Club News

Corner Signs Contract
6/12/2008

Video: Buffalobills.com goes 1-on-1 with the second draft pick to sign with the Bills

Clip time: 3:35

Baseball: North Hunterdon's Knapp drafted by Phillies in MLB second round
June 5, 2008

Jason Knapp

North Hunterdon High School senior right-hander Jason Knapp was taken by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 71st pick during the second round Thursday in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Knapp is 6-1 this year with a 1.37 earned-run average. He has 79 strikeouts and 16 walks in 51 innings. He also is hitting .458 with nine doubles, two triples, six home runs and 21 RBI.

Knapp pitched a one-hitter Tuesday against Bloomfield in the NJSIAA Group IV semifinals, a game North Hunterdon won 10-0. He is expected to be the designated hitter when the Lions take on Skyland Conference rival Hunterdon Central in the Group IV final at 2 p.m. Saturday at Toms River High School South.

Knapp also has been accepted to the University of North Carolina, where he has been offered a baseball scholarship.

"I'm really excited that the Phillies took me," the 6-foot-5, 225- pound Knapp said. "It's a great organization, and I really hope it works out. My parents and advisors are going to work for what's best for me."

***Congratulations Jason...your hard work in the off season paid off!
from Skip & the TEST TEAM***

Corner Wasn't Always A Corner

Reggie Corner

When a football player has a name like Reggie Corner where else would he play but cornerback? Fittingly it is the position he will play for the Buffalo Bills after the club made him a fourth-round pick last Sunday. But Corner was anything but a cornerback when he arrived on campus at Akron. 

"I didn't play corner until I got to college," said Corner. "I was a wide receiver my whole life." 

At McKinley high school in Canton, Ohio, Corner earned All-Ohio, All-District and All-County honors in both his junior and senior seasons for his exploits as a wideout. He didn't even play on both sides of the ball until his senior year when he had three interceptions on defense. But his defensive efforts were overshadowed by his production on offense as he had 43 catches for 739 yards and 12 touchdowns in his final high school season. 

When he got to Akron however, the coaching staff looked at his 5'9 ½" 170-pound frame and saw a defensive back not a wideout. Corner took the change in stride. 

"The coaches gave me an opportunity to showcase my skills at corner," he said. 

And Corner made the most of it. As a redshirt freshman he finished seventh on the team in tackles with six pass breakups and a pair of interceptions. His numbers were similar in his sophomore campaign. His junior year Corner increased his pass theft total to four, only to obliterate the figure his senior season. 

Corner had seven interceptions last year to lead the Mid-American Conference and rank fourth in the nation. He finished second in school history with 15 career interceptions. 

So how does Corner explain all those takeaways? Ironically, his experience at wide receiver helps him predict routes. 

"I think I can read body language from a wideout very well," said Corner. "The other thing that helps me is my film study. I watch a tremendous amount of film so I can run a receiver's route almost before they run it." 

Now 180 pounds, Corner has added muscle and is stronger than he was as an incoming freshman. Though still a bit undersized by NFL standards, Buffalo's personnel evaluators aren't concerned about how he handles himself against the run. 

"He's about 5'9 ½" and plays a lot bigger than that," said Bills scout Tom Roth. "He's very good in run support." 

"He's more of a finesse guy taking on lead blockers and things like that because he's not real big," said Bills scout Emeritus David G. Smith. "But he doesn't back off. He hits people." 

One good example would be when Akron faced Ohio State. Corner raced off the edge into the backfield to drop 240-pound running back Chris Wells for a loss bringing the Akron faithful to their feet. 

"Football is a contact sport and I love contact. I love to tackle and to get as many hits as I can," he said. "As far as run support I feel I'm very good at that." 

Where Corner really shines however, is in coverage. With 4.5 speed and a 36-inch vertical Corner not only has the ability to cover the faster and quicker wideouts, but the taller ones as well. 

"You see that on film," said Roth. "There was a play against Ohio State and I think it was against either (Brian) Robiskie or (Brian) Hartline and they're both 6'2". He went up top and knocked the ball down." 

"You want to talk about him covering big receivers," asked Smith rhetorically. "Akron put him on the best receiver every game. Look at him against the guy we took in the second round. He covered (James) Hardy like a blanket. (Bills defensive backs coach) George Catavolos said if he was two inches taller he'd be a first-round draft choice. He felt he was the best cover guy that he looked at out of all the defensive backs." 

Hardy finished the game with four catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, but Corner was not covering him the whole game with teammate Davanzo Tate splitting duty with him. 

"I don't think he got much of anything on me," said Corner. "I tip my hat to him. He's a great wideout. I covered him a few times and he ran a deep route when I was on him and he got a one-yard gain on a hitch on me if I remember right. He's a good wideout. I'm not bragging, he's a very good wideout. He's one of the best I went against last year." 

Despite all his ability Corner was not invited to the combine, though he doesn't hold a grudge. 

"I thought I should have been invited, but you can't cry over spilled milk," he said. 

"Sometimes people at the combine don't get it right in our opinion," said Bills Vice President of Scouting Tom Modrak. "Sometimes they'll not hit everybody. It's not a math problem, its judgments. Some guys fall through the cracks." 

And the Bills are glad that Corner was one of them because it kept other NFL teams off his trail. Buffalo had their eye on the Akron product early bringing him in for a pre-draft visit at One Bills Drive.

"I loved my visit there and I loved the coaches there," Corner said. "My impression of the coaches was that they're very knowledgeable. I think I can help there and improve my game. I feel my talents can fit the team very well."

Foster Fitting in with the Colts
May 7, 2008
Bobby Deren
www.scarletnation.com

Eric Foster

Even before draft day, Eric Foster could sense that Indianapolis might wind up being his new home. That intuition proved to be correct when the Colts offered him a free agent contract on the second day of the NFL Draft. Although some may claim that he is undersized, Foster fits the mold of many defensive linemen who have worn a Colts uniform in the past.

"They don't take these gigantic linemen there," said Frank Coyle, a draft expert for draftinsiders.com. "They take guys that are very quick and good technicians. That's a good fit for him. He could play the three technique tackle spot in the four man front."

Foster excelled at the tackle position in college, but in the giant world of the NFL he could wind up shifting over to defensive end.

"At the Texas vs. The Nation game, he looked really good at defensive end," Coyle stated. "I think he's probably going to get a look there more. Foster is a guy that can make that team. There is a real opportunity for him in Indy."

To Coyle, the Colts are getting a player who not only fits their scheme, but also their mindset.

"The Colts are kind of a little out of the box on the way they draft," said Coyle. "They draft specific guys for their scheme. The profile of their draft picks are a little different. But they usually get very tough guys with great motors who do a lot of things."

Foster attended a mini-camp in Indianapolis over this past weekend and returned to New Jersey on Monday, where he refused to take any time off. He returned to TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville, NJ where he has been training since the end of his college season.

"He was just here Monday morning," said Brian Martin, head trainer and co-owner of TEST. "He just got back from camp and he dominated out there. He was throwing their second-round pick around like a rag doll. He's in here every day taking notes, doing bag drills, hand drills. I have to kick him out of this place."

Martin was alongside Foster during the second day of the draft. He was there to witness the Colts call Foster numerous times expressing a continual interest even though he went undrafted. 

"I was shocked he didn't get drafted," Martin professed. "But I think it's an absolute perfect fit. He wanted to go there from the beginning. His quickness plays so well into their scheme."

Coyle also followed Foster's roller coaster ride over the past few months, but he didn't have quite the same view as Martin. Nevertheless, Coyle was able to able to share a similar enthusiasm.

"He had a terrific career at Rutgers," said Coyle. "I had him going late in the draft, but he definitely is a high priority free agent. Foster's the kind of guy you root for." 

From draft day to rookie camp, small-town player gets his chance
By Elizabeth Merrill
ESPN.com
May 9, 2008

Xavier Omon, a sixth-round draftee out of Northwest Missouri State, has a sought-after combination of size, speed and sure hands.

KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: The rookie has two bags, an MP3 player and a ticket he's eyeballing like a straight-flush poker hand. He fetches a ride with his girlfriend, because his old green clunker died months ago. She tells him she loves him, and that she'll see him in three days.

They know, as they say goodbye in a crowded hallway near the security gate, that his life is about to change.

It's just the way Xavier Omon always wanted it. As a sophomore at Beatrice High School in southeastern Nebraska, he told a handful of people -- only the ones he trusted -- that someday he'd be an NFL running back. But life, for the first 23 years at least, has been far less hopeful. He was 8 when his brother was killed by a drunken driver; he was 14 when another brother committed suicide.

Division I football snubbed him, recognition eluded him, but none of that matters now because Omon is holding a plane ticket to rookie camp. He's dressed in gray pants and an Ecko sweatshirt. He knows it's the fanciest outfit he'll need for his first week in the NFL.

Everything else is a mystery. He fidgets in the terminal and pops his head up every time a flight announcement is made. He's nervous. He knows he's in good shape, but is it NFL shape?

Omon's row is called, and he walks briskly to the door. His eyes do not turn back.

"I'm 23 years old, and I've never even been to a wedding before," he says. "I've been to five funerals and no weddings. So much bad stuff has happened in my life, stuff that is so big, and then this comes along. … Something really nice has finally happened."

ADVENTURE GOLF CENTER, LINCOLN, NEB., SUNDAY OF NFL DRAFT WEEKEND: A black Honda rolls into the parking lot at 11 a.m., and Omon steps out with four casually-dressed fellows. On the car ride up from Beatrice to Lincoln, the men do a mock draft pool to predict where Omon will go. Xavier has the Packers at the top of his list, and he's handicapping with the benefit of insider information. For the past few weeks, Green Bay has done a decent amount of calling.

Truth is, no one knows when -- or if -- he'll be drafted. His agent, Joe Linta, is confident Omon will go somewhere from the fourth to the seventh round. "Be patient," Linta has told him. But many gurus don't even have Omon on their boards.

Before the NFL draft starts on Sunday, Xavier Omon gets in a round of mini golf with some friends at the Adventure Golf Center in Lincoln, Neb.

