Carolina WR Dwayne Jarrett (official thread)

[AKAK]

So what's up with Davis now?? Starting scout team SS??

Davis caught 2 passes for 6 yards last week

Two picks is pretty good!

 

[Oh8ch]

What a disapointment. If Jarret were here he could be having the same kind of year Devon Lyons is having.

 

[souL]

doesnt matter if Jarrett and Walker were here.......Bolleman is still here which equals below average offensive line play, not talent level.....but results are below average.

Pitiful.

So what you're saying is: turn every thread into a 'fire bollman' thread? :dead: :boohoo:

 

[horseshoe1]

I do not want to be the one to say I told you so but I said long before either Davis or Jarrett had made a decison on college that OSU better push hard for Jarrett because he is the real deal and Davis is a phony. Boy do I feel really smart now. Wonder how mister ( I'll sneak out of town in the dark ) feels now?

 

[Buckskin86]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/31/sports/ncaafootball/31usc.html

After Much Doubt and Pain, a U.S.C. Star Feels at Home
By PETE THAMEL

Published: December 31, 2004

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Dec. 30 - Every night, as if hearing chimes on a grandfather clock, Camille Jarrett could count on her phone to ring at midnight.

Her 17-year old son, Dwayne, had left New Brunswick, N.J., to play football for the University of Southern California with a brash attitude, predicting immediate success and telling his mother she would not have anyone to nag about taking out the garbage.

But when he arrived at Southern California in late June, just days after his high school graduation, Jarrett found himself lonely and homesick. So every night when the free minutes started on his cellphone at 9 p.m. Pacific time, he would call his mother.

By the time training camp started in early August, Jarrett was begging his mother to let him come home. He missed her lasagna. He missed having his grandmother down the street. He missed home so much that he even called his grandmother and aunts to have them lobby his mother to let him go back.

"He'd call and whine and whine, he just drove me crazy," Camille Jarrett said in a telephone interview.

Camille Jarrett demanded that her son stick it out at U.S.C., as he endured what Trojans Coach Pete Carroll called "classic homesickness." As No. 1-ranked U.S.C. prepares to play No. 2 Oklahoma on Tuesday in the Orange Bowl, the Bowl Championship Series title game, Jarrett, his mother and his coaches are glad he stuck it out.

Now 18, Jarrett is the youngest member of the team and also one of the Trojans' most tantalizing talents.

He led the team with 50 receptions and 12 touchdown catches, and at 6 feet 5 and 195 pounds is already considered a front-line N.F.L. prospect.

But before he flourished, Jarrett needed his nightly pep talks from his mother, whom Carroll lauded for being able to keep Jarrett at Southern Cal. "In his mind," Carroll said, "he was gone a couple of times."

The calls home melted Camille Jarrett's heart. Dwayne was born when she was a 15-year-old high school freshman.

She raised him with the help of her parents until she graduated from high school and soon after moved out on her own.

From there, Camille Jarrett made sure Dwayne stayed grounded.

She worked hours that enabled her to be around as much as possible, making sure he was not running the streets. She enrolled him in sports programs to keep him active and surrounded him with family for role models. She talked openly with him about sex, drugs, girls and smoking, making sure they could discuss anything.

"There's a branding that young black boys get, especially in urban areas, especially when the mom is so young," Camille Jarrett said.

"People say: 'You have a young mother, she doesn't know anything. She's not going to raise you any better.' "

When Dwayne was 7, he predicted while playing basketball in front of his grandmother's house that he would play in the N.B.A. Sports engrossed him; Camille Jarrett remembers Dwayne having an amazing capacity for players and statistics.

He discovered football not long after, and his passion shifted.

He blossomed into a star at New Brunswick High School, and suitors from around the country flocked to recruit him.

"He was like Randy Moss without the attitude," New Brunswick Coach John Quinn said he told recruiters.

Jarrett picked U.S.C. over Ohio State after the Trojans' star receiver, Mike Williams, was his host for his official visit. Comparisons of the two because of their similar builds became inevitable.

After Williams was ruled ineligible to play this season by the N.C.A.A., the onus of the offense fell on Jarrett, whose struggles adjusting to college mirrored his early struggles on the field. Jarrett had what he calls "the dropsies" in U.S.C.'s first four games and did not find his groove until he caught the winning touchdown pass in the defining game of U.S.C.'s season, a 23-17 victory over California on Oct. 9.

