Ben-Coyle-Ch10

The final chapter of Coyle’s “The Talent Code” is about quarterback coach Tom Martinez. As the Raiders football team was trying to decide which player to choose for the draft, the team management turned to Martinez. Coyle attributes Martinez as one who possesses many traits of a master teacher. Specifically, Martinez is said to have the ability to spot talent: “...the Raiders listened to Martinez because he possesses a valuate and rare talent. He can walk up to someone he’s never met, in an atmosphere thick with unknowns and money and wariness, and forge a connection. He can use that connection to find the truth about someone whose talent is yet to be known to the world and maybe even to himself.”

I thought the story of the coach Tom Martinez was interesting, but I also thought this chapter was a bit self-defeating. Anyone can learn to sing… can’t everyone learn to be a good quarterback? Or at the very least, can’t everyone with a certain body type learn to be a good quarterback? On the other hand, maybe this wasn’t about evaluating someone’s potential to become as much as it was evaluating someone’s current ability. In either case, I couldn’t help but wonder how this $60 million bet worked out: it’s too bad this wasn’t included in the chapter (unless I missed it…).

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