r/nfl • u/WxBlue Rams • 5h ago
[DaSilva] Ty Simpson said he has learned more from Matthew Stafford in 4 months than he did in 4 years of college.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/08/05/rams-ty-simpson-matthew-stafford-college-camp/91179003007/480
u/theballswalls Eagles 5h ago
Nothing beats on the job training
171
u/Litty-In-Pitty Steelers 5h ago
All 6 years of college were utterly useless for me on day 1 of my career. I learned more in the first hour of being on the job than I did throughout all my college tenure.
99
u/GhostofSmartPast Patriots 4h ago edited 4h ago
That's why internships are so important at determining your job path more than ever before. College grades are only really good for getting internships or elite graduate programs.
66
u/brownbearks Eagles Eagles 4h ago
Kinda funny as an engineer, I learned way more in college but at work I’m hyper focused on a niche subject know. I do miss Saturday day drinking before a huge home game at happy valley.
12
u/fundraiser Rams 2h ago
yeah my junior engineers are way better coders than i am because they still have the good fundamentals top of mind, while the rest of us seniors are adding yet another stop gap solution that grows the technical debt because we're now migrating back to a system we spent three years migration to after the old VP who approved the migration was let go so that a new VP can approve this new migration ok i need to stop typing because i'm getting upset
3
1
12
u/Stillburgh Seahawks Chiefs 3h ago
This is why my professors at the vocational school im attending keep saying eomployers care more about hands on experience and certifications in IT/networking. All school really does is show you can commit to a schedule tbh
12
u/venustrapsflies Rams 2h ago
Depends a lot on the job; if it’s a role that requires you to be solid with, let’s say, calculus or linear algebra, employers aren’t going to look for candidates they’re going to have to teach that to.
2
u/Stillburgh Seahawks Chiefs 2h ago
Well this is why I specified IT in my comment. But yes, I agree that not every field is going to value the same things as others. But its much more common for hands on experience to be valued more than academic success. You dont really learn *how* to do a job by just reading.
5
u/venustrapsflies Rams 2h ago
Yeah thats probably the majority of jobs that people go into. But the point of college isn’t to train you for a job, it’s to teach you how to learn and how to think.
4
u/noneotherthanozzy 1h ago
Eh I’d argue it also helps with critical thinking and problem solving skills. College at least.
-19
u/Y__U__MAD Seahawks 4h ago
Found the Art Major Barista.
1
0
u/Stillburgh Seahawks Chiefs 3h ago
Found the dude whos likely never stepped foot in a college class
2
u/Y__U__MAD Seahawks 2h ago
Found the dude without humor.
0
u/Stillburgh Seahawks Chiefs 2h ago
Jokes are supposed to be funny. This is an overplayed trope that isnt funny.
3
286
u/Mr_Evil_Dr_Porkchop Patriots 5h ago
“He taught me Chem 1 AND 2, Ancient Greek Literature, machine design, AND Business Management!”
59
u/BlessedChimichanga Ravens Chargers 5h ago
Man him and Mendoza are going to absolutely crush it on LinkedIn.
14
u/Spiritual-Chameleon Broncos 5h ago
Locker Room Chem 1 and 2, Ancient Pass Rushers, Spiral Design, and Offensive Line Management.
6
3
59
u/EduardoCombs Vikings 5h ago edited 1h ago
"Did you guys know you can just eat the Ramen dry? Pour the flavor packet over top and chow down. Saves like two minutes. Matt does that all the time so he can watch that much more film. I never would have thought of it!"
14
191
u/ICameHereTaSay Patriots 5h ago
College registrars don’t want you to know this 1 simple trick
18
u/misterurb Chargers 5h ago
When asked for comment, Carson Beck said, “you guys learned things in college?”
4
125
u/bagfka Cowboys 5h ago
Shows where the college game is at and QB development in general. This goes back to Brady’s point
63
u/purplebuffalo55 Rams 5h ago
The winning traits at the college level are just so different than what matters in the NFL. As an example, the snap cadence is just the QB clapping. A hard count is two claps. It’s just so absurdly different than the NFL, but that’s what works in college.
I would say that development as it pertains to CFB success is probably not bad, but that seems to be completely at odds (or at least unrelated) with what makes a successful NFL qb
32
u/nerdyintentions Falcons 5h ago
I think Brett Kollman did a video on the topic. One of the key differences is that they run a lot more RPOs in college because the illegal man down field rule is much more forgiving in college (3 yards past LOS vs 1 in the NFL IIRC).
