motife
06-08-2006, 07:11 PM
THURSDAY, June 8, 2006, 4:03 p.m.
Brown looks like a sleeper
It was almost comical in the Packers’ locker room after practice. During an uneventful press conference, Brett Favre mentioned running back Noah Herron in the same breath as Samkon Gado. Thus, a horde of cameramen and reporters swarmed to Herron’s locker for interviews. Herron might have had as big a crowd around him as Jerome Bettis did after the Super Bowl.
In fairness, Herron was active for two games last season with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He has some quickness and some elusiveness to him. And with Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport on the mend, Herron has been getting a lot of snaps in the two minicamps and the OTAs; and he’s a reliable, hard-working practice player. But he still looks to me like the same one-gear back who hit a hole and disappeared en route to averaging 2.7 yards on 45 carries in the Packers’ last three games of last season.
On the other hand, there has been a running back who has shown flashes over the last few practices and might be as intriguing a prospect as any sleeper on the roster.
Ben Brown, a 6-foot-1, 246-pounder from tiny Tabor College, an NAIA school in Hillsboro, Kan., is spending more time at tailback, less time at fullback and making the most of the maybe four, five opportunities that are coming his way each practice.
Pure and simple, Brown looks to be a load when he gets into the open field.
He said the Packers timed him at 4.7 in the 40-yard dash before signing him, but he added that he thinks he’s running faster than that now. He looks to be faster and the Packers probably wouldn’t be wasting their time with him at tailback if they didn’t think that, as well. Brown also has a good forward lean and seemingly more ability than most fullbacks to plant and cut to evade a tackler.
Brown said he played at Bakersfield Junior College in 1999 and 2000, but didn’t have the grades to get into a four-year school, despite interest from the likes of UCLA and Arizona State. He also became a father and needed to work to support his family. For three years, he didn’t play any football.
He worked odd jobs in California for two years and for a year in Atlanta. In fact, he said he worked three jobs at once in 2003: At Pier 1, K-Mart and Safeway Stores.
"I was at the end of my road," said Brown.
But then a friend hooked him up with the coach at Tabor and that’s where Brown played the past two years, splitting time between fullback and tailback.
When the season ended, Brown and his wife made a highlight film and sent it to all 32 NFL teams. Arizona and Pittsburgh showed some interest. But only the Packers offered him an opportunity.
Brown said John Dorsey, the Packers’ director of college scouting, invited him for a tryout within two hours of the completion of the NFL draft. And Brown turned that tryout into a free agent contract with a good showing in the first minicamp.
Based on flashes, his versatility and the Packers’ needs, Brown might have a shot at making the roster come training camp.
One thing going for Brown beside his size and speed is his desire.
"I’m very hungry," he said. "I’m past hungry. This is my life. This it for me."
Sorry, I have to run to the hospital immediately. If all goes well, I’ll complete this blog about the rest of practice some time before mid-evening.
The Packers ran their two-minute drill and the results were reminiscent of last season. With Brett Favre at quarterback, the offense moved 56 yards in 10 plays to the defense's 14-yard line before linebacker Nick Barnett intercepted a fourth-down pass. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the offense advanced 33 yards in seven plays before safety Marviel Underwood intercepted a pass. Favre tried to squeeze the ball through a tight window over the middle. Rodgers overthrew tight end David Martin over the middle.
In the two-minute sessions, the defense made more plays than the offense even before the interceptions. Favre threw deep to wide receiver Rod Gardner on a second-down play, and cornerback Ahmad Carroll stayed step-for-step with Gardner and broke up the pass. Cornerback Mike Hawkins also stuck with wide receiver Robert Ferguson on a jump ball in the end zone from the 23 and prevented the reception with a good defensive play. Jerron Wishom, as a cornerback on one play and a nickel back on another, deflected two Favre passes in the end zone that were intended for Gardner. Out of the 19 plays, only one receiver caught more than one pass: Ruvell Martin. He had two catches for 20 yards. Wide receiver Greg Jennings had the only drop. Favre was 5 for 10; Rodgers, 3 for 6.
In the next team session, which covered only six plays, there were two more interceptions. Rodgers had a pass intercepted at the line by defensive tackle Jerome Nichols. Rookie quarterback Ingle Martin had a pass tipped by rookie defensive end Montez Murphy into the hands of fellow rookie defensive end Jason Hunter.
With sheer quickness, rookie defensive tackle Johnny Jolly beat rookie guard Daryn Colledge in the one-on-one pass rush drill. ... Veteran defensive tackle Kenderick Allen overpowered Junius Coston, the other starting guard at the moment, on another turn.
Marquand Manuel worked with the first unit at safety ahead of Mark Roman.
Defensive tackle Donnell Washington was absent from practice. ... Free agent rookie linebacker Kevin Schimmelmann reported for his first workout.
