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April 27th, 2009 | 02:48 pm

Terps in the NFL Update

Just wanted to get a quick update on the list of newest Terps to join NFL teams.

Over the weekend, the five Terps drafted tied the most in the Ralph Friedgen-era:

Darrius Heyward-Bey (7th overall, Oakland Raiders), Kevin Barnes (80th overall, Washington Redskins), Moise Fokou (230th overall, Philadelphia Eagles), Jaimie Thomas (236th overall, Indianapolis Colts), Dan Gronkowski (255th overall, Detroit Lions)

Then comes word today of six undrafted free agent signings, via a university press release.

Linebacker Dave Philistin (Seattle Seahawks), wide receiver Isaiah Williams (Baltimore Ravens), center Edwin Williams (Washington Redskins), tackle Scott Burley (Redskins), linebacker Chase Bullock (Arizona Cardinals) and defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre (Jacksonville Jaguars) signed as undrafted free agent contracts.

Defensive tackle Dean Muhtadi and offensive tackle Dane Randolph have earned tryouts with the Green Bay Packers, according to the release.

That makes 13 Terps with some kind of pro plans. Several other Terps, including wide receiver Danny Oquendo and linebacker Trey Covington, will look to hook on with teams in the coming days.

More on some of the latest Terps to join teams, including Philistin and Williams, later.

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April 27th, 2009 | 11:26 am

The Waiting is the Hardest Part…

There was a late flurry of Terp action in yesterday’s NFL Draft.

After Darrius Heyward-Bey came off the board Saturday and Kevin Barnes was selected early yesterday, several Terps had some tense moments before earning phone calls from drafting teams.

It was more than eight hours into yesterday’s portion of the Draft before Moise Fokou (230th), Jaimie Thomas (236th) and Dan Gronkowski (255th) found out they were being taken with three of the final 26 picks.

Fokou said he didn’t want much to do with the early part of the Draft after hearing he’d probably go somewhere between the fourth and seventh rounds. But once he sat down in front of the TV during the fourth round, he had to wait a while before seeing his name flash across ESPN’s bottomline as the newest Philadelphia Eagle.

“It was long and it was gruesome,” Fokou said last night. “You get nervous. Once that seventh round comes around, you start thinking, ‘Oh my goodness. I’m not going to get drafted.’ But I’m so happy I got picked up by the Eagles.”

Gronkowski, who went to the Detroit Lions, was taken just one pick ahead of South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop, who as the final pick gets a pretty lavish ceremony in California for being “Mr. Irrelevant.”

Fokou said he knew what Gronkowski was going through as the Draft wound down but guessed that all his drafted teammates feel the same way as he does now that the Draft is done.

“I’m ready to go back to practicing and strap those cleats on to play football again,” Fokou said. “This has been a long process, and I’m glad it’s over.”

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April 26th, 2009 | 01:30 pm

Kevin Barnes to the Redskins

Former Terp cornerback Kevin Barnes said he got about two hours of sleep last night as he thought about where he might be headed in today’s NFL Draft.

By the 16th pick of the morning, he had his answer when the Washington Redskins took Barnes in the 3rd round (80th overall).

Barnes had more extensive interactions with a lot of other teams, but when reached by phone a few minutes ago, his relief was obvious.

“This last week has been just nerve wracking, but I wouldn’t take it back for anything,” Barnes said. “I’m happy it’s over with now and I’m a Redskin, but I enjoyed it.”

For more on Barnes and the rest of the Terp draftees, check tomorrow’s edition of The Diamondback.

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April 22nd, 2009 | 09:41 am

Kevin Barnes Unleashed

Kevin Barnes probably doesn’t like me very much.

Over the last two weeks, I’ve probably asked him about everything he’s done between getting injured and the present as he’s tried to show NFL teams that he is healthy, short of what he had for breakfast at the NFL Combine.

It started with a short meeting at Terp Pro Day, continued with a wide-ranging 30-minute sitdown two weeks ago, and mercifully for him, concluded with a couple of follow-up phone calls since.

The result was this rather comprehensive piece in today’s paper.

But there were definitely some things from the quick-witted former Terp cornerback (he scored 41 on the Wonderlic test, you know) that fell through the cracks:

On his Wonderlic score, which was the top score reported: “If anybody doesn’t believe my score, I’ll go back and do it again. I was mad actually that I got 41. I thought I had at least 49.”

On Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, who he realized he was formerly elementary school classmates with while they were training in Arizona: “I vaguely remembered him, but he wasn’t that big back then.”

On the new Terp defense led by coordinator Don Brown: “It sounds exciting. I kinda wish I coulda experienced it a little bit. That’s what NFL teams love to see, so I just tell them to just go out there and play as hard as you can because that’s what they’re looking for.”