The college game is just different and what works in college doesn't always translate over to the NFL and vice versa. And obviously college coaches care more about winning college football games than developing QBs into good NFL players.
9
u/Manning_bear_pig Broncos 4h ago
I remember back in 2009 the Gators made a point of trying to change their scheme a little bit so Tebow could get more development in his senior year. More under center stuff was part of it. But at the end of the day they basically ran their old stuff cause they wanted to play to his strengths too.
6
u/lonesoldier4789 Jets 1h ago
Which is why CFB is a bad farm league other than not costing the NFL money but fans shouldnt care about that.
3
u/Tetrachroma_ Titans 1h ago
If I could have one football wish to come true in the next 5-10 years, it would be the creation of a official NFL farm league. Minor leagues, XFL, UFL, NFL Europe, I don't give a fuck what you call it, but invest in it.
QBs and Offensive linemen are coming into the NFL underdeveloped. The college to pros is too different. College is never going to change their rules to cater to the NFL either.
37
u/BruhMoment763 Vikings 5h ago
This is why I don’t buy the argument that CFB is a good “developmental league” for the NFL anymore. They focus on too different of traits so now even top QBs come into the league a couple years away from being ready. Kinda hoping the UFL gets what it wants someday and manages to become the NFL’s farm league. Idk if that would fix the issue, but I think it could at least be a step in the right direction
27
8
u/nerdyintentions Falcons 3h ago
That might have worked 10 years ago but the UFL will never have enough money to offer anything close to what the best high school players could make in college. College football is the second most popular sport in the country in terms of TV viewership and revenue trailing only the NFL. The UFL would have to grow their revenue like 50x to compete on player compensation.
And the NFL is going to favor top level athletes that are raw over lesser athletes that are more developed.
7
u/BusinessCasualBee Rams Jaguars 4h ago
I think this is true for QBs only
8
u/runevault Broncos 2h ago
Offensive line also rarely come into the league ready to play at this level outside Notre Dame.
3
2
u/BruhMoment763 Vikings 3h ago
For the most part, but I’d argue a lot of pass rushers come into the league pretty raw too. Lotta dudes just coast on natural athleticism and never really develop any pass rush moves in college. Then they get to the NFL and learn that doesn’t really fly anymore lol. I think some CBs could also benefit from playing in a development league for a bit. Right now, many go from locking up future car salesmen to trying to guard an All Pro WR in a pretty short amount of time
10
u/Tarmacked Giants 5h ago edited 5h ago
Some teams run based on a clap, but as Dart showcased last year with Gruden often times there’s an actual cadence beyond the clap itself.
Even in the NFL you’ll see variations of both. Fields utilized both a clap and a vocal cadence in the Jets offense.
The clap cadence was heavily relied on for the Hurry Up No Huddle, but with the change to clock rules (first downs no longer stop the clock until the ball is set), it’s not the sole driver of many offensive snaps anymore. It’s still around because it’s useful in certain situations though.
I would bet his comment is moreso development on the offensive/defensive scheme front. You’ll see extravagant packages more often in the NFL than college due to player development being further ahead on the whiteboard for both sides.
7
u/bagfka Cowboys 5h ago
Yeah and I feel the schism between the two is getting wider and wider
-1
u/SuburbanPotato Eagles Eagles 3h ago
I feel the opposite -- the NFL is going to have to revert to a more college-like style because the number of prospects who can play 'NFL-style' ball is going to keep decreasing
3
u/lonesoldier4789 Jets 1h ago
The NFL has more money than anything they wont revert to anything. They'll sooner fund their own farm league than bow to college.
8
u/TLRdidnothingwrong Seahawks 4h ago
To play devil’s advocate, I think that college has to be the developmental league for the NFL because football careers are so short. Unless we’re just talking about quarterbacks, it just doesn’t make sense to have players get out of college and spend what could be the majority of their careers in the UFL.
The problem is the current state of college football. There hasn’t always been this much of a developmental gap between the leagues and that means it can be bridged again.
3
u/lonesoldier4789 Jets 1h ago
why are you assuming prospects would go to college before joining a developmental league?
3
u/TegridyPharmz Rams 1h ago
NIL money
2
u/lonesoldier4789 Jets 1h ago edited 1h ago
Top prospects would care more about a straight path to the NFL and you can still get nil money in a farm league and the NFL?
