Brad

Rough road ahead for undrafted Hall Former USF running back attempts to become a Buc as undrafted free agent JIM BROCKMAN Herald Staff Writer TAMPA - It stung plenty. When you show up at the annual NFL rookie combine in Indianapolis and drop a 40-yard dash time of 4.42 seconds on coaches and scouts, you would think it might turn into at least a second-day draft selection. How about something in the fourth, fifth or sixth round? Seven rounds and 255 draft picks later last weekend, former South Florida running back Andre Hall found himself back to square one. No phone call from any NFL coaches. No NFL team. Not until the Tampa Bay Buccaneers called moments after the draft ended Sunday and signed Hall to a deal as an undrafted rookie free agent. That's the ultimate in trying to make it in the NFL the hard way. It's not impossible. In recent years, it's been the road taken by other Bucs who have made a name for themselves. Linebackers Ryan Nece and Shelton Quarles and tackle Anthony Davis became starters after beginning their professional careers as undrafted rookie free agents. Former Florida Gators running back Earnest Graham also made the team. However, it's a short list. Hall participated in his first ever Bucs practice Friday at One Buccaneer Place as the team began a three-day rookie mini-camp. "I'm not worried about it, not anymore," Hall said Friday of getting dissed during the draft. "I got too much to focus on out here trying to learn these plays. I just plan on doing my job. "I can't worry about what happened. I gotta move forward. Just keep pushing. "I'm not angry. I'm focused. I'm here to prove myself every day." Hall has no choice in the matter. If he's going to make the 53-man regular season roster, he'll have to bring it every day. Despite becoming USF's all-time leading rusher with 2,731 yards in just two seasons, Hall has lots to overcome. Mostly his size, or lack of it. At 5-foot-8, Hall can't afford to take any days off between now and the start of training camp in late July. "I've been doubted all my life," said Hall, who was born in St. Petersburg and graduated from Dixie Hollins High. "It's nothing new to me. It's nothing for me to hit the bottom and come back up. It's what I do." Bucs coach Jon Gruden is every bit as interested as Hall is to see what the versatile ex-Bull can do on the professional level. "He's an interesting guy," Gruden said. "Undrafted free agents don't just make it, they start, and they might make it to the Pro Bowl. This is a football program here for players, not draft choices. It's just a pecking order. It doesn't guarantee anyone anything." Hall's surest path to a roster spot would appear to be on special teams. The Bucs used four different kickoff return men in 2005 without anyone distinguishing themselves. "It's an area obviously where he'll come into play," Gruden said. "We need a guy, somebody in the United States, worldwide, who can come in and return a kickoff. This guy has a knack for doing it. "We're hoping he can come in here and find a niche with us, as a creative back to spell Cadillac (Williams). A guy who can catch it, return kickoffs, cover some kicks. He sounds like a guy who will do whatever is asked." Hall will receive the league minimum of $275,000 if he makes the team. "The playbook is the most important thing right now," Hall said. "I'll have my nose in it day in and day out. "You can't do anything without heart. You gotta have heart to even be out here. The only thing that matters is the size of your heart, how bad you want it." Story Link

Are you saying it's a "wie" accomplishment? That was bad...

Chris Harry | Sentinel Staff Writer Posted May 5, 2006, 7:47 PM EDT Bucs legends address rookies On their first day as Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team's rookies and undrafted free agents got to meet two of the franchise's true icons: former QB Doug Williams, now an executive in the personnel department, and nine-time Pro Bowl LB Derrick Brooks. Together, Williams and Brooks addressed the group of 55 players Friday morning, offering both advice and encouragement on their first day as pro football players. "You're talking about two of the greatest warriors who have ever played this game,'' Coach Jon Gruden said. "To have them address your rookies and guys that are here trying out ? just to give them incentive and motivation, something from the heart ? was appropriate and good.''  Hall right at home Locally, the signing of South Florida star TB Andre Hall, who led the Big East in rushing last year with 1,374 yards, caused quite a buzz. In a year when an unusually low number of tailbacks (14) were selected, Hall was bypassed probably because of his size (5-10, 205) and the fact he played in the worst of the BCS conferences. Is he angry over the slighting? "No,'' Hall said. "I'm focused.'' He'll have every chance to make the roster as a kick-returner on a franchise that has never run a kickoff back for a touchdown. They're long shots to make the team, but some of the undrafted free agents on hand have interesting backgrounds. CB Michael Woods, out of Southern, wasn't taken in the NFL lottery last week, but was a first-round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers as a second baseman. Etc. S Quentin Burrell, by way of Notre Dame, is the grandson of Grambling's legendary former Coach Eddie Robinson. The father of CB Mike Davis, out of Arizona State, goes by the same name. Cleveland Browns fans might remember him for a certain interception he made in the end zone ? against 1980 NFL MVP Brian Sipe ? as a safety for the Oakland Raiders in the playoffs 25 years ago. DE Tim Jones, out of USF by way of Lakeland, is the brother of Florida basketball standout Chris Richard. Story Link

