Shane Beamer Hit Back At Spencer Rattler Criticism Amid NFL Draft Slide

Shane Beamer wasn't happy with criticism of Spencer Rattler during his NFL Draft slide.

There was a time a few years ago when some people thought Rattler could be the top overall pick when he entered the NFL. However, he was run out of Oklahoma by Caleb Williams, landed at South Carolina and showed some flashes, but he was never able to recapture the momentum and hype of his early days in college football.

There was some speculation that Rattler could go on day two of the NFL Draft. Instead, he slid all the way down to the fifth round before being drafted by the Saints. It was an embarrassing fall for the young man.

Shane Beamer defended Spencer Rattler during his NFL Draft slide. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Shane Beamer defends Spencer Rattler.

Prior to the Saints drafting the former Gamecocks QB, Beamer hit back at the "lazy narrative" surrounding his former player in terms of his work ethic and what kind of attitude he has.

"He’s a great person, great player and some team is getting a future starter today," Beamer tweeted prior to the draft resuming Saturday in response to criticism from Pete Thamel.

What's incredibly interesting is there was criticism from much more than just Thamel. Ian Rapoport stunned people when he reported Rattler starring in a reality TV series as a kid was a major red flag for teams due to the way he conducted himself.

"[The show] did not make him look great, and it is unbelievable how different teams mentioned to me the image of him in that show and how they can't get it out of their heads. Which I think would be a public service announcement to all 17-year-olds, but it is fascinating as teams weigh to draft him," Rapoport reported Saturday.

For those of you who might not know, there's a viral clip from "QB1: Beyond the Lights" where Rattler comes off as a really degrading and bad teammate and leader.

You can watch it below.

Has Rattler grown up? Beamer certainly has his back, and he's now 23-years-old. You can't judge a guy forever based on what he was like in high school, but it's obvious teams had a lot of questions about him. Just a few years ago, he was viewed as a premier prospect. Ultimately, he fell to the fifth round. What happens next is up to him. His former South Carolina coach believes in him, but there's no doubt there are plenty of doubters out there. Let me know your thoughts on Rattler at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.