To take the edge off of the day, Omon decides he'll play miniature golf with his stepdad Anthony, brother Rafael, nephew Kieyn, and confidante Ben Essam. They'll go back to Beatrice later in the afternoon for a draft party. Omon struggles with the whole party idea. For months, he didn't want one. What does he say if his name isn't called?

He'll get to that later. He walks into the clubhouse, and the woman at the counter asks if he wants the red or the blue course. Red has more hills; blue has more hazards.

"Which one is harder?" he asks.

Red, she says.

"We'll go with red."

Omon is quiet on the outside, but he's tight with those in his inner circle. Essam coached him in basketball at Beatrice, and at 31, doesn't look much older than Omon. Essam was the perfect combination of grown-up and peer when Omon struggled with his brother's suicide. They made this pact, probably eight years ago, that they'd spend draft day together.

Rafael had to be there, too, because the brothers were always close. That's just the way they were brought up.

Rafael pulls a few strokes ahead, and Xavier accuses him of cheating in mini golf. For more than an hour, the pink elephant hiding behind the bushes is hardly broached. Of course Omon can focus on something besides the draft. He's an athlete. At Northwest Missouri State, he became the first college football player to run for at least 1,500 yards in four straight seasons. He is a scout-salivating combination of size, speed and sure hands.

He shanks his sixth-hole putt off the course.

Meanwhile, back in Connecticut, Linta waits by the television. This ain't his first rodeo. The blue-collar agent with a Yale degree rattles off funny one-liners as fast as he can break down escalator clauses. He's a calming influence on a maddening day. Linta has 11 clients who may or may not make it in this draft. His marquee player, Delaware quarterback Joe Flacco, goes in the first round Saturday to the Ravens.

If Omon isn't called, it means Linta's phone will be burning at roughly 6 p.m., when the cattle call starts for undrafted rookies. Linta, who's built a solid clientele on successful second-day picks, is still very hopeful.

"I believe in Omons," Linta says, "but not omens."

A BUDDY'S HOUSE IN SOUTH BEATRICE, LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON: It's quiet in the Honda on the ride back home, and when Omon walks into a crowded basement full of family and friends, he's in desperate need for air.

Omon has grown up with these people, eaten dozens of meals at some of their houses, and they helped a young black teen feel at home in a predominantly white community of about 12,000. But now, Omon needs to escape.

The fifth round races by, and a TV draft guru lists the top five running backs still available. Omon's name isn't mentioned.

Lauren Williams looks on as her boyfriend, Omon, gets the call from the Bills.

His girlfriend, Lauren Williams, suggests they go outside and shoot some hoops. He sinks the first shot, misses the second, then Ludacris bounces on his cell phone. It's a 716 area code, and Omon wonders if it's a prank. The man on the other end is an exec with the Buffalo Bills. Omon doesn't have time to think it's strange, that the Bills weren't at his pro day, and now they're calling. He falls to his knees. Within a couple of minutes, he'll start to cry.

He thinks about his brothers. Effiong was 18 when he committed suicide. The night before he died, he sat with Xavier in their living room, watching boxing, talking about football. As on many other nights, the kid was going on about the NFL and how he was going to play there someday. And in this one moment, after one short ringtone, his mind zooms back to everything he's been through and everywhere he'll go. He kept his word.

Down in the basement, the cheers have reached Saturday autumn decibels. The crowd runs outside to find Omon. He bolts past his girlfriend to grab one of his buddies.

Rafael cackles. He has Buffalo in his mock draft sheet, and has just won four bucks.

CENTRAL JUNIOR HIGH, LAWRENCE, KAN., TUESDAY: Rookie camp is two days away, and Omon wants to say goodbye to some old teachers and friends. He hasn't seen most of them for 10 years. His last day of school, before the family moved to Beatrice, Omon spent in ISS: in-school suspension.

He thinks he got into a fight with a kid, but can't really remember.

"I kind of had an attitude," Omon says. "I wasn't bad. I was young."

He dreamed of being a quarterback as a kid, and wanted to be Randall Cunningham.

"This is a stupid story," he says, "but my favorite color is green. I think the Jets and Eagles were playing each other, and I decided whoever won the game was going to be my favorite team."

Maybe Mr. Winchester would remember some of this. He was Omon's football coach in junior high. Omon pops in to say hello, thanks, and tell him he made a difference. Then he goes home for another restless night.

"I just want to do a little reminiscing," he says. "See where I came from. People always forget where they came from."

NORTHWEST BAGGAGE CLAIM, BUFFALO, LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Five large men step off a connecting flight from Detroit, and Kevin Meganck is holding a sheet of paper with 22 mug shots. Meganck is the Bills' pro player analyst, and he's been assigned to pick up the latest batch of newbies. He doesn't really need the sheet. After years of watching college football players, Meganck can easily spot them in a crowd.

At the Bills facility, Omon is fitted for a helmet.

It's a 15-minute drive to the Bills' training facility in Orchard Park, and sometimes, the Toyota Sequoia gets pretty quiet on these runs. Thursday is no exception. Derek Fine -- the tight end from Kansas -- finally breaks the ice with his homespun southern drawl.

One time, the Bills sent a video crew on the airport trip so fans could meet Roscoe Parrish, their first pick of the 2005 draft. Only Parrish was too shy to speak. Somebody finally got the wide receiver going with a discussion about movies. Parrish loves movies.

"Some guys you can't get to shut up," Meganck says. "Other guys don't say a word."

Like most rookie camps in the NFL, the Bills' is a hodgepodge of rare college talents, fringe players and young men trying to hold on. Ten of the rookies were drafted, four are trying out and the rest are free agents.

Because he was picked in the sixth round, Omon is guaranteed roughly $100,000 in bonus money that many of his undrafted counterparts will never see. But not much else is guaranteed.

The rookies sign paperwork shortly after arriving at the Bills' 95,000-square-foot training facility. The undrafted ones ink meager contracts; the drafted sign waivers in case they're seriously hurt.

Rookies are run through a battery of measurements and tests, including body composition.

A 320-pound offensive lineman, a big deal at his Division I university, wanders around the weight room with a lost look. A coach stops him.

"Welcome to Buffalo," he says. "You're not the only one nervous. Everybody's nervous. There's some fluttering nerves around here."

They'll drop their bags at the players' lounge, and get fitted for helmets in the equipment room. When Omon sees the shiny red helmet with the Bills' logo, he glances over to Fine.

"We just kind of looked at each other without saying a thing," Omon says. "We're here. We've made it."

They shoot headshots for the media guide, and are herded off to the weight room for body-composition tests. The Bod Pod looks like a giant egg, and Omon has to step into it and blow through a tube. He's claustrophobic. He measures in with 14 percent body fat. He's told NFL running backs should be around 9 percent.

"A little chubby, I guess," he says.

He's rooming with Fine for the weekend at the Millennium, a $160-a-night hotel near the mall. After dinner and a quick grip-and-grin session with some Bills supporters, Omon hunkers in with his mini-playbook and the Pistons-76ers game. He calls his old offensive coordinator from Northwest Missouri State to relate the Bills' offense to the Bearcats.

"He was a little confused on it," Omon says. "I have to figure it out on my own."

BILLS PRACTICE FACILITY, FRIDAY MORNING: The first thing the rookies learn is that everybody runs, from stations to the post-practice stretching, regardless of whether it's an early-May workout or Week 14.

Omon, taken in the sixth round, has high expectations of himself.

They wake up at 5:30 this morning, and shuffle between classes and two practices. This, running backs coach Eric Studesville says, is precious time for the rookies because it's the most one-on-one interaction they'll have with the coaches, and it's that window NFL types like to call "laying the foundation."

Studesville and Omon, who initially met at the combine in February, hit it off right away. Studesville believes there are no dumb questions, and if a guy raises his hand in the classroom, it probably means three others were confused. Omon is always asking questions. He wants to get things right.

Two running backs and two fullbacks are in Buffalo this weekend. Omon gets most of the reps. Forty minutes into the first workout, he takes a handoff, and Studesville yells, "There we go!"

After the workout, roughly 15 media types flock to cornerback Leodis McKelvin, the Bills' first-round draft pick. McKelvin gets teased by the rooks because he got a ride to practice while the others walked. But Omon says he's cool. He walks off the field alone and gets ready for a 2 p.m. workout.

Omon warms up for his first day of rookie camp.

In college, people said Omon had a quiet confidence. He hated the fact that he had to redshirt as a freshman. Some nights, he'd clear his head by calling his buddy Essam in Beatrice. Most days, he just didn't understand why he wasn't playing.

Omon almost doesn't want to have the sit-down with Studesville over what the Bills expect of him. Because if they say it's special teams, or practice-squad fodder, it very well might clash with what Omon expects of himself.

By Saturday, after the morning workout, Omon lingers on the field to chat with his coach. He asks what he needs to do to get better.

Keep doing what you're doing, Studesville says.

"He's nervous, which is fine," he says. "They're all nervous. They should be nervous because it's a new experience, and they're not really sure. And they'll get comfortable here by tomorrow, and the next time we come back, the veterans will be here and they'll be 10 times more nervous because now they've got to deal with peer pressure in the locker room and dealing with older guys. They're trying to figure out how a bear goes through the woods."

Facing the lights, cameras and questions is part of the rookie inauguration.

KANSAS CITY, SUNDAY NIGHT: A big white jet crawls into Terminal 3 at the Kansas City airport, and Omon greets his girl. He has no playbook -- the rookies had to give those back before they grabbed fajita rollups for a late lunch and dashed off to the airport.

When the final horn goes off Sunday back in Buffalo, the rookies collectively exhale. They are exhausted and spinning. They come from entirely different backgrounds and draft-day stories, but in early May, they have so much in common.

"It's so much more mental [work]," he says. "We haven't even gotten into the physical part."

He knows his life will never be the same. But he goes to sleep Sunday night feeling comfortable and at peace, the first time he's slept well in a month.

Maybe, it's an omen.

Elizabeth Merrill is a senior writer for ESPN.com. She can be reached at merrill2323@hotmail.com

Stiff Ray Lewis test for Joe Flacco at Ravens minicamp
By Sean Leahy, USA TODAY

Joe Flacco

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — After the Baltimore Ravens traded up to select Joe Flacco with the 18th pick in the NFL draft, it's no surprise the team expects him to be the leader of the team's offense.

