By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Apr. 18 2008
Fifth in a series of NFL Draft notebooks by Jim Thomas, exclusively on
Stltoday.com. Today’s topic: offensive linemen.
Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, not only did John Greco attend the same high
school as Bernie Kosar, he went to the same elementary school as the former
Cleveland Browns’ quarterback.
"So I kind of heard that name growing up, looking at all his accomplishments,"
Greco said.
But Greco isn’t really following in Kosar’s footsteps. As an offensive tackle
at the University of Toledo, Greco is following Nick Kaczur. A third-round
draft choice by New England in 2005, Kaczur has been a starting OT for the
Patriots for most of his three years in the NFL.
After starting at right tackle as a Toledo freshman in 2004, Greco moved into
Kaczur’s left tackle spot in ‘05.
"Even at Toledo, I looked up to Nick," Greco said. "I kind of modeled my game
after him. We were good friends. Seeing his success, it kind of helps you, and
gets you in the right mindset that you can do the same thing."
As the NFL draft approaches, Greco is on course to do just that. He was a
two-year captain at Toledo and started 49 consecutive games. At 6-4½, 303
pounds, Greco combines good feet and athleticism with strength. Despite playing
tackle throughout his college career, some NFL teams are projecting him as a
guard.
"Pretty much half and half," Greco said. "Some say tackle. Some say guard. Some
say start at tackle and move in."
Greco projects as a second- or third-round pick, and appears to be one of many
options for the Rams once they get out of the first round. He paid a pre-draft
visit to Rams Park on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
Utah State offensive guard Shawn Murphy tried to make it in baseball, but wasn’
t in the same league as his father, former Atlanta Braves slugger Dale Murphy.
"I couldn’t hit the curveball or the fastball," Shawn said.
He gave up baseball following his junior year at Lone Peak High in Highland,
Utah.
"I was decent," he said. "I didn’t live up to people’s expectations. I was OK.
I’d hit a home run here and there, and struck out a lot."
Dale Murphy was a seven-time all-star in baseball who won National League MVP
honors in back-to-back seasons in the 1980s.
Shawn Murphy, who projects as a late-round NFL draft pick, is trying to carve
out a career of his own in football. At age 25, he’s getting a late start on
his pro career because of a church mission in Brazil.
"I was there for two years after my first year of college football," he said.
"I’m fluent in Portuguese now. It was dangerous. . .got robbed a few times.
Some gunfights between police and drug dealers. It was an eye-opening
experience."
TURLEY FAN
Ohio State right tackle Kirk Barton says he patterns his game after former Ram
Kyle Turley.
"He’s just more like my body type," Barton said. "He’s 6-4, a good athlete. . .
.He’s definitely a physically gifted player. But the great thing about him is
he’s tough and he finishes blocks."
But any similarities end there. Barton, who’s 6-4, 310 pounds, laughed when
asked if he patterned his personality after Turley, too.
"No," Barton said. "You don’t have too many characters like that. Something
like that may raise a question mark or two."
Then again, Barton did raise the ire of Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel when he
brought a cigar into the interview room moments after pouring out champagne to
his teammates in the locker room following the 2006 Michigan game.
"It was a silly thing, and it’s something that I definitely regret," Barton
said. "I’m a college graduate and that’s really the only thing I have against
me. It’s a small thing compared to what a lot of other guys have on their
record. But it’s something you wish you can take back and have a completely
clear slate."
Barton is a tough, blue-collar type who started 41 games at right tackle for
the Buckeyes, although some scouts figure he’s better suited for guard in the
NFL. He projects as a fourth- or fifth-round pick.
DOWN ON THE FARM
What Oregon State’s Roy Schuening may lack in quickness, he makes up for in
toughness.
"I offer a lot of toughness," said Schuening, a potential mid-round pick at
guard. "I’m a hard worker. I know a lot of guys come in here saying that, but I
really live up to that."
Some of Schuening’s earliest memories were of working from dawn to dusk on the family wheat farm in Pendleton, Ore.