Form there, Jarrett settled down on the field and settled in off it.

"I think him being homesick affected his overall game a lot," the receivers coach Lane Kiffin said. "He told us, 'You guys haven't seen as good as I really am.' And he was right."

By the Arizona game on Nov. 13, Camille could see the difference while watching the Trojans on television. Jarrett caught two touchdown passes and celebrated with a swagger.

Right around then, he told his mother to scrap her plans to move West to be with him.

And as Jarrett finished with a strong kick that included 102 receiving yards and 2 scores in a blowout of Notre Dame, the calls were less frequent and his tone was much more positive.

And as he prepares to play for the B.C.S. title, Jarrett knows he could not have gotten to this point without his mother's support from the other end of the phone.

"She definitely told me to stick it out and stay out here," Jarrett said. "I think as it went along, it got easier for me. I can go back home now and not feel a certain way when I leave there now."

 

[Buckskin86]

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/sports/college/s_289209.html

Jarrett overcomes struggles

By Rob Biertempfel
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, January 3, 2005

MIAMI -- The weather in southern California is sunny, the people are friendly, and the streets are clogged with gorgeous celebrities.

At the center of it all is Dwayne Jarrett, the flashiest receiver on the hottest college football team in the nation.

It's hard to believe that, for his first few weeks on USC's campus, the freshman from New Brunswick, N.J., was nearly KO'ed by culture shock. Jarrett missed his family, his friends and everything else that was familiar on the other side of the country.

"It was a struggle," Trojans recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron said. "We never like to think we're going to lose anything, but it sure looked close with him. It was a fight to keep him here."

The homesickness bordered on depression, and it stuck him in a funk on the field. Jarrett thought hard about transferring.

"I didn't really have a specific school in mind," Jarrett said. "I just wanted to go back East."

On Sunday, Jarrett was indeed back East -- but in Florida, not New Jersey. And he was still with the top-ranked Trojans, preparing for Tuesday's Orange Bowl game against No. 2 Oklahoma.

And he knows this is where he wanted to be all along.

"He's gone full-circle now to where he's standing up and he's sure of himself," USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow said. "But to see him down like he was and then see the improvement ... yeah, it was a little bit of a surprise."

Jarrett was recruited by every top program in the East, including Miami, Ohio State, Pitt and Penn State. He was lured to Southern Cal by the chance to play early -- he figured he'd be the third receiver -- for a team that is favored to win its second straight national championship.

"When I told my mom I wanted to come all the way out (to USC), she was like, 'Oh, no. You can't go that far,' " he said. "But as time went on, she got behind me 100 percent."

When standout Mike Williams was declared ineligible this season after a failed bid to enter the NFL draft, Jarrett's role was increased. Yet, he had just eight catches through the first three games and moped around off the field.

Jarrett's teammates and coaches rallied around him. His mother flew out for a visit. The best advice came from tailback LenDale White, who battled the same demons his freshman year.

"You can't take mom with you all the time," White said. "There comes a time when you have to grow up. After he caught a couple touchdowns, he came over to me smiling and I was like, 'See? I told you so.' "

Jarrett appeared in all 12 games this season and has started the past seven. He made a team-high 50 catches for 734 yards, and his 12 TD grabs are the second-most by a freshman in USC history.

"Once he fought through it, I knew he'd be all right," White said.

By midseason, it was clear Jarrett was establishing his star credentials. The only negative came in early November, when he was the unnamed target of a verbal shot from Penn State coach Joe Paterno.

Paterno, under fire for another sub-.500 season, made the reference as he was defending his recruiting practices.

"There is a great wideout playing for one of the best teams in the country," Paterno said. "A kid from New Jersey who we never even looked at because of the academics and things like that."

Paterno's quote traveled 2,000 miles from Happy Valley to the Left Coast.

"I heard that thing Paterno said about me," Jarrett said yesterday, smiling as the sun poked through the clouds above Pro Player Stadium. "I don't have any words, no reaction, to that. None at all.

"Penn State (offered) me a scholarship, but I wasn't too interested in going there," he said.

As it turned out, Jarrett knew where he was going all along.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/267875p-229448c.html

A fresh prince for USC
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - When Southern California athletic director Mike Garrett, who has a Heisman Trophy vote because he won college football's biggest award in 1965, began filling out his ballot a month ago, it didn't take him long to show his hometown bias.
1. Matt Leinart, quarterback, USC

2. Reggie Bush, tailback, USC.

3. Dwayne Jarrett, wide receiver, USC.

Leinart and Bush were no-brainers. But writing Jarrett's name in was an indication of the growing celebrity status the 6-5 freshman wide receiver from New Brunswick, N.J., has attained during the Trojans' 12-0 season.

