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Proud to be a Buckeye
C/p'd from http://nfl.com/news/story/8458566 ...
Scouting for the 2006 draft
By Gil Brandt
NFL.com Senior Analyst
(May 9, 2005) -- For the 49th year, the Playboy All-America Team has been put together. It's essentially a preseason all-star lineup of the best collegiate athletes from across the country selected by myself and Playboy sports editor Gary Cole. It also happens to serve as a tremendous preview for the 2006 NFL Draft.
We continue to out-do ourselves every year when it comes to the talent we select getting drafted into the NFL. Over the past two years, we've seen 30 of our players get picked in the first round. Last year's team had 13 first-round selections, including the third, fourth, fifth and eighth overall picks. And every single one of our defensive players were picked within the first two rounds. It goes without saying that any draft fan should make a note of the Playboy team every year and track their performance.
But not every player is headed to the 2006 draft. That's because there are always underclassmen on the team. For example, last year's squad saw Matt Leinart, Greg Eslinger, A.J. Hawk, Andrew Whitworth and Tom Malone on the roster. They're back this year thanks to their excellent play in 2005, and they're joined by plenty of underclassmen.
I am fortunate enough to spend time with the Playboy team every year in Arizona when the players fly into town with the sports information directors (SIDs) from their schools and participate in a special weekend dedicated to them. They also take part in an exclusive photo shoot for the magazine. On NFL Network's Total Access airing Wednesday, May 11 (check your local listings for broadcast times), you can see a feature put together from the event that you won’t want to miss.
But that's not all they do. Here is an abbreviated schedule of what happened at this year's Playboy All-America Team weekend:
Friday, 10 a.m.: This is when the weekend officially started because our first player -- defensive back Roman Harper from Alabama -- arrived at the airport. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon picking up players, some traveling with their Sports Information Directors (SIDs) and one in particular traveling with his head coach (Leinart with USC's Pete Carroll).
Friday, 6 p.m.: Now that everyone had arrived, all the honored players gathered at the hospitality room at our hotel and started signing footballs. This might have been the hardest "work" these guys had to do all weekend, but it was worth it because every player got a football signed by the entire Playboy team. They also received some specially made Reebok equipment that did not exceed the value the NCAA allows its players to receive.
This is always something I look forward to because it gives me a chance to get to know these players a little better. Harper, for example, has parents who both graduated from Alabama State and he was a quarterback in high school. Stuff that you can't find out just by looking at a player.
Friday, 7:30 p.m.: This was our welcoming party, where players get to see pictures of the previous Playboy teams 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. So the players and guests divided into eight teams, each with their own NFL team name (we borrowed the Packers, Falcons, Patriots, Eagles, Cowboys, Giants, Bears and Bills monikers). Teams shot hoops, hit baseballs, threw footballs, drove golf balls, kicked soccer goals, shot hockey goals and swatted tennis balls. After game night, players were free to do whatever they wanted for the rest of the night.
It's worth noting here that our quarterback finally lost a game. Leinart's team (the Falcons), which included, among others, Haley Cole and Hunter Brandt, was not very good.
Saturday, 11:30 a.m.: We left our hotel for a photography studio to take the team picture. Joining us for the ride this year for the first time ever was NFL Network (check local listings for May 11 broadcast times). They did a great job covering the whole weekend and I'm sure you'll love to see what happens after reading about it here.
Saturday, 2:30 p.m.: Who knew that getting your picture taken could be so tiring? Time to relax by chowing down on some delicious southwestern-style BBQ.
After that, one of our old favorites returned when we kicked off Water Olympics. These were athletic competitions that took place in the pool at the hotel.
Saturday, 7:30 p.m.: The last event of the weekend was a cowboy-themed carnival for everyone to participate in. 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 had a blast.
After that, Jason Allen and DeAngelo Williams held an impromptu 45-minute talent show. They emceed a completely unrehearsed evening of singing, dancing, rapping and other fun stuff. They got all of their fellow teammates involved, including an absolutely unbelieveable dancing display by defensive tackle Gabe Watson of Michigan.