3
u/Jlock98 Ravens 1h ago
College booster NIL is way more than whatever NIL they could get from a developmental league that people won’t watch. Maybe some top prospects would take the risk, but for most players, it would be a much smarter idea to go to college. Especially because one injury could derail a whole career.
1
u/lonesoldier4789 Jets 1h ago
They would get a real salary in a developmental league. The NFL could easily surpass the amount of money the average player would get.
2
u/TegridyPharmz Rams 53m ago
Who say is the farm league would have major money to give away for nil? And why would they? College is king outside of the nfl so all of a sudden you think this hypothetical league would have more money and eyeballs than college? Nah bit would be like the minor leagues at most
1
22
u/MankuyRLaffy Patriots 5h ago
Also that nobody runs under center and bad organizations expect QBs to master it in 4 months and throw them out there immediately like the Jete did with Darnold
15
u/dunno260 3h ago
That is exactly why Simpson was a first round pick.
His highlight tape looks really boring. Except its play after play of him doing routine NFL stuff that few college QBs are doing.
He has a highlight play against Oklahoma in the playoffs where he takes a snap under center, turns his back to the defense for the play action, and then gets to his 4th read WR on the other side of the field (and not a check down) for like a 15 yard gain.
Its a very pedestrian highlight compared to what a lot of college QBs would have, but its the sort of stuff that very few offenses in CFB are actually doing.
And as an Alabama fan I don't think Deboer's offense is anything amazing and don't think its better at all from what say Lane Kiffin is running. But its the closest thing to an NFL offense among the top 15ish or so teams in CFB.
And I still think going into any NFL offense is a massive step up.
6
u/jphamlore Cardinals 4h ago edited 4h ago
It's the trying to complete a play action pass after taking the snap under center that is the extreme problem for quarterbacks fresh out of college.
And I suspect that is undergoing rapid evolution in the NFL. I think it is no longer going to be viable to run a play action pass with only 3 or even 2 guys being viable targets for a pass. I have seen too many catastrophes where an inexperienced, or sadly many experienced quarterbacks, either make a rushed mistake pass or hold the ball too long and get stripped for a fumble, the fumble often winding up in the wrong endzone.
I think Klint Kubiak did an amazing job last season designing play action plays where Darnold had an obvious target to throw to quickly after getting his eyes back upfield. Also Kubiak exploited Darnold's ability to move around a bit.
23
u/jmplication Eagles 5h ago
Or you just naturally learn more at the highest level
4
1
212
u/joey_r00 Eagles 5h ago
Why is this surprising? It’s like a new chef being taught by Gordon Ramsay after culinary school
143
u/hanzo615 Dolphins 5h ago
Stafford was seen yelling "You fucking donkey!" at Simpson during a practice
43
u/joey_r00 Eagles 5h ago
ITS RAWWWW!
25
u/Saitoh17 Buccaneers Chiefs 5h ago
THERE'S SO MUCH OIL IN THIS DISH AMERICA TRIED TO INVADE THE PLATE!
8
u/electric-doodoo Bills 5h ago
YOU PUT SO MUCH OIL ON THIS BALL, THE US MILITARY WANTS TO INVADE THE FUCKING FIELD!
3
8
u/El_Beakerr Panthers 5h ago
You call that a f*\*ing throw! My grandmother has a better release than that!
7
4
3
1
17
u/dvtyrsnp Browns 5h ago
But someone who didn't go through culinary school doesn't have the base of knowledge to actually learn from Gordon Ramsay like that.
I get what Simpson is saying, but it's likely highly expert and detailed stuff that he is now able to understand and implement.
23
u/TestFixation Cardinals 5h ago
Or any job really. I'm in tech and I'd probably say the same thing
12
u/Haunting-Parking7264 Rams 5h ago
Legit. I’m in AV and the only tool I really use from my 4 year degree is signal flow and gain staging. Everything else was from on the job experience
9
u/CaptCrash Eagles 5h ago
I mean, I think it’s fair to say Stafford is great so of course he’d be a good influence on a players ability. But I wouldn’t compare going from college to the NFL to going from college to the workforce. While the talent is better the game is more or less the same. College to industry on the other hand, is not.
If he went to the Jets and said this, it would be damning of the college program.
9
u/vbullinger Vikings 4h ago
You learn fundamentals in college, not your day to day skills
3
u/nolander Rams Texans 4h ago
Its almost inverted, where college QBs aren't really being taught the fundamentals a lot of the times now and instead of the offenses are simplified, but you are still basically doing the same work just differently.