"So I don’t shy away from hard work," he said. "We had rock-picking crews where we had big old boulders in our fields, and we had to go pick those up and dump
them in the back of the truck. I was doing that before I was in kindergarten."
PROTEST BACKFIRED
Kansas OT Anthony Collins, who should go in the second or third round, was
benched ever-so-briefly last season against Toledo.
"I was suspended for the first series of the game because we were going through
conditioning drills the week of the Toledo game, and the leader that I am, I
felt I needed to let coach know everybody was dying, everybody was tired,"
Collins said. "I guess I said the wrong things to him."
Collins was sent to the locker room.
"Five minutes later, I went to his office and apologized, wrote a letter, and
we were cool ever since then," Collins said.
THE McGLYNN WEIGHT LOSS PLAN
Pittsburgh guard Mike McGlynn, who projects as a mid-round draft pick, always
had trouble making the weight limit for his youth league team growing up in
Youngstown, Ohio. Suffice it to say he had an unusual method of making weight.
"I’d be down to my underwear, and my dad used to hang me upside down so I’d
lose a couple pounds to make weight," said McGlynn, who is now 6-4, 311. "I was
always the bigger kid. When I was 9, I was playing with 12-13-year-olds.
JAMAICA’S FINEST
Texas El-Paso offensive tackle Oniel Cousins was born in Jamaica and moved to
the U.S. when he was 15.
"I started playing football when I moved to the States," said Cousins, who
projects as a mid-round pick and played both right and left tackle at UTEP.
Cousins’ sport of choice in Jamaica was soccer, which has helped his footwork
in "American" football.
"I think it has a little bit, because we did a lot of running when we played
soccer - a lot of speed stuff," he said. "I played goalie and I played sweeper."
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Boston College OT Gosder Cherilus once asked his father about his unusual first
name.
"At first he said to me: ‘You don’t like your name?’ " Cherilus said. "I just
told him I wanted to have an answer for those who asked the question. He told
me he just wanted something unique that nobody else has. That’s what he came up with. Pretty creative, huh?"
Cherilus, who could be a late first- or early second-rounder in the draft, is
from Haiti.
"I have a lot of pride, and I love being who I am, as a person," Cherilus said.
"Where I’m from, there are so many little kids. . .who have no leaders. No one
to look up to. I want to be that guy to them."
LAST YEAR’S TOP 5
Player Pos. College NFL Team Rd. (Overall)
Joe Thomas T Wisconsin Cleveland 1 (3)
Instant anchor of offensive line at left tackle; named to AFC Pro Bowl squad.
Levi Brown T Penn State Arizona 1 (5)
Eleven starts at RT; missed three early-season games with ankle injury.
Joe Staley T Central Mich. San Francisco 1 (28)
First 49ers rookie offensive lineman to start every game since 1968.
Ben Grubbs G Auburn Baltimore 1 (29)
Started final 12 games at RG; named to Pro Football Writers all-rookie team.
Arron Sears G Tennessee Tampa Bay 2 (35)
Started all 16 games for Buccaneers, plus playoff loss to New York Giants.
LOCAL LINE
Player Pos. College Ht. Wt.
Brandon Joyce OT Illinois State 6-5 319
Duchesne High grad had private workout Thursday at Rams Park.
Tyler Luellen OT Missouri 6-6 305
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
Darren Marquez OT Southern Illinois 6-5 315
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
Akim Millington OT Illinois 6-5 312
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
Adam Spieker C Missouri 6-2 302
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
DRAFT POTPOURRI/OL
_ It’s not a nickname. The first name of Auburn’s 6-foot-9 OT, King Dunlap, has
been handed down through the generations. His full name is King David Dunlap V.
He begin playing football at age 5. "So I’ve got a long career already, I
guess," he said.
_ Southern Cal offensive tackle Sam Baker, who could be a second_ or
third-rounder, is the son of Arena Football League commissioner David Baker.
_ Baker’s teammate at USC, guard-tackle Andrew Radovich, surfs with his father
Mark during down time. His father was a linebacker for Arizona State in the mid
1970s.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Apr. 18 2008
Fifth in a series of NFL Draft notebooks by Jim Thomas, exclusively on
Stltoday.com. Today’s topic: offensive linemen.
