The Jets announced the signing of 17 undrafted free agents today and 10 of those players will line up on the offensive side of the ball at this weekend's minicamp. This '09 offensive UDFA class features a fascinating trio of tight ends consisting of a star college basketball performer, a former minor league baseball player and a salsa dancing fan.
J'Nathan Bullock, one of the most decorated hoops players in Cleveland State history, hasn't played football since high school. Bullock lined up at power forward last season for the Vikings, averaging 15.4 points and seven rebounds per game, and his 3,872 minutes played and 125 starts are school records. But he wouldn't mind following Antonio Gates' career path to the NFL.
A native of Flint, Mich., Bullock averaged 11.5 yards a carry and 22.9 yards per catch his senior season at Northern High. The Jets were one of the teams who attended his workout at Cleveland State and saw enough of him to offer him a contract.
"I've worked too hard to close the door on basketball," said Bullock in the Flint Journal. "It's just that football is right now and I want to see what's going to happen."
Bullock is set to receive his mechanical engineering degree from Cleveland State on May 16. If he needs advice on a possible career switch, he need look no further than Andrew Davie. Before the 26-year-old Davie (6'6", 275) lined up at tight end for the Arkansas Razorbacks, he was a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' minor league system.
Davie, a 32nd-round pick of the Redbirds in 2001, totaled 20 home runs and 97 RBIs before moving to the gridiron. With the Hogs, Davie had 24 catches and six TDs in three seasons and left after his junior campaign.
After missing the entire 2008 season due to injury, former Utah State TE Robert Myers might feel like dancing upon his return to the field. Myers, a 6'4", 240-pound native of Houston, led the country his junior season with a 15.2-yard average per catch. Myers, who lists salsa dancing as one of his hobbies, showcased an ability to stretch the field with the Aggies.
The Jets have had good fortune with Crimson quarterbacks and Harvard's Chris Pizzotti hopes he can keep a good thing going. Pizzotti (6'5", 225) recorded a 20-2 mark as Harvard's starter and also threw for a career-high 2,490 yards in his final season in Cambridge, Mass.
"The Jets actually showed the most interest throughout the process," Pizzotti told the Boston Herald. "I had a private workout with them a week after my pro day. Luckily, the workout went well with their quarterback coach. Both quarterback coaches were upbeat when we talked. It worked out great. It's nice to have an opportunity and now I have to get ready."
Georgia FB Brannan Southerland, who already graduated in December with a degree in consumer economics, was a character player throughout his collegiate career. He was the team's offensive captain as a senior and also earned an award for dedication to the UGa strength and condition program.
Southerland (6'0", 244) rushed 83 times and scored 17 TDs for the 'Dawgs. In 2006, the Dacula, Ga., native became the first fullback to lead Georgia in scoring since 1957 as he tallied eight touchdowns.
Northern Illinois wideout Britt Davis was slowed by injuries his final two seasons, but the 6'3", 205-pounder had a phenomenal start to his career. After Davis hauled in an NIU freshman-record 42 balls, he then set a sophomore record with 57 receptions. His 146 career catches rank fifth in school annals.
Three offensive tackles — McNeese State's Kyle Link, Southern Mississippi's Ryan McKee and Oregon State's Tavita Thompson — and Tulane C Michael Parenton round out the offensive group.
Link (6'6", 300) was a two-time All-Southland Conference player, and McKee (6'6", 295) helped the Golden Eagles set school marks for total offense each of the past three seasons.
Thompson became OSU's starting LT in 2007 but didn't play the second half of '07 and the first half of '08 because he was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, reportedly for taking an NCAA-banned dietary supplement. "There were a lot of hard days and tough nights," Thompson told osubeavers.com, "but with my family and the coaching staff, there was support from every angle. It was easy falling in and doing what I need to do for the future."
The 6'2", 292-pound Parenton started 46 games for the Green Wave and was a four-time All-Conference USA performer.
"The Jets called me at the beginning of the seventh round and were interested in signing me as a free agent if I didn't get drafted," Parenton told tulanegreenwave.com. "There were not a lot of centers drafted, so when the draft was over we finalized the deal late Sunday night. The Jets are a great organization with a new coach in Rex Ryan and this is a great opportunity for me. Bill Callahan is an experienced line coach who will be great to play for and I am looking forward to working hard and trying to make the roster."
