Jameson Konz

[Animalmuther0]

Kent State University alumnus Jameson Konz has just fulfilled a lifelong goal that many young boys dream of while growing up and that is to get drafted into the National Football League.

Konz may not have been a first round pick, but the 6'3" 230-pounder become one of the newest members of the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL draft.

Approximately two months before draft day Konz was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis where college prospects, who are about to enter the NFL Draft, are brought in to test their measurables.

Konz never got one of those invites and when he Pro Day workout came around on March 11, only the Cleveland Browns arrived to see Konz put on what has been called a "freakish" display of talent and abilities.

Normally a player of Konz's size does not run as fast as some of the fastest players in the NFL, but Konz ran a 40-yard dash at 4.38 seconds, which is unheard of. He also showed off tremendous leaping ability, strength, and agility.

After Konz was done, word got around the nation quickly that the former defensive linebacker turned wide receiver had a high potential of talent and other NFL teams began scheduling private workouts with Konz.

When is was all said and done, the Seahawks were the team and Seattle the city which Konz is now to call home.

After packing his stuff and moving out to the West Coast, Konz was available to answer a few questions.



Daniel Wolf (DW): What was the first thing you did when you found out you were drafted into the NFL?

Jameson Konz (JK): "I celebrated with my close friends and family who were with me when the call came in.

DW: Kent State seems to be one of those under-the-radar schools who have been able to produce star NFL players including: Josh Cribbs (Browns), James Harrison (Steelers) and Antonio Gates (Chargers). Are you worthy of being the next name on this list? If so, why?

JK: "First of all, it's just an honor just to be mentioned along with some of the great players from Kent State. I plan on dedicating myself and working hard on all the aspects of the game so that I can become the best possible player. Contributing to the success of the Seattle organization is my first goal."

DW: Since you played on both sides of the ball while at Kent State, which did you prefer and why?

JK: "I never had a preference as to which side of the ball I was playing. Each side is unique and requires a different set of skills, but at the end of the day if I'm with my teammates playing the sport I love, I'm happy."

DW: Has any of the Seattle coaches told you what position you might be playing?

JK: "My first impression from the coaching staff was that I would begin practicing as a wide receiver."

DW: What is the one thing, that is tourist-oriented, you are most looking forward to see when you land in Seattle?

JK: "I have never been to the Pacific Northwest and I'm really looking forward to seeing that part of the country because it's so different from where I'm from [in Uniontown, OH]."

DW: Who was your favorite NFL player while growing up?

JK: "I specifically remember always watching Jerry Rice. He played the game with a degree of discipline and passion that was unparalleled. Every time the ball touched his hands there was the potential of a great play."

DW: Did you always know you wanted to play professional football while you were growing up?

JK: " My love of the game stems all the way back to when I was a pewee player. I remember growing up and watching games on TV and thinking to myself how incredible it must feel to play in the NFL. It's ultimately a dream come true and I'm extremely blessed to have this opportunity."

DW: To close, what encouraging words would you like to say to other young and aspiring football players who are in high school or still in college?

JK: "There is no substitute for hard work and dedication. When you find what you want to do, strive to be the best and realize that sometimes you will have to make sacrifices along the way. At the end of the day, if you can honestly tell yourself that you have prepared and done everything to be the best you can be, anything is possible."

Quick interview on a sub 4.4 white WR for Seattle.

 

[whiteathlete33]

The only question now is what position he will play. If the league was fair he would get some carries at running back but he may be a WSTD.

 

[FootballDad]

At 6'3", he's best suited at wide receiver, I would think, and from his interview, that's where it looks like they will try him. He has the measurables to play any wideout position, and tight end as well, so if Pete Carroll is smart and uses him correctly, they should have a real weapon that will be a tough match-up problem for the defense. The only problem for Konz is that since it is generally cold and rainy in Seattle, it's going to be difficult for him to get a really, really dark tan that will put him over the bar.

 

[whiteathlete33]

Konz is the next white athlete freak after Matt Jones. Both of these guys are among the fastest and most athletic players in the league. Hopefully he can make it at wide out.

 

[FootballDad]

As long as he doesn't do anything even remotely wrong, lest he be "Jonesed" or "Roethlisbergered".

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

The only question now is what position he will play.  If the league was fair he would get some carries at running back but he may be a WSTD.

I'd have to agree with you here. He's an inch shorter than Brandon Jacobs and is a more impressive athletic specimen- although it would take work for him to learn to run with as much instincts and power as Jacobs. He's the same height as HOF candidate Eddie George and has better measurables than him as well. I think he could average more than George's production of about 3.9 YPC during his prime and 3.6 YPC for his career once he figured out how to tote the rock.