On the thin job market for people with sociology degrees (He graduated with one last May): “As hard as the economy is right now, [football] is probably the easiest job I can get, realistically

On his desire to be a first day (top 2 round pick): “I’ll probably be devastated if I’m not, but regardless, as long as I make it, I’m fine.”

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January 19th, 2009 | 11:04 am

Fokou Senior Bowl-bound

Terp linebacker Moise Fokou was set to play in the Texas vs. The Nation senior all-star game on Jan. 31, alongside teammate Jeremy Navarre. But according to a report in today’s Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register, Fokou will now play in Saturday’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Fokou was selected to replace Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, one of seven players who failed to show up in Alabama by the Sunday deadline, the report said.

The Butkus award winner is currently listed as the No. 1 player on ESPN’s Mel Kiper’s “Big Board” and likely stayed home because there is not much he could do to improve his draft status.

Meanwhile, Fokou joins the South squad for what is widely considered the nation’s top senior all-star showcase. He will be coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars’ staff this week and undergo a battery of physical and psychological tests for NFL representatives in a chance to make a good impression before the NFL combine and the Terps’ pro day. 

Fokou joins Terp cornerback Kevin Barnes for the contest, which will be broadcast at 6 p.m. on NFL Network. Barnes was invited to the game before sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury and will not particpate.

As a senior, Fokou was second on the team with 77 tackles this season, including a team-high five sacks. He was the only player in the ACC to record at least 75 tackles and five sacks this season. According to www.nfldraftscout.com, Fokou ranks as the nation’s 28th-best outside linebacker.

Last season, defensive tackle Dre Moore was the only Terp to participate in the Senior Bowl, and Moore, who was a Tampa Bay Bucanneers’ fourth round pick, ended up being the only Terp selected in the April draft.

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January 15th, 2009 | 09:09 am

2008 Season Review Top 10

As promised, here is the rest of my top 10 plays, moments and performances of the 2008 football season. A lot of offense on this list, but defense takes the top two spots. It was a memorable season for me, and for the record, my trip to ZooBoise finished at No. 11, just off my top 10 list.

5. Turner’s fourth quarter, fourth down run against UNC on Nov. 15: Chris Turner will not beat teams with his legs, or at least that’s probably what the Tar Heels thought before Turner came up with this bit of magic. Instead of attempting a go-ahead 49-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, coach Ralph Friedgen decided to go for it on a fourth-and-five. Turner dropped back, saw no one open and “jetted” up the middle for a 9-yard pick-up before sliding down. The 19-play drive finished with a game-winning 26-yard field goal by Obi Egekeze in a 17-15 win that put the Terps in good position for a spot in the ACC Championship.

4. Obi Egekeze’s game-winning field goal against N.C. State on Oct. 25: The senior kicker had a rollercoaster season that started with misses on his first five kicks. But on a rainy evening in College Park all of that was forgotten when Egekeze booted through a 20-yard field goal with six seconds remaining. The Terps walked away with a hard-fought 27-24 win against a Wolfpack squad that continued to improve throughout the season and Egekeze got a giant bear hug from holder Travis Baltz.

3. Da’Rel Scott’s final 20 minutes in the Humanitarian Bowl win over Nevada on Dec. 30: Scott, one of seven Terps benched because of curfew violations, stood on the sidelines into the third quarter against the Wolfpack. But when the sophomore finally got the call from offensive coordinator James Franklin, he was electric against a rapidly tiring defense. Scott picked up 174 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries to propel the Terps to a 42-35 win and prompt Nevada’s Hall of Fame coach Chris Ault to say, “He ran through us like we weren’t even there.” The performance proved it is possible to break a team rule, get benched and end up as team MVP all in one trip to Boise, Idaho.

2. Kevin Barnes’ hit on California’s Jahvid Best on Sept. 13: If this isn’t the most memorable play of the 2008 season, I don’t know what is. Check YouTube if you don’t believe me. Cal quarterback Kevin Riley tried to toss a swing pass to then-Heisman candidate Jahvid Best, but the Terp senior put his shoulder smack into Best’s chest as the ball skittered harmlessly away. Best crawled around on his hands for awhile and even left some of his breakfast on the Byrd Stadium field. The Terps’ bottled up Best and the hit provided all the momentum they needed to knock off the Golden Bears in this early-season tilt.

1. The Terp defense’s play in the second half at Clemson on Sept. 27: The Tigers looked every bit the part of preseason ACC favorite in the first half of this game in Death Valley, racking up nearly 200 rushing yards to take a 17-6 halftime lead. But in the second half, the Terp defense stood up and played one of its best halves of the season. The Terps shifted to more 4-3 defensive sets and could suddenly tackle, stifling the dynamic rushing duo of James Davis and C.J. Spiller. The Tigers managed just two first downs and 26 rushing yards in the second half. The Terp offense got the two touchdowns necessary to escape with a 20-17 comeback win.

