Posts Tagged ‘Donald jones’

Dominque Barnes has signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions.  The former Youngstown State Wide Receiver grew up in Michigan and will surely flourish in a system needing offense.  Barnes always told me he was going to get to the next level, no matter what, so congratulations Dominique Barnes, you made it!

In his career at Youngstown State, Barnes caught 168 passes for 2,062 yards and 15 touchdowns in 40 games played. His 168 receptions rank second in school history, his 15 touchdowns are fifth and his 2,062 yards are fifth as well.  Barnes set a school record with a reception in 34 consecutive games and became first player in school history to record more than 60 catches in consecutive years.

Ironically, Barnes could someday go against new divisional foe, and college teammate Brandian Ross, who is signed with Green Bay as a cornerback.  “Brandian and I are very close and I am really happy for him too.  He has been my biggest supporter.”

He also joins his friend Donald Jones in the NFL.  Jones, who signed with the Buffalo Bills last season, was someone that Barnes credited many times as being a great influence.  “Donald told me to be patient and good things will happen.”

Barnes has some studying to do as he already received a nice thick Lions playbook, but have faith, he is not only quick with his feet, he is also a quick learner.  Move over Barry Sanders, the little guy is loose in Motown!

“It’s a dream come true”, said Barnes via telephone.  “I have been living with this dream since I first started playing football.”

Kevin Watts is under pressure these days.  He can hear his receivers coach, Andre Coleman, in his sleep.  Rather than squirm from the subject, Watts was quick to inform me that he respects Coleman and that any criticism he offers, regardless of volume, infliction, or frequency – he grows from it.  Unique athletes at the college level are those who can admit such a thing.  Watts is only a sophomore going into the 2011 season, but his attitude speaks volumes about how mature he has become in just one year.  This young man has so much potential that the university named the new indoor practice facility after him.  Well, that may be far fetched, but he is developing every day in a positive way.

Paneech: What got you into playing football?

Watts: I started playing at five years old.  I had an uncle who played at Ohio State as well as an uncle who played at Akron.  My dad was the pee wee coach, so it is in my blood.  My first year, my father put me at offensive end, I wanted to fight him every day.  After that, I played quarterback in middle school and switched to slot at Middletown High School here in Ohio.  We scored 68 points in a game, we upset Colerain, we upset Cincinnati Moeller.  It’s a smaller school, but we did pretty good there.

Paneech:  Coach Coleman and Coach Wolford are having a hard time figuring out why the receivers are dropping balls this Spring.  Do you hear these guys in your sleep?

Watts: (laughs)  Coach Coleman is a good coach who is very passionate about what we do.  He sees so much potential with this group and when we don’t do everything we can, he knows we can do more and step it up.  He is always on us, but I feel myself getting better as a result.

Paneech: How close are you with your fellow Penguins having only known them for a year or so.

Watts: We are definitely a pretty close group.  Dominique Barnes helped me out a lot last year and was in a similar situation by playing when he was a freshman.  He likes his records (laughs), but he has been a great person to look up to.  I would feel fortunate to get my name somewhere up there, or even close to what he did while he played.

Paneech: What are you studying here at YSU?

Watts: I am working toward a Special Education Major.  Everything is going really good right now and I am in the field working with kids at local schools.  That’s a lot of fun right now, I enjoy it.  The toughest class I took here was a Classical Music course.  It was rough to listen to that music like Bach and Beethoven all of the time.

Paneech: I am proud of the football team’s activity level on Twitter.  How did all of that start and what drives you guys to Tweet so much?

Watts: Twitter was something I installed on my phone when I got here last year.  When I got it, I noticed that nearly the whole team was on there Tweeting.  We mess around with each other and pick with each other on there.  For us, it is more fun than playing video games.  I follow Chad Johnson and like what he Tweets.  Dominique Barnes is the most famous person who follows me (laughs).  I would like to meet Donald Jones on there.  He is a guy I definitely want to meet that might be able to give me some pointers.

Paneech: It’s now 6:00.  How will you spend the rest of your evening?

Watts: I’ll grab a shower when we finish and then grab something to eat.  After that, I will go to the dorms, call my parents and talk with my family for a little bit.  After that, I do my homework and get ready for my classes the next day.  When all that gets done, I get on Twitter for a little bit!

Paneech: Are you happy with your choice to attend Youngstown State University?

