Today, the Bruins get dumped. Jackets in five.
ICYMI
- The 2014 recruiting class made its mark.
- Some early prep bets for Dwayne Haskins, Nick Bosa and Parris Campbell.
- Ebenezer Dowuona has gone from Ghana to Ohio State hoops target.
- Ryan Day's approach to game planning.
- Ohio State's under-the-radar future NFL players.
Word of the Day: Soigné.
SKILL SET OF A BOXER. Dre'Mont Jones might be one of the most terrifyingly athletic individuals my eyes have ever seen in real life, and that was before I knew he had a professional boxer's blood in his veins.
From DenverBroncos.com:
“The Big Ten is definitely no joke,” Jones said Saturday at his introductory press conference. “I know how it feels to be double-teamed, I know how it feels to go against those 6-7, 330-[pound] offensive tackles, and those 6-4, 330-[pound] guards and I got a feel for both. I think I can handle myself in the league.”
After all, those linemen have nothing on Jones’ father, Sanderline Williams, who had an 11-year career as a professional middleweight boxer.
...
“He was born with naturally fast hands and great footwork,” Williams said. “… His hands are just as fast as mine, [but] he’s a heavyweight. His footwork is magnificent, so I think he could have [had a professional career]. I look at him sometimes and shake my head and ask myself, ‘Why didn’t I encourage him to be a boxer?’ Because he’s got the skill set to be a boxer.”
...
Jones’ brief boxing training and his fast hands did prepare him well for his eventual Big Ten competition.
“Pass rushing and fitting the run is basically like boxing,” Jones said. “You’re punching, you’re striking, you’re being physical with your hands all the time. That definitely translated over for being a D-lineman.”
I would want absolutely no part of blocking Dre'Mont Jones, even if I were a 330-pound professional people-mover. That's probably why he was arguably the best pass-rushing interior lineman in the country last year.
PASSING THE SEVEN. No Washington player has worn No. 7 since the Joe Theismann donned it over 30 years ago, but that could be changing.
The Redskins legend is open to passing his number to the future Redskins legend.
From Michelle Martinelli of NBCSports.com:
“I’m anxious to sit down and talk to Dwayne about that,” Theismann said on Redskins Talk.
“I’m not opposed to it. I’m not saying yes yet, but I really want to sit down and talk to the young man and get a chance to meet him. I know he’s reached out and said he wants to ask me, so as early as I can get back into town and be able to set up an opportunity when he gets into town to be able to sit down and talk to him about it.”
...
“It’s what’s inside the jersey that makes a big difference,” Theismann said. “I’ve been very honored to have the Washington Redskins not have it issued to anyone over 30-plus years, and this is the first 7 that we’ve had come along, I think.
“So I really wanna sit down and have a visit with him and talk to him about it and then we’ll sort of decide going forward.”
And then there's also this Tweet:
Dwayne, welcome to the family. From one #7 to another.
— Joe Theismann (@Theismann7) April 26, 2019
This uh... probably means he's going to get to wear No. 7. Because knowing what I know about sports fans and professional sports talkers, any other result after they talk would lead to some #TAKES after Theismann's above comments.
Joe Theismann Doesn't Give Dwayne Haskins Blessing to Wear No. 7 After Saying 'It's What's Inside the Jersey That Makes a Big Difference.'
CHASE YOUNG GOT NEXT. The Buckeyes just had a defensive end selected No. 2 overall in the draft, and have had five defensive ends selected in the past four NFL drafts.
Common logic seems to indicate that Chase Young is next up. ESPN.com has Young as Ohio State's top pro prospect heading into 2019.
No. 5 Ohio State: DE Chase Young
Young is the heir apparent to the Bosa Empire in Columbus this season. He did enough during his sophomore season to land on the radar of NFL scouts. This year, with the help of two veteran coaches who have produced enough first-rounders on the defensive line to fill an NFL roster, Young will have the opportunity to lead the pack of another talented group of Buckeyes with NFL decisions to make at the end of the season. -- Dan Murphy
It's hard to disagree. It's gonna be wild when he's the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
PERCY HARVIN PARRIS. Just when we thought the Percy Harvin comparisons were dead, Urban Meyer gave them a post-Easter resurrection.
"Bonafide 1st Rounder..a Percy Harvin type player" ...Urban Meyer right now on Paris Campbell @colts draft choice
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) April 29, 2019
If we're going to do comparisons, I'll play along.
As a rookie, Percy Harvin was a Pro Bowler with 60 catches for 790 yards and six touchdowns along with 15 rushes for 135 yards. If Parris can match, or come close to those numbers, there are going to be some extremely happy Colts fans.
Those seems like high expectations, but I'm not sure it's impossible. They had similar skillsets and did similar things in college, but Parris actually ran about a tenth of a second faster in the 40-yard dash.
PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM (FOR NOW). As expected, the Steelers put Ryan Shazier on their physically unable to perform list on Monday (still, I would argue he's probably more fit to perform than most others reading this).
This will be the second-straight season Shazier is on the Steelers' PUP list as the team keeps him on his roster throughout his rehab, with Shazier still fully intent on returning to the field.
From a Steelers release:
“I definitely want to play,” said Shazier during a media tour during Super Bowl in January. “I try to tell people at the end of the day, just because I got hurt, doesn’t mean I lost the love of the game of football. I love football so much. I just care about the game. I really feel like the game has taken me places I never expected to go. I am putting everything into it. I feel like I was the best linebacker in the league. I don’t want to leave that as my legacy. I feel like I have so much to show.”
Shazier, the team’s first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, has shared his progress via social media throughout the process and while he has gained inspiration from others, he has also provided inspiration to others.
“Every day I am constantly trying to get better,” said Shazier. “One milestone after the next. I try to make goals for myself constantly, so I always have something to reach for. I have been knocking them off one step at a time.
“I have been working my tail off. Every day I am grinding.”
I say this every time I talk about Shazier, but I'm absolutely not counting him out. I know how he's got an uphill battle and how difficult it's going to be for him to be able to be able to play football at any level, much less in the NFL.
But I also didn't think the guy would walk ever again, and now he's doing box jumps. I don't get to tell him what he can and can't do, cause chances are, I'm going to be wrong.
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