"It was an honor," Jarrett said. "I saw that and felt real good about myself. Thanks to him and Carson Palmer. He also gave me a vote, so that was a privilege."

Jarrett has caught 50 passes for 734 yards and 12 touchdowns for the top-ranked Trojans, who play No. 2 Oklahoma tonight in the Orange Bowl. He has become USC's big-play receiver, replacing All-American Mike Williams, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA after declaring for the NFL draft and signing with an agent.

"I think the whole state of New Jersey is wearing Southern Cal gear," he said. "I get a lot of love back there."

The 18-year old Jarrett has been one of two true freshmen, along with guard Jeff Byers, to crack the starting lineup at USC and shown he can be an impact player on a national contender. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has also embraces a similar philosophy as Carroll and will start three freshman prodigies at critical spots - tailback Adrian Peterson, cornerback Marcus Walker and placekicker Garrett Hartley.

Peterson has been a relevation, rushing for 1,843 yards and 15 touchdowns and finishing second in the Heisman balloting. Walker, who was redshirted until November, has helped cement the Sooners' secondary. Hartley is more of a mystery because he has yet to attempt a field goal, but Stoops had enough faith in him to move Hartley ahead of Trey DiCarlo, a Groza Award finalist last year, at the end of the season.

More freshmen in elite programs have been playing because of the 85-scholarship limitation and because more juniors are defecting to the NFL. The talent gap is closing. USC has 10 freshmen and redshirt freshmen in its two-deep on offense and defense. Oklahoma also has 10.

"Freshmen should get the same chance to play as juniors and seniors, as long as they've got the skills," Jarrett said. "We just need an opportunity and they gave it to me. If you can play, you play."

Jarrett chose USC over Ohio State, Virginia and Pitt. When USC coach Pete Carroll recruited him, he told Jarrett he would get a chance to play as a freshman if he was good enough. Jarrett originally thought he would be learning on the job as a third receiver in Norm Chow's sophisticated offense. But when Williams lost his NCAA appeal just days before the opener with Virginia Tech in Washington, D.C., Jarrett suddenly became an integral part of the game plan.

"I think it would have been easier for Dwayne if Mike had been there," Carroll said. "I know he would have taken him under his wing. I think there was a lot put on Dwayne earlier we couldn't avoid. There was a lot of pressure on him. Imagine, as a kid, we're playing Virginia Tech in front of 91,000 fans and he's got to catch the first ball. It's all you could put on a kid. But he did it, survived it and has had a wonderful season."

Jarrett had the second best freshman season of any USC receiver in history behind Williams: four multiple-TD games and three 100-yard receiving games, catching six passes for 102 yards and two TDs of 12 and 57 yards during a 41-10 victory over Notre Dame.

But there were some bumps along the road. Jarrett, who left home for the first time a day after high school graduation, developed a bad case of homesickness after spending three months by himself in L.A.; there was some thought he might transfer closer to home.

"I wasn't used to being away from home, so it was definitely severe," he said. "But I had the help of my teammates - from Matt Leinart on down - and the coaches, telling me to stick it out. My mom came out to visit, She didn't want me to leave, either. As the year progressed, I started school, started to make more friends, started to get more comfortable. I still miss the pizza, but I've discovered Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles."

 

[AnnArborBuck]

Can you image what we would have been with Holmes, Ginn, and Jarret. Wow, now that would have been scary. He seems like a good kid, hope things work out for him, unless we play him that is.

 

[OSUBuckeye4Life]

Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson and USC's Dwayne Jarrett pose with Playboy sports editor Gary Cole.
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WHY, WHY DO THIS TO THE BUCKEYE NATION DWAYNE?!!!!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9441458





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[BuckeyeNation27]

Heh...I like Jarrett so it puts a smile on my face. If it was somebody I didn't like, who knows.

 

[MililaniBuckeye]

Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson and USC's Dwayne Jarrett pose with Playboy sports editor Gary Cole.
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WHY, WHY DO THIS TO THE BUCKEYE NATION DWAYNE?!!!!

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9441458

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So the kid still happens to like Ohio State despite deciding to go to USC. If anything, his wearing an Ohio State hat while a USC player can only make us look good.