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November 12th, 2008 | 08:01 pm

The Bright Side for Barnes

There’s a life lesson to be learned from Kevin Barnes.

The senior Terp cornerback, who had his season—and Terp career— ended when he injured his shoulder against Wake Forest on Oct. 18, knows things could always be worse.

The lone returning starter in the Terp secondary coming into the season was upbeat during his first meeting with the media since the injury.

“It’s not my knee, so I can’t really wish for anything better,” said Barnes, sitting in the offensive line room with his left arm in a sling hidden under a black Terp hooded sweatshirt.

Initially, Barnes was diagnosed with breaks to his shoulder blade and collarbone and tears to his rotator cuff and labrum.

The rehabilitation time was supposed to be 5-to-6 months.
But when doctors operated on Barnes two weeks ago they found the rotator cuff and shoulder blade had healed by themselves. They inserted a pin in his collar bone and pulled up his bicep to stabilize his shoulder.

Barnes started rehab yesterday and will lose the sling next week. He hopes to begin running soon.

“They got in there, and it didn’t look nearly as bad as they thought it was,” Barnes said. “Everything went good. I’ll be back in the beginning of January to start training.”

Barnes plans to participate in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February and Maryland’s Pro Day, which is held later in the spring before the NFL Draft on April 25 and 26.

Until then, Barnes is focused on doing whatever he can to help out the team.

“I’m a young coach, I guess,” Barnes said. “Now that I’m not really in there I can focus a lot more on what the younger [defensive backs] are doing and some of the linebackers.”

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October 21st, 2008 | 10:16 pm

They said it..

A little praise for some teammates – and a bonus Turner sound bite – from the mouths of Terps:

Center Edwin Williams on wide receiver Danny Oquendo – “He’s a good video game player. He’s just a beast in everything.”

Wide receiver Danny Oquendo on cornerback Kevin Barnes’ shoulder injury, which will keep him out of Saturday’s game against NC State – “It sucks, a fellow senior going down like that in his last college year. Hopefully, he’s able to bounce back.”

Quarterback Chris Turner - “I don’t have anything witty to say as far as how we beat ranked teams, but we do rise to the occasion obviously. There’s something to be said about that.”

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September 16th, 2008 | 05:59 pm

They said it…

From the mouths of Terps:

Cornerback Kevin Barnes on the fall out from his huge hit on Cal running back Jahvid Best in Saturday’s win: “I went out a little bit this weekend and probably at least 30 or 40 people came up and talked to me about it. It was cool at first, but I got kind of tired of it.”

Wide Receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey on how he may be utilized in the offense in the coming weeks: “Coach Franklin always has something up his sleeve that I don’t even know about yet. You’ve got to base the offense week by week based on who you’re going to play. We might have some tricks. We might not, you’ll just have to see on Saturday.”

Wide Receiver Danny Oquendo on the Terps’ newfound offensive success: “The first two games we only scored 14 points, and we scored that in our first two drives [Saturday]. It really showed us what we can do out there when we execute.”

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September 2nd, 2008 | 11:23 pm

They Said It

From the mouths of Terps…

Coach Ralph Friedgen: “If you want to boo me, boo me. Don’t boo the kid [quarterback Jordan Steffy].”

“[Da'Rel Scott] played a very good game last week in the running game, but there’s other parts of the game he can get better at. He needs to understand he has to contribute even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, but I think that’s a young player’s mistake.”

Senior center Edwin Williams: “I’m pretty revved up, especially [Saturday at Middle Tennessee] being our first away game of the season. I just want to go down there and execute our plan well. That comes with practice. Today will be a tough one, tomorrow will be a tough one, Thursday will be a tough one. Friday we get on a plane.”

“Everything we can fix. It’s not a lack of effort. It’s not a lack of assignment knowledge. It’s just little things. As long as we can take care of that, I think we’ll be good.”

Senior linebacker Trey Covington: “Our defense is a lot more flexible now. There can be three men rushing or eight men in the box. It’s a really diverse defense, so I think it will work well against their spread offense.”

“You don’t see the same quarterback every week. You see left-handers, right-handers, runners, pocket passers. It’s good to have experience against them all for defensive players. I don’t know how offensive players feel about [using three quarterbacks in practice], though.”

Senior cornerback Kevin Barnes: “With all the upsets last week, you can never be too sure of anything. You’ve got to go in, and play every team like they’re the greatest team ever.”

“[Steffy is] a senior. We look to him as a leader on offense. He’s graduated already. He could have been off doing everything he needs to do to get a career, but he came back and dedicated himself to this team.”

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