Watts: Yes, I am very happy here.  This football staff is a bunch of winners who are up front with everybody on this team.  They tell us exactly what we need to do to get better.  I love this staff.  Coach Wolford, Coach Montgomery, and Coach Coleman all get their points across when you are not doing what you are supposed to and they will work with you to make it right.  This is really a great staff.

Paneech: Who is your best friend on the team.

Watts: I’m close with Jordan Thompson and Josh Garner.  We are from the same area so we ride home together and travel back together.  The Florida guys…  [Adaris] Bellamy is my boy, he’s a funny guy.  Him, Jelani [Berassa], all of those guys from Florida talk and act different.  Boat [Jamarious Boatwright] always comes up with these clever nicknames for himself.

One Word Answers

What Do You Order at McDonalds: Two McDoubles, Medium Fry, Large Hi-C.

Favorite TV Show: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Song On Your ipod People Wouldn’t Believe: Incomplete by Sisqo.

Biggest Phobia: Losing My Parents.

Worst Habit: Biting My Nails.

NFL Receiver You Want To Play Like: Percy Harvin   – he does it all.

Favorite Drink: Red Gatorade.

Favorite Snack: Fruit Snacks thanks to my little nephew.  He gives me one when he has a bag, now I love them.

Toppings on A Pizza: Extra Cheese and Sausage.

Pen or Pencil: Pen.

Favorite Movie: Ali.

Total Yards Prediction For The Season: If I am returning punts, I will have to say at least a thousand yards total.

I consider myself fortunate to have met some good people both in Youngstown, and nationally.  I couldn’t get a hold of quite a few of them, but was very happy to reach the ones that I did.  The Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers tee it up tomorrow in Super Bowl XLV.  Here are predictions from a few folks with some star power on how the game will end.

Will Murray – Howard Stern Show Segment Producer

“I think Green Bay is going to win a very high-scoring game.  I will say the Packers beat the Steelers, 31-24.  That might be a little low on the score, but I do like the over and the Packers and expect a bunch of points.”

Joe Scalzo – Youngstown Vindicator Sports Reporter

“Green Bay Packers 823 kajillion, Pittsburgh Steelers 0.  I wanted to predict that the Steelers would end up with negative points, but I don’t want anyone to think I am biased.”

Donald Jones – Buffalo Bills and Former YSU Receiver

Donald Jones is attending the game in Texas after a stellar rookie season with the Buffalo Bills, where he started the last eight games and expects to play a bigger role in the offense next season.  “I think Green Bay is going to win.  It should be a good game and it is really great being a part of this atmosphere.  It’s a different world, just crazy down here.  I’ll say the final score will be Green Bay 28, Pittsburgh 21.

Larry Snyder – Voice of The Phantoms

I think the Steelers will beat the Packers, 24-21. The Packers will make it close in the second half, but ultimately, the clock will be their enemy as Pittsburgh holds them off to get the close win.

Curt Carr – Head Coach of The Youngstown Phantoms

“Everybody wrote the Packers off when Aaron Rodgers got hurt.  I think he will lead his Green Bay Packer team to a 24-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a close game.  It’s a really tough prediction, but they are the hot team.”

Trevor Parks – YSU Sports Information Director

“Packers 27, Steeelers 21.  Charles Woodson will be named the MVP at the end of the game for the Pack.”

Jack Loew– Southside Boxing, Trainer of Kelly Pavlik

“My wife likes Pittsburgh, so I will say that Green Bay wins 24-17.”

Anthony Paneech – Owner / Editor of Paneech.com

Pittsburgh has a great defense, but the Packers have a great linebacker.  Clay Matthews is the best linebacker in the league right now.  I know Steelers fans will haggle that Troy Polamalu was the NFL Defensive Player of The Year, but linebackers have bigger impacts on the majority of the plays from scrimmage.  Having kicked the outcome around for a few days, the prediction here is Green Bay 30, Pittsburgh 20. Clay Matthews will have at least two sacks.

Youngstown State product, Donald Jones, had his best Sunday as a professional.  Jones did some damage and scored his first NFL touchdown in the Bills 49-31 come-from-behind win over the Bengals.  Jones finished the game catching five of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s passes including a 28-yard touchdown reception.  Jones’ five catches are a career-high and so were the 70 yards he compiled on the five receptions.

Jones also ran an end-around but the Bengals offense was not fooled, and Jones only gained one yard on the reverse.  The playing time Jones received was partially because the Bills had to pass to get back into the game.  Lee Evans running 60-yard go routes continuously will force him to take a play off here or there. With the opportunity, Jones may have secured himself additional playing time in the very near future for the Bills, who started the season 0-8, but have won two games in a row.