Part of the journey to that position began Friday at Ravens minicamp when Flacco, on his first day in an NFL uniform, got tested — on the field and off — by the franchise's real leader, linebacker Ray Lewis.

"I'm a fan of Joe Flacco," said Lewis, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year entering his 13th season. "But if you've met him, and I've been playing with him and messing around with him, his personality is incredible."

Ravens first-round pick Joe Flacco impressed teammates with his debut performance at the team's minicamp on Friday.

Lewis, who slipped away from the final minutes of the afternoon practice for some quality time with the quarterbacks, has a vested interest in the success of whoever lines up under center this season, be it Flacco, second-year player Troy Smith or veteran Kyle Boller. One of them will be charged with mounting an offense to support the Ravens defense that has ranked no worse than sixth in the NFL in the past five seasons.

So what did the "messing around" entail?

"Just joking around," Flacco said of Lewis, "telling me he's going to get a pick off me eventually."

First impressions for the Delaware product chosen were strong around the rainy field the Ravens used Friday afternoon. His highlight was a deep strike of not-quite 50 yards to Mark Clayton that sent a raucous cheer around the team's practice facility.

Twelve-year veteran receiver Derrick Mason said the rookie's composure was especially impressive. "The way he commanded the huddle with the team that was in there, I think that speaks volumes of him," the receiver said.

"He's just got to continue to do that."

Flacco, playing the role of respectful rookie, wasn't wowed — at least outwardly — by the connection with Clayton.

"The last thing I'm thinking about is the play I just completed," he said. "Because I know that this is a new offense for me and I'm worried about the next play."

With Steve McNair retired, the starting quarterback job is wide open in Baltimore. But Flacco, who studied the offense new head coach John Harbaugh is installing in the time since the draft with quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson, has a high bar to meet if he's going to beat out either Boller or Smith for the No. 1 role.

Harbaugh said he was holding nothing back from the signal caller who played last season in Division I-AA with the Blue Hens. "No spoon feeding," the coach said. "We throw it all at him, and he handled it well."

Flacco's arm strength and size (6-6, 235) jumped out when he showed them off in person, and more than one Ravens teammate came away impressed.

Mason and tight end Todd Heap, both former Pro Bowlers who stand to benefit if Flacco catches on comfortably as the starter, offered glowing reviews of his makeup.

"From first glance," Mason said, "the guy is what they thought he was going to be. He's big, can throw the ball and can put it on target."

A solid first day. But still, there's sure to be more "messing around" from Lewis to test him.

"We'll find out, sooner or later," the linebacker said, "how good he's going to be."

Scott: I can help the Browns
The former Parkland star, signed to a 1-year deal, will get his chance.
By Gary R. Blockus | Of The Morning Call
May 5, 2008

The Continental Airlines flight bringing Austin Scott back to Allentown touched down at 5:20 p.m. on Sunday.

Scott was still soaring an hour later.

The former Parkland High School football star came back from a tryout at the Cleveland Browns' rookie minicamp with a 1-year contract.

Scott, a running back who played sparingly at Penn State University because of injuries and personal issues, showed enough of his talent, speed and skill at the tryout to earn his first NFL contract.

NFL contracts aren't guaranteed, which means that Scott must make the 53-man roster or the team's practice squad in order to have the contract honored.

"I'm just ecstatically happy," Scott said from the home of adviser and attorney John Karoly. "I've come a long way picturing where I was a month ago. It's like two different worlds."

A month ago, Scott was preparing to go to trial on a rape charge, a charge that was subsequently dropped.

"That roadblock was something that he didn't want to hold him back, or anybody else back," Karoly said. "It could have been a stumbling block -- not so much for him -- but for the kids behind him who look up to him.

"We've talked with Austin about faith, family and friends. Once he stared that adversity in the eyes, we told him there's nothing any harder that the NFL can throw at him. He's raring to go."

The 23-year-old Scott will graduate from Penn State on May 17 with a degree in recreation, parks and tourism management. He will report to an ongoing Browns camp either that day or the following day. Regular training camp opens in mid-to-late July.

"I'm going to turn it up another couple of notches," Scott vowed. "I just want to get ready for the preseason minicamps and make an impression to make the final cut, to make it to the season, actually.

"I want to make sure that they understand they can use me and that I'm a good athlete to have on their team. I want them to know that I can help the Browns. I want to make an impression on special teams."

In addition to his skills on the field, Scott -- like all the other participants at the minicamp -- had to learn an assortment of formations, plays and terminology in just a few days.

Scott, who was battling a cold during the tryout, didn't report any problems picking up the plays, but said there were some anxious moments when they called several of the players into a room 20 minutes after the final workout on Sunday morning.

The Browns had already signed Notre Dame's Darnell Terrell as an undrafted free agent immediately following the NFL draft. Terrell had been Scott's backup during the annual Big 33 Game in high school, and both players are relatively the same size.

"When I was sitting there, I didn't think they were going to call my name," Scott said of the postpractice meeting, "but mine was the first name called."

"It's a good day for Austin, and obviously for our company," Scott's agent, Chris Lencheski of SKI & Co. said. "We don't disclose terms of contracts."

Scott is thankful for the opportunity to make an NFL roster.

"This is good," he said. "It's time to build up to where I was before this whole nightmare started [with the charges]. I'm not going to let the people of the Lehigh Valley down."

gary.blockus@mcall.com
610-820-6782

Measuring Up, on the Doorway and on the Draft Board
By JUDY BATTISTA
Published: April 24, 2008

Joe Flacco

AUDUBON, N.J. — The first charting of Joe Flacco’s rising stock appears in the doorway to his family’s living room, scratched in pencil on an avocado-green wall.

The line from eighth grade reveals when Flacco passed his father, at 5 feet 11 inches. The one from the start of high school measures 6-2. By that point, the markings had been joined by many others for his younger sister and four brothers. Near the top of the doorway, at about six and a half feet, is the final measure.

But unlike growth charts in homes nearly everywhere, this one traces the progress of a boy who shot up the wall to a rarefied place in American sports — potential first-round N.F.L. quarterback.

Sprawled on a leather sofa a few feet away, his legs extending halfway across the floor, Flacco recently contemplated the airspace he shares with another top prospect, Matt Ryan, the Boston College star who is expected to be the first quarterback taken in the draft Saturday. On this day at the Flacco home, all eyes were on the television, where Ryan was being interviewed. When Ryan held up a cellphone in the middle of the interview to pitch for a product he was paid to endorse, Flacco smiled.

“He’s in the same situation I am; he has no idea what’s going to happen Saturday,” Flacco, 23, said. “If I was doing what he was doing, I’d probably feel really embarrassed right now, knowing I’d be coming home to this house and get made fun of for holding a cellphone up.”

Several draft analysts have predicted that Flacco, who played at Delaware, could be chosen late in the first round. That would make him the first quarterback from what used to be called N.C.A.A. Division I-AA to go in the first round since Steve McNair out of Alcorn State in 1995.

For Flacco, the leap up the draft board has been as vertiginous and as unexpected as his climb up the wall. Only a year ago, after his junior season, he was so clueless about his future that he asked his football coach if it was O.K. to join the baseball team in the spring.

“I said: ‘Baseball? You realize you’re going to be a draft choice next year?’ ” Delaware Coach K. C. Keeler recalled. “He said, ‘Really Coach?’ ”

Flacco is this year’s accidental prospect, a player whose serendipitous rise sometimes baffles even those closest to him.

“We really thought all of this was off the table,” his father, Stephen, said. “I was thinking he’s going to have to go to Canada.”

Stephen played football and baseball at the University of Pennsylvania, married a woman, Karen, he had known since high school, and settled in this small town a few miles from Philadelphia. Despite the Flaccos’s love of sports — there is a batting cage in the backyard — they were uninformed about the modern machinery that produces sports prodigies.

Joe Flacco did not play organized football until seventh grade. His father, who had dreamed of a pro baseball career only to end up working in the mortgage business, always thought Joe would play baseball and never imagined he would grow so tall.

He tutored his son in football in the backyard. Even then, Flacco had a natural ability to throw the ball. His arm is now considered the strongest in the draft, and he won a quarterback challenge before the Super Bowl with a 74-yard heave.

When he started playing the game, the local teams already had their quarterbacks. So he played almost every other position at first. He attended his neighborhood high school, not a football powerhouse. And the team’s best record when he was there was 5-5.

His high school coach assembled a tape of him to send to colleges, something Flacco did not know how to do. It was not until coaches began recruiting him at the beginning of his junior year that he realized he was a prospect.

“Rutgers offered me a scholarship,” he said. “I didn’t know how the process worked. Is this how it happens — they write you a letter, and you have a scholarship all of a sudden? I’m the oldest in this family. My parents didn’t know how it worked.”

He settled on the University of Pittsburgh, where he spent two years and received almost no playing time. He wanted out. But Pittsburgh would not release him, leaving him unable to talk to other teams about their quarterback situations.

Flacco had turned down Delaware out of high school. His high school coach had played for Keeler, and Flacco realized it was his only chance.

“I don’t think any schools wanted me,” he said. “My decision was Delaware or nothing. I convinced myself Delaware was a good choice. I convinced myself I was making a choice, but in the end, I’m not sure I was making a choice.”

When Flacco got to play as a junior, after sitting out a year, he flourished in the team’s spread offense, playing mostly from the shotgun. After the season, other students approached him to say that some online rankings had him listed as the nation’s 15th-best quarterback.

For Flacco’s senior season, Keeler inserted plays from a pro-style offense to help Flacco develop. He responded by completing 63.5 percent of his passes and throwing 23 touchdown passes, with 5 interceptions. Delaware unexpectedly reached the Football Championship Subdivision national title game, losing to Appalachian State.

The playoff games were on television, which raised Flacco’s profile and almost certainly helped him get an invitation to the Senior Bowl, after Ryan declined. That is when Flacco began to soar up the draft charts.

Scouts typically have reservations about quarterbacks who have not started at least 30 games. But with his arm, agility and intelligence, Flacco wowed scouts at the Senior Bowl, the N.F.L. Scouting Combine and at Delaware’s pro day. He has made private visits to a handful of teams in recent weeks.

