CB Ashton Youboty (Buffalo Bills)

[Buckskin86]

Heavy-Hearted Youboty Returns to Bills
by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 9/6/2006 3:23 PM ET

It's been a difficult three weeks for Bills rookie cornerback Ashton Youboty. Mourning the loss of his mother has been very trying for the 22-year old who is the oldest of four children. Jeannet Youboty had cancer and was in declining health, but the suddenness of her passing on Aug. 17 at age 47 is what hit her family the hardest.

And it hit no one harder than her oldest son Ashton. The rookie cornerback was trying to get his NFL career off the ground as he made his way through his first training camp, but there were three younger siblings who needed him.

"It was eventually going to happen," said Youboty of his mother's passing. "I had to tell myself that. But at the time when I was trying to get my career going it has been tough. I've got my younger siblings looking up to me and asking me questions that I have to answer, that I didn't think I'd have to answer at this time. It's all part of moving on up and I have a lot of big decisions to make."

His father is "in the picture in his own way," as Youboty put it, and Buffalo's third round pick wouldn't call himself the sole provider for his family. He has aunts and uncles helping him, his two brothers and sister.

But financially he's at least partially responsible for providing for his family. His younger sister is in college on partial scholarship and doing well. His youngest brother is still in high school in Texas. And his other brother is living with him and enrolled at Erie Community College.

Yousif Youboty is on ECC's football team which plays its games across the street from Ralph Wilson Stadium. It was Ashton's decision even before his mother's passing to have his younger brother live with him and attend school in Western New York.

"He had a couple of situations where he made some bad decisions in high school," said Ashton of Yousif. "He wanted to walk on at the University of Houston and I just told him it would be better if he came and lived with me. My mother was working a lot and couldn't watch him that much. So I was just helping my mother out to take some stress off of her, but things happen."

Many would think that with an NFL career to focus on there's not much time to worry about keeping someone else on the straight and narrow, but for Youboty it's a non-issue.

"My career is first and my whole family is supporting me with that," said Youboty. "I don't mind having my younger brother around. He's always been around and looked up to me so I can help him out."

Youboty is a subscriber to the belief that things happen for a reason. His mother was the same way.

"Even on draft day when my mom was right next to me with me going to the Bills she told me that everything happens for a reason," said Youboty. "Even with my mom I'm not asking for answers right now. I know if she was here she'd want me to go on and perfect my career."

The cornerback is glad to be back working with the team and is grateful for the time the organization gave him.

"The team supported me," he said. "They told me to take my time and whenever I was ready to join the team they'd be here with open arms. I'm here and I'm ready to start helping the Bills."

Of course after three weeks of down time Bills head coach Dick Jauron realizes he likely won't have Youboty as an option in his secondary for some time.

"It's great to have him back for him and for us," said Jauron. "On the football side of it we just need him to get back into the learning and in football shape. He's not in any kind of football shape right now. It will take a while to get him back in shape and back into the scheme of things. On the personal side it's probably good for him to be focused on something else. He's back to work."

Youboty doesn't deny that being on the field is an escape right now.

"Football gets your mind off of things," he said after Wednesday's practice. "You start to get stressed out, but once I get out here that's all I want to do. Being out on the field at least I have other things to think about and get some of the memories out."

And while the memories are still painful, Youboty is still paying tribute to his family's matriarch recently changing his number to the one he wore in college, 26. A native of Liberia, Youboty and his family left Africa when he was four-years old and emigrated to the United States. But to his mother 26 meant something.

"She was a cultured woman and she taught us about our heritage," said Youboty. "The 26th is our country's independence day and it means a lot to my mother. Since I was drafted by the Bills she was behind me to get that, and it just happened to become available."

He honored her further by taking her body back across the Atlantic ocean to her native country for proper burial.

"She was a queen over there," said Youboty. "And here for that matter. I gave everybody a chance to pay tribute to her because she was big on family and she helped out a lot of people during her time."

Now he believes the best way to pay tribute to her is to become a successful professional all while supporting the family she left behind.

"I can't wait," said Youboty. "I'm just doing what I can to help the team in any way so I'm looking forward to running out with the team (Sunday)."