This is why I ranked Konz as an H-Back. If the NFL were fair he'd get maybe 10-15 carries a game or so- coming from one set and two set backfields- and also be a pass catching/blocking weapon. I could see him lining up in the backfield and also at TE and WR. They could use him in a dual set backfield with a smaller back and it would be hard to guess who was getting the ball and who would be blocking.

Konz was jerked around to multiple positions for Kent State, so therefore he's USED to playing multiple positions and could adapt to being great at more than one.

 

[backrow]

I think receiver is what he should do, there's more to being a runningback than just speed and strength, especially if you never played it before.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Konz is a super-athlete...he could play WR, TE or RB with his size & speed. I just hope he gets a chance for reps.

 

[FootballDad]

It's official. Konz has cleared waivers and been placed on the reserve/injured list. I'm not sure how this works from a financial perspective for Jameson. In any event, he's done for this year, we'll have to revisit this thread next year when the 2011 activities start up.

 

[Don Wassall]

Nice update article on Konz, which repeatedly mentions his freakish athleticism, though it looks like he'll mostly play the traditional White positions of fullback and tight end, that is if he plays at all under Pete Carroll.

Jameson Konz and the H-Back Position in the Seahawks'Offense

by Danny Kelly

In last year's 7th round, Seattle took a flier on WR/TE/H-Back Jameson Konz with their final draft pick. The Uniontown, Ohio native measured in at 6'3", 235 pounds. He runs the 40 in 4.38 seconds. He has a 46" vertical. And those numbers, really, are the main reasons he was chosen. He is a freak athlete. To be that big and fast, agile (6.93 3 cone drill), and to have a 46" verticle jump is pretty rare. He also benched 225 lbs 27 times - better than some linemen can boast, so he's got strength to go with quicks.In his first year with the Hawks, Konz spent most of it on the Injured Reserve with a hip injury.Before that, though, he signed a 4-year, $1.83 million contract and figures to be in the Seahawks' plans this year.



Like Antonio Gates, Josh Cribbs, and James Harrison, Konz played his college ball at Kent State. He played linebacker the first three years of his collegiate career but then was moved to tight end his senior year. He hurt his ankle that year though, redshirted, and returned for another year. His (2nd) senior year heplayedin-line Tight End about a third of the time, lined up at H-Back the rest, and caught 21 passes for 298 yards with a pair of TDs.His numbers most likely would have been significantly better had he not been injured hisredshirted (first) senior year: he would have been catchingpasses from his then QB teammate/roommate andcurrent New England Patriot Julian Edelman.The next year though, Edelman was drafted and Konz was catching passes from a true freshman, (16 TD to 16 INT).Not terrible stats fora guy in a shaky offense that was playing on defense the three years prior.
<A name=storyjump></A>

After he was done at Kent State, Konz hooked up with Julian Edelman's agent, Don Yee; the two met through Kent State's head coach Doug Martin. After the success that Yee had with Edelman, he reached out to another versatile, athletic player in Konz:asLee put it, "Versatility is becoming more important on these [NFL] rosters. If a player has the appropriate body shape and ability, he's going to be serving more than one role. I think [Konz] is going to be the same Swiss Army knife-type of guy."


It's no secret that Pete Carroll loves versatility and you can see a pattern emerging with some of the personnel moves they're making to shape this team. Konzwas initially told by the Hawks' coaching staffthat he'd be playing some WR, butplayed some TE in mini-campsas well.


According to a source with some inside knowledge from the team,


"When Konz asked Schneider as the season was ending last year where they planned on playing him in 2011, WR or TE, Schneider just kind of shrugged his shoulders and smiled, not giving a clear indication. His main contact with the team is the TE coach, so it's fairly clear that's where they see him playing. Coming out of college his senior year he was listed on the Kent State roster at 227 lbs., but pre-draft he trained with an outfit in Cleveland called Speed Strength with Tim Robertson, and bulked up to 234.


Konz has been up there working again this off season and has added more weight, and he's got the frame to add even more over time. This guy is a freak athlete with a crazy combination of size and speed. If he stays healthy, he's going to be useful in numerous capacities in the NFL. The Hawks were working with him last year in pre-season as a special teams gunner.


One of the things that every coach likes when they meet this guy is that he's willing to play wherever or do whatever they want. He just wants to be on the playing field, and as we all know coaches love that kind of attitude. He's certainly a project of sorts with his limited experience on offense at the collegiate level and injury history, but he's got huge upside given his athleticism, ability to play multiple positions, and strong personal character.Konz is out in Seattle right now working out with Hasselbeck, Carlson, and others on the offense."


