NFL Pro Days

[White Mike]

Tim Shaw article

By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
rgosselin@dallasnews.com

Tim Shaw has one regret from his five years at Penn State.

"What bothers me is that I did not score a single touchdown in college," Shaw said.

Defensive ends shouldn't expect to score touchdowns. That's where Shaw played as a senior in 2006. Linebackers shouldn't expect to score touchdowns, either. That's where he played in 2004 and '05. But Tim Shaw wasn't your everyday college defender.

Shaw was recruited by the Nittany Lions as a running back - and few runners in the history of high school football fashioned careers that could match his. He is the all-time leading rusher and scorer in Michigan high school history.

Shaw rushed for 7,813 yards and scored 131 touchdowns in his four years at Livonia Clarenceville in suburban Detroit. Only 20 high schoolers in U.S. history rushed for more yards and only seven scored more touchdowns.

When Shaw signed his letter of intent with Penn State, he expected to be the next John Cappelletti or Franco Harris. But that dream lasted just a year.

Shaw spent his true freshman season in 2002 taking spare handoffs (14 carries for 56 yards) but mostly covering kicks on special teams. His coaches approached him the following spring and said they wanted to move him to linebacker - and would give him a redshirt season to learn the position.

Shaw made the move, and when he returned to the field in 2004, he found himself as the starting middle linebacker at Linebacker U. He split time over the next two seasons between the inside and outside, starting wherever the Nittany Lions needed him. He made 76 tackles in 2005 for a Penn State team that finished 11-1 and 12th in the NCAA in defense.

But the coaches approached Shaw again last spring, this time asking him to move to defensive end so they could get promising young linebacker Sean Lee on the field.

"The switch from running back to linebacker was tough because I still thought I was a running back," Shaw said. "I thought I was the best guy there. That was something I needed to deal with and grow up on. So I did that.

"Going from linebacker to defensive end was tough, too, because I had to put my personal goals aside - things that I had set for my senior year - for the betterment of the team. That was a tough year because I was still learning the whole season. If I had stayed at linebacker, I'd have known everything and been very comfortable. I would have just been able to play."

Despite the newness of lining up in a three-point stance, Shaw finished second on the Nittany Lions in sacks with seven and Penn State capped a 9-4 season with another New Year's Day victory. Shaw earned the respect of his coaches and teammates for his career-long unselfishness.

"To do that to one person is mind-boggling," said tackle Jay Alford, who led Penn State with eight sacks. "It takes a lot to go through those different progressions. But I thought Tim handled everything terrific."

Shaw also was a three-time academic All-Big Ten selection who earned a degree in management last May. The NFL likes smart, unselfish players. The NFL will like Tim Shaw.

"I'm hoping they see the sacrifices I've made," Shaw said. "The big thing I want them to see is that because of the circumstances - the switching of positions - I haven't played my best football yet."

One thing is certain: Shaw will play wherever the NFL asks him to play. And, as Penn State learned, Shaw will play well in whatever position that is.

 

[jaxvid]

"The NFL likes smart, unselfish players." IF they're white!

 

[Don Wassall]

I've mentioned this before but Joe Paterno is a real disappointment in his dotage. Here's a man who' s been coaching college football since 1950 and has beenthe head coach at the same program for over 40 years. He recruited and played white stars at all the taboo positions for decades before it became taboo to do so, then when the Caste System kicked in, he was a good sheep and followed suit, even echoing Fisher DeBerry's racist bleatings about black superiority after DeBerry apologized.


Paterno's a living legend, one of the few men in his occupation who could have safely defied the unwritten but seemingly iron laws of the Caste System by recruiting and playing capable white players at all positions. Instead he screwed over Tim Shaw and has done the same with other white RBs, WRs and CBs. He has been ridiculously lenient when black players have gotten in trouble with the law while harshly punishing white players for what in some cases have been nothing more than fraternity hijinks type of stuff.


