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Practice Squad
Ted Ginn Jr. wowed everybody at his pro day believe it or not lol check it out .......
Speed obvious despite being just '75 to 80 percent'
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ted Ginn Jr., here answering questions at the NFL Combine in February, averaged 4.4 seconds in three 40-yard dashes yesterday during a private workout for scouts.
Ted Ginn Jr. wasn't healthy enough to run Ginn-like times, but nobody left his private workout yesterday disappointed in the former Ohio State receiver.
Ginn suffered a foot sprain in the Jan. 8 national-title game and started running again only three weeks ago, his father said. Ted Ginn Sr. estimated that his son was about "75 to 80 percent" healthy when he auditioned for at least 15 NFL teams in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Ginn Jr. ran three 40-yard dashes on the indoor artificial turf, and the consensus of a number of scouts and coaches was that the times averaged 4.4 seconds. Ginn Sr. reported 4.38, 4.40 and 4.41.
"It was obvious that he wasn't 100 percent," St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "But even so, he still ran faster than most guys, so I think he's going to be just fine."
Ellis Rainsberger, a scout for the Miami Dolphins, said Ginn was limping at times and wore out at the end of his workout, which included running routes and catching passes.
Still, Rainsberger said, "It was a heck of a feat for him to do what he did" while still recovering from his injury.
Most projections have Ginn being selected in the first round of the April 28 draft, between the sixth and 20th picks.
Ginn Jr. left the facility without speaking to the media. Ginn Sr. said his son wasn't satisfied with the workout.
"He's never pleased; I was OK with it," Ginn Sr. said. "He's a go-getter, so he's just showing that effort, trying to do (it) where other people probably wouldn't even try."
Linehan was one of three head coaches present. The others were Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cam Cameron of the Miami Dolphins.
The Rams sent six people. They own the No. 13 pick.
"We didn't have anything better to do today," Linehan said, smiling.
Linehan said he views Ginn as making an immediate impact on special teams as a return man. Ginn holds the Big Ten record for punt-return touchdowns with six and also had two kickoff-return TDs during his three-year career.
Just on that potential alone, Ginn might merit a high pick.
"I saw it with my own eyes with (Chicago Bears returner) Devin Hester last year," Linehan said. "He changes games. (Ginn) is going to do the same things that Devin did. You have to game-plan around a guy like him."
But Linehan also said he thinks Ginn will be a legitimate NFL receiver, as well.
"There's no doubt he's going to be a fine receiver," he said. "A lot of times, you're really looking at a return guy that only in a crunch can he play receiver. This is different; this is somebody who can be a great returner and then really develop into a heck of an NFL receiver, too."
Receiver Jameson Evans, who spent three seasons at Purdue before transferring to Youngstown State, where he last played in 2005, was the only other prospect in the workout. He wasn't allowed to run a 40 for the coaches, but he was allowed to catch passes, and he thought just being the sideshow to Ginn was a benefit.
"The spotlight is definitely on him, but it is great for me to get a little bit of that shine," said Evans, who has worked the past few weeks at the site where Ginn is training: the Speed Strength Systems facility in Euclid, Ohio. "It has really been difficult to get some exposure, but I knew Ted was going to draw a crowd."
Speed obvious despite being just '75 to 80 percent'
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Ted Ginn Jr., here answering questions at the NFL Combine in February, averaged 4.4 seconds in three 40-yard dashes yesterday during a private workout for scouts.
Ted Ginn Jr. wasn't healthy enough to run Ginn-like times, but nobody left his private workout yesterday disappointed in the former Ohio State receiver.
Ginn suffered a foot sprain in the Jan. 8 national-title game and started running again only three weeks ago, his father said. Ted Ginn Sr. estimated that his son was about "75 to 80 percent" healthy when he auditioned for at least 15 NFL teams in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Ginn Jr. ran three 40-yard dashes on the indoor artificial turf, and the consensus of a number of scouts and coaches was that the times averaged 4.4 seconds. Ginn Sr. reported 4.38, 4.40 and 4.41.
"It was obvious that he wasn't 100 percent," St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "But even so, he still ran faster than most guys, so I think he's going to be just fine."
Ellis Rainsberger, a scout for the Miami Dolphins, said Ginn was limping at times and wore out at the end of his workout, which included running routes and catching passes.
Still, Rainsberger said, "It was a heck of a feat for him to do what he did" while still recovering from his injury.
Most projections have Ginn being selected in the first round of the April 28 draft, between the sixth and 20th picks.
Ginn Jr. left the facility without speaking to the media. Ginn Sr. said his son wasn't satisfied with the workout.
"He's never pleased; I was OK with it," Ginn Sr. said. "He's a go-getter, so he's just showing that effort, trying to do (it) where other people probably wouldn't even try."
Linehan was one of three head coaches present. The others were Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cam Cameron of the Miami Dolphins.
The Rams sent six people. They own the No. 13 pick.
"We didn't have anything better to do today," Linehan said, smiling.
Linehan said he views Ginn as making an immediate impact on special teams as a return man. Ginn holds the Big Ten record for punt-return touchdowns with six and also had two kickoff-return TDs during his three-year career.
Just on that potential alone, Ginn might merit a high pick.
"I saw it with my own eyes with (Chicago Bears returner) Devin Hester last year," Linehan said. "He changes games. (Ginn) is going to do the same things that Devin did. You have to game-plan around a guy like him."
But Linehan also said he thinks Ginn will be a legitimate NFL receiver, as well.
"There's no doubt he's going to be a fine receiver," he said. "A lot of times, you're really looking at a return guy that only in a crunch can he play receiver. This is different; this is somebody who can be a great returner and then really develop into a heck of an NFL receiver, too."
Receiver Jameson Evans, who spent three seasons at Purdue before transferring to Youngstown State, where he last played in 2005, was the only other prospect in the workout. He wasn't allowed to run a 40 for the coaches, but he was allowed to catch passes, and he thought just being the sideshow to Ginn was a benefit.
"The spotlight is definitely on him, but it is great for me to get a little bit of that shine," said Evans, who has worked the past few weeks at the site where Ginn is training: the Speed Strength Systems facility in Euclid, Ohio. "It has really been difficult to get some exposure, but I knew Ted was going to draw a crowd."