Once the dust settles, I believe you'll probably see Konz playing the H-back position, a tight end, fullback hybrid that also lines up on the wing to run routes. Here's where Konz could make his pay - if he can develop his blocking in-line as a tight end, lead blocking for the tailback and on blitz pickups out of the backfield as a fullback, you could see him getting a lot of snaps due to his ability to motion out to the wing and catch passes.


Without knowing what the Hawks' new offense will really look like, but going on the assumption it won't change a huge amount as Pete Carroll has stated, you can start to imagine how he'd be used. Last year, we saw plays here or there where Marshawn Lynch or Justin Forsett would motion out to the wing and run routes down the sideline or up the middle of the field. Really, what good is that? How often are you going to see guys like that targeted downfield and if they do happen to get open how reliable are they going to be making the catch? This is not a knock on those guys but they're not paid to be making big catches down the field - their specialty apart from running is catching an occasional swing pass or bubble screen. Also, for what it's worth, Tom Cable loved to use Marcel Reece in this capacity and if he has say in the offense (like I think he does) this is where Konz could prove valuable.


Instead or Lynch or Forsett, you trot Konz out there - a guy that sort of reminds me of Matt 'The Freak" Jones, to run some routes and make some plays with his athleticism. Matt Jones made the transition from college QB to wide receiver in the NFL after testing off the charts at the Combine and actually put up pretty good numbers before washing out due to cocaine arrests. While Jones has three inches in height on Konz, their numbers apart from that are pretty similar - sub 4.4 forty, about 235-240 pounds. Konz has about 6 inches on Jones in his vertical jump so let's just say they are similar athletes. You put a guy with those abilities out there and you can line him up on the line, motion him out to the wing to run routes, or put him in the backfield and have a number of options available for him to do.


You saw John Carlson in this role last year and let's be honest, he struggled. He's not the natural lead blocker you'd hope for in a fullback. He's a good receiving tight end for the most part but he's not a burner and he actually dropped some easy passes last year that didn't help his cause. Michael Robinson played some fullback and did well while he was healthy but he may not be back and may not have the receiving chops or ability to play on the line that they're looking for. Cameron Morrah was used in the H-back role at times and has a good chance to stick there but could also be used as a traditional tight end as well. The thing you notice about Seahawk tight ends is that you see them in the slot and even on the outside at times so you know that Pete Carroll isn't afraid to get creative with his formations (or let his coordinator do so).


We saw the Hawks take a look at and work out several H-back type players pre-draft, including Ryan Taylor (drafted by Packers in 7th round), Shane Bannon (drafted by Chiefs in 7th round), and they even kicked the tires on DT/FB Matongi Tonga so I just have a hunch they plan to develop somebody in that role. Not sure if Konz showed them much before he was hurt early last season but he's certainly got the size and athletic ability you look for in that position. Imagine a guy that can lead block on one play and then the next play swing out to the wing, run a vertical route and go up and get a jump ball in the back of the endzone. That's the potential that Konz has and I'm hoping to see him live up to that.


In the meantime though, my guess is that they will try to incorporate him into their special teams packages early and often this season. Coming out of asmall program likeKent State, Konz was able to to a part of almost every Special Teams down in his career there, experience that will be invaluable. Playing linebacker for most of his college career will probably help in his physicality and tackling and you have to hope that will help in his blocking.


Konz'sfreakish physical ability is not the only thing he brings to the table. He's got the ideal attitude you'd want for a jack-of-all-trades type bubble player for your team. When asked what he'd like NFL teams to know about him going into the draft,he replied:
<BLOCKQUOTE>


Well, as far as the film, it should speak for itself. I play extremely hard. I'm going to go all-out every single play. But as far as (beyond) film, I would like for them just to get to know me as a person and understand the type of person I am: somebody of high character and integrity... I understand that I'm the type of person who's going to go into a football organization and not only be 150 percent for you on the field, but in the community as well. I understand that, you know, professional athletes are role models for kids growing up - I used to be one - and I take that responsibility to heart. I really just want to be the type of person who can (become) a positive role model for people.</BLOCKQUOTE>


With a good attitude and some offseason work on his skillset, he could find himself working with a number of different units. To make the 53 man roster, though, Konz will need to develop in many areas.He will need to improve his consistency catching the ball, his downfield blocking, his route running, and his speed off the line.These are all coachable problem areas, and Konz's old-school football attitude leads me to believe he'll put the work in.CBS Sports had a very thorough report on Konz coming out last year, listing some of his shortcomings his potential strengths,which I'll quote here:
<BLOCKQUOTE>


Release: Average quickness off the line, hesitating instead of exploding. Rarely pressed in KSU's spread offense. Builds up deep speed after a couple of steps with long strides.