Paternoreacts tothe continualbadgering he gets from the mediaabout his age by going overboard to show how "with it" he is when it comes to following the herd in racial slotting. Heisman Trophy winning running back John Capelletti would today be a blocking fullback or a linebacker at Penn State. It's a shame.Edited by: Don Wassall

 

[jaxvid]

I hate Joe Paterno. There I said it. I've always thought there was something wrong about him. I always thought Penn State was overrated and since they've joined the Big Ten it's proven to be true. I wanted to like the guy cause he seemed like a decent sort but as Don points out above he is a caste system whore, selling out his own people to buttress his reputation. And now his black led teams mostly suck. HA!

And number two on the list of sorry ass white college coaches that should be ethnically cleansed is Lloyd Carr.

 

[White Power]

It is old bastards like paterno who made the caste system what it is today. They all sold out to the black affalete so that they could hoist the ncaa championship trophy. I mean how ironic is this fat and slow Tony Hunt will play running back in the NFL while fast and very agile Tim Shaw will be tackling him. What in the hell has happened to the Tom Vigorito's of the world why is it ok to hate and mistreat whitey. This just kills me coaches are the biggest reason why football both pro and college is so screwed up with no end in sight. I mean maybe Leonard gets his shot but Tim Shaw was even better than Leonard what in the hell is the logic in all of this madness. It must end. Edited by: White Power

 

[White Mike]

I was doing some research and found out this at scout.com. Here are Tim Shaw's combine numbers from H.S. compared to another (black) RB out of Michigan who graduated same year.

Tim Shaw 6-1.5, 217, 4.44(40), 4.30(SS), 34.8"(vert), 21 (reps), 2 stars, national ranking 110. Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year. Had 2,611 yards rushing and 41 touchdowns.

Jeff Jenkins 6-0, 189, 4.54(40), 4.16(SS), 30.6"(vert) 13 (reps), 3 stars, national ranking 54. Rushed for 1,200 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior. Rushed for 1,400 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2001.

In his last 2 years of H.S. Jeff Jenkins had 2600 yds and 50 td. Compared to Shaw's 2611 yds and 41 tds in 1 year. Some how this guy is 56 spots higher in national rankings? Quite disturbing.

 

[White Power]

Every one who works in the evaluation process is scared to really evaluate with out fear of being mocked by naysayers who would laugh if some how a white player is ranked above a black player at a skill postion regardless if truly the white player is better. My point is some how some one has convinced the masses of talent evalating scouts or personel people that being black increases your athletic abilty ten fold over some one who is not black. Now why is this, and who is really responsible.

 

[sunshine]

Paterno, DeBerry and Bobby Bowden all belong in the caste HOF-- idiocy and racist wing. As for shyness to place white players in "skill" positions it boils down to prejudice and fear. Most fans feel that a team isn't recruiting well if they nab say a white wide receiver. And that filters up to the scouting levels and boosters etc. And the stereotype feeds on itself lie the BLOB in that horror movie
But also this strikes at the dynamics of teamwork. When say a mainly black team or all black team wins a national title in whatever sport there is usually a feeling of unity. If white players become to prominent in skill area positions I feel that fellow black teammates either consciously or not don't try or focus as hard. Seems to me sports has become for black athletes a way of promoting the ideal that blacks are superior athletes--and that is more important than winning with skill position white players.
Case in point. Have u of Michigan feature a superstarwhite TB--would the black players feel unified or what they resent the fact that a white guy is stealing the show?

 

[Kaptain]

Good question sunshine. Black players would resent a star white running back. I have no doubt. That's why the line and fullback position are so important. Those positions have become much blacker in recent years. There are already countless cases in the past of black players effectively "black-balling" a potential white star player. Pete Maravich comes to mind.

 

[sunshine]

Wendling ran 4.48 forty yard dash at pro day with 37 vertical. he is 6'1 225--all in all very athletic.
No later than 2nd round methinks.
As for jarrett or better yet brady quinn who ran a 4.7..same as troy smith. like the m card ad--how many times did the media say smith was an athletic jet--uh roughly 4,567 times.. how many times did the media say quinn was a jet-0. How many times did media say quinn was slowish--2,894 times or so.
The media gets sexually aroused over the idea of fast black guys in tandem with slow white guys--believe me that is the only friggen logical conclusion i can make from this sordid mess the media has created.