Courtesy USF SID Office USF Baseball Drops Series Opener To Georgia Tech, 9-3 ATLANTA, Ga. (May 5, 2006) – The University of South Florida baseball team (20-26) dropped the opening game of its three-game series with the No. 16-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (34-12), 9-3, on Friday, May 5 at Russ Chandler Stadium. Junior Ty Taborelli went 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Addison Maruszak, Kris Howell and Brian Baisley each went 1-for-4 with and RBI. Five runs in the bottom of the first by the Yellow Jackets proved to be the difference in the contest. USF will continue its three-game series with a doubleheader vs. Georgia Tech on Saturday, May 6. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 3 p.m. The second contest will start approximately 30 minutes following the completion of Game One. Georgia Tech 9, USF 3 (May 05, 2006 at Atlanta, Ga.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- USF................. 100 020 000 - 3 6 1 (20-26) Georgia Tech........ 500 200 02X - 9 10 1 (34-12) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: USF - HUDSPETH; INGRAM(5). Georgia Tech - Wood, B.; Hyatt, J.(9). Win-Wood, B.(8-3) Loss-HUDSPETH(5-6) T-2:33 A-830 HR GT - Wieters, M. (7); Robbins, W. (10).

No problem, mine just had a sexier title...

Maybe it ws because he sat in the stands wearing a vest... Don't know... As I recall, he had an offer last year to take over the St. Leo program. Something so abrupt is odd. While Elifson did not receive a reason; and Clements spoke on behalf of Fernie, I sure hope that someone in the AD office got a good reason for such action...I am sure someone did, the media simply doesn't know yet. Peculiar.

His intent likely is to complain, but he sure sounds like a little pu$$y. You should be proud we're playing a tough opponent and not purposely setting up some cupcake that we should beat...

Congrats to Justin...talk about a twist of fate...he goes to camp and we don't know what happened to Baker...

Sanford still hears South Florida calling By JOE MASON Burlington County Times Every Friday night, Shawn Sanford knew to expect a call. After every Cinnaminson High School football game, Sanford would go home and just wait for the ring. Sanford is a star right-handed pitcher for the Pirates baseball team and last summer, he committed to the University of South Florida on a baseball scholarship. But because there was one more fall season left in his high school career, he wanted to continue calling the signals for the Pirates offense. “Their pitching coach (Nelson North) called me every week, just to make sure everything was OK,” Sanford said. “He'd always ask if there were any injuries and I'd always say no. I might have gotten a little banged up every now and then, but I usually felt pretty good. “There were a lot of people who thought I should just focus on baseball. But I knew next year, I'd be dropping of the face of the earth, you know, moving all the way to Florida. This was my last chance to have fun, so I stuck with it.” Football was for fun. Baseball, that's all work. Or at least it was all work. Sanford wanted to be a dominant pitcher and with an effective fastball and a decent curveball, he was able to go to the mound and get batters out. But he attended camps, clinics and worked closely with his coaches — at Cinnaminson and on his summer teams — to improve his prowess on the hill. “He worked his way into becoming a good pitcher and right now he's very hot,” Pirates coach Mario Patrizi said. “When he goes out there he can pitch a great game for us. He's been doing it all season. He's the type of pitcher that can carry a team.” After losing his first game of the season, Sanford has won his last four decisions. As the weather improved, so did Sanford, which makes his decision to attend the school based in Tampa that much more attractive. But there's an oh-so-small chance he might not make down south. In the past few weeks, Sanford's games have featured a guy standing behind home plate with a radar gun. Yup, some of those guys — major league scouts. “It's weird, really nervewracking,” Sanford said. “You see the guys with the gun, then after the inning you see them on their cell phone and you want to know what they're saying. “You know they're talking about you; you just don't know if it's good or bad.” But in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter what they're saying, because chances are, Sanford is going to USF. “I can't say it's 100 percent, but it's pretty close,” he said. “I want to get drafted, but if I do, I'll probably still go. I guess it depends on (a prospective offer from a pro organization), but I want to go to school. “Perfect weather, great baseball and a chance to go to school in a place that's 65 percent girls. It would take an awful lot to get me away from South Florida.” Story Link Not sure why I posted this....I guess because of the three things attracting the kid to USF...and he's right on at least 2 out of 3.  Plus the fact people like to defend EC because the pro scouts seem to pick on his team.  If this kid finds out there are minor league teams in Florida, watch out. Good story about the rigors of USF Baseball recruiting.

