In much the same way they jumped up in the second round to select safety Tyrell Johnson, the Vikings couldn’t resist aggressively moving up 13 spots in the fifth round to draft former Southern Cal. quarterback John David Booty.
It’s not too often that an NFL team can acquire a quarterback from one of the nation’s elite programs in the fifth round, but that’s precisely what Vikings Vice President of Player Personnel Rick Spielman was able to accomplish last Sunday.
“Between our scouts, Scott Studwell, George Paton, and everybody up there, I think we have seen about every game that he has played in over the past two years,” Spielman admitted to reporters after drafting Booty.
Spielman said that Vikings Head Coach Brad Childress and his offensive coaches were able to spend an ample amount of time with Booty at the Senior Bowl.
“He is a very smart player. Coach (Childress) has hit on it; we felt he was very accurate and does a lot of the throws that we need to see in our offense,” Spielman said. “When Coach Childress and I sat there and watched that, it was like a seven-on-seven drill and you could see what type of player he can be when he is healthy.”
But it wasn’t just his performance during the practices leading up to the Senior Bowl that caught the Vikings eye. Booty showed NFL capabilities throughout his time as Southern Cal’s starting quarterback.
Booty played in 38 games for the Trojans, with 23 starts, and threw for 6,125 yards on 518-of-832 passing (62.3%), with 55 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. As a senior starter, team captain and All-Pac 10 Conference honorable mention, Booty had his best campaign, completing 215 of 340 attempts for 2,361 yards and 23 touchdowns. He finished his career with two straight Rose Bowl victories and an impressive 9-0 record against top 25 teams.
Because Booty comes from a program like Southern Cal., which runs an offensive system very similar to the NFL’s style of play, and because of his success at such a high level of play, many NFL observers expect Booty to transition smoothly into the league. Additionally, Booty’s pedigree indicates he’ll have what it takes to play at the next level.
John David's brother, Josh, was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns after playing two seasons (1999-2000) at LSU and another brother, Abram, was a wide receiver at LSU (1997-1999) and Valdosta State (2001). Booty’s father, Johnny, played quarterback at Arkansas, Louisiana Tech and Mississippi State.
But even with Booty’s pedigree and past success, Coach Childress wants to see the quarterback perform in the Vikings system before announcing his new quarterback’s transition to the NFL a success.
“You always kind of hold judgment until you see him operate within our system around our guys,” Coach Childress said. “Southern Cal., just by the number of people they had drafted, he has played around some speed and he has played in some big games. But you want to see how those skills and ability and his football acumen kind of translate to what we are doing here.”
Even when Booty does grasp the Vikings scheme and display that knowledge to coaches, he will still be a few notches down on the depth chart. But that’s a familiar process for him.
“I had to learn the offense pretty quick (at Southern Cal.), but I didn't quite grasp it all in a month,” Booty said. “It’s a pretty complex offense to learn in that short amount of time but I really understood what my role was and that I wasn't going to get a chance to play. I just had to sit out and learn and develop. I am so grateful today that I did.”
The reason Booty had to sit out and learn instead of join his teammates on the field was the presence of Matt Leinart, a national championship and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who handled starting duties during Booty’s early years with the Trojans.
“All of us athletes know that any player in the NFL is a great player and I know Tarvaris is,” Booty said. “I just want to come in here and I’m a big team guy. I just want to get in there and talk with him and learn as much as I can from him. Just get in there and be a part of the team and just practice my butt off and compete and try to do the best I can.”
After arriving at Southern Cal., Booty knew that one day his time would come to take the reins as the starter. Eventually, Leinart would graduate and Booty would gracefully ascend the depth chart. In the NFL, and with the Vikings, the process won’t be so automatic. But that doesn’t mean Booty won’t work just as hard to further his career as a quarterback.
“I have to get there and see, but I definitely think I have the ability to be a player in this league,” Booty said. “It’s been a dream my whole life to get this opportunity and I have it now and I just want to make the most of it, but I think there is no question that I have the ability to play in the NFL.”