How much does "mentoring" impact young players?

[GoPackGo]

Since we've lost some veteran leadership guys in the locker room this year (DD, CDub, maybe GJ85), I've been wondering how much a vet like Driver or Woodson helps a team out? I know guys like Jerry Rice had insane work ethics, so that would rub off on me if I were his teammate. I'd definitely have a respect for the older guys and I'd feel more confident in a tight game knowing they have been there before, but how much does it help in other areas like practice and development? Does a guy like Woodson teach Hayward and Tramon skills? Does Driver tell Cobb the secrets to working the slot?

Obviously, every player is different, but overall, how do you think it goes? Could a player like Steven Jackson, if we nabbed him, have tutored our young guys on how to be a pro at the RB position? Could Gonzalez have set Finley's brain straight earlier and taught him how to play the position with elite skills? How much of the game is insider tips/tricks that vets pass down to the young bucks?

This is a topic that's always interested me, but I've never been inside the game.

What do you guys think?
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[spilltray]

I think it's generally overblown. It is a bigger help when new coaches are bringing in a new system and there are vets familiar with the system that the rest can lean on. Certain habits like Al Harris and Charles Woodson can have some impact on things like film study, but it won't automatically carry over either.
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