrestling doesn’t guarantee someone will be a successful football player, it still can tell coaches a lot about the player. Why? Because of the tough nature of the sport of wrestling. It tells coaches that an individual is tough and understands the role that work ethic and discipline play in winning and success. 

It's hard to teach people how to be a good teammate, have a good work ethic, or how to have resilience to overcome the daily setbacks and challenges of the role. So if you can find these important qualities in individuals, even if outside of the playing field, make sure those qualities are valued adequately and not discounted. People that find success in business and life tend to find that success regardless of the obstacles and setbacks they face or the environment they are in, not because of what they have done before, but because of who they are.

Previous experience is overrated. While some experience may be needed, make sure your evaluation process places value on the skills and character that allows someone to achieve success and reach their potential. 

Focus on What They Have, Not What They Don’t Have

“It’s easy to downgrade people by dwelling on weaknesses. It’s harder to look at them with fresh eyes and identify their strengths.” - Bill Parcells

It’s common for coaches and teams involved in the evaluation process to place too much focus on what individuals don't have, and not what they do have. Pete Carroll has talked about looking for what a guy has and the unique qualities he can bring to the team, rather than focusing on what he doesn’t bring. 

“We’re looking for what a guy has, not what he hasn’t. We're looking for guys that have unique qualities. We’re looking for guys who do special things. I’m just looking for guys who have a way about them, and a knack or an edge about them. That is the guideline to our overall approach and philosophy.” - Pete Carroll

Find the reason to take a player rather than just the reasons not to by identifying a player’s strengths along with their weaknesses. Ultimately, strengths will be why you make a decision on a player to add to your team, so make sure that recognizing strengths and unique abilities is a focus of the evaluation process.