Growing up in Youngstown, Ohio, not only did John Greco attend the same high
school as Bernie Kosar, he went to the same elementary school as the former
Cleveland Browns’ quarterback.
"So I kind of heard that name growing up, looking at all his accomplishments,"
Greco said.
But Greco isn’t really following in Kosar’s footsteps. As an offensive tackle
at the University of Toledo, Greco is following Nick Kaczur. A third-round
draft choice by New England in 2005, Kaczur has been a starting OT for the
Patriots for most of his three years in the NFL.
After starting at right tackle as a Toledo freshman in 2004, Greco moved into
Kaczur’s left tackle spot in ‘05.
"Even at Toledo, I looked up to Nick," Greco said. "I kind of modeled my game
after him. We were good friends. Seeing his success, it kind of helps you, and
gets you in the right mindset that you can do the same thing."
As the NFL draft approaches, Greco is on course to do just that. He was a
two-year captain at Toledo and started 49 consecutive games. At 6-4½, 303
pounds, Greco combines good feet and athleticism with strength. Despite playing
tackle throughout his college career, some NFL teams are projecting him as a
guard.
"Pretty much half and half," Greco said. "Some say tackle. Some say guard. Some
say start at tackle and move in."
Greco projects as a second- or third-round pick, and appears to be one of many
options for the Rams once they get out of the first round. He paid a pre-draft
visit to Rams Park on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN
Utah State offensive guard Shawn Murphy tried to make it in baseball, but wasn’
t in the same league as his father, former Atlanta Braves slugger Dale Murphy.
"I couldn’t hit the curveball or the fastball," Shawn said.
He gave up baseball following his junior year at Lone Peak High in Highland,
Utah.
"I was decent," he said. "I didn’t live up to people’s expectations. I was OK.
I’d hit a home run here and there, and struck out a lot."
Dale Murphy was a seven-time all-star in baseball who won National League MVP
honors in back-to-back seasons in the 1980s.
Shawn Murphy, who projects as a late-round NFL draft pick, is trying to carve
out a career of his own in football. At age 25, he’s getting a late start on
his pro career because of a church mission in Brazil.
"I was there for two years after my first year of college football," he said.
"I’m fluent in Portuguese now. It was dangerous. . .got robbed a few times.
Some gunfights between police and drug dealers. It was an eye-opening
experience."
TURLEY FAN
Ohio State right tackle Kirk Barton says he patterns his game after former Ram
Kyle Turley.
"He’s just more like my body type," Barton said. "He’s 6-4, a good athlete. . .
.He’s definitely a physically gifted player. But the great thing about him is
he’s tough and he finishes blocks."
But any similarities end there. Barton, who’s 6-4, 310 pounds, laughed when
asked if he patterned his personality after Turley, too.
"No," Barton said. "You don’t have too many characters like that. Something
like that may raise a question mark or two."
Then again, Barton did raise the ire of Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel when he
brought a cigar into the interview room moments after pouring out champagne to
his teammates in the locker room following the 2006 Michigan game.
"It was a silly thing, and it’s something that I definitely regret," Barton
said. "I’m a college graduate and that’s really the only thing I have against
me. It’s a small thing compared to what a lot of other guys have on their
record. But it’s something you wish you can take back and have a completely
clear slate."
Barton is a tough, blue-collar type who started 41 games at right tackle for
the Buckeyes, although some scouts figure he’s better suited for guard in the
NFL. He projects as a fourth- or fifth-round pick.
DOWN ON THE FARM
What Oregon State’s Roy Schuening may lack in quickness, he makes up for in
toughness.
"I offer a lot of toughness," said Schuening, a potential mid-round pick at
guard. "I’m a hard worker. I know a lot of guys come in here saying that, but I
really live up to that."
Some of Schuening’s earliest memories were of working from dawn to dusk on the family wheat farm in Pendleton, Ore.
