Several individual profile stories today. Kind of makes sense now that the writers have been watching the players for the last few weeks, talked to them and determined who the public is curious to get more information. Thankfully, these are not the personal story, sappy puff pieces.
Josh Cummings and also Adam Graessle get some love. Coach Greg Gattuso who also works with the special teams and tight ends admits he’s got it easy with the two.
Cummings and Graessle continued to work on their games during training camp practice and a scrimmage Tuesday at the UMPC Sports Performance Complex much to the delight of first-year coach Dave Wannstedt and his staff, which, of course, includes first-year assistant Gattuso, the former Duquesne coach and Penn State lineman.
Gattuso, who also coaches the Panthers tight ends and is the program’s recruiting coordinator, conceded that he’s nothing more to the duo than a babysitter of sorts.
“At this point in their careers, they’re very focused in how to do things, very self-motivated,” he said. “All I try to do with them is to keep them working. We film them so they can see their form when they’re good, and if there’s any problems, we can throw the film back in and let them look at it.”
The tight ends get love today (meaning it was a quote fest for Coach Gattuso). Eric Gill gets a piece from his hometown area paper (always easy to identify as such because they refer to the player as being a former high school player in the headline or early paragraph).
“I’m bigger than most defenders, so I have a better chance of running someone over than juking him out,” Gill said. “I have the position and the offense down pat pretty well now, so I’m working on my footwork and fundamentals like running routes and blocking so I can react in a game and not have to think first then react.”
He also knows exactly what to say about his coaches.
“This is my third tight end coach in the last three years, so I always seem to be learning from someone new,” Gill said. “Coach (Greg) Gattuso is a great teacher and I’ve enjoyed learning from him so far.”
Now that is looking at the glass as half-full.
Darrell Strong gets a piece. He’s now playing at about 250 pounds. He’s still not wild about blocking, which could hold him back in the offense.
“I’m real comfortable (with blocking) right now,” Strong said. “I don’t like blocking, but it’s something I have to do. It’s something I’ll have to get used to.”
He’s considered to be such an athlete and has such quickness to beat a defender that he has some amazing potential.
Final piece looks at LaRod Stephens.
Wherever he has been, he always has been told he was too short to play football and too small to play running back. And his response has always been the same — on and off the field.
“All I ever want is a chance,” said Stephens, 5 feet 7, 165 pounds. “Usually that’s all it takes. When people tell me I am too small, that motivates me. I know it is something I’ll hear for the rest of my life, but I’ve played football my whole life and I’ve never thought about my height or my size. I just go out and play to the best of my ability and let my performance speak for itself.
“Just don’t tell me I am too small until you see me play, that’s all I ask. Once people see me play, they usually change their opinion.”
He’s been impressive at camp. So much so, that he’s expected to go in as a change-of-pace back and perhaps have his own package of plays for each week. That’s something for a relatively unheralded, undersized freshman back.
The piece also explains the Stephens or Stephens-Howling issue.
Stephens played for Pennsylvania in the Big 33 game this summer but was listed on some rosters as “LaRod Stephens-Howling.”
He said he added the name Howling because it is his father’s last name and his mother and father were married within the past year.
“It was something I did just for the Big 33 game so people knew I really was a Howling,” Stephens said. “But now that it has been out there already, it doesn’t really matter so I am just going by ‘LaRod Stephens’ again.”
Besides, “Stephens” is a lot easier to put on the back of a jersey.
