Dear Percy,
Sweet mercy, didn't you take your Flintstone Vitamins as a child? Honestly, I feel for you. Your body hasn't held up its end of the bargain since you've been here: Migraines, your ankles, your neck sprain, a hip pointer, tendonitis in your knee and most recently your heels.
It's not fair, really. And people criticize you for being a cancer on every team you've been on. There's a reason you weren't voted as a team captain. You're not a leader. You know that. Urban knows that. All of your teammates know that. But that doesn't make you a bad guy.
Sure, there was a scrap between you and Chris Rainey during practice, but if you were James Smith (he's the long snapper, by the way) instead of Percy Harvin, nobody would've cared.
To pretend like every player adores every other player is akin to saying Ohio State would keep a championship game close. It's just silly.
I wish people would lay off you and actually talk to you before they say your attitude is a detriment. It isn't a plus, but your attitude isn't going to keep this team from making a BCS bowl.
What's going to make the difference is whether your heel finally stops doing whatever it's doing. I'd get into more specifics, but that's about all we know. I know practice isn't your thing. You're one of the most athletically blessed individuals in the country, and you have the unique ability to turn it on whenever you want. Unfortunately for you, the NFL scouts aren't going to see it that way.
Sitting it out and taking it easy is no longer an option for you. If you keep this up, it could be the difference between a top-10 NFL Draft pick and barely slipping into the first round. NFL teams aren't going to waste millions on you if they think you'll only show up on Sundays.
You need to take a hard hit, and then force your body up to take a slow jog back to the huddle. It won't be your shining moment, but it will be the moment teams realize you're capable of playing for more than half a season.
Forget running the ball, too. If people don't know you're gifted with the ball, then they need to stop staring at Tim Tebow every play.
Instead, you need to be right there laying your body down for a block against the clueless defensive back when Rainey or Emmanuel Moody darts to the outside.
Percy, you deserve props for going through all that you've gone through healthwise. It's more than most do. The thing is, however, you have the ability to be an outstanding athlete, and you have to do more than what you've been doing to accomplish that.
Get out on the field. Play through pain. Become a complete receiver. Go to the NFL.
If you want to take the couple million guaranteed dollars and then be done, go ahead. We're blessed enough to live in a country where that's allowed. If you have plans on doing more, well, get to work. That's something you're going to have to start doing more of no matter how your body feels.
Sincerely,
Brian