Favorite Penguin. Not an easy choice with Ross, Blose, Elliott, and Rodemoyer in the category.  This was a great bunch of seniors, but one is a future YSU Hall of Famer, one has his name etched in the record books, one scored a touchdown against a 1-A opponent on a bubble screen.  Perhaps the biggest reason why Dominique Barnes is the Paneech.com Player of The  Year is because he would trade those last three achievements in for a shot at the playoffs and a better ending for his team.  Barnes is humble, still somewhat shy, and is a huge-hearted person.  Youngstown State will lose a great wide receiver, but more importantly, a great leader, the kind who led by example both on and off of the field.

Paneech: What is it going to feel like when this all ends?

Barnes: It still hasn’t hit me.  I have played in every game here since I got here in 2007.  It’s probably going to hit me after the game Saturday, it’s going to be emotional.  I just hope we can go out with a win.  When I got here as a freshman, I was immature and young, not really sure what I was doing.

Paneech: Who was influential to you here and helped you?

Barnes: The old coaching staff taught me how to grow up, how to mature.  Playing with Donald Jones for two years taught me a lot, and I still talk to him.

Paneech: What’s next?  What will you do after football?  You have looked forward to next year since fourth grade knowing for sure there would be a next year, so where can you go from here?

Barnes: Who knows.  Hopefully I can get a shot at the next level.  I’m here and my mom wants me to graduate, and I really want to graduate from here.  I only have a few classes left, not too much longer.  I’m pretty sure that me, Brandian [Ross], Andre Elliott, Ely [Ducatel], Deonte Snow, a lot of us came in together and formed solid friendships.  It’s going to be tough not playing with those guys anymore.  I’m sure we are going to keep in contact in the future.  I’m still gonna come and see games, I still have friends who will be back next season.  I think next year, we are going to be really good, I’ll be excited.

Paneech: This team was upset about being picked seventh in the preseason polls.  The record does not indicate what kind of year YSU had and it has to leave a sour taste to come so close so many times.

Barnes: It hurts, any loss leaves a sour taste in your mouth.  Our record could be very different based on four or five plays.  We could be 8-2 and getting ready for a playoff game.  It really hurts with all of the time that the seniors put in here and this being the end.  We came into the season with a new coaching staff and it is what it is, but it will always hurt.

Paneech: What was it like adjusting to a new coach and new staff?

Barnes: I won’t lie, it was hard.  They came here in the Spring and we had our differences with the coaching staff.  I was so used to Coach Heacock and his staff because that is who brought me here and that is who I grew up with.  I think I adjusted well and had a pretty good year.

Paneech: What is your proudest achievement here?

Barnes: Well, Youngstown State is a known school across the country.  The fact that I played in every game and when I leave here, people will remember my name, they will remember who Dominique Barnes was.  I was fortunate to break a consecutive games reception record and my name is in the top five on a few other lists too.  Don’t get me wrong, all of the records and history-making stuff is good, but I would trade it all for winning.

Paneech: This is an active group on Twitter.  Are you going to keep Tweeting?

Barnes: When you are winning and everybody loves you, it’s easy to tweet, tweet, tweet.  I’ll make sure I go on Twitter when this story goes up so I can re-tweet it to my followers.

Paneech: I thought Coach Wolford showed a lot of class when he said he would make sure that this graduating class would get a ring when the Penguins win a championship.

Barnes: It’s a great honor.  I wish we could have earned it ourselves.  Once you play at Youngstown State, you are always a Penguin, and thats a great honor.  We are all going to thank him for that and I think within a few years that it is going to happen.

Paneech: Reflect on scoring a touchdown against Penn State, what was going through your mind as you were running down the sideline?

Barnes:  Don’t get caught, don’t get caught! I seen Coach Wolford on my left as I ran by and I kept thinking about not getting caught.  I looked back a few times and thought that if I did get caught how everyone back home would harass me about it, but I made it.

Yes, you did make it. Congratulations on a great career and best wishes for a productive and healthy future Dominique!

One Word Answers

Favorite Cartoon Character: Superman.

Favorite Meal: McChicken, Fries, and a Sweet Tea at McDonald’s.

Worst Class You Took: Accounting.

Best Class You Took: Public Relations, taking it now.

Favorite Halloween Costume As A Kid: Football Player.

Favorite NFL Player of All-Time: Donald Jones.

