About being picked by the Titans in the 3rd round (94th overall), Ryan Mouton said:
"I'm back with them." (HA)
About how he was raised in Houston and was "8 or 9" when the Houston Oilers left for Tennessee, Mouton said:
"You always root for the hometown team. Even though we're big Cowboy fans in my house, when the Oilers played, we rooted for those guys. When they moved to Tennessee, I still followed those guys." (HA)
HA Note: "Mouton had private workouts with about a half-dozen teams. The past Friday, the Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers watched Mouton work out at his alma mater, Katy High School. After that, a coach from the Titans told Mouton: "You're my guy." Saturday, Mouton was told by Tennessee reporters that he would be taken with the 94th overall pick. When the 93rd selection was on the clock, Mouton received the call. He was asked: "How would you like to come out and be a Tennessee Titan?" His expression sparked a loud celebration among the 25 guests in his house."
About how the people in his house reacted when he got the call from the Titans, Mouton said:
"Everybody went crazy. It's a great feeling. I couldn't be in a better place." (HA)
As it came closer to pick 94 in the draft, Mouton said that he was:
"holding my breath." (HSB)
About the call from the Titans, Mouton said:
"They called and asked how'd I like to be a Tennessee Titan. I was overwhelmed. I really didn't know what to think." (HSB)
About how his family is in Houston and will get to watch him play, Mouton said:
"(Tennessee's) not too far from Houston and we play the Texans twice a year, so my family will get a chance to watch me at home. The Tennessee Titans used to be the Houston Oilers, so they're still kind of the hometown team." (HSB)
About how he was preparing for a nap at his Mililani home when he received a call from Scott O'Brien, New England's special-teams coordinator, Ingram said:
"He was kind of playing with me. He told me, 'How are you doing?' I said, 'I'm good.' It was like that for about four minutes. Then he asked, 'Can you play in the cold? Do you want to play here?' I was like, 'yeah, yeah.' " (HA)
HA Note: "Then O'Brien said somebody wanted to speak. O'Brien handed the phone to Bill Belichick, the Patriots' head coach. Belichick said: "Welcome to the Patriots."
About hearing from Bill Belichick, Ingram said:
"I was star-struck. Now it's NFL time, you have to get over that, and get to work." (HA)
About his phone call with Belichick, Ingram, said:
"He said, 'We're about to turn your name in and welcome to the New England Patriots.' I'm trying to listen and just then everybody in my house started yelling and screaming." (HSB)
HA Note: "Ingram praised former UH head coach June Jones, who promised a scholarship if Ingram would move from defensive end to long-snapper. Ingram agreed, but often tried to sneak into defensive meetings. Finally, Ingram accepted his role, becoming one of the most accurate long-snappers in the country."
About how he never imagined that he would be drafted, Ingram said:
"I thought if you do good at this, you can get a free-agent deal. It would be like walking on to the NFL." (HA)
"I thought if I got good at long snapping I might be able to get into a camp. For this to happen is unbelievable." (HSB)
HA Note: "Ingram, who was invited to the NFL combine, impressed scouts with his accuracy and athletic ability. At Pro Day, the Cincinnati Bengals' special-teams coach supervised Ingram's workouts. O'Brien, meanwhile, watched from a distance, never letting Ingram know he was in attendance. The Patriots, poker players in NFL scouting, were seeking to replace Lonie Paxton, who signed with the Denver Broncos."
Thanking JJ, Ingram said:
"I want to thank coach Jones. If it weren't for him, I don't know what I would be doing now." (HA)
About how the Patriots want him to gain weight (he weighed 230 pounds at the combine and at UH's Pro Day), Ingram said:
"They told me I'd better show up at close to 240. I'm going to eat right now." (HA)
About New England drafting Ingram, Ingram's agent Wynn Silberman said:
"As soon as the Patriots picked him, I got a text from another team. It was a four-letter word." (HSB)
Josh Leonard said that while watching the draft come to an end:
"it got a little tense." (HA)
Josh said that the Houston Texans presented:
"the best opportunity." (HA)
HA Note: "Leonard drew interest from 20 teams after bench pressing 225 pounds 41 times at Pro Day and running the 40-yard dash twice in under 5 seconds."
HA Note: "Leonard will play the three-shade (defensive tackle) in the 4-3 scheme. Because the Texans do not have a rookie camp, he reports May 15 for a mini-camp."
HA Note: "Dowling played one season at UH after transferring from Oregon. His size (6 feet 1 7/8) and speed (4.5 seconds in the 40) attracted the Cardinals, who were seeking big corners. He is awaiting the paperwork, but he already has accepted the offer. Linebacker Solomon Elimimian, meanwhile, was mulling offers from the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills last night."
HSB Note: "This is how bad it is for Elimimian: The Lions told his agent they'd get back to him today. The Lions."
About how the scout rely on numbers instead of production in college, Sol's agent Wynn Silberman said:
"A lot of scouts hide behind numbers rather than stepping forward and trying to evaluate talent. They're protecting their jobs, and it's easier to defend yourself if you point at numbers." (HSB)
HSB Note: "And those numbers are 40 times and size, not hundreds of tackles in college."
HSB Note: "BESS WENT UNDRAFTED last year, also deemed too slow by the scouts. But it worked out for the slot receiver, as he landed with a team that really wanted him, the Miami Dolphins. Silberman hopes he can do for Elimimian what Kenny Zuckerman did for Bess."
About finding the right team for Sol, Wynn Silberman said:
"It might take some time to put him where he's in position to make a roster than just place him on any team." (HSB)
http://sports.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090427/SPORTS0201/904270350/1312&template=UHSports
http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20090427_mouton_3_others_with_isle_ties_drafted.html
http://www.starbulletin.com/columnists/furtherreview/20090427_further_review.html
Monday, April 27, 2009
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