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=4107

Youboty carries mom's spirit inside

9/7/2006

By BOB DICESARE

Rookie cornerback Ashton Youboty rejoined the Buffalo Bills on Wednesday, his mom close to his heart, just as she's always been.
About three weeks have passed since Jeannet Youboty died, unexpectedly, at the age of 47. She was a heroic woman, the rock of the family, possessing strong convictions and a fearless air. She'd maintained an intense loyalty to her Liberian roots, which was evident whenever she visited Ashton at Ohio State and fixed meals for her son and some of his teammates.

"A lot of different kinds of food, and a lot of curry," said rookie safety Donte Whitner, Youboty's college roommate.

Jeannet would do anything for her children. Anything. And in 1990 that meant tearfully breaking her family apart. Liberia was being ravaged by civil war. The civilian death toll was mounting. Rebels were evicting people from their homes, bringing a simmering chaos to a boil. Fleeing the country was the lone guarantee of survival, but evacuation was something not easily arranged.

Circumstances darkened. Desperation set in when the youngest of Jeannet's four children took ill. If she couldn't get Ashton's 5-month-old brother out of the country the baby was likely to die. Her options were ice cold: The two of you, yes; all of you, no.

"I refused [to go] the first time," Jeannet told the Dayton Daily News in 2004. "I refused the second time. The third time, my baby was sick. There was no hospital open, no clinic. I ran out of food for the baby. I didn't have breast milk. . . . I was forced to come.

"I cried until they calmed me down. I didn't know if I would see my [other] children ever. But you can cry until you cry blood - it doesn't mean anything to them."

Jeannet settled with relatives in Philadelphia, safe, secure and riddled with anguish. Would the others make it out? Would she ever see her husband and their three elder children again? Almost a year later they were reunited in Philly before relocating to Houston, a family once again.

"It was freedom - free at last," she said. "I saw my kids were alive. We cried. We cried. We cried. This time, I cried with joy."

Ashton inherited Jeannet's strong sense of family. He's living here with his brother, Yousif, who'll be attending Erie Community College and playing a little football. It was an arrangement they made months ago, to ease the burden on Jeannet and distance Yousif from troubles he'd encountered at home.

"He had a couple of situations making bad decisions in high school and he wanted to walk on at [the University of Houston] and I just told him it would be better if he would come and live with me because my mother was working a lot and she couldn't watch him as much," Youboty said. "I was just helping my mother out, [putting] less stress on her."

Youboty isn't sure what caused his mother's death. She'd been battling cancer, yes, but there was no inevitability about her condition.

"That was actually the part that hurt the most," Youboty said. "It was so sudden. I knew she was sick. I knew eventually it would happen. But the suddenness of it is what's really hurting the family because she was really young."

The strangest thing happened when Youboty returned to the Bills. Jeannet had always wanted her son to wear No. 26, in celebration of July 26, 1847, the day Liberia was founded by liberated American slaves and declared its independence. But the number belonged to safety Rashad Baker, who was waived in the final roster cut. Youboty was wearing it on Wednesday.

"I really wanted the number," Youboty said. "It meant a lot to my mother."

e-mail: bdicesare@buffnews.com

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...07/1054701.asp

[osugrad21]

Bills | Youboty finding playing time hard to come by
Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:27:34 -0700
Chris Brown, of BuffaloBills.com, reports Buffalo Bills CB Ashton Youboty has performed better in practice, however, the team is finding it hard to get him on the field come gameday. "Ashton has done a nice job," said head coach Dick Jauron. "He's progressing and it's really hard in his situation to stay focused and to get into the game plan and to learn it specifically. But he's done a nice job in that regard. The problem is how you get him active. How does he get on the field with 53 down to 45 plus one on Sunday?" Jauron also hinted Youboty could see the field sooner rather than later, provided he continues to work hard.



http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl

[osugrad21]

Link

The Buckeye biographies

11/5/2006

ASHTON YOUBOTY
Draft: Third round (70th overall), 2006
Position: Cornerback
Most memorable moment at Ohio State: "I have a lot, but beating Michigan at the "Shoe' to win the Big Ten Championship [in 2004]. It was a huge game."
Most memorable moment in the NFL: "My most memorable moment is coming up."

[7 45 33 48]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

Link

The Buckeye biographies

11/5/2006

ASHTON YOUBOTY
Draft: Third round (70th overall), 2006
Position: Cornerback
Most memorable moment at Ohio State: "I have a lot, but beating Michigan at the "Shoe' to win the Big Ten Championship [in 2004]. It was a huge game."
Most memorable moment in the NFL: "My most memorable moment is coming up."

Ohio State didn't win the Big Ten Championship in 2004.

