Don't blink or you'll miss the next Kyler Murray headline. Between the Heisman Trophy race, the College Football Playoff, the NFL draft early declaration deadline and the upcoming Major League Baseball season, Murray's name has been at the center of a number of key sports storylines over the past few months.
But while the most popular question surrounding Murray and his future centers around the upcoming decision between football and baseball, there's another looming question that has taken a bit of a backseat. Can Murray, who would be the first QB drafted since 2000 that was 5-foot-10 or shorter, be successful if he ultimately goes the professional football route?
Height hasn't been a hindrance for Murray so far in his football career. He earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors while winning three straight state titles in high school. And he won the Heisman Trophy during his only season as Oklahoma's starting QB in college. Sub-6-foot QBs have had considerably amounts of success at those levels, though. The same can not be said for the NFL.
Not only that, but there has been some disagreement as to just how short Murray is. Oklahoma listed him at 5-foot-11 on his baseball bio. Then he was listed 5-foot-10 on his football bio. Some talking heads in the media claim he's closer to 5-foot-8. Last month, Oklahoma assistant athletic director Mike Houck took to Twitter to set the record straight, clarifying that Murray officially measured in at just under 5-foot-10 in socks when the Sooner strength and conditioning staff measured him at the beginning of the season.
Assuming Murray goes through the NFL draft process, he'll have his height measured at the NFL scouting combine, which begins on Feb. 26 in Indianapolis. Barring an unforeseen growth spurt, Murray would be looking to become the first 5-foot-10 QB drafted since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Georgia Tech's Joe Hamilton with the 234th overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft. Hamilton went on to appear in one career game, had zero passing attempts and his lone career rushing attempt went for minus-2 yards.
That doesn't make Hamilton unique, though. He was just another casualty in an NFL that's dominated by QBs 6 feet or taller.