“I can’t believe it,” he said. “I’m an N.F.L. draft prospect now, and coming out of high school, I could barely get recruited.”

Among the concerns about him is how quickly he can make the transition from the college-style spread offense to the N.F.L.’s traditional drop-back model.

Mel Kiper, ESPN’s draft guru, said that if Flacco had attended a bigger football college, the question would be whether he or Ryan should be the first quarterback taken. Mike Mayock, the NFL Network’s draft analyst, said, “When you have an arm that is that big, all you need is an audience.”

Flacco will have one when his nervous family holds a draft party. But fewer eyes will be on him than there could have been. He turned down ESPN’s request to put a camera in his living room on draft day.

Too bad. His mother recently painted the room a sunny yellow, leaving only that strip of marked-up wall unpainted. Her husband has yet to copy down all the milestones.

They may have to reach awfully high for the one their son reaches next.

Foster headed to Colts

Eric Foster

Before the end of the 2008 NFL Draft, Eric Foster had already learned where he would be spending his future. The Indianapolis Colts phoned Foster towards the end of the sixth round and offered him a free agent contract. For the Colts, it was not a reach, chance or unexpected move. Throughout the entire draft season, the organization had become quite familiar with Foster.

"I got a sense they liked me a lot," said Foster. "I went out there for a private visit. Then, they sent the scouts down to New Jersey and I worked out for them. I was constantly in contact with them. I thought they were going to make a move on me between the fifth and sixth round. But it didn't turn out that way."

Having already visited Indianapolis, Foster had a brief chance to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. Just a few days after accepting the Colts' offer, Foster will make a return visit to Indianapolis.

"They fly me out Thursday for physicals, then I start a four day mini camp. I really love the city and the environment. I'm just excited to go out there, give it my all and bring my portion to the table. I'm in a great situation, having a chance to play with a former Rutgers player in Gary Brackett. They compete year in and year out for a Super Bowl championship. I couldn't ask for anything better."

Foster's journey through this off-season has seen its share of ups and downs. After being snubbed from the NFL Combine, Foster worked incredibly hard to prepare for Rutgers' pro day. There, he tweaked a hamstring during his first forty yard dash attempt. As a result, Foster was unable to do any more running that afternoon.

Foster continued to persevere and went on to work out for a few NFL teams following that pro day. At those workouts, he was able to perform without the hindrance of a tight hamstring.

"It's a feel good story," Foster stated. "As much as I wanted to get drafted, I couldn't be in a better situation than I'm in now. I'd rather be in the situation to be a free agent and go in the right scheme as opposed to getting drafted in the late rounds to the wrong team and the wrong outfit."

Foster trained for his Pro Day at TEST Sports in Martinsville, NJ. Brian Martin, who headed up the training, was able to see Foster's progression on a daily basis. He offered his thoughts on Foster's signing.

"The TEST family is very proud of Eric Foster for signing his new priority free agent contact with the Indianapolis Colts," said Martin. "He is a perfect fit for their scheme. He has an incredible work ethic and will one day be a pro bowl player."

Perhaps more important than which team a player goes to is the scheme which that team runs. Going into a scheme that doesn't suit a particular player could wind up being disastrous for that player.

"You want to be in a scheme that fits your personality and your strong suits the best," said Foster. "They like me inside at D-tackle and they like me outside. I can do different things. I think I bring a lot to the table for the Indianapolis Colts."

As the drama unfolded in Radio City Music Hall this past weekend, Foster was forced to watch 252 other players hear their name called. Even though he was not selected in the 2008 NFL Draft, Foster is determined to make his presence felt at the professional level.

"All I ever wanted was an opportunity. There's nothing but an upside for what I can bring to a team. To see guys that I feel I'm better than go in front of me, I'm using it as motivation. Out of the 252 players that got drafted, I'd like to think I'm somewhere between those 252. But that gets me in game tempo. I'm a man on a mission. Not  
that it wouldn't have been the same if I got drafted, but it's like I'm more focused now with a chip on my shoulder. Like I said, I'm a man on a mission."

As his stock soars, Audubon's Flacco could be first-rounder
Thursday, April 24, 2008
BY JENNY VRENTAS
Star-Ledger Staff

Joe Flacco couldn't help but be embarrassed as he quickly became a magnet for pre-draft buzz this spring.

Like when ESPN came to the TEST Sports Club in Martinsville, where he was training for the NFL Scouting Combine, and asked Flacco to pose with his arm outstretched, palming a football, and announce: "I am Joe Flacco."

In recent months, Flacco hasn't had to introduce himself that often. And by Saturday evening, it's possible the former University of Delaware and Audubon High quarterback will be known as a first-round NFL draft pick.

Matt Ryan of Boston College is considered the only surefire first-rounder among the quarterback pool, but Flacco is just as much in play to join Ryan as QBs Chad Henne (Michigan) and Brian Brohm (Louisville), both from big-time programs.

"I want ... to be a first-round draft pick, and I think I'm worth it," Flacco said in a phone interview this week. "So to hear someone say it is kind of cool."

That Flacco is even in the conversation might seem remarkable. Entering last fall at Delaware, Flacco was generally considered a sixth-round prospect. But that was before he led the Blue Hens to an 11-4 record and a spot in the Division 1 Football Championship Series (formerly Division I-AA) title game. As Delaware progressed through the playoffs behind Flacco's strong right arm, his stock rose considerably.

Flacco has had private workouts or visited with eight teams since the combine, indicating a high level of interest: the Jets, Falcons, Ravens, Panthers, Chiefs, Vikings, Seahawks and Rams. Joe Linta, Flacco's Connecticut-based agent, said the Bears and Dolphins are also interested.

"Everybody likes Joe, it's just a matter of how much," Linta said. "I would say there are six or eight teams that would seriously take him in the first round or high second."

A Division 1-AA quarterback hasn't been taken in the first round since Steve McNair of Alcorn State went to the Houston Oilers in 1995. Flacco has been spoken of as a potential first-day pick -- the first two rounds will be held Saturday -- since the Senior Bowl in January.

At a pre-draft press conference last week, Jets director of college scouting Joey Clinkscales said "there are a lot of good things to like about Flacco." Topping that list is his arm, which stood out among this year's quarterback class as he aced his position drills at the Scouting Combine.

Flacco, 23, who transferred from the University of Pittsburgh in 2005 for more playing time, set 20 school records at Delaware and threw for 4,263 yards -- with 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions -- during his senior year. Though he played primarily out of the shotgun at Delaware, Flacco worked this spring to refine his footwork under center with the help of former Giants quarterback and fellow Delaware graduate Scott Brunner.

"He'll most definitely be a starting quarterback at some point in his career in the pros," Brunner said. "If you put him up against the other top quarterbacks (in this year's draft), it's night and day between the velocity and rotation on his throws relative to the other guys. The last guy I've seen with that velocity, size and quickness of release would be Dan Marino."

The most popular concern about Flacco, other than coming out of Delaware, is his 6-6, 230-pound frame, which some worry makes him immobile. But at the combine, he turned in top times in two drills which test agility: He was the fastest among quarterbacks in the three-cone drill (6.82 seconds) and second-fastest in the short shuttle (4.27 seconds). His 40-yard dash was clocked in the 4.8-second range.

This week, with the private workouts and team visits over, Flacco is home in South Jersey, waiting for the end result of a whirlwind spring. His father, Steve Flacco, said the family chuckles when it hears the heated pre-draft debates about where his son will go -- proof that strong-armed quarterbacks from smaller programs are annually among the most intriguing prospects.

"Somebody's going to fall in love with Joe Flacco's arm," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "The biggest mistake in quarterback drafting comes with guys getting infatuated with great arms. However, with Flacco, you also have a great work ethic and kid who wants it badly. ... If you want to take a bet, he's the kind of a kid you want to bet on."

Jenny Vrentas may be reached at jvrentas@starledger.com

NFL Draft: Ex-Husker Green just wants a chance
Published Wednesday | April 23, 2008
BY RICH KAIPUST
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

LINCOLN — Tierre Green realizes what a splotch it could be on his résumé.

Last season was nothing special for the former Nebraska safety, not giving him that momentum of a great senior year to carry into the NFL draft.

It also was flat brutal for the Husker defense, stripping Green and several others of the luxury of some positive things for scouts to see on film.

Green goes into this weekend having to hope that National Football League teams see through some of NU's disastrous results of 2007. It will help the Omaha Benson graduate that he runs well and has proven athletic ability after being an I-back, cornerback, safety and kick returner during his Husker career.

But his situation is similar to that of several other former Nebraska defensive players.

Among the 2007 Blackshirts, only cornerback Zack Bowman would be considered a safe bet to be picked in the two-day, seven-round NFL draft. Green, cornerback Cortney Grixby and linebackers Steve Octavien, Bo Ruud and Corey McKeon at best would be late-round picks or signed as free agents.

"For us, they're really going more off looking at a bunch of raw talent," Green said. "Having the year like we did, and not really showcasing our abilities, we have to prove we're smart football players and we can work well within a system. It just wasn't portrayed that way this year, for whatever reason."

Latish Kinsler, the agent for Green, said it's not unusual for players' draft status to be affected by something like what happened to NU last season.

"You would like to think teams separated," Kinsler said. "A lot of players not on great defenses have been able to have successful NFL careers. But it is something they take into consideration."

Offensive tackle Carl Nicks has the highest projected draft status among former Huskers. Receiver Maurice Purify and quarterback Sam Keller also are possible draftees off a team that finished 5-7.

In two of the past three NFL drafts, Nebraska has had three defensive players selected in the first four rounds — Fabian Washington (first), Barrett Ruud (second) and Josh Bullocks (second) in 2005, and then Adam Carriker (first), Stewart Bradley (third) and Jay Moore (fourth) in 2007. The last time Nebraska didn't have at least one defensive player drafted in the first four rounds was in 1985.

Green will be at peace with himself as he waits Sunday, knowing that he gave it his best since last season ended.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder spent two months with Purify at TEST Sports in Martinsville, N.J. Returning for NU's pro day in March — crucial since he wasn't invited to the NFL Combine — Green ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash and did well on other speed and agility drills before a host of scouts.

