CarryTheRock Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Bushrod marches uniquely to NFLMeeting at bar helped lead to Saints drafting Towson's star tackle By Don Markus Sun Reporter Originally published May 24, 2007 Most NFL prospects are discovered through a traditional process that begins with scouts coming to practices and ends with players being invited to the league's combine in Indianapolis and workouts for individual teams. Then there is the less-conventional way the New Orleans Saints found Towson's Jermon Bushrod, a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive tackle taken in the fourth round in last month's draft. "The computers," Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt said, "had nothing to do with this one." The process started over beers at a Cockeysville bar two weeks before the draft. Vitt, a star linebacker for the Tigers during the 1970s, was in the area planning his annual summer crab feast in Ocean City. During cocktails at a bar on Padonia Road, Towson coach Gordy Combs mentioned to Vitt that officials from 20 NFL teams had come in for the school's pro day. At least five offensive line coaches came specifically to see Bushrod, who later would visit nearly a dozen teams for interviews and workouts. "I told Joe there were a lot of people in to look at him," Combs said. "I said he did really well, he ran a 4.9 [in the 40-yard dash]. I guess he went back and said something. That Tuesday [before the draft], Doug Marrone, the offensive coordinator and line coach, came up and worked Jermon out for a short period of time and watched video." Said Vitt: "I thought that if all those guys at Towson raved about him - and some of them coached me - there must something to this kid." Five days later, Bushrod became the first Towson player to be drafted since 1994 and the school's fourth overall. At No. 125, Bushrod became the highest selection in school history. About a month has passed, but the whirlwind of finding his way from the obscurity of a program in what was formerly known as Division I-AA to the likelihood of playing for one of the NFL's top teams still stuns a young man who grew up in the backwoods of King George, Va. "I didn't think I would be at this point at all," said Bushrod, 22, who paid his way his first two years of college when Towson was transitioning from the then-nonscholarship Patriot League to the Atlantic 10. "I thought after two or three years coming out of high school, hearing from different people that I had the size and footwork and stuff like that, I thought I may have a shot, but never this." Continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Saw that last night...pretty good read & he sounds like a great kid too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Wolf Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Just sent this to my VP...I KNEW it paid to network while drinking in a bar... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 Didn't Sean Payton get Romo in a similar fashion while in Dallas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trots Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 As a Towson grad, I say and Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godtomsatan Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 During cocktails at a bar on Padonia Road, Towson coach Gordy Combs mentioned to Vitt that officials from 20 NFL teams had come in for the school's pro day. At least five offensive line coaches came specifically to see Bushrod, who later would visit nearly a dozen teams for interviews and workouts. I don't understand why the Saints didn't have a scout at the school's pro day in the first place, especially considering the AHC is an alum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarryTheRock Posted May 25, 2007 Author Share Posted May 25, 2007 Just sent this to my VP...I KNEW it paid to network while drinking in a bar... Smart business move for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kraftykraft Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I heard that betting on a dog fight helps get you onboard with the Falcons! (flees from the room) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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