 

[White Mike]

DURHAM  Given its downward trajectory and pace, the pass looked well overthrown until a hand reached out at the last instant and snatched the spiraling football out of mid-air.

Wide receiver David Ball has made such one-handed grabs look easy throughout an illustrious career with the University of New Hampshire football team. Only this time it was cornerback Corey Graham who pulled a page from Ball's book as a dozen NFL scouts put the draft-eligible Wildcat star through a rigorous workout Friday morning at UNH.

"It was a good catch," Graham said with a laugh. "I see (Ball) do that every day. In practice sometimes we try stuff like that and I guess I'm getting better at it. It was a good time to show it."

Indeed it was as Graham's athleticism and versatility were on display during his first full-scale workout since breaking his ankle midway through the 2006 season. It's been a tedious road back for the UNH tri-captain, whose Wildcat career ended that mid-October afternoon against James Madison.

Graham and Ball were both invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February, but their participation in strength and conditioning drills was limited because of injury. Ball injured a quadriceps muscle during the week leading up to the East/West Shrine game in Houston.

"I'm getting better and better every week," Ball said. "It was a bit untimely how things fell into place this postseason and all this Combine stuff. I just need a little bit more time. I feel much better. When I get into (mini) camp I'm going to be fine. Now it's time to start football stuff which is great. That's more of my element than all this track meet business."

While the scouts put Graham through his paces Friday in preparation for the NFL Draft in late April and the free-agent signing frenzy that follows, Ball only ran the 40-yard dash on Bremner Field in an attempt to improve his time from last week. Graham, who did not participate in last week's Pro Day at UNH, took part in most of the strength and conditioning tests as well as positional drills such as back-pedaling, changing direction on command and ball reaction.

"I've been training and trying to get ready," Graham said, "but the strength in my ankle isn't all the way there yet. It's only about 80 percent. I've been trying to get that back. This is probably the hardest workout I've had (since the injury) but it went pretty well. I can't complain."

"I thought it went great for what he's been through and how he's been feeling," Ball said. "I think he showed signs of his potential and being able to make those cuts. I've said it before and I'll say it again  he would have been a Combine freak if he was healthy and I think they know that."

Wide receiver Aaron Brown and offensive lineman Tucker Peterson also took part in Friday's Pro Day as did Laconia's Patrick Donovan, a linebacker who played college football at Concordia University in Montreal. Graham also fielded kickoffs from former UNH placekicker Connor McCormick  who holds the school record for most career field goals with 40  and punts from Wildcat senior Matt Henry.

"That's definitely a strength," said Graham, who had to catch a flight to Indianapolis where he was scheduled to have his ankle re-examined. "It's a plus when you can do things like return kick and punts. It's good when you can show you're a versatile player and can do more things for the team. That's big. It's something that I really enjoy doing. It not only helps the team, I like special teams. I'm eager to play. I want to get my hands on the ball. I think of it as a way to make a play and it's a good way to get on the field. At the next level everybody's good, everybody's fast. So the more you can do the better."

Ball said he hasn't received much feedback concerning where he might be drafted or whether he will be drafted. He raised his stock in the week leading up to the East/West Shrine game as well as the game itself when he caught three passes for 90 yards.

"The positives are very positive," said Ball, UNH's all-time leading receiver who recently had his No. 3 retired. "Then there's a few negatives  speed and overall strength and size. But I weighed in at 202 today and 6-1 and hopefully they clock me around the 4.6s (in the 40). That's not bad for a guy my size who does what I do on the field. I'm thinking all in all I'm in good position coming from a small program and I'm going to get my shot.

"I'm feeling good because I'm finally getting healthy," Ball added. "I'm not feeling as strongly about my 40 (time) because it's not where it needs to be for an NFL receiver, but I know it will get there by camp."

Given the circumstances, which includes a long layoff, Graham was pleased with Friday's workout.

