Former New York Giants offensive lineman David Diehl has been hired by Fox Sports to be an analyst on game broadcasts for the upcoming NFL season. It's an impressive first post-career job for a guy who didn't have a superstar profile and who just retired four months ago, so good for Diehl and congratulations to him.
One word on why I think Diehl will be good at this: Energy.
Diehl wasn't the most consistently insightful player to interview in the Giants' locker room, but I always thought that was because he was such a believer in the Giants' culture that he was always conscious of not wanting to give away any potential secrets. So he often talked in platitudes rather than giving specific answers to specific questions. However, in a few dealings with him away from the locker room, I found Diehl to be intelligent and thoughtful, and I always believed he had more to offer than he was willing to offer the media in a group setting. Close to the vest can be a smart way to play it in the New York market. Diehl wasn't going to say anything to get himself in trouble or compromise the team's chances to win.
But in those same group interviews, Diehl was always, always high-energy. He was always enthusiastic. He was always expansive with his answers, not cutting them off after one or a few words. I think that if you take his natural energy and enthusiasm and combine it with a willingness to offer in the broadcast booth the kind of insight he wasn't always willing to offer in the locker room, you're going to have a fine TV analyst. I look forward to seeing how he does, and I have a feeling he'll do quite well.
