GREEN BAY Given every opportunity to say I told you so not to mention out the coach who didnt think he had what it took Randall Cobb passed.

Whoever that college coach was who told Cobb, then a high-school junior, that hed never be good enough to play Division I football, well, Cobb was satisfied to simply enjoy being selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft and know that somewhere, that coach saw him walk across the Radio City Music Hall stage, don a Green Bay Packers hat, and receive one of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodells welcome-to-the-NFL hugs.

I dont know what hes thinking, Cobb said of the coach not-to-be-named-later. (But) I hope the next time he tells a kid that he cant do anything, I hope he thinks twice before he says it.

Asked again to divulge who the coach was, Cobb replied, I dont like to put any names out there. I just like to be able to smile and show that I was able to overcome what he told me. And Ive always used that as motivation to push me forward.

Cobb wasnt the only one smiling after the Packers took the University of Kentucky wide receiver. Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy both viewed Cobb as a player who could have an immediate impact as a rookie, both on special teams and on offense because of his versatility. Cobb started four games at quarterback for the Wildcats as a freshman before moving to receiver full-time, but he still lined up at wideout, as a slot receiver and in the backfield.

Hes a very versatile player. He was kind of Kentuckys offense over the last couple of years, Thompson said of the 5-foot-10, 191-pound Cobb, who left Kentucky after his junior season and is just 20 years old. Hes very good. Hes got great hands he was actually the holder on their team on placements, which gives you an idea of what kind of hands hes got and we feel very fortunate to be able to have him on our team. I think he gives us a lot of versatility. Hell be a nice fit.

Hes an all-around player. His coaches there at Kentucky cant say enough good things about him. Obviously, a marvelous addition to our special teams, but hes a legitimate receiver, also very good with the ball in his hands.

How McCarthy gets the ball into Cobbs hands on an Aaron Rodgers-led offense with a cache of weapons Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson and free-agent James Jones at receiver, game-breaking tight end Jermichael Finley returning from his knee injury and Ryan Grant (back from an ankle injury) and James Starks in the backfield remains to be seen. McCarthy seemed to indicate that hed be open to using Cobb as a Wildcat quarterback but would not commit to the idea.

To me, the Wildcat is a package of deceptive play and how much you want to major in it is really our choice. Randall was not drafted so he could play the Wildcat, I'll just make that clear, McCarthy said. Now if we line up and do something like that, that'll be part of our deceptive packages that we have in every week. We have prepared as an offensive staff for this type of player being added to our offense. It gives us some flexibility and it gives us the chance to get into some different looks.

I understand the Wildcat is in vogue in the National Football League right now and if we line up in that we'll probably cause something different. But he was not drafted for that.

That Cobb was drafted at all, and as high as he was, is proof of his drive. An Alcoa, Tenn., native, the Wildcats recruited him as an athlete Tennessee got in on him late with the promise of playing quarterback, but he kept his verbal commitment to Kentucky and Cobb went on to play 11 games as a true freshman in 2008, starting four at wide receiver and four at quarterback.

Cobb readily admits that because hes only been playing receiver for two years now, his route-running needs improvement, but new wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett said Cobbs quarterback experience should help.

I think by him having that experience as a quarterback, he understands the importance of his split. He understands the importance of his release off the ball. He understands the footwork that hes supposed to use as a route runner and how to maneuver and create space versus a defender, Bennett said. I think by him being a quarterback, all of that will certainly help his transition coming into the National Football League.

Cobb made the transition to being primarily receiver as a sophomore (39 catches, 447 yards, four touchdowns) before having a breakout season last year, when he caught 84 passes for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns, carried the ball 55 times for 424 yards and five TDs, completed 5 of 10 passes for 58 yards (with three interceptions) throwing the ball and also averaged 23.7 yards on 31 kickoff returns and 7.8 yards on 28 punt returns.

He also held for field goals and extra points for his final two seasons, taking over for now-Packers punter Tim Masthay, his Kentucky teammate in 2008.

Randall is one of those guys that just wants to do anything and everything to help his team win, Masthay said. He is truly an impressive individual on both on and off the field.

As impressive and versatile as Cobb was on the field Pro Football Weekly draft expert Nolan Nawrocki suggested Cobb could have been a Heisman Trophy candidate had he stayed for his senior year Cobbs just as impressive off it. A team captain and natural leader, Bennett liked what he learned from Cobb at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in February and believes hell fit in well with the teams current receiving corps.

I had an opportunity to interview him at the combine and get to know him for the limited amount of time that we get at the combine. You come away, very smart kid, very mature and you think of a guy thats a high-character individual, everything thats in his background, Bennett said. You talk about putting him in our room with the guys that we already have in place, he fits what we look for bringing in our locker room.

It's one of those situations where you go into it and you like certain guys, but you never know how it's going to play out. We're real fortunate to be in the situation that we were in where he was sitting right there waiting.

Waiting is right. Cobb was the last player left in the green room at Radio City Music Hall, bringing to mind another player who waited and waited to hear his name called on draft day in 2005 Rodgers.

Hopefully I can have the same success hes had, Cobb said. It was hard. It was really hard. It all came to emotionally thinking you may be going somewhere then not going there. But God works in mysterious ways and he puts us in position and I was fortunate enough to still be on the board when Green Bay was picking.

I had to wait a long time in the green room, but its well worth it to know that Im coming to Green Bay.

540ESPNMilwaukee wrote: