Pitt's Romeus Is Not In A Rush

Quarterbacks and offensive linemen all around the Big East were collectively disappointed to find out that defensive end Greg Romeus will be returning for his senior season with the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Big East’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year received a third round draft grade from the NFL Advisory Committee, which he understands is a conservative projection.

“I knew it could be higher than that, so it didn’t matter,” Romeus said of the grade and where he ultimately could get drafted. “Coach (Dave Wannstedt) basically told me that. If that (third round grade) was a reason (for me coming back), it wasn’t a big reason.”

More importantly, Romeus believes that another year at the collegiate level will help his career. He told College Football Insiders Radio that it wasn’t just one reason or another, but rather many factors which led to his decision to return to Pittsburgh for his senior campaign.

“The pros outweighed the cons,” Romeus said of staying in school. Like most college football players who must decide whether or not they are ready to make the jump to the NFL, Romeus leaned heavily on his family and head coach.

“It was a long decision. I didn’t make my mind up actually until the last week, a few days before the deadline. I talked to Coach. He talked to me. Toward the last few games he just told me he would look things up for me and tell me what the best option would be,” Romeus said. “He and my family all sat down and came to the conclusion that the best decision for me would be to stay. Every year it seems I have improved, not just physically but mentally, which is a big part of the game that you need to haave when it comes to going to the next level. I just think another year of experience would benefit me a lot more. There’s really no rush.”

Who else encouraged him? None other than Pittsburgh alumnus and current New York Jet Darrelle Revis, who provided advice and shared his own experience; as a junior, he was presented with the same choice.

“He (Revis) told me to just trust Coach,” Romeus told College Football Insiders Radio. Adding, “I knew Coach wouldn’t lead me in the wrong direction.” Wannstedt appears to have earned the type of trust in his players that can be the core of a program on the rise.

A high school basketball star, Romeus was a bit behind in the learning curve but made a solid contribution as a red-shirt freshman in 2007, recording 41 tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss and four sacks. In 2008 those numbers leaped to 51 tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. The 6’6”, 270-pound Romeus enjoyed a 2009 season in which he finished with eight sacks, 43 tackles, three forced fumbles, five passes defended and an interception on his way to Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as an All-College Football Insiders third team selection.

So where does he need to improve? Romeus wants to lead the team and ensure they achieve all that they can in 2010.

“We have a lot of goals for next year and to come back and have a chance to win a championship would be something good. I’m happy with my decision and I don’t regret it.”

Next year, Pittsburgh returns some key pieces from a 10-3 team that nearly pulled off a conference championship. Something that will be vital is leadership, and Romeus is on it.

“Me, as a senior, I feel as if I have to get out there and lead the guys. I’m ready to take on that role, coming in there everyday and making sure we train as hard as we can.”

Romeus understands that next year could bring even greater opportunities for him, namely a college degree and a Big East Championship. He’s already gotten college football fans excited about the 2010 Panthers, admiring the program’s consistency.

“We’re just improving every day. Everybody understands that it starts in the off-season and it’s something that we’re all buying into. Every year that happens we see the results are getting better. We are looking forward to that.”

As for this coming weekend, if you think Romeus is rooting for Revis to win a championship of his own, think again. When asked if he would be rooting for the former Panther he answered in the negative.

“Living in my Miami, we learned not to like the Jets.”

Click Here To Listen To Entire College Football Insiders Interview With Greg Romeus

Photos Courtesy of Dennis Hubbard & University of Pittsburgh

More Jackets To Leave The Hive?

Three days after Georgia Tech junior wide receiver Demaryius Thomas declared for the NFL Draft, Yellow Jackets Morgan Burnett, Jonathan Dwyer and Derrick Morgan will meet with the media.

At 1:00 on Monday, the University will make trio of juniors available to the media. It would not be a surprise if all three followed the lead of Thomas and give up their final year of eligibility for the chance to play on Sundays.

Morgan is projected as a potential top ten pick should he decide to make the jump. The defensive end is coming a spectacular season in which he recorded 55 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, 12.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumbles recoveries on his way to ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Joining Thomas and Morgan on the All-ACC first team was Dwyer, who ran for 1,395 yards to lead the team. He found the end zone 14 times as a junior and averaged 5.9 yards per carry. Burnett was a second team All ACC selection after snagging four interceptions to lead the Yellow Jackets. The safety registering 85 tackles (four tackles).

Dwyer is a potential first round pick and would be competing with fellow underclassman Jahvid Best and Ryan Mathews to be the number two running back prospect after Clemson’s C.J. Spiller. Like Thomas, Burnett is more likely to go in round number two should he decide he is ready to play in the league where they play for pay.

Georgia Tech is coming off of an 11-3 season, which included an ACC title. The Ramblin' Wreck defeated the Clemson Tigers in the ACC Championship game 39-34 before falling 24-14 to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2010 Orange Bowl.

Check for updates on this story.

Photo Courtesy of Georgia Tech Sports Information Office

Meineke Car Care Bowl: Prospect Watch

By Justin Van Fulpen

Here are the following players to keep your eye for the 2010 NFL Draft in the MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL.

Pittsburgh:

QB Bill Stull – Stull has really come on this season and has opened a few eyes in the NFL, but most scout just think he is more of just a guy than a prospect, but he should get a look as a free-agent.

TE Nate Byham – Byham has shown that he can both be a blocker and a pass receiver. The senior also possesses decent size; he projects as a 5th or 6th round pick.

OG Joe Thomas – Thomas is a good run blocker, but needs to improve as a pass blocker. Right now he is considered a free-agent type.

DE Greg Romeus – Romeus is a physically gifted defensive end who can rush the pass as well as play the run. He is only a junior and many people around the league believe that he will declare; if he does look for him to be an early 2nd round pick.

ILB Adam Gunn – Gunn is a hard-nosed player who swarms to the ball and is good against the run, but doesn’t do a great job against the pass. Right now is a free-agent type.

CB Aaron Berry – Berry doesn't have great size and wide receivers have shown the ability to take advantage of him when he plays man-to-man. Right now he is a free-agent type.

North Carolina:

DE EJ Wilson – Wilson has great size for a defensive at 6'2" and 280 pounds, along with excellent speed and quickness. The Tar Heel is a very good tackler who does possess pass-rush ability. Many scouts view him as a 3-4 defense end at the next level. He should be a 6th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

DT Marvin Austin – An athletic defensive tackle, Austin is also able to play defensive end in the 3-4 defense. Should the junior declare, he is projected to be selected late in round one.

DT Cam Thomas – Thomas is a massive defensive tackle at 6'3" and 330 pounds, and he may be able to play nose tackle at the next level, which could boost his draft stock. He carries a mid-late round pick.

DT Aleric Mullins – Mullins has good size but he hasn't played a ton because of the presence of Thomas and Austin. The NFL will like his ability to be a rotation type player on the defensive line and he should sign as free-agent.

ILB Quan Sturdivant - Sturdivant is a sideline-to-sideline inside linebacker who could step in and play middle linebacker in the NFL, but he is only a junior. It Sturdivant decides to declare, the Tat Heel would likely be be a 2nd round pick.

OLB Bruce Carter – There is talk that Carter has already made his mind up to come back to North Carolina for his senior season, but he could ultimately decide to come out and be a 2nd round pick due to his size and athleticism at outside linebacker.

CB Kendric Burney – Burney doesn’t have great size, but he will come up and hit; a very strong tackler for a cornerback. There is some talk about him coming out early and if he elects to forgo his senior season, expect him to be selected in the middle rounds.

S Deunta Williams – Williams has great size at 6'2" and 205 pounds, in addition to having a knack for making big plays. He is only a junior but should he declare he could wind up being a 2nd round pick.

For more NFL, NFL Draft news, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jvanfulpen.

Photos Courtesy of Dennis Hubbard & UNC Athletic Communications

Aaron Hernandez Wins John Mackey Award

Hernandez becomes the second junior to ever win the prestigious outstanding tight end award.

Manhasset, N.Y. (December 10, 2009) - The Nassau County Sports Commission has announced Aaron Hernandez of Florida as the 2009 John Mackey Award recipient. The Southeastern conference junior recorded 59 receptions for 739 yards and four touchdowns while leading Florida to the 2009 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Hernandez becomes the second junior to ever receive the John Mackey Award.

Hernandez was named first team All SEC in 2009. He also tied the single game Florida record for receptions by a tight end with eight in the 2009 SEC Championship game. Hernandez, who is well known for his blocking ability and receiving prowess has totaled 102 receptions, 1,271 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in his three year career with Florida.

The John Mackey Award is given to the collegiate tight end who best exemplifies the play, sportsmanship, academics, and community values of NFL Hall of Fame Tight End John Mackey. The 2009 John Mackey Award recipient was determined by confidential balloting of the John Mackey Selection Committee. Please visit www.johnmackeyaward.org for all Mackey Award related information including the John Mackey Selection Committee, the selection process and award criteria, information on all past award recipients and a high resolution image of the award trophy available for download.