Other Colleges You Watch: Michigan and Michigan State.

A Coach You Would Love To Play For: (laughs) Whoever is throwing the ball 45 times a game, like Boise State.

Cell Phone Choice: iphone and A T & T.

Favorite ESPN Anchor: Chris Berman.

If I were starting a college football team, I would want four Brandian Ross‘s in my defensive backfield.  Ross, who shares the duty of captain with DL Torrance Nicholson, showed versatility last week in a loss.  Ross was asked to slide over to safety to cover for the injured Andre Elliott.  His coverage was superb, just like it is at corner.  This guy is no Average Joe, he is a player, a superb player.  Last week in the Penguins win over Southern Illinois, Ross was named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of The Week. Don’t expect the recognition, praise and awards Ross will get by season’s end to end there.  If I were a betting man, I would pick Ross to be First-Team All Conference at the end of the season.  Sold Yet?

Here are a few of the highlights in the career of Ross at YSU:

• Lettered as a freshman.  Given the Special Teams Player of The Week Award vs Stony Brook and again vs Indiana State.
• Honorable Mention All Missouri Valley Conference as a sophomore.  Led entire team with 98 tackles.  Led special teams with 15 tackles.  Played a team-high 724 snaps.  Named Hill Barth & King Defensive Player of The Week for his great effort against Indiana State.
• As a junior he was named Defensive Player of The Week for the Pitt game.  Received the Derek Pixley Hit of The Week against Northeastern.  Started all 11 games at a new position, cornerback, making a successful transition from safety.
• Ross leads the team with 189 career tackles, including 26 this season.  He also leads the team in career starts with 27.

Sold Yet?

There is a whole side of Brandian Ross that most people don’t know about.  His personality is outstanding and he stays humble and grounded despite his numerous on-field accomplishments.  Ross commented on being a defensive co-captain.  “I don’t see myself as any more important than a teammate just because I am a captain.  On the field, Torrance [Nicholson] and I handle the calls and penalties, but it isn’t an ego thing.  Whoever is closer to the ref can declare whether to accept or decline penalties.“

Ross talked about his friendship with defensive backfield associate, Andre Elliott.  “Dre is probably my best friend on the team we have the same major and have a lot of classes together plus he is the roommate of my brother.  You gotta respect him [Elliott] because he does the whole parenting thing with his kids, but we hang out when we can.”  Ross is majoring in Psychology and Criminal Justice.

When it came to food, Ross was definitive about his choice.  “There is nothing better than Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich.  It is a number six on the board and it satisfies.”

The most comical answer I got out of Ross was when he answered what he liked best about Youngstown State.  “The girls”, replied Ross, “There are some pretty women here.”  Cant blame the guy for his honesty.

Ross keeps busy.  Between classes, practice, study tables, meetings, and meals, there is little time for anything else.  However, Ross makes time for one essential.  “I love Twitter .  I Tweet something everyday after practice and usually update throughout the day.  Dre [Andre Elliott] turned me on to it and now I am pretty well into it.  The most famous person that follows me is Donald Jones.”

Ross also expressed his mad passion for video games, including the red hot 2K11.  He uses an Xbox and will play online against friends.

It is refreshing to know that there are student athletes who have their head and their heart in the right place.  I don’t believe I have ever interviewed someone so close to both since I started covering YSU Football.  Keep grinding BRoss, keep grinding!

Andre Elliott is not your average Penguin.  He has responsibilities and pressures that many student athletes do ot have to deal with as a parent.  “At the end of the day I don’t have time for TV and video games, I would rather go and spend time with my kids.  I have a daughter, a son, and a stepson.  I prefer to just go home and spend time with my girl and the kids, that is a good night to me”, said Elliott.  He does manage to sneak a Tweet in now and then, but for the most part, he is one of my favorite Penguins over the past few years and has earned the respect of many with his great on-field skill set.

Paneech: Let’s start with the obvious.  You were a carryover from last year under Coach Heacock, now you are playing for Coach Wolford.  What is the difference between this year and last?

Elliott: They were actually pretty similar.  They had the same goals in mind and have a common goal which is to get back to the playoffs where we used to be.  The difference now is the enthusiasm. Coach Wolford brings a lot of enthusiasm and that rolls over to the players to bring to the field.  When everyone is enthusiastic about the game, we just fly around and have fun.

Paneech: What about position coaches, is there a bigger difference this year than last?