Brown looks like a sleeper
It was almost comical in the Packers’ locker room after practice. During an uneventful press conference, Brett Favre mentioned running back Noah Herron in the same breath as Samkon Gado. Thus, a horde of cameramen and reporters swarmed to Herron’s locker for interviews. Herron might have had as big a crowd around him as Jerome Bettis did after the Super Bowl.
In fairness, Herron was active for two games last season with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He has some quickness and some elusiveness to him. And with Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport on the mend, Herron has been getting a lot of snaps in the two minicamps and the OTAs; and he’s a reliable, hard-working practice player. But he still looks to me like the same one-gear back who hit a hole and disappeared en route to averaging 2.7 yards on 45 carries in the Packers’ last three games of last season.
On the other hand, there has been a running back who has shown flashes over the last few practices and might be as intriguing a prospect as any sleeper on the roster.
Ben Brown, a 6-foot-1, 246-pounder from tiny Tabor College, an NAIA school in Hillsboro, Kan., is spending more time at tailback, less time at fullback and making the most of the maybe four, five opportunities that are coming his way each practice.
Pure and simple, Brown looks to be a load when he gets into the open field.
He said the Packers timed him at 4.7 in the 40-yard dash before signing him, but he added that he thinks he’s running faster than that now. He looks to be faster and the Packers probably wouldn’t be wasting their time with him at tailback if they didn’t think that, as well. Brown also has a good forward lean and seemingly more ability than most fullbacks to plant and cut to evade a tackler.
Brown said he played at Bakersfield Junior College in 1999 and 2000, but didn’t have the grades to get into a four-year school, despite interest from the likes of UCLA and Arizona State. He also became a father and needed to work to support his family. For three years, he didn’t play any football.
He worked odd jobs in California for two years and for a year in Atlanta. In fact, he said he worked three jobs at once in 2003: At Pier 1, K-Mart and Safeway Stores.
"I was at the end of my road," said Brown.
But then a friend hooked him up with the coach at Tabor and that’s where Brown played the past two years, splitting time between fullback and tailback.
When the season ended, Brown and his wife made a highlight film and sent it to all 32 NFL teams. Arizona and Pittsburgh showed some interest. But only the Packers offered him an opportunity.
Brown said John Dorsey, the Packers’ director of college scouting, invited him for a tryout within two hours of the completion of the NFL draft. And Brown turned that tryout into a free agent contract with a good showing in the first minicamp.
Based on flashes, his versatility and the Packers’ needs, Brown might have a shot at making the roster come training camp.
One thing going for Brown beside his size and speed is his desire.
"I’m very hungry," he said. "I’m past hungry. This is my life. This it for me."
Sorry, I have to run to the hospital immediately. If all goes well, I’ll complete this blog about the rest of practice some time before mid-evening.
The Packers ran their two-minute drill and the results were reminiscent of last season. With Brett Favre at quarterback, the offense moved 56 yards in 10 plays to the defense's 14-yard line before linebacker Nick Barnett intercepted a fourth-down pass. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the offense advanced 33 yards in seven plays before safety Marviel Underwood intercepted a pass. Favre tried to squeeze the ball through a tight window over the middle. Rodgers overthrew tight end David Martin over the middle.
In the two-minute sessions, the defense made more plays than the offense even before the interceptions. Favre threw deep to wide receiver Rod Gardner on a second-down play, and cornerback Ahmad Carroll stayed step-for-step with Gardner and broke up the pass. Cornerback Mike Hawkins also stuck with wide receiver Robert Ferguson on a jump ball in the end zone from the 23 and prevented the reception with a good defensive play. Jerron Wishom, as a cornerback on one play and a nickel back on another, deflected two Favre passes in the end zone that were intended for Gardner. Out of the 19 plays, only one receiver caught more than one pass: Ruvell Martin. He had two catches for 20 yards. Wide receiver Greg Jennings had the only drop. Favre was 5 for 10; Rodgers, 3 for 6.
In the next team session, which covered only six plays, there were two more interceptions. Rodgers had a pass intercepted at the line by defensive tackle Jerome Nichols. Rookie quarterback Ingle Martin had a pass tipped by rookie defensive end Montez Murphy into the hands of fellow rookie defensive end Jason Hunter.
With sheer quickness, rookie defensive tackle Johnny Jolly beat rookie guard Daryn Colledge in the one-on-one pass rush drill. ... Veteran defensive tackle Kenderick Allen overpowered Junius Coston, the other starting guard at the moment, on another turn.
Marquand Manuel worked with the first unit at safety ahead of Mark Roman.
Defensive tackle Donnell Washington was absent from practice. ... Free agent rookie linebacker Kevin Schimmelmann reported for his first workout.