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by 7 45 33 48

Ohio State didn't win the Big Ten Championship in 2004.

How much can a Buffalo reporter know about tOSU?

[Best Buckeye]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

Bills | Youboty finding playing time hard to come by
Tue, 10 Oct 2006 22:27:34 -0700
Chris Brown, of BuffaloBills.com, reports Buffalo Bills CB Ashton Youboty has performed better in practice, however, the team is finding it hard to get him on the field come gameday. "Ashton has done a nice job," said head coach Dick Jauron. "He's progressing and it's really hard in his situation to stay focused and to get into the game plan and to learn it specifically. But he's done a nice job in that regard. The problem is how you get him active. How does he get on the field with 53 down to 45 plus one on Sunday?" Jauron also hinted Youboty could see the field sooner rather than later, provided he continues to work hard.

http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl

I wonder if he now wishes he would have stayed at tOSU another year. I do, mainly because I liked to watch him play.

[martinss01]

Originally Posted by Best Buckeye

I wonder if he now wishes he would have stayed at tOSU another year. I do, mainly because I liked to watch him play.

with his mother passing its probably for the best that he went early. he possibly would have ended up using his final year of eligibility this year. then he would have only had last season and half of this season to get drafted off of. now, he has a paycheck regardless of how much he plays. so long as he can get his head back in the game in a year or two, he will be fine.

definitely a rough go of it. good kid, wish him the best.

[BuffaloBuck]

http://http://www.buffalonews.com/ed...15/1066434.asp


NFL
Bills' Youboty ready to turn corner
By RODNEY MCKISSIC
News Sports Reporter
11/15/2006 For now Ashton Youboty is content to just wait his turn, but it won't be long before the rookie cornerback sees action in his first game as a pro.
Coach Dick Jauron considered activating the third-round draft pick from Ohio State for the Buffalo Bills' game Sunday at Indianapolis but elected to put in defensive tackle Jason Jefferson for depth on the defensive line.
"He's real close," said Jauron about Youboty. "I guess, to be perfectly honest, he was a strong consideration this week with the injuries we had and then, the way we rotate and play up front defensively, in an indoor game, in the heat with some of the bruises we had up front, we thought it would be in our best interest to have Jason up. . . . We'd like to get him up, it's a question of how."
Right now, veterans Kiwaukee Thomas and Jabari Greer are the backups at corner to Terrence McGee and Nate Clements, with Thomas playing the nickel corner on passing downs. When Youboty was drafted, he was believed to be insurance in the secondary should Clements depart via free agency after the season.
But Youboty has been on the inactive list for the first nine games after missing three weeks of training camp following the death of his mother, Jeannet. So Youboty is waiting his turn.
"I was more hopeful things would go a different way," he said. "But the guys out there are doing a good job, and the opportunity hasn't showed up." Jauron is satisfied with Youboty's development. "He gets a lot of his work during the look squad [scout team] stuff," Jauron said. "He gets his special teams work playing the look squad stuff because you're always giving reps to the guys who are active. He takes his reps at the positions he plays and he works hard at it. He's getting work. He hasn't been in an NFL game and we've never seen him under fire. We do believe he's part of our future and we'd like to get him up."

[Buckskin86]

Q&A: Ashton Youboty
Sal Maiorana
Staff writer

(November 26, 2006) ? This wasn't exactly how Ashton Youboty envisioned his rookie season in the NFL unfolding.

The Bills' soft-spoken and well-mannered third-round draft pick out of Ohio State was rocked during the summer by the unexpected death of his mother, Jeannet.

That tragedy forced Youboty to miss more than two weeks of training-camp practice and, in effect, ruined any chance he had of competing for playing time early in the regular season.

Ten games into the year, Youboty still hasn't gotten on the field, though after not even dressing for the first nine games, he was in uniform last week at Houston.

Perhaps today is the day the 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback makes his NFL debut, and maybe it isn't. But in any event, he is the subject of this week's Q and A:

You were born in Liberia. Do you have any memories of living there?

"I had some random memories, mostly from pictures. It wasn't really a culture shock when I moved here because I was so young (6 years old). Maybe it was and I just don't realize it, but I was just a kid. The language over there was English, so that wasn't a problem."

You moved to Philadelphia and then to Texas when you were in eighth grade. Tell me about what it's like to play high school football in Texas.

"Since it's so hyped, I didn't understand if I was a good player or not. I was just happy playing.