Here's notable excerpts from the link for those who didn't check it out:

2006 Playboy Preseason All-America Football Team
First Team QB: Troy Smith
All-purpose player: Ted Ginn

Special Awards
Best Overall Athlete: Ted Ginn, Ohio State
Best Fastball: Troy Smith, Ohio State
Best Leaders: Troy Smith, Ohio State (and Joe Thomas, Wisconsin)

Also, Steve Snapp, SID at Ohio State, was one of the staff coordinating the event.

 

[ScarletInMyVeins]

This might explain why he has an Ohio State hat on:

Saturday, 3 p.m. -- The team picture. Dick Izui and Jim Larsen do an outstanding job with the taking of the picture, and have something special planned for the 50th anniversary picture. The players love this part of the weekend. They spend a lot of time after the shoot exchanging shirts, hats and shorts, and in some cases, jerseys and helmets. The changing of gear has become a big part of the event.

 

[jwinslow]

Also, Steve Snapp, SID at Ohio State, was one of the staff coordinating the event.

his job sure is hard at times :p

 

[gregorylee]

So the kid still happens to like Ohio State despite deciding to go to USC. If anything, his wearing an Ohio State hat while a USC player can only make us look good.

Here's notable excerpts from the link for those who didn't check it out:

2006 Playboy Preseason All-America Football Team
First Team QB: Troy Smith
All-purpose player: Ted Ginn

Special Awards
Best Overall Athlete: Ted Ginn, Ohio State
Best Fastball: Troy Smith, Ohio State
Best Leaders: Troy Smith, Ohio State (and Joe Thomas, Wisconsin)

Also, Steve Snapp, SID at Ohio State, was one of the staff coordinating the event.

Any of you guys feel like posting the write up, not exactly something some of us can access from work.

 

[ScarletInMyVeins]

Just for you Greg

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9441458

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=head2>Playboy gathering gives glimpse into 2007 draft</TD><TD width=5></TD><TD align=right><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--//var dclkFeaturesponsor='http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/sponsorships.nfl.com/fs/'+vTag+';'+vTarget+';'+uID+';sz=150x30;tile=5;ord='+random+'?';if (switchDclk != 'off') { if (location.search.substring(1).indexOf('DCLK')>-1) document.write('<input type="text" value="'+dclkFeaturesponsor+'" style="width:150px">
'); document.write('<script src="'+dclkFeaturesponsor+'"><\/script>'); }// --></SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/sponsorships.nfl.com/fs/stories;arena=nfl;feat=stories;type=psa;user=Anonymous;seg=nonaol;ctype=lan;lang=en-us;lang=en-us;vpmp=no;adv=b;cust=no;vip=no;u=;sz=150x30;tile=5;ord=20818758197107878?"></SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

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</TD><TD width=10></TD><TD noWrap>By Gil Brandt
NFL.com Senior Analyst

