It is with a heavy heart that I deliver the news of Dave Te's passing yesterday. I know some of the "old guys" of BBI would want to know this update so I figured I would share.
He always appreciated the interactions he had with BBI fans each year leading up to the draft. A great source of insights and information, never asking anything in return.
For those who didn't know him I'll provide some background on his story.
Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, growing up as a loyal Giants fan.
His uncle was in the NBA's scouting department when he was very young. He developed a grading system to scout college football prospects (when he was a teenager) which caught the eye of the NFL. He was then brought in to help their internal scouting operations.
He ended up starting his own outside consulting service (Scouting Services, Inc.) which provided in-depth player reports to the NFL and it's franchises for decades. His early iterations were called the Poor Man's Guide to Scouting.
He notably started this business by handing out this guide on the streets of NYC outside of the draft (when it was at Radio City). Later on this catalog of information became known as the NFL Draft Report.
Not very long ago he sold his business to one of the largest sports agencies, CAA. He had been freelancing with various franchises since.
Dave Te was well known for his football acumen on this forum but he also specialized in scouting for baseball, basketball, and hockey.
He was an incredible scout and an even better man. He will be sincerely missed.
I know some BBI users liked to give Dave Te a hard time when he occasionally messed up a name or stat in his later years. My hope is that we can keep this post civilized out of respect for all he did for this community.
Thank you.
His player scouting reports were almost overwhelming in their detail. I could never figure out why, when he posted his, there were so few comments, BBI seemed to give him short shrift. A pity.
His life's story and achievements, so impressive from where he started, but will be treated as a blip on the horizon. RIP
Many thanks for all the insights and passion shared and RIP Dave Te.
You will definitely be missed.
Godspeed and condelences to his family & friends.
I was going to say this. I know Dave had mentioned how his wife's passing had devastated him. Here here, BamaBlue.
RIP, Dave. You will be missed.
RIP Dave
Dan, I believe his name was Dave Thomas. The Te was for Tight End because that was his position specialty as a scout. So he went by Dave Te.
Peace to his family and friends.
I wish him and his family peace and love.
RIP Dave.
I'm so sorry -