"So I don’t shy away from hard work," he said. "We had rock-picking crews where we had big old boulders in our fields, and we had to go pick those up and dump
them in the back of the truck. I was doing that before I was in kindergarten."
PROTEST BACKFIRED
Kansas OT Anthony Collins, who should go in the second or third round, was
benched ever-so-briefly last season against Toledo.
"I was suspended for the first series of the game because we were going through
conditioning drills the week of the Toledo game, and the leader that I am, I
felt I needed to let coach know everybody was dying, everybody was tired,"
Collins said. "I guess I said the wrong things to him."
Collins was sent to the locker room.
"Five minutes later, I went to his office and apologized, wrote a letter, and
we were cool ever since then," Collins said.
THE McGLYNN WEIGHT LOSS PLAN
Pittsburgh guard Mike McGlynn, who projects as a mid-round draft pick, always
had trouble making the weight limit for his youth league team growing up in
Youngstown, Ohio. Suffice it to say he had an unusual method of making weight.
"I’d be down to my underwear, and my dad used to hang me upside down so I’d
lose a couple pounds to make weight," said McGlynn, who is now 6-4, 311. "I was
always the bigger kid. When I was 9, I was playing with 12-13-year-olds.
JAMAICA’S FINEST
Texas El-Paso offensive tackle Oniel Cousins was born in Jamaica and moved to
the U.S. when he was 15.
"I started playing football when I moved to the States," said Cousins, who
projects as a mid-round pick and played both right and left tackle at UTEP.
Cousins’ sport of choice in Jamaica was soccer, which has helped his footwork
in "American" football.
"I think it has a little bit, because we did a lot of running when we played
soccer - a lot of speed stuff," he said. "I played goalie and I played sweeper."
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Boston College OT Gosder Cherilus once asked his father about his unusual first
name.
"At first he said to me: ‘You don’t like your name?’ " Cherilus said. "I just
told him I wanted to have an answer for those who asked the question. He told
me he just wanted something unique that nobody else has. That’s what he came up with. Pretty creative, huh?"
Cherilus, who could be a late first- or early second-rounder in the draft, is
from Haiti.
"I have a lot of pride, and I love being who I am, as a person," Cherilus said.
"Where I’m from, there are so many little kids. . .who have no leaders. No one
to look up to. I want to be that guy to them."
LAST YEAR’S TOP 5
Player Pos. College NFL Team Rd. (Overall)
Joe Thomas T Wisconsin Cleveland 1 (3)
Instant anchor of offensive line at left tackle; named to AFC Pro Bowl squad.
Levi Brown T Penn State Arizona 1 (5)
Eleven starts at RT; missed three early-season games with ankle injury.
Joe Staley T Central Mich. San Francisco 1 (28)
First 49ers rookie offensive lineman to start every game since 1968.
Ben Grubbs G Auburn Baltimore 1 (29)
Started final 12 games at RG; named to Pro Football Writers all-rookie team.
Arron Sears G Tennessee Tampa Bay 2 (35)
Started all 16 games for Buccaneers, plus playoff loss to New York Giants.
LOCAL LINE
Player Pos. College Ht. Wt.
Brandon Joyce OT Illinois State 6-5 319
Duchesne High grad had private workout Thursday at Rams Park.
Tyler Luellen OT Missouri 6-6 305
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
Darren Marquez OT Southern Illinois 6-5 315
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
Akim Millington OT Illinois 6-5 312
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
Adam Spieker C Missouri 6-2 302
Could be late-round pick or rookie free agent.
DRAFT POTPOURRI/OL
_ It’s not a nickname. The first name of Auburn’s 6-foot-9 OT, King Dunlap, has
been handed down through the generations. His full name is King David Dunlap V.
He begin playing football at age 5. "So I’ve got a long career already, I
guess," he said.
_ Southern Cal offensive tackle Sam Baker, who could be a second_ or
third-rounder, is the son of Arena Football League commissioner David Baker.
_ Baker’s teammate at USC, guard-tackle Andrew Radovich, surfs with his father
Mark during down time. His father was a linebacker for Arizona State in the mid
1970s.