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- T9441458 --><!-- Sesame Modified: 05/16/2006 12:01:20 --><!-- sversion: 11 $Updated: sethp$ -->(May 16, 2006) -- This past weekend, Playboy magazine assembled its 2006 Playboy Preseason All-America Football Team at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in Phoenix.
This year marks the 50th edition of the concept, which was first published in the magazine in 1957. Collier's magazine, which had published a previous version of the All-America team, folded in December 1956. Hugh Hefner recognized that a great sports tradition was about to die, so he hired Collier's sports writer Francis Wallace and moved the preseason All-America team to Playboy.
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</TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=231>Justin Blalock, Gil Brandt (Super Bowl XII) and Frank Okam show off their championship rings. </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Wallace selected the first team, which featured Alex Karras and Playboy coach of the year Forest Evashevski, both from Iowa. Iowa finished the season 7-1-1 and ranked No. 6 in the polls. Detroit drafted Karras in the first round (No. 10 overall).
In 1958, Hefner turned the job over to Anson Mount, a Playboy PR man, who passed away in 1987. Then Hefner turned the job over to Gary Cole, who, with the help of yours truly, has done the job ever since.
The 50-year list of Playboy All-Americans reads like a who's who of college football. There were the obvious picks like Dick Butkus, Dan Marino, Archie Griffin and John Elway. However, sometimes Playboy was able to uncover a future Hall of Famer before they became stars.
There was a big defensive tackle at North Texas State in 1968. He was Joe Greene, and he was a Playboy All-American before the Steelers ever imagined the Steel Curtain.
In 1988, Playboy tabbed Oklahoma State tailback Barry Sanders, who up to that point had played backup to Thurman Thomas and returned kicks. The Playboy notice came before the season, and Sanders was named the Heisman Trophy winner while his team was in Tokyo preparing for its regular-season finale.
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</TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=222>Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson and USC's Dwayne Jarrett pose with Playboy sports editor Gary Cole. </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Last year, Playboy selected Florida State's Antonio Cromartie at defensive back even though he had only one start under his belt. He was the 19th player selected in the 2006 NFL Draft (San Diego).
While the magazine gets most of its press from the photos it publishes, it has been uncannily accurate with its preseason Top 20 predictions. A few years ago, The Village Voice did a study of all the major media that picked a Top 20. It turns out that Playboy won the top spot, beating out the likes of Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, USA Today and the New York Times.
Here is an abbreviated schedule of what happened at this year's Playboy All-America Team Weekend:
Friday, 9:30 a.m. -- This is when the weekend officially started, because our first player, Miami defensive back Brandon Meriweather, arrived from Florida. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon picking up players, some of whom traveled with their school's sports information directors (SIDs).
Friday, 5:30 p.m. -- Now that everyone has arrived, all the honored players gathered at the hospitality room at our hotel and started signing footballs. This might have been the hardest "work" the young men had to do all weekend, but it was worth it because every player got a football signed by entire Playboy team. They also received some specially made Reebok equipment that did not exceed the value ($325) the NCAA allows its players to receive at this type of event.
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</TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=200>Longhorns players Frank Okam and Justin Blaylock do their share of autographing footballs. </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Some of the players spent the afternoon around the pool. Others played golf or hit golf balls, and some just hung around the room wanting to talk.
This is something I look forward to because it gives me a chance to get to know these players a little better, and it's a lot of fun talking to them.
Bennie Blades was on the Playboy team in 1987 and Detroit took him with the third selection in the draft in 1988. (He will be going into the College Football Hall of Fame this year.) His son, H.B., a linebacker with the University of Pittsburgh, is on the 2006 Playboy team.
Another example is Gaines Adams of Clemson, who is our first All-American to come from a high school that played eight-man football. In high school, he caught 158 passes for 4,394 yards and 65 touchdowns. He also had 33 sacks and 10 interceptions. Don't be shocked if he is taken in the top half of Round 1 in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Friday, 7:30 p.m. -- This is our welcoming party, where players get to see pictures of the previous Playboy team and enjoy a good meal. This was a great chance for the players to get to know one another and spend some time together.
After dinner, the first "event" of the weekend took place when "Game Night" commenced. Whenever you get this many football players together in one place, the competitive juices can't help but flow. This was a chance for everyone there to play different athletic-skill games against each other.
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</TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=200>Frank Okam takes some virtual swings on 'Game Night.' </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>So the players and guests divided, each with their own NFL team name. (We borrowed the Raiders, Bears, Cowboys, Packers, Eagles, Giants, Bills and Dolphins monikers). Teams shot hoops, hit baseballs, threw footballs, drove golf balls, shot for goals in hockey and soccer, and swatted tennis balls.
The Packers -- led by coach Bill DeKraker along with players Brandon Meriweather, Mason Crosby, Patrick Willis, Kevin Connor (guest) and Bob Rosinski (guest) -- finished first. Jason Light of the Eagles finished second, coach Steve Meylan (Giants) finished third, and coach Angelia White (Dolphins) finished fourth.
It's worth noting here that Texas finally lost a game. Longhorns players Frank Okam and Justin Blalock were not on winning teams after winning 20 straight at the University of Texas.
After "Game Night," players were free to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the night.
Saturday, 11 a.m. -- The start of the Water Olympics. Again, the players were divided into teams. The competition took place in the pool at the hotel, followed by lunch. The big guys really stood out. Clemson's Gaines Adams, Nebraska's Adam Carriker, Wisconsin's Joe Thomas and Texas' Frank Okam were very good and everyone enjoyed the event.
Saturday, 3 p.m. -- The team picture. Dick Izui and Jim Larsen do an outstanding job with the taking of the picture, and have something special planned for the 50th anniversary picture. The players love this part of the weekend. They spend a lot of time after the shoot exchanging shirts, hats and shorts, and in some cases, jerseys and helmets. The changing of gear has become a big part of the event.
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. -- The last event of the weekend is a cowboy carnival and awards dinner. Here, players could try their hand at riding a mechanical bull, take part in a roping contest or fire off in a quick-draw game. The players and guests had a blast. Daymeion Hughes' father joined his son for the weekend and had a great time taking part in the various events.
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</TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=200>Justin Blaylock and Frank Okam get into the spirit at the Saturday night cowboy carnival. </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>We had some very talented players this year, but we were spoiled by the impromptu talent show Jason Allen and DeAngelo Williams put on last year. This year's group could not match the 2005 talent show.
Following that, we wrapped up the weekend with our annual awards ceremony. Every year, we give out awards for off-the-wall things like Best Dressed (none this year), Funniest Player and things like that. We'll share those awards with you below.
Sunday -- No events were scheduled, but players were seen lounging by the pool, working out and generally relaxing before they flew home. Cell phone numbers were exchanged and handshakes were all around as the 2006 Playboy Preseason All-America Football Team "broke camp."
Cast of characters