The Nassau County Sports Commission, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization created to enhance quality of life of Nassau County residents through sports, is responsible for the administration of the John Mackey Award and the John Mackey Award Selection Committee. For additional information, please visit www.nassausports.org.

The John Mackey Award is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The NCFAA was founded in 1997 as a coalition of the major collegiate football awards to protect, preserve and enhance the integrity, influence and prestige of the game's predominant awards. The NCFAA encourages professionalism and the highest standards for the administration of its member awards and the selection of their candidates and recipients. For more information, visit the association's official website, www.ncfaa.org.

Photo Courtesy of College Press Box

OKLAHOMA ROMPS TULSA

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- With so much talent, No. 4 Oklahoma can take turns scoring touchdowns.

Allen Patrick ran for 145 yards and two TDs, Sam Bradford threw two long touchdown passes to Juaquin Iglesias and the Sooners outraced Tulsa 62-21 Friday night.

DeMarco Murray made it into the end zone three times for the highest-scoring team in the nation -- twice on runs and once on a kickoff return.

"We've just got a lot of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball -- a lot of them. A lot of people who whenever they touch the ball, you never know what they're going to do," Murray said. "Anyone can get six points whenever they touch it."

The Sooners (4-0) have put up at least 50 points in all four games. That's only the second time in school history they've had such a streak -- they also did it in 2003, capped by a 65-13 romp over Texas.

"We didn't think it was going to be like that, especially with some question at quarterback," Iglesias said. "We still had confidence in him, but the way he's playing now and the way we are playing around him, it's like we can't really be stopped right now."

After Tulsa quickly moved downfield following an interception for an early lead, the Sooners scored on five straight first-half possessions. Patrick high-stepped into the end zone on a 29-yard burst for a touchdown, and later pushed through from the 1 to make it 35-14.

Paul Smith threw for two scores and ran for another to lead Tulsa (2-1), which scored more touchdowns than Oklahoma's first three opponents combined. But the Golden Hurricane's spread scheme -- brought from Arkansas by offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn -- couldn't keep up with all the Sooners' talent on offense.

Oklahoma racked up 553 yards of total offense, including 285 on the ground.

"We've got to play better defense than what we're playing," Tulsa coach Todd Graham said. "They're going to have rushing yards, but we can't continually give up the big play."

The Sooners are averaging 61.5 points and 562 yards per game.

"I don't care what scores are or what statistics say," Sooners coach Bob Stoops said. "Everybody's statistics at this point of the year are very skewed because of strength of schedule and this, that and the other. So I don't pay any attention to it.

"To me, it's about are we improving and getting better?"

The Sooners play next week at Colorado, then take on No. 7 Texas.

After throwing an interception on the first possession of his first road game, Bradford settled in to throw for 244 yards on 16-for-22 passing.

Bradford connected with Iglesias for a 46-yard score down the left sideline, getting cornerback Charles Davis to bite on a pump fake before delivering the deep ball. Bradford also squeezed in a 21-yard scoring pass to tight end Jermaine Gresham between two defenders.

Iglesias later shrugged off three tacklers for a 40-yard score that made it 48-21 early in the fourth quarter.

"I know when we get the ball in to any one of those guys' hands, they're bound to take it to the house sometime," Bradford said. "That's kind of what I'm trying to do right now."

"I don't know if it's easy, but it's definitely fun watching those guys make plays."

Oklahoma moved to 10-8 in Friday games. The Sooners hadn't played on a Friday since the 2002 season opener, also at Tulsa. The crowd was split about 50-50 between fans clad in Tulsa blue and Sooners crimson.

Tulsa, which came in ranked fourth in the nation in total offense, showed early on it could move the ball against a Sooners defense that was ranked second in the country.

Smith capped a seven-play drive with a 15-yard TD pass to Jesse Meyer to give Tulsa an early 7-0 lead, and the Golden Hurricane were in range for a long field goal on their second drive when linebacker Chris Chamberlain lined up at quarterback and got stuffed on fourth-and-1.

Patrick tied the game on Oklahoma's ensuing possession, and the Sooners just kept scoring.

Brennan Marion caught a 48-yard touchdown pass to get Tulsa back within 21-14, but that's as close as it got.

Smith, coming off a career-best 454-yard, five-touchdown performance against BYU, finished with 350 yards on 22-for-32 passing. Meyer caught seven passes for a career-high 114 yards.

"This might sound nuts, but we were planning on being 3-0," Smith said. "We've still got a great opportunity to have a great season here and that's everybody's plan: to go be 13-1.

"To lose to a team like that, we're not going to be too down because we know they're a great team."