Hands: Able to catch the ball away from his frame with his hands. Capable of the circus catch, but also drops passes that cannot happen at the next level. Loses concentration when trying to make a play before securing the ball, with bad body language after the drop. Excellent vertical to go up and over defenders. Must improve catching low throws.


Route running: A bit robotic in his route-running, but flashes the ability to plant his foot and cut at a sharp angle outside. Downfield speed allows him to fake inside or outside and get separation, even though he runs a bit stiff. Good quickness down the seam. Takes time to gather on hitch routes, allowing defender into the play. Does not always finish routes downfield, especially if covered or not the primary option. Could work harder to get back to quarterback when play breaks down.


After the catch: Used on bubble screens to take advantage of his speed and agility. Willing to lower the shoulder to get extra yardage with the ball in his hands. Runs through arm tackles from corners and can avoid cut tackles outside. Could be a matchup problem with linebackers once he's in space. Has enough elusiveness to avoid a defensive back's tackle but lacks great vision in the open field.


Blocking: Gives effort to get to linebackers and safeties at the second level, but isn't as aggressive or physically dominating as you would expect as a former linebacker. Will throw a shoulder instead of trying to sustain. Lacks great flexibility and strength on the edge, and even cut blocks against cornerbacks are severely ineffective. Lines up as motion tight end; good quickness from his stance but hesitates to block, missing targets and struggling to stay engaged. Does not have lower-body strength to anchor on the line or in the open field.


Intangibles: Played multiple positions; from receiver in high school to linebacker, stayed until team's depth allowed the switch back to offense. On-field effort was not always what it could have been, however. Considered more potential than production and a better athlete than football player at this time.</BLOCKQUOTE>


So as you'd expect, he's raw and has some of the issues you see with guys that switch positions late in the game. With some coaching these things can be improved but it could take a while. At this point he could be classified as a low-floor, high ceiling type of prospect that could really do some damage if he puts it all together. He's had a year to learn now so he's one of the guys I'll be watching once this lockout ends. If he makes the 53 man roster I'd expect to see him getting some time on kickoffs and eventually worked into some offensive formations at H-back. We'll see.
http://www.fieldgulls.com/2011/5/19/2173861/jameson-konz-h-back-position-seahawks-offense

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Konz is probably the best athlete in the NFL. If he does'nt get reps this season, it should be proof positive (to even the biggest DWF) that there is indeed a caste system.

 

[whiteathlete33]

A 234lb guy who runs a 4.38 and jumps 46 inches could possibly be the best athlete in the NFL. I would love to see him at running back. Similar height to Brandon Jacobs but more speed.

 

[snow]

Jacobs has about 30 pounds on Konz, he is a little bit too tall and would take more punishment than the average back. Jacobs plays rb because thats all he can do, no versatility and has seen a decrease in his role and productivity.

Konz could excel at RB, but Id rather see him as an outside receiver. I just think he could better showcase his athleticism this way. He would be like a Brandon Marshall receiver except with elite speed, and none of the domestic violence issues. Would be cool to see Durham and Konz as number 1 and number 2. Dwfs in Seattle are upset because they think they just have a bunch of big, slow possession guys (including Mike Williams who is the only one that actually not a burner) but Konz and Durham can stretch the field. We have a starting rb in the league, we still don't have a number 1 wide receiver.

It would have been nice to see Owen Schmitt get a chance at halfback for the Seahawks, 6'2 250 pounds, he did run a 4.7 but had a 1.52 10 yard split, he could have similar success to a back like Blount who also ran in the 4.7 range. I doubt he would get any real playing time at halfback in Philly.

Edited by: snow

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Snow, Konz & Durham as 1 & 2 WRs would be awesome! Kris is 6'5, 220 with great hands & good afterburner speed.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

I think receiver is what he should do, there's more to being a runningback than just speed and strength, especially if you never played it before.

A lot of super athletic freaks like Konz, traditionally ran the ball as RBs or as option QBs going back to H.S though, (I'm not sure about Konz), I think he could adjust to at least a situational role as a runner. WR would be nice, but I'd like to see him average about 10-12 carries a game and be used as a versatile H-back better. We already have Durham as a guy to root for to become a legit #1 deep threat WR! I doubt Pete "caste" Caroll would put two white WRs out on the field at the same time, he'd worry about upsetting some of the bruthas...(even in 4 WR sets).

 

[F. Galton]

Konz injured his shoulder, but he is back to practicing on a limited basis.

 

[DixieDestroyer]

Konz injured his shoulder, but he is back to practicing on a limited basis.

F.Galton, thanks for the update and welcome to Caste Football. The Seahawks are wise to utilize Konz as much as possible, he's far too good an athlete to be on the bench.

 

[F. Galton]

Konz on the injured reserve again.