Updated, 6:33 p.m. ET
The Jets turned solidly to the Baylor Bears for their back-to-back picks late in Round 6, selecting RB Terrance Ganaway and, yes, Robert Griffin — but not RGIII.
"I'm excited," Ganaway, who also goes by G-way, told reporters on a conference call this afternoon about donning the green and white. "I'm ready to put in the work and ready to win games. I know Coach Ryan and his staff do a good job of getting the guys ready to go. I'm just ready be part of the organization."
"It's kind of a surprise," said Robert T. Griffin, a.k.a. RGII. "I didn't know who was going to take me. I'm just glad the Jets gave me an opportunity and I want to show everything I've got."
Ganaway broke out his senior campaign, running for 1,556 yards and 21 touchdowns. The 6'0", 239-pounder set or tied 13 school records in 2011 and earned Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP honors after a 200-yard, five-TD performance in Baylor's shootout win over Washington. Ganaway ranks ninth in school history with career marks of 2,042 rushing yards and 28 rushing TDs.
After being clocked at 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Ganaway reportedly ran it in 4.47 at Baylor's pro day.
The 6'6", 335-pound Griffin, who helped protect QB Robert Griffin III, the second overall pick of the draft by the Redskins but is no relation, was a two-year starter for the Bears. He made 12 starts at right guard in 2011 and totaled 72 knockdown blocks on the season. He started 10 times at right tackle his junior season and was credited with 61 knockdown blocks.
The two had great things to say about each other, not surprising since they both started for the Bears offense directed by RGIII.
"It was great hearing about Terrance being drafted before me," Griffin said, giving a pretty expert scouting report of Ganaway's game. "We had a long season this year and we did pretty good, we went to the Alamo Bowl, and Terrance Ganaway is pretty good. He's an aggressive back who runs through tackles and hits the hole, and you've seen he can burst out and go score touchdowns."
"The guy plays extremely hard," Ganaway returned the compliment toward Big Graf. "He'll fight for you, he'll go to bat for you, he won't let you out to dry. He'll make a key block for you when you need it. And it's an honor to be alongside of him once again."
The Bears came to the Jets with picks Nos. 202 (Ganaway) and 203 (Griffin). Those are the Green & White's first two compensatory picks since they selected S Eric Smith at the end of Round 3 in the 2006 draft.
As odd as it may be that one NFL team selects two players from the same school on consecutive picks, it's the second time this has happened in Jets franchise history.
The first time was 36 years ago, when Lou Holtz, in his one draft as the Jets' head coach, selected the Buckey twins, Don, a wide receiver, at No. 326 overall, and Dave, a quarterback, at No. 327 (the pick coming from the Eagles), out of North Carolina State on back-to-back picks in Round 12 of the 1976 draft. Don played in four Jets games while Dave never played in the NFL.
Randy Lange contributed to this story.