"I didn't even know if I was good enough to play in college. LSU offered me my first scholarship at the end of my junior season, and that's when it hit me that I had a chance to play at the next level. High school football was really a fun time."

Have you seen the new television show Friday Night Lights, and if so, does it portray high school football in Texas properly?

"In some schools, certain areas, that's what they live for. Some towns aren't close to Houston and Dallas, so that's what the kids grow up for, to play in high school."

With all the Texas schools recruiting you, how did you end up at Ohio State?

"People asked me why I didn't go to (the University of) Texas, but I was always a Big Ten fan, even growing up in Philly.

"When I visited Texas, it just seemed like all these big-time stars that you heard about were sitting on the bench, and I wanted to play right away. It just seemed like I had an opportunity to play at Ohio State. It was a place I could see myself at for four years, even though I only stayed for three. But I still graduated so everything worked out."

Do you remember what your first paying job was?

"I had several jobs, but I think the first one was at an Italian restaurant. It was opened by my cousin's friends' parents, so I worked there for a little bit. And I had other little side jobs, but I didn't really have time (with football) because by the time I'd get home I'd be so tired."

When you played football as a kid, who did you pretend to be?

"I never pretended to be anybody, but my favorite players were Jerry Rice and Barry Sanders, but mostly Jerry Rice. I thought I was going to go to college as a receiver, but I happened to be better at corner. And I love what I do, but at the time in high school you wanted to go and catch touchdowns. That was my main position."

What was the most memorable college game you played?

"I remember a lot of college games, there were a lot of great moments at Ohio State. But memorable, it was probably the game that helped me make my mark as a so-called lockdown cornerback. It was the '03 season, we were having a down year for Ohio State. Michigan came in with a better record than us, and Braylon Edwards was coming off a great game, and we were playing them. He was putting up some numbers on us, and in the second half they put me on him and I pretty much limited him without any big plays. I had a great game against him, and the team won the game."

What was the best advice you've ever received?

"I've had a lot of advice, but people have told me to appreciate what I have and to live each day one day at a time because you never know what's going to happen."

SMAIORAN@DemocratandChronicle.com

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/...611260332/tbd/

[BuffaloBuck]

Ashton saw his first action in the Bills 18 pt win @ the Meadowlands vs the Jets.

He played mostly Db in the nickel, but he was the #2 behind Clements for a bit.

no mistakes, was in on a couple tackles. Nice, low profile debut...and for a corner thats really what you want.

[BuffaloBuck]

With cornerback Terrence McGee out with a sore ankle, rookie cornerback Ashton Youboty got his first extensive action of the season.
The Bills' third-round draft pick had been inactive for 11 games and did not play in the one contest he dressed for. The fact that he missed a large portion of training camp due to the death of his mother had a lot to do with his lack of playing time.
But Youboty has gotten more work in practice in recent weeks. He apparently impressed the coaches because he was the third cornerback in nickel situations.
"It's definitely been a long wait," Youboty said. "It's fun cheering your teammates on, but it's even more fun being out there and doing some work yourself. [The coaches] told me to be ready on Wednesday and then Thursday they put me in the nickel package and I was getting a lot of reps. By Friday, they worked out a couple of guys to see if they could go and they let me know.
"The NFL is about opportunity, making the most of those opportunities. I just go into practice every day and work hard on my technique, so when the opportunity comes I can perform."
Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell wasn't surprised how well Youboty played.
"Ashton Youboty is improving every day in practice," Fewell said. "He's got really good hips and he always stays on top of his receiver. I had no hesitation in saying, "If Terrence couldn't play, let's work Ashton in there and let's get him some reps.' I think he just stepped up and responded well. The game wasn't too big for him. I'm telling you, he acted like he has been there before. "I think we found out a little bit about Ashton today. I don't want the injuries to occur, but it's good that we had this opportunity to get Ashton in the ball game and find out how he responds."
</B>

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial...11/1049892.asp

[osugrad21]

Link

Youboty finally gets his shot and does well

Sal Maiorana
Staff writer


(December 12, 2006) ? EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ? There is a page in the Buffalo Bills' weekly media kit devoted to rookie cornerback Ashton Youboty.