Following that was our annual awards ceremony to wrap up the series of events. Every year we give out awards not for the most athletic or most talented, but for off-the-wall things like best dressed, funniest ... and stuff 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. Phone numbers were exchanged and handshakes were all around as the 2005 Playboy All-America Team "broke camp."
Cast of characters
So who made the team? Let's end the suspense -- here they are:
Offense
Player Pos. College
Matt Leinhart QB USC
Reggie Bush RB USC
Adrian Peterson RB Oklahoma
DeAngelo Williams RB Memphis
Derek Hagan WR Arizona State
Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State
D'Brickshaw Ferguson OL Virginia
Eric Winston OL Miami (Fla.)
Greg Eslinger C Minnesota
Jonathan Scott OL Texas
Andrew Whitworth OL LSU
Defense
Player Pos. College
Rodrique Wright DL Texas
Gabe Watson DL Michigan
Mathias Kiwanuka DL Boston College
Jesse Mahelona DL Tennessee
Ahmad Brooks LB Virginia
A.J. Hawk LB Ohio State
Chad Greenway LB Iowa
Jimmy Williams DB Virginia Tech
Jason Allen DB Tennessee
Antonio Cromartie DB Florida State
Roman Harper DB Alabama
Special Teams/Coach
Player Pos. College
Mason Crosby PK Colorado
Devin Hester KR Miami (Fla.)
Tom Malone P USC
Ted Ginn, Jr. All-purpose player Ohio State
Jeff Backes Scholar athlete (CB) Northwestern
Pete Carroll Coach USC
Drumroll, please
As promised, here are the awards from our Friday night ceremony. You'll see soon enough that these are fun awards -- nothing that can be put on a football résumé (aside from being on the Playboy team).
Most impressive person: Probably the most impressive person we've ever had and talked to was Chad Greenway of Iowa. He grew up in Mt. Vernon, S.D., a town of 477 people, and played nine-on-nine high school football, not traditional 11-on-11. His team still won the state crown two years in a row.
Greenway grew up on a 1,500-acre farm and claimed that his family "had more hogs than people in the next town." He's not kidding -- they had 4,000 hogs and 150 stock cows. That's no bull.
Greenway went to Iowa as a defensive back at first and converted into a linebacker. He's 6-2 1/2, 244 pounds and ran his 40 at Iowa's Timing Day in 4.47 seconds, adding a 39 1/2-inch vertical jump. He will probably be a top 10 pick in the 2006 draft.
Hospitality award: Derek Hagan. Derek lives there in town and had some cute fans show up to cheer for the players during the weekend.
Player you'd like your daughter to marry: There are two -- Roman Harper and Andrew Whitworth. Both are top guys that will make great husbands someday.
Best overall athlete: Ted Ginn Jr. The guy plays so many different positions for the Buckeyes, it's no wonder he's so athletic. Last year, Ginn scored a touchdown once every eight times he touched the ball as a true freshman. What's that going to mean to an NFL team someday?
Life is a bunch of cherries award: Jimmy Williams, Virginia Tech. You'd be smiling too if you were on the Playboy All-America Team.
Quietest players: Mathias Kiwanuka and Rodrique Wright
Best golfer: Greg Eslinger of Minnesota was the best player on the links.
Longest drive: Antonio Cromartie of Florida State, who drove the ball 360 yards at Friday's game night.
Quick-draw award: Devin Hester, with Ginn a close second. Both would have been gunslingers in the wild west.
Genuine article award: Jeff Backes, our scholar athlete from Northwestern. Did you know he was the all-time leading high school rusher in the state of Ohio?
The guy you'd least like to meet in a dark alley award: Eric Winston, the mammoth lineman from Miami, Fla. You sure never want to make him angry.
The guy who would accompany you down a dark alley award: Jesse Mahelona, who was one of the nicest guys in our group.
Mr. H20: Jonathan Scott, who was the best water games player.
Leg-up award: Tom Malone and Mason Crosby were the kickers, and while kickers are often ignored, these two were welcomed players all weekend long. They were a part of everything.
Bullriding award: Tie between Jason Allen and Santonio Holmes.
Senior leadership award: Matt Leinart.
One of the boys award: Pete Carroll, who hung out with all the players and laughed right along with them. Carroll knew everything about every player there.
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