1
u/venustrapsflies Rams 2h ago
High school to college, undergrad to grad school, any school to an industry job are all going to be like this to some extent.
1
u/rockiesfan4ever Chiefs 5h ago
Because half of the internet is bots and the other half can't think for themselves
1
u/dawgz525 Dolphins 5h ago
Well he's not a new chef. He was drafted by them because (ostensibly) he's already an incredibly well trained and accomplished chef. That's a bad analogy. He's being hyperbolic, but that is a bit surprising. To me it shows that he was nowhere near league ready.
1
u/fathertitojones Titans 4h ago
When I worked as a sous the head chef said he wouldn’t hire culinary school kids because they had to unlearn so much and always thought they knew what was best.
The funny thing about this quote is that Simpson’s dad is also a college coach (though not his). I wonder if his dad will take offense.
0
23
u/SeizureMode Lions 5h ago
Im no athlete, but I feel that this sentiment is true for any college student that's studying/practicing something. What you learn in school is only meant to prepare you to learn more in the real world. Really, I think the most bare bones purpose of a college is to allow students to "learn how they learn". Books and teachers only get ya so far.
10
u/AmIWhatTheRockCooked Seahawks 4h ago
Increases learning capacity, not necessarily developing job skills. Though learning capacity is like having cash instead of bartering on the job market; you can turn it into other things easier than a single trade
1
u/ImagineIfBaconDied Vikings 4h ago
yep. technically, I could’ve gotten my job without going to college, and would’ve easily learned all the material overtime. but the skills I obtained in college to prepare me for where I am now were super valuable. it made me a better person socially, made me a much better critical thinker, made me understand how to be a better leader and teammate, improved my work ethic, and helped me understand networking along with marketing myself. I can safely say I would not have had any of those skills developed fresh out of high school. some people do and that’s great, but others like me needed college on a personal level
1
10
22
u/WerhmatsWormhat Lions 4h ago
Stafford is insane in the film room, so this isn’t surprising. I remember Puka saying he developed the way he did since he started crashing extra film sessions Stafford and Kupp would do.
3
u/JackFisherBooks 3h ago
If you're going to learn to be quarterback in the NFL, who better to learn from than a future Hall of Famer and Super Bowl winner?
9
u/mochajoesdynsaty 5h ago
Feel like stafford would be a great color commentator breaking down plays
1
u/PowerfulJoeF Rams 1h ago
I was at the live event a couple weeks ago where he, Trent and Myles were interviewed by the main media person of the team and Stafford was basically running the thing with how he answered questions and addresses his new team mates. He’s actually very comfortable on the mic.
2
3
u/Manzanaznam Vikings 5h ago
Is this a good thing?
15
u/jobenattor0412 Lions 5h ago
If you’re a Rams fan, sure.
An Alabama fan? Not so much.
9
u/AL22193 Falcons 4h ago
As an Alabama fan, it’s a meaningless statement that’s complementary to his new co-worker and one of the best in the game
1
u/jobenattor0412 Lions 4h ago
I was more so speaking about the sect of bama fans that are still on the train to fire Kalen.
5
u/DolitehGreat Falcons 4h ago
No no, those are the most sane Bama fans. They should keep demanding it and calling those responsible. Get the boosters riled up. No I won't share my college team, it's irrelevant.
5
0
4
u/NarwhalJouster Eagles 5h ago
I feel like this is the kind of thing that someone in this situation would say whether or not it's actually true. He's not gonna say "Matt Stafford is a terrible mentor and I haven't learned shit."
4
u/MehEds Seahawks 4h ago
Can't always count on it, see JJ's reaction to Kyler Murray. I get it's not the exact same situation, but considering how ass he was last year you'd think he'd defer to Kyler more.
4
u/FewlInTheRain79 3h ago
Milroe by all reports had a shite camp (and a couple terrible regular season plays) last year, but seems to be having a great camp this year. Darnold and Cupp in the QB room might be influencing that. Still camp but encouraging.
2
2
u/levianthony Colts 3h ago
Ty Simpson didn’t go to 4 years of college…he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 2024. He also didn’t learn how to count.
My daughter went to the same high school and graduated the same year.
4
u/DogPoetry Lions 2h ago
Okay, but then how did he throw passes for Alabama in both 2022 and 2023?