Elliott: They are pretty much different even though they both worked really hard with us.  Last year, Coach K (Kanatzer) did a lot in the film room with us.  This year, Coach Stoops seems like he works harder on the field with us.  They are both pretty tough coaches.

Paneech: You and a few of your fellow Penguins follow paneech.com on Twitter. What is your Twitter ID so we can build you some followers and talk about social media networking and sports.  Who follows you that is big?

Elliott: My Twitter ID is Dre_Elliott2 and  I tend to follow back anyone who follows me.  Donald Jones follows me, the biggest response I ever had was from Kevin Hart, that was about it.  I was active on Twitter early on and it just got old to me, so I fell back, now I am active with it again.  I can easily see it shifting to something else because now my little sister is on it (laughing).

Paneech: You are majoring in Psychology.  If I were an incoming freshman, what teacher should I take and what teacher should I maybe sidestep?

Elliott: I’m looking to finish up in December.  The teacher to take would be Dr. Clayton, I love Dr. Clayton.  I really don’t know who to avoid, I have had classes with mostly all of them and they all came off pretty good.  There are some funny teachers like Dr. Flora that I would also recommend.  The best class I ever took here at YSU though, is fencing.  It’s pretty interesting getting to stab people for no reason (cracking up).  The worst class I ever took was biology, I just couldn’t get into it.

Paneech: It has been said by the players, the coaches, and some of the media that if you guys play the way you did in the first half of the Penn State game that no one else left on the schedule can beat you.  Do you agree?

Elliott: I agree with that.  The rankings really don’t mean much in this conference because every team is a pretty good team and at anytime, anyone in the conference can beat anyone else.  We have to play everyone in the conference as though we are playing for a National Championship.  Being picked to finish seventh burned us, but it is a position we have to earn, and we failed to do that last year, so we have to fight for respect now.

Paneech: Who are you closest with on the team?

Elliott: Probably Brandian Ross, we take pretty much the same classes with the same major.  My brother is actually his roommate so we do hang out a lot.  I am still close with my family and they visit frequently.  My mom just left today to go back to Cleveland and my dad gets down here when he can.

Paneech: If I were a high school senior in Youngstown, what would you say to make me want to go to YSU?

Elliott: There are a lot of things– the coaching staff, the fans, the intensity of the conference, the chance to play for a National Championship.  The school is great and the enrollment has been growing, there is a great support system here.

One Word Answers

Musician That People Wouldn’t Believe You Listened To: Lady Gaga.

Favorite Restaurant: Cheesecake Factory. (Big ups to Dre_Elliott2@twitter.com on that).

Favorite TV Show: Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

Favorite Pro Wrestler: Hulk Hogan?

Favorite NFL Player: Ed Reed.

Favorite NBA Team: (pauses) Uh.. Cavaliers, even though LeBron is gone.

Order At Taco Bell: #6  Two chalupas and a soft taco with a strawberry fruitista freeze.

Best Football Move: My spin move coming on a blitz against Western Illinois last year.

Biggest Moment On The Field: 30-yard interception to the house against Northeastern last season.

If You Could Pick Anywhere To Live, Where Would You Go? France.

Youngstown State University is opening their home schedule for the 2010 season this Saturday at Stambaugh Stadium.  The opponent of the Penguins will be the Butler Bulldogs, 2009 Pioneer League Champions.  Youngstown State is coming off of a 44-14 loss at Penn State but gained national respectability in the loss by not giving up and holding a 7-6 lead through a good portion of the second quarter.  The Penguins have a good track record for home openers winning their last 14 in a row.  Butler is coming off a season-opening 29-13 victory over Albion.

If Youngstown State is to be successful, they will have to concentrate on shutting Butler’s junior quarterback, Andrew Huck, down. Against Albion, Huck was 20-31 for 222 yards with three touchdowns.  Bulldog wide receiver Jordan Koopman had nine receptions good for 108 yards.  Butler finished the game with 519 yards gained on offense.  As strong as the Bulldog offense looked, the defense also played well in holding Albion to 232 yards of team offense, and just 87 yards rushing.

Youngstown State looks to unleash a whole bunch of offense.  QB Kurt Hess did little to look like a nervous freshman in the loss at Penn State.  Hess did not commit a turnover, was only sacked once against a nationally prominent defense, and even led his team to an unlikely time of possession advantage.  Hess’s hookup to Dominique Barnes in the first quarter marked the longest regular season passing play from scrimmage for YSU since 1998.  Barnes had 11 catches (ties school record)  for 135 yards and showed the nation why his speed and elusiveness might get some notice from those teams that play on Sundays.  Speaking of playing on Sundays, Eric Rodemoyer will be.  That is not a prediction, that is a guarantee.  Rodemoyer has been nothing short of dominant in the past eleven weeks winning the Lineman of The Week Award ten of those weeks.