So who made the team? Let's end the suspense -- here they are:

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD align=middle colSpan=3>Offense </TD></TR><TR class=bg1><TD>Player </TD><TD>Pos. </TD><TD>College </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Troy Smith </TD><TD>QB </TD><TD>Ohio State </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Adrian Peterson </TD><TD>RB </TD><TD>Oklahoma </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Garrett Wolfe </TD><TD>RB </TD><TD>Northern Illinois </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Dwayne Jarrett </TD><TD>WR </TD><TD>Southern California </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Joel Filani </TD><TD>WR </TD><TD>Texas Tech </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Zach Miller </TD><TD>TE </TD><TD>Arizona State </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Joe Thomas </TD><TD>OL </TD><TD>Wisconsin </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Sam Baker </TD><TD>OL </TD><TD>Southern California </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Justin Blalock </TD><TD>OL </TD><TD>Texas </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Arron Sears </TD><TD>OL </TD><TD>Tennessee </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Dan Mozes </TD><TD>C </TD><TD>West Virginia </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD align=middle colSpan=3>Defense </TD></TR><TR class=bg1><TD>Player </TD><TD>Pos. </TD><TD>College </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Gaines Adams </TD><TD>DL </TD><TD>Clemson </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Quentin Moses </TD><TD>DL </TD><TD>Georgia </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Frank Okam </TD><TD>DL </TD><TD>Texas </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Adam Carriker </TD><TD>DL </TD><TD>Nebraska </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Paul Posluszny </TD><TD>LB </TD><TD>Penn State </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Patrick Willis </TD><TD>LB </TD><TD>Mississippi </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>H.B. Blades </TD><TD>LB </TD><TD>Pittsburgh </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Leon Hall </TD><TD>DB </TD><TD>Michigan </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Daymeion Hughes </TD><TD>DB </TD><TD>California </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Brandon Meriweather </TD><TD>DB </TD><TD>Miami (Fla.) </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>LaRon Landry </TD><TD>DB </TD><TD>Louisiana State </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD align=middle colSpan=3>Special Teams/Coach </TD></TR><TR class=bg1><TD>Player </TD><TD>Pos. </TD><TD>College </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Mason Crosby </TD><TD>PK </TD><TD>Colorado </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Nic Schmitt </TD><TD>P </TD><TD>Virginia Tech </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Ted Ginn Jr. </TD><TD>All-purpose player </TD><TD>Ohio State </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Jay Henry </TD><TD>Scholar athlete (CB) </TD><TD>West Virginia </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 vAlign=top><TD>Joe Paterno </TD><TD>Coach </TD><TD>Penn State </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


Drumroll, please ...

As promised, here are the awards from our Friday and Saturday night ceremonies. You'll see soon enough these are fun awards -- nothing that can be put on a football résumé (aside from being on the Playboy team).
Quick-Draw Award
Mason Crosby, Colorado
Arron Sears, Tennessee
The only player ever quicker than these two was Dré Bly. He was here two times.
Bullriding Award
Jay Henry, West Virginia
Dwayne Jarrett, Southern California
We had a more active bull than in previous years.
Best Overall Athlete
Ted Ginn, Ohio State
You name it, he can do it. Table tennis, driving golf balls, throwing a football ... he is very good at everything and is a great person.
Best Fastball
Troy Smith, Ohio State
If he can't play quarterback in the NFL (I think he can), he could be a Major League pitcher. He can throw heat and strikes. He put on a show Friday night.
Quiet Man and Nice Guy Award
Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
Doesn't say much, but went out of his way to be nice to the players and guests.
Player You Would Like Your Daughter To Marry
Leon Hall, Michigan
Dan Mozes, West Virginia
Both are outstanding people who will make great husbands someday.
Hospitality Award
Zack Miller, Arizona State
He grew up in Phoenix and did a great job showing the players his hometown.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=140 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD width=140>