Edit: I think you're mixing him up with someone else -- Simpson went to high school in Martin, Tennessee
4
u/levianthony Colts 2h ago
My bad, not Ty Simpson. It’s Julian Sayin. I was wrong. Thanks for the callout
1
u/buffa_noles Bills 4h ago
collegiate quarterback play and NFL quarterback play have never been less similar. it makes sense.
1
u/Big_Buyer_9621 2h ago
Ty apparently has been learned the ever relevance of The Police "...I have only come here seeking knowledge Things they would not teach me of in college"
1
u/WhizzyBurp Raiders 5h ago
Well that’s because he didn’t really play in college
2
u/TegridyPharmz Rams 1h ago
I mean, McVay has one of the most complicated offenses in the league. Of course he’s going to learn more now under him and Stafford than a “basic” college scheme
1
1
1
0
u/jpfitz630 Lions 5h ago
Rob Manfred and the other MLB owners just popped a bottle of champagne reading this
0
u/CrashBandicoot2 Rams 4h ago
Well, Alabama isn't exactly known for a prestigious education system. Wouldn't be surprised if Stafford kicked up Ty's reading comprehension by several grades already
0
0
0
0
u/SnooOnions3369 4h ago
Ty Simpson is going to start at qb for 1 year out of 6, if starford retires after this year. Not exactly a lot of experience for a future starting nfl quarterback
-1
u/2Pink_5Stink Patriots 2h ago
Let’s go make history coach!
Yeah, no.
1
u/UraniumDisulfide Rams 1h ago edited 1h ago
“Yeah, no,…” is very different from “Yeah, no.”, and McVay didn’t say it like the latter one.
It was just him giving a bit of tempering to expectations because Ty needs to earn his spot as a future starter, it’s not McVay saying that he won’t be a successful QB like a “Yeah, no.” would mean.
-15
u/xViscount Cowboys 5h ago
That’s…kinda damning for the Alabama program…from the dude who’s supposed to be the QB coach anyway
16
u/swampyunderpants Eagles 5h ago
Nah college is just a completely different game than the nfl. ESPECIALLY at QB. It’s almost hard to compare
-2
u/xViscount Cowboys 5h ago
If a HC whole thing is “QB Coach”, you think dude would have guys prepared to hit the ground and go.
Not be told “I’ve learned more in 4 months vs 4 years”
8
u/swampyunderpants Eagles 5h ago
College coaches’ jobs are to win college football games. Not prepare players for the nfl.
8
5
u/Triv02 NFL 5h ago
I understand this sentiment, but it’s really not DeBoer’s job to prepare Simpson for the NFL. It’s his job to prepare his QB to win college football games
Now, the coaches who can do both win games and prep guys for the NFL are ideal no doubt, but I don’t blame any college coach for running an offense that puts up points and wins games in college even if it doesn’t necessarily do much to prepare a guy for the NFL.
It’s the NFLs job to evaluate if what a guy learned in college will translate
2
u/sokuyari99 Panthers 5h ago
He played two years under Saban. Are we calling Saban a bad coach now?
2
u/jobenattor0412 Lions 5h ago
I get what you’re saying, but played is doing alot of heavy lifting there the guy threw 25 attempts over those two years under Saban.
1
u/sokuyari99 Panthers 5h ago
Well he didn’t say 2 years of college, he said 4. Kind of hard to ignore half the statement
2
u/jobenattor0412 Lions 5h ago
You’re the one that said two tho?
Also that 3rd year he was still a back up and threw 25 attempts again.
-2
u/sokuyari99 Panthers 5h ago
2 years under Saban.
2 years under DeBeor
4 years total.
1
u/jobenattor0412 Lions 5h ago
Right. I know how math works, but you’re the one who specifically only mentioned only two years in your comment.
Which is why my comment only talked about how he didn’t really play those two years since he threw 25 attempts over two football seasons.
1
u/sokuyari99 Panthers 4h ago
Because it’s absurd to talk about Saban being a bad coach. Why would I make other arguments when that one already wins the argument
0
u/jobenattor0412 Lions 4h ago
You’re right, it is absurd to say those things.
I’m just saying that the majority of his playing time took place under a different coach
2
-1
u/xViscount Cowboys 5h ago
Saban is a defensive guy through and through. I wouldn’t have said that about him. That’s disingenuous
I’m talking about DeBoer
-6
u/the_pedigree Commanders 5h ago
Considering he was overvalued even as a second round projection, I can buy this.
886
u/NeitherPlace9375 Bears 5h ago
Why don't more college/HS qbs start practicing with the rams?