"I felt like I knew my ability, and I was just like, 'Man, no need for me to be nervous,'" Green said. "You are a little anxious to show what you can do, but I was just confident in everything I had been doing. Those guys out in New Jersey really prepared me well."

Green said he ran a 4.27 in New Jersey and has other sub-4.3s. Speed is what helped former NU safety Andrew Shanle, a starter alongside Green in 2006, stick with the New York Giants' practice squad through the Super Bowl last season.

"Any guy who runs fast is going to improve their chances," Green said. "But I think when I did the other drills, I showed that I'm not just a speed guy."

Green made 54 tackles last season, tied for fifth on the NU defense. His Husker career included 36 career starts, 35 kickoff returns for a 20.6 average and a 114-yard rushing game as a redshirt freshman in 2004.

As badly as Green wants to make the NFL, he is savvy enough to know that he'd better have other options.

He could take his sociology degree and test the job market. Maybe go back to school. Even try the Canadian Football League.

"If you don't think about it like that, you're almost in denial," Green said. "You've got to realize nothing's guaranteed now.

"Regardless of if I'm drafted or not, all I'm asking is for an opportunity."

NFL DRAFT 2008

NEW YORK - Joe Flacco was at the center of a more memorable draft-day drama than most. And that wasn't pre-draft smoke the Flacco family and the neighbors were sniffing.

A surprise trade up by the Baltimore Ravens to select the strong-armed Delaware passer with the 18th overall pick wasn't the only excitement.

Hundreds of friends and relatives packed the Flacco household in Audubon, N.J. Then, a morning fire broke out in the nearby elementary school where Flacco and agents Joe Linta and Tom Kleine had scheduled a press conference after the player's selection.

CHRIS LONG: A near-miss as No. 1 pick for Dolphins

Eight fire trucks responded and firefighters wielding axes had to break down doors and walls, according to Linta. It looked like the fire would cause the news conference to be moved to the Flacco front yard. But then firefighters found one big room unscathed so things went according to near plan ? with a couple of wild twists.

After the Atlanta Falcons selected Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan third overall, the Ravens traded down from No. 8 overall to acquire Jacksonville's No. 26 pick and two third-rounders. They then leveraged a third- and sixth-round selection to trade up with Houston for the 18th overall pick to select the strong-armed former Blue Hen whose arm and game have been compared favorably with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Denver's Jay Cutler.

"It was just crazy," Flacco said of the fire. "It made the day more interesting."

Flacco talked to Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Cam Cameron on the phone.

"They said, 'Are you ready to come be a Raven and be the quarterback we want you to be and you can be?'

"Being picked by Baltimore is a great situation," he said. "I felt really comfortable with their coaches. It's a great organization and it's close for my family."

With incumbent and inconsistent Kyle Boller entering the final year of his contract and last year's fifth-rounder Troy Smith competing, Flacco won't have the burden of heavy expectations coming in.

Flacco threw for 23 touchdowns with five interceptions last year in leading Delaware to the Division I-AA championship game.

"I'm out to prove the Ravens made the right choice," Flacco said. "I want to go in there and compete for the job and show I'm ready to lead the Ravens organization into the future."

Calm Through the Storm
Despite the whirlwind welcome for 23-year-old's career in Baltimore, Flacco's demeanor never wavered.
by Mike Duffy
Apr 27, 2008, 7:27PM

Joe Flacco walked into the Ravens’ facility Sunday afternoon and was received in the front lobby by about 10 team staffers. He was immediately whisked upstairs, where owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Ozzie Newsome greeted him.

After a 15-minute private meeting with Bisciotti, Flacco went straight to his introductory press conference, where the media peppered him with questions for half an hour.

The rookie then sat with Head Coach John Harbaugh, Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron and Quarterbacks Coach Hue Jackson on separate occasions before leaving to conduct live interviews with three local TV networks.

And, there was the added pressure of having his mom, dad, sister, two of his brothers and girlfriend in tow through it all.

Despite a whirlwind welcome for the 23-year-old’s career in Baltimore, Flacco’s demeanor never wavered. He came in cool. Laid back. Calm.

For a guy that has the hopes of an owner, a coach, a team and a city riding on his first-round status, the way he handled everything was almost veteran-like.

“I’m going to go out there and play football the way I know how to play football,” Flacco said when asked if he felt the pressure of his lofty expectations. “It’s up to everybody else to label me as something. If I pay attention to that, all it’s going to do is hurt my game. So, all I’m going to be doing is coming here, probably not hearing too much news.

”I want to be in here working hard and trying to be the best football player I can be.”

It was a telling statement. After a meteoric rise up draft boards following a record-setting senior season at Division I-AA Delaware, Flacco endured months of interviews, meetings, workouts and tests, all contributing to a growing hype machine.

The look of relief showing when ESPN cameras caught Flacco answering Newsome’s unexpected phone call as the Ravens traded down to the 18th pick was genuine.

Now, the wait is over. Give him a football.

“Everybody has to make an adjustment – no matter what level of college football they were playing,” he said. “I think I’m just as prepared as anybody else. I have confidence in my abilities. It’s not about talking about it. It’s about going out there and proving it. I’m anxious to do that.”

Offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has already begun the process of indoctrination. He gave Flacco a few snippets of the playbook before the former Blue Hen came to team headquarters for an official visit. Cameron was impressed with how Flacco digested “a mini version” of Baltimore’s offense when the quarterback was quizzed.

Flacco was also coachable during a private workout at Delaware for Ravens representatives. Cameron and quarterbacks coach Hue Jackson challenged him to try different techniques, and Flacco responded.

“If you ask him to do something he’s never done, can he pick up on it?” asked Cameron. “We have a couple of little techniques we do differently in our drops, a little dove tail technique. I’ve been around some guys you just kind of describe it, and then some guys can never do it. I thought it was kind of neat that he picked up on it quickly.”

In addition, Flacco had been wowing everyone with his strong, accurate arm and quick release over the past year.

The coordinator thinks that knowledge of the game and athletic ability will help ease a transition to the big leagues.

“It will be important for me as the play-caller to know with whomever our quarterback is how his mind works and how he operates, so I can help him maximize how he thinks,” Cameron said. “This guy, he’s bright, and football makes sense to him. Football’s a big part of his family, and he did very well.

“In our system, we’d like our quarterback to have nimble feet, have an explosive arm and be quick with the football,” he continued later. “I actually think Joe has that.”

To that point, Cameron also noted that he will be the lone voice in Flacco’s ear - at least for his first season as the prospect develops.

“Hue and I have never worked together, so what we’d like to do for our quarterbacks is to make sure they hear one voice for a year,” Cameron explained. “I’ll be the primary voice, but Hue is an outstanding coach. He’s been a coordinator, so he understands. We’ll be working closely together, but I’ll kind of take the lead. As Hue gets to know me better, then it will be one voice, both of us, but saying the same thing.”

From what little he knows now, Flacco is eager to jump in. Nevermind the small-school pedigree, Flacco feels he can be the guy to lead the offense now. He still must separate himself from Kyle Boller and Troy Smith for the starting role, but an air of quiet confidence shows that this NFL thing isn’t too big for him.

“I am anxious to get in here and start learning, and I want to get out on the field and prove that I can,” he said. “It’s going to be up to the coaches to make that final decision, but it’s going to be up to me to prove to them that I am ready.”

As he left the facility with a thick playbook under his arm, the young signal-caller knew that for the first time in a long time, it wasn’t about the interviews, handshakes or even hype anymore.

Joe Flacco just wants to play. Maybe that’s why he left the exact same way he arrived: cool, calm and collected.

QB Joe Flacco Press Conference Transcript
The Ravens introduced their number one draft pick, Joe Flacco, at their Owings Mills Facility on Sunday. by BaltimoreRavens.com
Apr 27, 2008, 7:46PM

GENERAL MANAGER OZZIE NEWSOME, OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR CAM CAMERON & first-round pick QB JOE FLACCO

Ozzie Newsome opening statement: “It is my pleasure to offer our first-round pick in the 2008 (draft) his jersey. I don’t know if this going to be his number, but he represents a first-round pick. The way the three of us feel, and I know the way Joe feels, that he will measure up to all the other first-round picks that we have had here. I know definitely coming in he has that in mind. So, here’s a jersey – maybe not the one you want to wear – and it’s yours.”

Joe Flacco opening statement: “How’s everybody doing? Just kind of got in today, actually drove down from Philadelphia, right outside of Philadelphia, actually. All us South Jersey people say we’re from Philly. We just got a chance to drive down with my family and check out the place and meet with the coaches for a little bit and have a little bit of lunch. I can’t be more excited to be here, to be a Baltimore Raven. It was really exciting for me yesterday to have Ozzie call me and tell me they were actually trading up to pick me. So, to actually have that happen, it was just a big deal for me. I was walking around my house all nervous about missing a phone call and all of a sudden my phone was ringing and it was Ozzie Newsome. I knew it was a Baltimore area code but I didn’t know why they were calling me yet. They had eight more picks to go. For them to tell me they were going to pick me, that was really exciting and I’m ready to get down here and work really hard to prove to everybody that they made a good decision in picking me. This was the coaching staff’s first pick here at this organization and I want to prove to everybody that they made a good decision in doing that.”

On where his height comes from given his family’s small stature: (FLACCO) “I have no idea. My dad says the milkman. (laughing) So…”

On making an adjustment to being under center in the Ravens’ offensive scheme: (FLACCO) “I think I’m prepared to do that. I think everybody has to make an adjustment and I think I’m just as prepared as anybody else is. I did play a lot in the shotgun in Delaware, but I think I have the ability to play under center just as well.”

On making the transition from I-AA football to playing in the NFL: (FLACCO) “Like I said, I think everybody has to make an adjustment – no matter what level of college football they were playing. I think I’m just as prepared as anybody else. I have confidence in my abilities. It’s not about talking about it. It’s about going out there and proving it. So, I’m anxious to do that.”

On when in his football career he began to realize he could play in the NFL: (FLACCO) “I grew up thinking I was going to play in the NFL. The dream just never died for me. Obviously, I had some unfortunate things happen in college [at Pittsburgh], and I went to Delaware and things worked out really well. I always had the dream; I didn’t know how it was going to happen, but after being through the process, I couldn’t have enjoyed it more.”