In the top section is a list of all the essentials ? name, number, position, height, weight, birth date, college, hometown, how he was acquired.
Below that is a quick summary of what Youboty has done in each game this season, and in Youboty's case it really is quick. Before Sunday afternoon, Youboty's page was whiter than a wedding dress: His year-to-date recap contained all of three lines.
Buffalo's third-round draft pick out of Ohio State had been inactive for 11 of the first 12 games, and in the only game for which he donned a uniform, he stood on the sidelines all day in Houston and never played.
"It was a long wait," the baby-faced 22-year-old said after making his NFL debut during Buffalo's 31-13 victory over the New York Jets at the Meadowlands.
Remember the movie The Jerk, starring Steve Martin, and the excitement Martin's character, Navin Johnson, feels when the new phone book arrives and his name is listed? Well, that was Youboty on Sunday, finally able to contribute to the team, and when the newly updated media packet is passed out this week, some of that white space on his page will be filled.
With the Bills using their nickel package extensively during the game, Youboty saw plenty of action. He made three tackles and seemed to hold up fine in pass coverage.
"It was definitely fun," he said. "It's fun cheering your teammates on, but it's a lot more fun being out there and doing the work yourself."

Youboty was projected to be a nickel and dime package contributor from the outset, but when he missed nearly three weeks of training camp because of the unexpected death of his mother, he took a leave from the team and fell way behind in repetitions and knowledge of the defense.
He has been working hard in practice ever since the start of the regular season, but with veterans Kiwaukee Thomas and Jabari Greer entrenched as the nickel and dime backs, there was no need to activate Youboty on game day. Until Sunday.
Starting cornerback Terrence McGee and strong safety Donte Whitner were both sidelined by injuries, so Thomas and Jim Leonhard were elevated to take their places. That created the need to activate Youboty, and he couldn't wait to take the field at Giants Stadium.
"They told me to be ready Wednesday and Thursday, and they put me in the nickel package and I was getting a lot of reps," Youboty said. "By Friday they worked out the guys to see if they could go, and they let me know.
"I haven't played on the field, but in practice I'm going against Lee (Evans), Peerless (Price) and those guys, so the speed I adjusted to, and the coaches said, 'Just do what you do in practice.'"
Youboty actually started the game because the Bills began in their nickel defense. New York's first play was a short pass from Chad Pennington to Leon Washington away from Youboty's side. But Pennington knew the raw rookie was out there, and his next two passes went Youboty's way. With the first he misfired on an attempt to Jerricho Cotchery. The second was an underneath throw to tight end Chris Baker, and Youboty and Thomas stopped the play after a gain of seven yards to force a Jets punt.
"Ashton has been improving every week," defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. "So I had no hesitation that if Terrence couldn't play, let's work Ashton in there and get him the reps. He said he'd be ready, and he stepped up and responded well. The game wasn't too big for him; he acted like he'd been there before."
Fewell pointed out that playing at Ohio State, a big-time program where Youboty faced cream-of-the-crop competition, helped him immeasurably in his NFL debut, an assessment linebacker London Fletcher agreed with.
"Ashton played well, but he practiced well all week," Fletcher said. "He played in the Big Ten, played in a lot of big games, so he wasn't overwhelmed by the situation. I think he's going to be an excellent pro football player."
The Bills certainly hope so. If Nate Clements decides to bolt via free agency at the end of the year, there will be a gaping hole to fill at cornerback, and the job will be there for Youboty to win.
That's why it was good for the Bills to finally start seeing what they have in the 5-foot-11, 189-pounder.

"I think we found out a little bit about Ashton, and it's good that we have this opportunity (to play him)," Fewell said. "I don't want the injuries to occur, but it was good that we were able to put Ashton in the ballgame and find out how he'd respond."
So how did Youboty think it went?

"I think I did all right," he said. "The NFL is about opportunity and making the best of your opportunity, and I just practiced every day, worked hard and worked on my technique so I'd be ready if I had to play. It was a learning experience. I was a little rusty and I've got some improvements to make, but I'm looking forward to my next opportunity."

[Buckskin86]

Clements Exit Could Mean Big Things For Youboty
by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 3/7/2007 10:25 AM ET

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=4654

[23Skidoo]

Originally Posted by Buckskin86

Clements Exit Could Mean Big Things For Youboty
by Chris Brown, Lead Journalist Last Updated: 3/7/2007 10:25 AM ET

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/news.jsp?news_id=4654

I see Buffalo is catching onto this reload concept... keep the silver bullets coming

[OSUBuckeye4Life]

Scout $

04/08

Ashton talks briefly about his learning process over his rookie season.