Mr. and Mrs. Long have three sons, the oldest of whom is Chris, who by his reckoning might be the least accomplished athlete in the family.
Begin with his father, Howie, the former defensive stalwart of the Raiders. You could look up Howie at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Go on to Chris' brothers. Kyle is a baseball player at Florida State who is said to have major league potential. Howie Jr. has quarterbacked his high school team to a Virginia state championship.
“It's crazy,” said Chris, who noted that his mother, Diane, plays a mean game of tennis.
Chris is pretty fair shakes himself. When the NFL draft is offered on April 26-27, he could be the first player selected. At worst, he would seem certain to be taken no lower than No. 4, which is the Raiders' selection. Son joins team on which his father excelled. It would make a nice story, but it isn't likely to happen, not as Chris' candidacy for the draft is being received.
Of all the players in the draft pool, Chris Long of Virginia is the only one about whom no one has reservations. Matt Ryan of Boston College is a quarterback who has a legion of admirers, but he did have 19 interceptions as a senior. Glenn Dorsey of LSU, like Long a defensive lineman, has strong notices, but he had to wear a brace on his right knee through much of his final season in Baton Rouge, La., after suffering a severe sprain. Darren McFadden of Arkansas can do exciting things as a running back, but his conduct has not always been exemplary.
About Long, there are only raves. Of this, he is aware. “A lot of people say, 'Don't read, stay off the message boards,' but I'm on that stuff nonstop,” he said. “I read newspapers. I read magazines. I've always got my eyes open. I check everything. I want to be – what's the word? – omniscient.”
Some folks have suggested that Chris has become prominent in the buildup to the draft only because of his father's status as a Hall of Famer and television personality. To Chris, this serves as motivation, not that he ever has been anything other than energized on football fields. It is the thing that defines him – his zest, his willingness to extend himself fully on every play.
“Long is college football's premier defensive talent and everything NFL scouts look for while searching for the next perennial Pro Bowl defensive end,” said ESPN draft commentator Todd McShay.
“A tremendous leader and football player who could never allow himself not to be great,” said Pro Football Weekly draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki.
“Not only are his games wonderful, he's one of those unusual players who would be satisfactory in a 4-3 or a 3-4 defense,” said Jerry Jones, author of “The Drugstore List” of draft ratings.
Chris' size does bring up questions. He is 6 feet 3 and 272 pounds. (His father played at 6-5, 268). Defensive ends in 3-4 alignments generally are considerably bigger. They must maneuver against offensive tackles weighing 300 and more, often much more. But Long has the quickness to offset being undersized.
Jerry Magee: (619) 293-1830; jerry.magee@uniontrib.com