On his thoughts about playing baseball his senior year in college: (FLACCO) “That didn’t have anything to [do with football]. I wasn’t going to stop playing football. I didn’t think I wasn’t going to be an NFL Draft pick. I’ve always played baseball; I’ve always loved baseball. So, I actually asked coach [K.C.] Keeler at Delaware if I could play, and he turned me down pretty quickly.”

On the transition from the offensive scheme at Delaware to the Ravens’ offense: (CAM CAMERON) “First of all, they’ve done a super job at Delaware. Their system is sound. They want Joe, as we’ve talked, the ball comes out quick. You mention the shotgun range at center. Our offense has evolved to where it’s almost 50/50 underneath center and shotgun. We’re really looking for a guy who can function in the shotgun. That’s where the game has evolved a little bit. It’s changed over the last 10 or 15 years. We want kind of a shotgun guy that can evolve underneath the center. But, I think the reason we’re sitting here is that the scouting staff said, ‘Hey, we need to go and take a look at this kid at Delaware.’ We all came away from that workout saying to each other, ‘Did you see what I saw?’ Let’s see how this thing plays out. I think he’s a perfect fit for what we want to do. I think the other thing he knows is that he has to come in here and compete. I don’t think there’s any quarterback in this league that wants to be handed a job. So, he’ll come in and compete with Kyle [Boller] and Troy [Smith]. And, whichever guy is out there – what we try to do doesn’t always work –but since all three of these guys are different, we try to tailor things to what they do well. Here’s a guy who has a gift to throw the football, he has a gift to throw it quickly and accurately. I think he sees it from a little different vantage point. Having had some taller guys over the years, it looks a little different from where he sees it than some other guys. He’s a lot better athlete than I think people give him credit for. And as his body continues to grow and mature, I think, here’s a guy that we’re all going to enjoy just watching develop. One thing I know, the background that he comes from is one where you work at it. He’s been raised that way. Coach Keeler, his coach at Delaware, they work hard and this kid is going to develop and just get better and better.”

On whether he thought he’d be a first-round draft pick when he woke up on Saturday: (FLACCO) “I had no idea. I didn’t know what to expect. I think I’m worthy of one, but did I actually think that would happen? No. The bottom line is I didn’t care. I knew I was going to get an opportunity wherever it was I got picked. It happened to be Baltimore. I know these guys are going to give me an opportunity, but it’s all about me. It’s about me getting in and working hard – just like coach said. I can’t wait. I couldn’t be more anxious to get in here and get started.”

On whether he feels he could be ready to be the starting quarterback for the Ravens this season: (FLACCO) “Yes. Obviously, I haven’t even been exposed to the offense yet. I am anxious to get in here and start learning, and I want to get out on the field and prove that I can. It’s going to be up to the coaches to make that final decision, but it’s going to be up to me to prove to them that I am ready.”

On what he saw in the sample playbook the Ravens gave him before his pre-draft workout in Baltimore: (FLACCO) “They sent me a mini-version – I’m sure it was a very mini version of [their playbook]. I did all I could to make sure I knew it when I came in here. So, I do have a little bit [of an idea] of what they do. But, I’m sure it was a very little version of what they do.”

On whether the Ravens’ coaching staff was impressed with Flacco’s preparation for his workout in Baltimore: (CAMERON) “No question. I think that’s the important thing. You can sometimes get enamored with a guy and what you see physically and what you see on the tape. But the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to be around are bright guys. It’s not always intellect, as just a feel for the game. We have a way we like to find out – how this guy likes to prepare, how his mind works. It will be important for me as the play-caller to know with whomever our quarterback is how his mind works and how he operates so I can help him maximize how he thinks. This guy, he’s bright, and football makes sense to him. Football’s a big part of his family, and he did very well.”

On what he asked Flacco to change technique-wise in his workout: (CAMERON) “First, when you look, you just want to let him be who he is. We probably threw for almost 20-30 minutes before we said a word. We didn’t really say anything. Then you just try and throw a curveball in there to see. If you ask him to do something he’s never done, can he pick up on it? We have a couple of little techniques we do differently in our drops, a little dove tail technique. I’ve been around some guys you just kind of describe it, and then some guys can never do it. I thought it was kind of neat that he picked up on it quickly, and we started tweaking his technique a little bit, which we’ll do, similar to like what you would do with a golfer, maybe, or any other skill position. He picked up, and I think that guys who I have been fortunate to be around, can take things, see it quickly, internalize it, and then that’s how you see guys who start to really, really improve and improve. Sometimes when you get a guy like that he can be special.”

On the biggest challenge going from I-AA to the NFL: (CAMERON) It’s just the speed of the game. And that’s why we’re looking for a quick-twitch guy. Again, he’s been blessed with that. He’s quick with his arm, and, again, he’s quick for a tall guy. I think that’s a little uncommon. Those guys are hard to find. Big, tall people who are quick and explosive don’t come around every day. In our system, we’d like our quarterback to have nimble feet, have an explosive arm, be quick with the football, and I actually think Joe has that.”

Thoughts on Eric DeCosta saying Flacco needs to work on his footwork: (CAMERON) “I think it can be a little deceiving, because taller guys, their footwork isn’t going to look like a 6’2” or 6’3” guy. It just looks different sometimes to the casual observer. I personally don’t see that much that he needs to change. I think he’s got outstanding feet. The most important thing in my view in a guy’s footwork is his back foot, and this guy puts his back foot in the ground and it doesn’t move. I think in my experience, the great quarterbacks in this league have the ability to put that back foot in the ground, no matter what’s happening around them, and do that over a long period of time. So he can do that, but hey, every guy that comes in the league has got to get bigger, they got to get stronger, they got to get better. They just have to play. This position is about getting to play and learning NFL defenses. I’m sure that will make it a normal process.”

On who will be Flacco’s main voice: (CAMERON) “Down the road it will be both [Hue Jackson and me]. For right now, and Hue and I talked about this one, Hue and I have never worked together, so what we’d like to do for our quarterbacks is to make sure they hear one voice for a year. And I’ll be the primary voice, but Hue is an outstanding coach. He’s been a coordinator, so he understands. We’ll be working closely together, but I’ll kind of take the lead. As Hue gets to know me better, then it will be one voice, both of us, but saying the same thing. I’ll take the lead this year, but over time that will evolve.”

On the thrill of being drafted close to home: (FLACCO) “It’s definitely pretty local, so it will be easy for my family and friends to get to a game if they choose to come. I’m just happy to be here. Being local hasn’t really come into my mind.”

On the biggest advantage of height and size and when his growth spurt was: (FLACCO) “Obviously, something I was blessed with was the height and the size. I think it helps being able to see, being able to be strong in the pocket. I think my biggest growth spurt was probably in 8th and 9th grade.”

On if his experience at Pitt helped motivate him at Delaware? (FLACCO) “I just never felt like I actually did compete with Tyler [Palko]. He was the starter, but the only reason I was the backup was because another kid had transferred. He started for a year, and then spring ball came and new coaches came, and I still didn’t compete with him. He was just the starter. I never really got a shot there. I wanted to go prove, when I was at Delaware, I wanted to prove that I was capable of playing [at Pitt], and I just didn’t [get a chance]. I still carry that with me. I still carry it with me that I’m a I-AA guy and I had to go down to the minor leagues in college football and prove who I was. I’m going to carry that with me for the rest of my life, and hopefully, use it for the best.”

On who gets the most reps in practice: (CAMERON) “Well, we’ve been working the last couple of months. We’ve got a mini-camp next week and then all the rookies come in in two weeks. We’ll factor that all in once we get there, but we haven’t set that yet.”

On whether he feels pressure since he was a quarterback selected in the first round: (FLACCO) “I don’t think so. I’m going to go out there and play football the way I know how to play football. It’s up to everybody else to label me as something. If I pay attention to that, all it’s going to do is hurt my game. So, all I’m going to be doing is in here, probably not hearing too much news. I want to be in here working hard and trying to be the best football player I can be.”

On his impressions of the Ravens’ offense: (FLACCO) “All the coaches here are very intense and they know their football, so it’s going to be pretty cool to come in here and start learning from these guys. I know they like to attack the defenses, and it should be a lot of fun.”

On what quarterback he feels Flacco is similar to: (CAMERON) “I’ve really never gotten into the comparison business. You just find over time that these guys are all [different]. Drew Brees is one version of a great quarterback. Philip Rivers would be another. Kurt Warner has run this system, too. There has been a variety of body types, a variety of personalities. Jim Everett was a big, tall guy that had a lot of success in this system. Troy Aikman [was successful]. But, if you look at them, they’re all different in their own way. But what they are is tough, they’re all smart and they’re all extremely competitive. So, I’ve really never compared them and I think that’s [wise]. You really don’t want to short change a guy because you never know. You can sometimes compare them to someone and then you put a ceiling on him. I just really wouldn’t want to do that to Joe. I think we’ll just let him be his own guy.”

McMackin on rise for NFL draft
Friday, April 11, 2008
NorthJersey.com

"With the first pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins select Shawn McMackin, offensive lineman from Hofstra University."

You won't hear those words when commissioner Roger Goodell opens the annual draft April 26. But the way McMackin has been jetting up some draft boards, the River Vale native might challenge for that honor if the draft was held in a few months, instead of a few weeks.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound lineman realized how far he has come when he saw his name listed with two USC stars, linebacker Keith Rivers and running back Chauncey Washington, on SI.com's list of top draft risers. McMackin has opened eyes with some stellar Pro Day performances, including 40 reps in the 225-pound bench press and several 40-yard times in the 4.8s.

His versatility — he played every position along the line at Hofstra — adds to his value. "The Giants called my agent [Andrew Bondarowicz of Westfield] recently and asked if I could catch the football," McMackin said. "They said they might be interested in me as a third tight end and a backup offensive lineman. I'll do anything any team wants me to do."

McMackin has not been alone on his quest to fulfill a dream he first had his junior year at Hofstra, when he started games at right guard, left guard and right tackle. Hofstra buddy, Steelers starting right tackle Willie Colon, spent part of his off-season working with McMackin, who started every game at left tackle as a senior.

