KillerNut
03-13-2007, 08:15 AM
Smith provides positive numbers
Quarterback fares well in workouts before pro scouts, coaches
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Troy Smith let his workout do the talking yesterday, and the results might have stemmed the rising tide of naysayers.
The Ohio State quarterback had seen his draft stock slide ever since he won the Heisman Trophy in December. Smith suffered through a disastrous national title game, then did not wow scouts at the NFL combine in February, particularly when he said he wasn’t running the 40-yard dash in part because he had been on the banquet circuit.
So he had a lot at stake at OSU’s pro day, attended by about 60 scouts and coaches. And it appears he did well.
Smith ran two 40s, in 4.65 and 4.71 seconds. That would have placed him second among the 15 quarterbacks who ran at the combine, behind only Jared Zabransky of Boise State.
Smith also posted a 36½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump (both best among combine QBs). He weighed in at 222 pounds — three lighter than he was at the combine.
And his throwing drew favorable reviews.
"Troy did what you expected him to do," Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage said. "He does have a strong arm, (and) he obviously has been working on his drops. He was impressive, as you expected him to be. He runs pretty smooth; he ran fast enough for a quarterback."
One thing Smith did not do was talk to the media. He left the Woody Hayes Athletic Center by a back door and declined to comment, telling a reporter that interviews had to be cleared through his business manager.
Smith has been tutored for the past several months by Jerry Rhome, a former quarterback and longtime NFL assistant coach.
Rhome, who was hired by Smith’s agent, scoffed at anonymous postcombine talk that Smith had flaws in his throwing motion.
"Who said that?" Rhome said. "All I know is that watching him the past two months, all I’ve seen is a beautiful delivery and a rifle arm."
Ohio State’s other offensive stars from 2006 did not run 40s. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is still recovering from a sprained foot suffered in the Jan. 8 title game and was in street clothes.
He plans to hold a private workout for scouts at Ohio State sometime in April.
"I just want to be comfortable and be in the best shape that I can be," Ginn said, "so when I do go out and do my stuff, I’ll be right."
Running back Antonio Pittman and receiver Anthony Gonzalez did everything but the 40. Both were satisfied with their combine 40s (Pittman was 4.4 and Gonzalez 4.44).
Receiver Roy Hall, who totaled just 52 catches in his college career, made the biggest impression. He ran between a 4.35 and 4.42, impressive for a 6-foot-3, 230-pound player.
"It meant a lot, being here five years, and a lot of people said I didn’t produce the way I was supposed to," Hall said. "But it all comes together in the end. Hopefully, I showed some people I could play just as well as some of those other guys."
Posted on NFL.com - Official Site of the National Football League (http://www.nfl.com:)
OHIO STATE: MARCH 10
Ohio State worked out today, and we'll have the results later on. Ted Ginn Jr., who didn't work at the Combine, also didn't work out at the Pro Day, citing his still sore foot.
Player Position Gil's comments
Troy Smith QB Smith (222 pounds) ran 4.77 and 4.72 in the 40 on what is considered a fast track. He also notched a 36 ½-inch vertical, a 10-foot-2 broad jump, a 4.23 short shuttle and a 6.93 three-cone drill. He spent 30 minutes throwing the ball in passing drills, and he looked good throwing to Anthony Gonzalez, among others. He was very competitive, trying the short shuttle three times in order to get a better time. All in all, he probably helped himself in the draft.
Justin Zwick QB Zwick (6-3 3/8, 230) ran 4.77 and 4.78 in the 40. He also notched a 32-inch vertical, a 9-foot-1 broad jump, a 4.42 short shuttle and a 6.97 three-cone drill. He was on of the most sought-after recruits in the nation four years ago, and he eventually won the starting job at Ohio State but lost it to Troy Smith.
Stan White Jr. FB White Jr. (6-0 ½, 252) ran 4.85 and 4.77 in the 40. He also notched a 39 ½-inch vertical, a 9-foot-4 broad jump, a 4.18 short shuttle and a 7.20 three-cone drill. His dad was an outstanding linebacker for the Baltimore Colts for many years.
Jay Richardson DE Richardson (280) ran 4.94 and 4.90 in the 40. He also notched a 4.63 short shuttle and a 7.26 three-cone drill, choosing to stand on hi Combine jump numbers.
Tim Schaffer OL Schaffer (6-4 ½, 280) ran 5.23 and 5.07 in the 40. He also notched a 28 ½-inch vertical, an 8-foot-6 broad jump, a 4.50 short shuttle, a 7.30 three-cone drill and 20 bench presses.
Quinn Pitcock DL Pitcock (296) recorded 23 bench presses but stood on the rest of his Combine numbers.
Antonio Pittman RB Pittman (210) chose to stand on his Combine numbers.
David Patterson DT Patterson (294) chose to stand on his Combine numbers.
Anthony Gonzalez WR Gonzalez (195) recorded 16 bench presses, but other than that, he did positional workouts only.
Doug Datish OL Datish (302) chose to stand on his Combine numbers.
Roy Hall WR Hall (6-2, 229) ran 4.41 and 4.42 in the 40. He also notched a 37 ½-inch vertical, a 10-foot-3 broad jump, a 4.13 short shuttle, a 6.65 three-cone drill and 19 bench presses.
T.J. Downing OL Downing (6-4 ¼, 298) ran 5.19 and 5.29 in the 40. He also notched a 28 ½-inch vertical, a 9-foot broad jump, a 4.63 short shuttle, a 7.81 three-cone drill and 31 bench presses. His father was a Michigan graduate and a longtime NFL player with the San Francisco 49ers.