"It was OK," Graham said. "It wasn't as I had hoped. I wanted to run a 4.4 40 (yard dash) but I had a 4.52. So it wasn't as I hoped. But as far as everything, else it went very well. The catching and the other drills went real well."

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Their Proday workouts were already discussed, but I wanted to mention that Tre Smith and Dan Burks who have been screwed out of playing time for their respective colleges, have very recently moved into the top 50 RB's list by Nfldraftscout.com.

It was due to their awesome performances on their Prodays. I noticed that both of the two were above and beyond almost all of the other RB prospects ranked near them as far as workout numbers. The one, being Tre Smith, was also the 21st ranked HB in the entire nation by Rivals coming out of H.S in Florida. Unfortunatly only 20 or so RB's are likely to get drafted according to the site. Here are the complete numbers:

#38 Tre Smith Auburn:
Height: 5091
Weight: 193
40 Yrd Dash: 4.50
20 Yrd Dash: 2.62
10 Yrd Dash: 1.54
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 09
Vertical Jump: 37
Broad Jump: 10'0"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 3.96
3-Cone Drill: 6.72

#48 Dan Burks UAB:
Height: 5115
Weight: 218
40 Yrd Dash: 4.52
20 Yrd Dash: 2.63
10 Yrd Dash: 1.55
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 21
Vertical Jump: 36 1/2
Broad Jump: 10'5"
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.15
3-Cone Drill: 6.72

Both have an up arrow indicating stock rising.

I'm having pipe dreams that maybe one of them will make an NFL Roster!

But if they do it will probably be as a special teams demon.

Edited by: ToughJ.Riggins

 

[white is right]

Smith is small he will need to show special teams ability or catching ability out of the backfield. Burks has some size on him so he could make it as pure running back. Training camp will make or break these guys.....

 

[whiteCB]

I honestly don't think Burks has any shot at catching on with an NFL team; at least as a HB. Teams will look at the 6 ft 220 lbs Burks and immediatly want to bulk him up to FB status(Rob Konrad style). It's unfortunate but true. Tre on the other hand will only get looks at HB because of his smallish size but teams will probably only want him as a special teams deamon; especially after that memorable recovered blocked punt for a TD. That will automatically make him labled as a special teams guy to coaches. About the only good thing for Tre might be a team giving him opportunites as a return man in the kickoff and punt teams.

 

[Gi-15]

Well, at least, if Tre gets the job as a "ST Demon" he'll stillland aRB spot on a roster, even if its 4th string,which would be a Win for us. He could hopefullyget some action in preseason at least, even if I don't expect it. As for Burks, the handful of draftsite that say a word on him are talking of him as a FB, so here we go again... It doesn't help that his last productive season was his sophomore season. I'll still root for him.

 

[sunshine]

A real sleeper is Nebraska safety Andrew Shanle and like his LB brother he is a terrific athlete. Overall probably best athlete amoung safeties. 4.3-4,40 speed , 39 vertical and he is very smooth out there. According to reports he has great character ala John Wendling so I think he will be drafted. I watch a lot of Nebraska games and this guy is real good but announcers and media don't ever mention him. He never gets beat deep. And now with the draft he is barely mentioned--reminds me of Steven Gregory situation from Syracuse last year. Never got drafted. Saints should draft Andrew so he can team up with his brother--who is one of my favorite players.

 

[ToughJ.Riggins]

Here is what I said regarding stupid comments made by ignoramuses on YouTube.com about a Tre Smith video. My argument barley fit. I didn't want to seem too pro white or most people are less likely to take you seriously.

Response to Caqmeron, Too slow? He ran 4.5 at Auburn Pro Day = faster than most NFL starters, was one of 3 players in this entire draft year to run sub 4 in the short shuttle = great agility and short burst quickness. No doubt in my mind this guy could be a Dunn type NFL HB. I saw him play in H.S, I can tell you this guy should have been top 10 rivals not 21st ranked. W/ limited chances Tre capitalized. Ronnie Brown is better, but Kenny Irons is not IMO.