Then Will Shields, the former Kansas City All-Pro guard, took three days to tutor him at McMackin's workout facility, TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville.

"He went over a lot of things that were new to me, like changing my stance for each guy I face each week," McMackin said. "Then he wanted to go watch a tape of my play. He didn't say a word while he watched so I figured the worst. But afterwards he just turned to me and said, 'You can play in the NFL, no doubt about it.' "

Shields told McMackin while he may be classified as a guard, he'd probably first get a shot at left tackle because of his athleticism. "Then it would be right tackle before they would bump me inside," added McMackin, who went off to college as a 240-pound defensive end on a partial scholarship.

"I had become the MVP at a Boston College camp on defense," he said. "But in my first spring practice the offensive line coach asked me if I wanted to switch over, I would be given a shot at the starting left guard spot. I didn't know the playbook and must have made a hundred mistakes, jumping offsides and things like that.

"After a week the coach [Joe Gardi] called me into his office and I figured I was headed back to defense. He said to me, 'There's nothing else we can do but offer you a full scholarship.' He said they liked the way I was knocking people down and they could work with me on the rest."

And it has worked to the point where McMackin could get a call from a prospective employer as early as the sixth round of the up coming draft. "It's kind of weird," he said, "to think the way I think of Will Shields is the way people might someday think of me."

Diver's Sweep NJ States
Former Rutgers Scholar Athlete
Assists Rutgers Diving Coach to Produce Champions

Sports performance training is proving to be every bit essential for athletes in the water as well as on the ground.

Lords of the Boards, a Central New Jersey Diving Club based out of the Somerset Valley YMCA, and coached by Fred Woodruff (Rutgers Head Diving Coach) has been sending his athletes to TEST Sports Performance in Martinsville, New Jersey. At the 2008 New Jersey High School State Championships, divers in both men's and women's brackets took 1, 2, 4 and 1, 4, 5 respectively. Producing two NJ State champs from one program and having three in the top five in both the men's and women's bracket is a “TESTament” to the program they have trained under.

Training at TEST for the past 10 months has allowed these divers to develop more perfect movement patterns and efficient explosiveness to decrease injury potential and maximize their athletic potential. This sets up any coach for success as their athlete's newly found athletic ability can easily be transferred on the field or in this case…in the pool.

Kevin Dunn, co-owner of TEST Sports Performance, is a former Rutgers Diver himself. A scholar athlete, Kevin trained under Woodruff and won many honors while at Rutgers.

Now, 12 years later, Dunn and Woodruff are using a team approach in training these elite athletes. “It is a privilege to assist Fred”, says Dunn.
“I am not their coach. That is not my role. I have a very clear understanding of my role and how to maximize an athletes genetic potential. The foundation of movement patterns and creating mobility and stability before working on sport specific drills will determine how quickly an athlete will progress, and stay off of the bench due to injury” Dunn adds.

Coach Woodruff is the 2008 Big East Conference Diving Coach of the Year.

Woodruff explains, “…since our divers began working with Kevin and his staff at Test Sports, we have noticed great improvement in their core strength, flexibility and movement patterns. They have been injury free and they seem more mindful of their diet and getting enough rest. Test Sports is teaching our kids to train smart”.

TEST Sports Performance is located at 1931 Washington Valley Road in Martinsville, New Jersey. This state of the art facility is the premier choice for male and female athletes and attracts them from all sports, all over the country. You can visit the website at www.TestSportsPerformance.com.

For more information, please contact Kevin Dunn at 732-271-1000 x 222 or email at Kevin@TestSportsClubs.com

Amir Pinnix

Amir Pinnix

INNNEAPOLIS - When last speaking of Amir Pinnix I bestowed upon him the title Athlete of the Year for 2007. The reasoning behind the bestowment of the honor was recognition of the many successes he made as a young man on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and in our community overall.

Well, good things happen to good people. In the case of Amir Pinnix, the good thing is a shiny 'hope ticket' for admittance into the historic athletic fraternity known as the NFL. Pinnix is next in line, following the huge success seen by former Gopher running backs Marion Barber III (Dallas Cowboys) and Laurence Maroney (New England Patriots). Those two young men went down in the history books of college football, and now are achieving new heights in the NFL.

Marion Barber III recommended the book 'Battlefield of the Mind' to me"

The path to the NFL is a powerful study in perseverance. As put perfectly by Pinnix, "I have been training my entire life for 90 minutes worth of testing." 

On March 4 Pinnix and a few of his Gopher teammates, including standout fullback Justin Valentine, went through what is called a Pro-Day. This is the 90-minute test Pinnix referenced. Most major universities have a day such as this when NFL prospects are run through a series of physical and mental tests to determine their ability to succeed in the professional ranks.

"Nine to five," was Pinnix exasperated response to my question about daily practice leading up to Pro-Day. Since the end of the Gopher football season you could find him perfecting his craft as an elite running back. I got tired just listening to the long list of backbreaking drills that he squeezed into his daily eight-hour regimen.

"Surprisingly yoga was one of the hardest things I had to do, but it was one of the most beneficial as well. Some of the yoga positions she had me doing were out of this world. Yoga is also great for mental exercise," said Pinnix. "The mental edge is really what separates the elite players from those who don't last long, or don't make it at all. You have to be strong mentally, and know your craft better than the men that are trying to stop you." 

One of my favorite aspects of doing interviews with strong community superstars such as Pinnix is learning about a laundry list of powerful books that guide and inspire them towards greater achievement. "Marion Barber III recommended the book Battlefield of the Mind. I appreciate him for that because it just solidified the mindset that I needed for going through this whole process. The book teaches how maintaining a positive mindset is a requirement for success in anything."

"In order to catch a dream, you have to chase it"

Though Pinnix has very clear-cut goals and action plans outside of football, his positive mindset is apparent when it comes to the question of his potential success with the NFL. "Can't is not an option. I'm ready. All they have to do is give me a chance. After that, it's all on me, and I put it all in Gods hands."

When asked if there was a 'dream team' that he would like to play for in the NFL Pinnix responded, "The NFL is the dream. I have played this game of football since I was seven-years-old. God is blessing me with an opportunity and I am thankful. The dream team is the one that I get to play for."

"I don't know what team I will end up playing for, but in the event that I have to move, I would like to say thank you to everyone in the Twin Cities for their love and support," said Pinnix.

Naturally, I asked Pinnix what he had to say to the young people out there who have a dream. Naturally he gave the perfect response. "Perfect your craft," he said. "There is always something you can do to improve. Michael Jordan talked about how he was still trying to perfect his game when he was towards the end of his career with the Chicago Bulls. He already had four or five NBA Championships at that point. That clearly tells you what your mindset should be if you want to succeed." 

Pinnix motto is: In order to catch a dream, you have to chase it.

Make sure a young person reads this.

Keep your eyes open on NFL Draft Day (April 25 and 26). Look for the name Amir Pinnix, and when you see his name flash across the screen, celebrate. Celebrate because a bunch of neighborhoods just came up – including yours. After that, there is only one question. Who's next?

Congratulations Brendan Ard on a Winning State Championship

NFL combine anxieties
Prospects prep for the big league
By Kyle Stack
Special to amNew York

Rushing for more than 7,000 yards and scoring 98 touchdowns in four years at Northwest Missouri State isn’t enough to guarantee NFL draft prospect Archibong “Xavier” Omon a job after college.

Just a job interview, with millions of dollars on the line.

That’s the pressure heaped upon the shoulders of college football players training for the annual NFL combine, which began yesterday at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Omon arrives today as one of the 37 running backs invited.

“You’re thinking about your future in the NFL and if you’ll test out well, especially me, coming from a small school,” said the 23-year-old Omon, who has spent the last six weeks training at Test Sports Clubs in Martinsville, N.J.

Like other sports performance facilities nationwide, Test aims to prepare college players physically and psychologically for the Combine and Pro Days, which occur on hundreds of college campuses throughout next month. NFL teams use these events to evaluate prospects before the NFL draft on April 26 and 27.

Test’s “Methodology” program emphasizes improved player movement patterns, said Kevin Dunn., Test’s chief operating officer. “What we try to do is identify the areas where there is compensation in their movement pattern, which tell us the future on any potential injuries,” said Dunn.

Players appreciate the personalized attention, he said.

“These guys are used to being in big schools; they’re with 100 guys trying to get through a weight room,” Dunn said. “It’s very hard to get personalized attention at a big program.”

Players like Omon often must re-learn how their bodies work, Dunn said.

“They have great hips and they are very strong and powerful guys, but they have done the movements based on what feels natural to them – and that may not be the most efficient way,” he said.

Omon collected five Division II All-America honors and became the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,500-plus yards in four seasons. He said he’s felt the impact of the Test training.

“They’ve done a lot, cleaning up my running form, making me relaxed,” Omon said.

Mel Tjeerdsma, Omon’s college coach at Northwest, which plays in Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, said his accomplished former player has several skills to sharpen. “Blocking, play-action, catching the ball out of the backfield, improving his speed,” Tjeerdsma said by phone from his Maryville, Mo. Office. “Those are all things he is going to have to do if he’s going to be successful at the next level.”

NFL teams crave athletic ability in draft prospects, no matter the position. According to Test’s founder and chief executive officer, Brian Martin, the program shaves two-tenths of a second off players’ 40-yard dash times on average, while adding three to four inches to vertical leaps and seven inches to broad jumps.

“We’re not only doing the speed, nutrition, power and psychological stuff, [but] we’re also real focused on the football side of it,” Martin said. “We never lose sight of the fact that they’re football players, not track athletes.”

Flacco can have special combine day
BY EBENEZER SAMUEL
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Sunday, February 24th 2008, 4:00 AM

Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco certainly knows how to make an impression.

That's exactly what Delaware's senior quarterback did in October against Navy, shredding the Midshipmen for 434 passing yards and four touchdowns in a 59-52 win.

"It was one of the best games I've ever seen a QB play," says draft guru Mike Mayock, who is heading up the NFL Network's Scouting Combine coverage this week. "I'm not sure he made a bad throw."

Mayock wasn't the only scout paying attention; NFL teams kept tabs on Flacco all last season.