GO BUCKS!!!
Quarterback fares well in workouts before pro scouts, coaches
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Ken Gordon
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Troy Smith let his workout do the talking yesterday, and the results might have stemmed the rising tide of naysayers.
The Ohio State quarterback had seen his draft stock slide ever since he won the Heisman Trophy in December. Smith suffered through a disastrous national title game, then did not wow scouts at the NFL combine in February, particularly when he said he wasn’t running the 40-yard dash in part because he had been on the banquet circuit.
So he had a lot at stake at OSU’s pro day, attended by about 60 scouts and coaches. And it appears he did well.
Smith ran two 40s, in 4.65 and 4.71 seconds. That would have placed him second among the 15 quarterbacks who ran at the combine, behind only Jared Zabransky of Boise State.
Smith also posted a 36½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 2-inch broad jump (both best among combine QBs). He weighed in at 222 pounds — three lighter than he was at the combine.
And his throwing drew favorable reviews.
"Troy did what you expected him to do," Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage said. "He does have a strong arm, (and) he obviously has been working on his drops. He was impressive, as you expected him to be. He runs pretty smooth; he ran fast enough for a quarterback."
One thing Smith did not do was talk to the media. He left the Woody Hayes Athletic Center by a back door and declined to comment, telling a reporter that interviews had to be cleared through his business manager.
Smith has been tutored for the past several months by Jerry Rhome, a former quarterback and longtime NFL assistant coach.
Rhome, who was hired by Smith’s agent, scoffed at anonymous postcombine talk that Smith had flaws in his throwing motion.
"Who said that?" Rhome said. "All I know is that watching him the past two months, all I’ve seen is a beautiful delivery and a rifle arm."
Ohio State’s other offensive stars from 2006 did not run 40s. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. is still recovering from a sprained foot suffered in the Jan. 8 title game and was in street clothes.
He plans to hold a private workout for scouts at Ohio State sometime in April.
"I just want to be comfortable and be in the best shape that I can be," Ginn said, "so when I do go out and do my stuff, I’ll be right."
Running back Antonio Pittman and receiver Anthony Gonzalez did everything but the 40. Both were satisfied with their combine 40s (Pittman was 4.4 and Gonzalez 4.44).
Receiver Roy Hall, who totaled just 52 catches in his college career, made the biggest impression. He ran between a 4.35 and 4.42, impressive for a 6-foot-3, 230-pound player.
"It meant a lot, being here five years, and a lot of people said I didn’t produce the way I was supposed to," Hall said. "But it all comes together in the end. Hopefully, I showed some people I could play just as well as some of those other guys."
Posted on NFL.com - Official Site of the National Football League (http://www.nfl.com:)
OHIO STATE: MARCH 10
Ohio State worked out today, and we'll have the results later on. Ted Ginn Jr., who didn't work at the Combine, also didn't work out at the Pro Day, citing his still sore foot.
Player Position Gil's comments
Troy Smith QB Smith (222 pounds) ran 4.77 and 4.72 in the 40 on what is considered a fast track. He also notched a 36 ½-inch vertical, a 10-foot-2 broad jump, a 4.23 short shuttle and a 6.93 three-cone drill. He spent 30 minutes throwing the ball in passing drills, and he looked good throwing to Anthony Gonzalez, among others. He was very competitive, trying the short shuttle three times in order to get a better time. All in all, he probably helped himself in the draft.
Justin Zwick QB Zwick (6-3 3/8, 230) ran 4.77 and 4.78 in the 40. He also notched a 32-inch vertical, a 9-foot-1 broad jump, a 4.42 short shuttle and a 6.97 three-cone drill. He was on of the most sought-after recruits in the nation four years ago, and he eventually won the starting job at Ohio State but lost it to Troy Smith.
Stan White Jr. FB White Jr. (6-0 ½, 252) ran 4.85 and 4.77 in the 40. He also notched a 39 ½-inch vertical, a 9-foot-4 broad jump, a 4.18 short shuttle and a 7.20 three-cone drill. His dad was an outstanding linebacker for the Baltimore Colts for many years.
Jay Richardson DE Richardson (280) ran 4.94 and 4.90 in the 40. He also notched a 4.63 short shuttle and a 7.26 three-cone drill, choosing to stand on hi Combine jump numbers.
Tim Schaffer OL Schaffer (6-4 ½, 280) ran 5.23 and 5.07 in the 40. He also notched a 28 ½-inch vertical, an 8-foot-6 broad jump, a 4.50 short shuttle, a 7.30 three-cone drill and 20 bench presses.
Quinn Pitcock DL Pitcock (296) recorded 23 bench presses but stood on the rest of his Combine numbers.
Antonio Pittman RB Pittman (210) chose to stand on his Combine numbers.
David Patterson DT Patterson (294) chose to stand on his Combine numbers.
Anthony Gonzalez WR Gonzalez (195) recorded 16 bench presses, but other than that, he did positional workouts only.
Doug Datish OL Datish (302) chose to stand on his Combine numbers.
Roy Hall WR Hall (6-2, 229) ran 4.41 and 4.42 in the 40. He also notched a 37 ½-inch vertical, a 10-foot-3 broad jump, a 4.13 short shuttle, a 6.65 three-cone drill and 19 bench presses.
T.J. Downing OL Downing (6-4 ¼, 298) ran 5.19 and 5.29 in the 40. He also notched a 28 ½-inch vertical, a 9-foot broad jump, a 4.63 short shuttle, a 7.81 three-cone drill and 31 bench presses. His father was a Michigan graduate and a longtime NFL player with the San Francisco 49ers.
GO BUCKS!!!