Saturday’s contest will mark the first time these two schools have ever met on a football field.  Both schools are members of the Horizon League for basketball.  Everyone should recall that Butler marched through the NCAA Tournament before losing a heartbreaker in the final game.  For a moment, Youngstown State became an extension of Butler’s fan base.  However on Saturday, a school with a decent football program is coming to Youngstown to play football, not basketball.  I can’t see YSU losing this game unless they shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly.  The bigger, faster, stronger slogan would prove true this weekend if both teams play to their potential.

Eric Wolford is too intense of a coach to let the team suffer any kind of a letdown after Saturday’s loss at Happy Valley.  Barnes and Ely Ducatel both scored touchdowns against the Nittany Lions, both will score plenty this season.  However, this is the week when Youngstown will get their first glimpse of Adaris Bellamy.  Bellamy and Jamaine Cook are going to be household names in Youngstown for the next few years.  Offensive Coordinator Shane Montgomery said it best last week when he stated, “The best way to give Kurt [Hess] confidence is to establish a running game, which in turn will help the passing game.”  Look for the Penguins to have a huge Saturday running the football.

Defensively, Brandian Ross always looks good.  He can tackle and he can cover.  David Rach had a pick against Penn State, but he also broke up another pass and was involved in eight tackles.  Holding All-American Evan Royster to 40 yards is a victory in itself.

Kickoff time is set for 6 p.m. at The Ice Castle.  Expect a huge crowd for a rebirth of attitude and spirit.

Brian Mellott has been awarded a $2,000 scholarship from the Northeastern Ohio Chapter of The National Football Foundation. Candidates were chosen from 11 colleges which fall into the Northeastern Ohio area, spanning 15 counties.  Last season, Mellott started all eleven games at right guard and was named a First-Team Academic All-American.

In other YSU related news, Donald Jones was signed by the Buffalo Bills to a free agent contract.  Jones has been unavailable for comment, but is surely disappointed that he was not drafted.

Donald Jones, the former Youngstown State Penguin, came home for a visit and he didn’t come alone.  Jones ran routes on the Stambaugh Stadium turf early Monday morning.  Scouts from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Indianapolis were there early to evaluate select Seniors in various categories.

To enter Stambaugh Stadium at 7 am brought back memories of the dreaded eight o’clock classes.  Looking around, the weight room was full of life as several people were doing workouts.  Unsure of where the scouts, players to be tested, or Donald Jones were, Jon Moffett, of the Vindicator, and I walked into the gym to strategize where to be.  Walking toward us was Donald Jones.  Jones had a big smile on his wide awake face and stopped to chat.  “It feels great to be home”, exclaimed Jones.

When asked what to expect today, Jones knew exactly what he would be doing.  “They [NFL scouts] are pretty happy with my numbers from the combine.  All they want me to do today is run routes.”  Jones did just that putting on a good show as classmate Aaron Pitts threw balls to Jones.

Jones enhanced his draft status with a good showing at the NFL Combine a couple of weeks ago.  He tied for first benching 225 pounds a set amount of times and he also ran a 4.47  40-yard dash.  He is projected to go in the fifth round, where he would be a steal.  Jones has the size, speed, and hands to carry a team and as an added bonus the NFL needs a few guys like DJ with their heads screwed on straight.

Phil Kreidler, a scout from the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, remembered me from the Pitt and South Dakota State games, where we spoke about Jones.  His task on this day was to put other Penguins through some tests in hopes of scooping up a good free agent or two.  “We have the guys run two forties, vertical jump, broad jump, and we look for explosiveness.  We also see how many times each person can bench 225.  We then move to some agility drills to evaluate their overall athletic ability and a few change of direction drill as well.”

If someone performs well, Kreidler reports back to the Steelers.  “We grade every Senior and look to see if maybe someone can be helpful to us as a free agent.  Every guy gets a specific grade based on their performance here today.  We then get together and go over every single player we give a draft grade to.”

Many of  last years Seniors were present for the testing.  Mychal Savage (pictured), Lenny Wicks, Dana Brown, Jabari Scott, and Brandon Summers, were all there to get timed, tested, and put there numbers on the board in hopes of making it to the National Football League.  Good luck to all who participated!