"He's got the biggest arm in the draft, and he can make every throw," gushes Mayock. "He's got an awful lot of upside."

Not bad for a quarterback from Audubon, N.J. (population 10,000), who couldn't start at Pittsburgh and starred for tiny Div. I-AA Delaware. Just a year ago Flacco was hoping to be drafted, period.

Now, he's this year's NFL Scouting Combine darling, a quarterback with all the tools you need to become a star in the NFL. The Chicago Bears have tentatively scheduled a private workout, and Bill Parcells' Dolphins, the Ravens and the Falcons have also shown serious interest.

Flacco hits Indianapolis' RCA Dome for drills Sunday, joining bigger-named QBs like Matt Ryan of Boston College, Louisville's Brian Brohm and Michigan's Chad Henne.

Joe Flacco

But nearly every quarterback-starved squad will eye Flacco's workouts intently - if only out of curiosity.

"You (didn't) see him on TV, so it's kind of hard to get a feel for him," says new 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz. "So I think everybody is excited and anxious to see him in person."

At 6-6, 238 pounds, the 23-year-old Flacco has size and a cannon right arm. In ESPN's All-Star Challenge before the Senior Bowl in January, Flacco uncorked a 74-yard bomb, winning the long-distance throw competition.

Since season's end, he has trained with former Giants QB Scott Brunner at TEST Sports Club in Martinsville, N.J., dropping his 40-yard-dash time to around 4.7 seconds (he says he'll run in the 4.6s today) and polishing his footwork.

"I'm going to the Combine with a point to prove." he says.

He has already shown his TEST training buddies he can play. Wideout Mario Urrutia, who spent three years catching Brohm's passes at Louisville, says scouts shouldn't sweat Flacco's small-school pedigree.

"He's got more velocity than Brohm," Urrutia says. "He can definitely play."

No wonder Mayock believes Flacco will "blow people away" at the Combine.

"I wouldn't want to go after Joe Flacco in drills," he says.

But football isn't all about skills and drills, and scouts realize that. They've been burned before; at the 1995 Combine, Boston College defensive end Mike Mamula ran, jumped and bench-pressed himself up draft boards. The Eagles selected him seventh overall and wound up with a bust. Mamula retired after five seasons with just 31.5 sacks.

Thus teams are wary of Flacco's small-school history - from Audubon High School to Delaware. Few college scouts visited Audubon because it's not exactly a gridiron hotbed. The Green Wave wasn't exactly dominant, either; Flacco spent three years running for his life behind a sieve-like offensive line. Audubon never finished better than 5-5 with Flacco.

Despite passing for 5,137 yards in high school - fourth-most in South Jersey history - only Pitt and Delaware really pursued Flacco. He landed at Pitt in 2003, was redshirted for one season, then backed up Tyler Palko in 2004.

Joe Flacco

A year later, upset over his second-string status, Flacco transferred to Delaware - the largest blemish on his resume. At nearly every Combine interview, he's faced questions about the move. To scouts, the transfer could show a lack of competitiveness.

Mayock calls Flacco "quiet by nature," and he does have a certain Eli Manning-like demeanor that could be confused for a lack of fire. He grew up with four brothers and a sister, playing football or basketball almost daily, and isn't fond of losing.

Three weeks ago at TEST, he finished fourth in an agility drill, beating out a handful of tailbacks and wideouts, and was visibly upset.

"He doesn't want to lose at anything," lead TEST trainer Brian Martin says.

That, Flacco says, was the problem with Pitt. He was labeled Palko's backup.

"I never got the chance to compete," Flacco says. "I wasn't satisfied sitting and knowing I hadn't lost (the job)."

He went to Delaware to prove himself, and coach K.C. Keeler's spread offense obliged. It was tailor-made for Flacco, showcasing his arm strength with deep throws and utilizing his mobility on rollouts. The Blue Hens' system demands different reads from a QB, too. The sideline signals the play into the skill players, but Flacco called his own protection schemes.

"It's a little different," says Keeler. "But I think it may have prepared Joe for the complicated reads he's going to make as a pro."

Last year, his second as a starter, Flacco threw for 4,263 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions, leading Delaware to the Div. 1-AA title game vs. Appalachian State.

Then again, this was the spread offense, the same system that Florida used to turn Rex Grossman into a dominant college quarterback.. And Flacco was facing lesser competition than Grossman did in the SEC.

"(Flacco's) first exposure to the type of players he's going to play against in the NFL was at the Senior Bowl," says Kevin Colbert, the Pittsburgh Steelers' director of football operations.

The Senior Bowl was an inauspicious big-stage debut; Flacco went 2-for-7 for 22 yards and an interception. But Flacco would like a little slack.

"Everybody has a bad game," he says.

Anyway, he and Keeler point out, the competition doesn't make the QB. The NFL is peppered with small-school signal-callers. Jeff Garcia (San Jose State), Kurt Warner (Northern Iowa) and Tony Romo (Eastern Illinois) ranked in the top 10 in QB rating this past season. None played BCS conference football.

"It's all (BS) really," Flacco says. "(Critics) just need something to talk about."

Today, Joe Flacco will give them plenty.

"Some think he could be the best QB in the class," Mayock says. "But he's not ready to play now."

Mayock projects Flacco as a second-round pick.

Then again, after some Combine fireworks, draft boards may change.

"I feel like I'm the best quarterback in the draft," Flacco says. "Hands down."

Texas All-Star Game Set
Louisiana... The Adversiser

Former UL safety LaMar Morgan and cornerback Kyle Ward and former Acadiana High and LSU running back Alley Broussard get another chance to impress NFL scouts today in the 2nd annual Texas vs. the Nation All-Star Challenge in El Paso, Texas. The game will feature collegiate seniors with Texas ties against the nation's top seniors and air nationally at 4 p.m. on CSTV.

The trio will play for Team Texas.

"It's going to be cool to see some familiar faces," said Morgan, who has been training six days a week with Broussard at TEST Sports Club in Martinsville, N.J. "I've seen a bunch of guys I played against in high school and college, and there are five of us who are training together in New Jersey."

Morgan, who is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, overcame multiple injuries at UL.
The Copperas Cove, Texas, native played in 40 games for the Cajuns, recording 154 tackles, nine pass breakups, four interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in his career. He had 55 tackles last season.

Rooming with him in El Paso is Ward (6-2, 195). The Dallas native, who ran track at Alcorn State and UL, logged 78 career tackles in 33 games for the Cajuns. He had 15 tackles last season.

Broussard (6-0, 250) ran for 1,537 yards and 18 touchdowns in three injury-filled seasons at LSU before transferring to Missouri Southern State. Broussard, who shares an apartment in New Jersey with Morgan, logged 165 carries for 892 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for the NCAA Division II school.

El Paso finds a few stars
Sunday, February 03, 2008

With the exception of a couple kick returns from NC State's Darrell Blackman, the Texas team romped the rest of the Nation in the final collegiate all-star game on Saturday in El Paso, Tex.

Blackman had six returns for 232 yards and a touchdown. That's a 38.7 yard average!

Other than that, most of the stars were on defense. A lot of these players were out to prove that they were draft worthy, and perhaps a few showed that they were.

Fresno State defensive tackle Jason Shirley improved his stock with a good game. In an interview with a sideline reporter, the massive Shirley said he understood that his job is to clog lanes and stop the run. He not only did that, but he showed some versatility by providing some pass rush as well. Shirley recorded a sack and had a quarterback pressure in his own personal coming-out party.

Also along the defensive line, but for the Nation team, Rutgers defensive lineman Eric Foster showed some hustle by applying some big hits and hustling down running backs all the way to the sideline. You may remember our International Bowl preview in which Foster was also featured. He ended up having two sacks in that game. He's going to end up making some team looking for a sizable defensive end very happy. Maybe it's the Packers, but he may fit best in a 3-4 defensive scheme.
The good news is that he can probably be had late in the draft.

Cornerback Antwaun Molden of Eastern Kentucky showed off his speed. In a broken play in which UTEP receiver Joe West caught ball uncovered, Molden sprinted to tackle him from behind despite West's massive jump start. If the Packers decide to add depth in areas other than cornerback on the first day of the draft, Molden is a cornerback that can be had on the second day.

Appalachian State safety Corey Lynch showed a knack for being around the ball just like he always has. He's the guy who blocked the kick to upset Michigan as time expired. Remember? Well, in the Texas vs. the Nation Challenge Lynch intercepted a pass along the sideline in which he had to run all the way from midfield to get to. He also nearly blocked a punt as well. On the downside, his tackling needs work. He was faked out of his jockstrap on one play. And he had one punt return, but it went for -3 yards. He's a heady player, but he may be a project. Getting in a good strength and conditioning program with some speed work would do him wonders.

On the offensive side, running back Xavier Omon (pictured) of Northwest Missouri State showed why he may be the game's best prospect according to Jason Wright of NFL Draft Countdown. Omon had 9 carries for 91 yards with a 10.1 yard average. This game combined with a good workout at the Combine just could push him up as far as the third round. He's better than many people think while coming from such a small school.

Team Texas Downs Team Nation, 41-14
Omon Wins MVP
2/2/08

Xavier Omon

Team Texas forced six turnovers and limited Team Nation to just 189 yards in total offense in a 41-14 Texas victory in the 2008 Western Refining Texas vs. Nation All-Star Game at the Sun Bowl on Saturday afternoon.

Team Texas, comprised primarily of seniors who played either college or high school football in the Lone Star State, rolled up 431 yards in total offense behind the play of Offensive Player of the Game Danny Amendola of Texas Tech and Game MVP Xavier Omon of Northwest Missouri State.

Amendola caught three passes for a game-high 71 yards and a touchdown while Omon rushed for 91 yards to lead all ballcarriers on the evening.

University of Texas defensive back Erick Jackson earned Defensive Player of the Game honors.

"I really wanted to show people that I could play with I-A players,"
Omon said after the game. "I got an opportunity and I took advantage of it. The speed of the game is a little bit faster but for a runningback it's all about instinct once you get out there."

Colorado State quarterback Caleb Hanie completed 8-of-13 passes for 165 yards while San Jose State signal caller Adam Tafralis was 10-of-19 for
136 yards and a touchdown to give Team Texas 301 yar