</TD><TD width=15></TD></TR><TR><TD width=140>Frank Okam earned praise for his prowess in the pool. </TD><TD width=15></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Mr. H2O Award
Frank Okam, Texas
Gaines Adams, Clemson
Both were very good in the water games and helped their teams with great effort.
Best Leaders
Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
Troy Smith, Ohio State
Both players seemed to have the respect of all the players present.
Longest Drive
Brandon Meriweather, Miami (Fla.)
He drove the ball 341 yards Friday on "Game Night" and helped his team (Packers) win first place.
Life Is A Bowl Of Cherries Award
Arron Sears, Tennessee
He's always smiling and happy, and enjoying being around others. You would have thought he was running for public office.
Leg-Up Award
Mason Crosby, Colorado
Nic Schmitt, Virginia
These guys were the kickers, and while kickers often are ignored, these two were welcomed players all weekend long. They were part of everything.
Great To Be Around Award
Quentin Moses, Georgia
Patrick Willis, Mississippi
Both seemed great to be around and enjoyed the chance to be part of the weekend.
Best Putter Award
Justin Blalock, Texas
He looked like a pro golfer rather than a football player.
Best Home Run Hitter
Kevin Cole (guest)
He hit five of his team's nine home runs to help his team (Packers) win. Kevin is in fifth grade.
Longest home run
Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois
Move over Barry Bonds, because this 5-foot-7 guy hit one out of the park at a distance of 521 feet.
Special Thanks Award
To all the players who made the weekend so great.

Final word

Last but not least, the SIDs and PR executives who helped make this weekend special deserved to be thanked. They are:

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Mike Korcek </TD><TD>SID </TD><TD>Northern Illinois </TD></TR><TR class=bg3 align=middle><TD colSpan=3>Korcek is retiring after this football season. It will be a big loss to the college football community. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Rick Korch </TD><TD>SID </TD><TD>Miami (Fla.) </TD></TR><TR class=bg3 align=middle><TD>Justin Doherty </TD><TD>SID </TD><TD>Wisconsin </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Thomas Stepp </TD><TD>SID </TD><TD>Texas </TD></TR><TR class=bg3 align=middle><TD>Tim Tessalone </TD><TD>SID </TD><TD>Southern California </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Greg Hotchkiss </TD><TD>SID </TD><TD>Pittsburgh </TD></TR><TR class=bg3 align=middle><TD>Steve Snapp </TD><TD>SID </TD><TD>Ohio State </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Chris Jenkins </TD><TD>PR </TD><TD>Buffalo Bills </TD></TR><TR class=bg3 align=middle><TD>Jason Light </TD><TD>Scouting </TD><TD>Philadelphia Eagles </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Kyle O'Brien </TD><TD>Scouting </TD><TD>New England Patriots </TD></TR><TR class=bg3 align=middle><TD>Ted Monago </TD><TD>Scouting </TD><TD>Chicago Bears </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Bill DeKraker </TD><TD>Scouting </TD><TD>Arizona Cardinals </TD></TR><TR class=bg3 align=middle><TD>Steve Malin </TD><TD>Scouting </TD><TD>N.Y. Giants </TD></TR><TR class=bg2 align=middle><TD>Justin Chabot </TD><TD>Scouting </TD><TD>San Francisco 49ers </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


And a special thank you to Nancy Cole, the event coordinator who does a nice job of getting everything organized over the weekend.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[Dryden]

This might explain why he has an Ohio State hat on:

Saturday, 3 p.m. -- The team picture. Dick Izui and Jim Larsen do an outstanding job with the taking of the picture, and have something special planned for the 50th anniversary picture. The players love this part of the weekend. They spend a lot of time after the shoot exchanging shirts, hats and shorts, and in some cases, jerseys and helmets. The changing of gear has become a big part of the event.

I hope they select JT as Head Coach for once so that they can get a picture of the entire 2007 AA team in sweatervests.