Daniel finally gets his chance Former Charlotte football player Justin Daniel was supposed to be helping out a former teammate. In the process, he helped himself to a spot in this weekend's Detroit Lions rookie mini-camp. Daniel (6-foot-2, 275 pounds), who graduated from Charlotte High in 2001 and finished his playing career at the University of South Florida in 2004, was the Bulls' deep snapper. Last week when former Bulls punter Brandon Baker needed a deep snapper for his workout with the Lions in Tampa, he called Daniel. Daniel spent 2005 as a undergraduate coaching assistant, hoping that a tryout with the New York Giants that didn't pan out wouldn't be his only shot at an NFL roster. As Baker punted, the Lions watched Daniel's perfect snaps and got to thinking. "They gave me a call Friday night and said they were thinking about bringing me up," Daniel said. "It just came down to who they drafted." Late Sunday Daniel got a call from the Lions. They had one more pick, they told him, and if they didn't take a tight end with deep snapping experience then Daniel was on his way to Motown. The Lions took a linebacker. "I didn't know who was more excited -- me, my dad or my mom," Daniel said. Myron and Nanci Daniel won't be accompanying their son this weekend. But his former teammate, Frank Davis, is also trying out this weekend. So he'll have a friend with him. Daniel is keeping his goals modest this weekend. "Well, it'd be nice to be picked up by them," Daniel said. "If not, it's a chance to be seen." Story Link

Courtesy USF SID Office USF Bulls (20-25, 9-12 BIG EAST) at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (33-12, 14-10 ACC) Date: May 5-7 Location: Russ Chandler Stadium (4,157), Atlanta, Ga. Television: N/A Radio: Radio coverage on WREK-FM (91.1 FM in Atlanta / online at: www.wrek.org) on Friday and Saturday, and on 790 The Zone (790 AM in Atlanta / online at: www.790thezone.com). Record: USF dropped to 20-25 following a weekend series loss to Georgetown (2-1) Rankings: Georgia Tech is ranked No. 16 in this week’s “Baseball America” Top 25; No. 13 in the week’s “USA Today/ESPN” Top 25; No. 14 in the week’s Collegiate Baseball Top 30; No. 10 in this week’s “NCBWA” Top 30. Live Stats: Gametracker - www.ramblinwreck.com The Series: Friday’s contest versus the Yellow Jackets will mark the fifth meeting between USF and Georgia Tech with the Yellow Jackets holding a 3-1 edge in the series history. The last meeting between the two teams took place on March 11, 1989, resulting in an 11-3 win for Georgia Tech in Atlanta Projected Starters Game No. 46 - Friday, May 5 - 7 p.m. USF - No. 10 Casey Hudspeth, junior, RHP (5-5, 4.64 ERA, 82 K) Georgia Tech - No. 30 Blake Wood, sophomore, RHP (7-3, 5.16 ERA, 58 K) Game No. 47 - Saturday, May 6 - 7 p.m. USF - No. 26 Daniel Thomas, sophomore, RHP (2-4, 4.19 ERA, 59 K) Georgia Tech - No. 19 David Duncan, freshman, LHP (5-2, 5.61 ERA, 41 K) Game No. 48 - Sunday, May 7 - 1 p.m. USF - No. 31 Davis Bilardello, sophomore, LHP (1-4, 4.25 ERA, 45 K) Georgia Tech - TBA USF Travels To Atlanta To Face Nationally-Ranked Georgia Tech This Weekend TAMPA, Fla. (May 4, 2006) – The University of South Florida baseball team (20-25, 9-12 BIG EAST) will take a break from BIG EAST action to play a three-game series versus the No. 16-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (33-12, 14-10 ACC) beginning Friday, May 5 at 7 p.m. The Bulls are looking to snap a current two-game skid, following a series loss to Georgetown last weekend. USF enters this weekend’s series batting .281 with 24 home runs and 218 RBI. Leading the way, offensively, for USF is senior Kris Howell, who is batting .341. The Bulls’ left fielder has scored 27 runs while driving in 19. Senior Brian Baisley is hitting .311 with four home runs and 23 RBI this season. Baisley is tied for the team lead in home runs and is posting a .508 slugging percentage. Freshman Addison Maruszak leads USF in doubles with 13. The USF shortstop is batting .310 with one home run and 22 RBI. USF’s bullpen enters its series with Georgia Tech holding a 4.66 ERA. The Bulls have struck out 372 batters in 413 and two-thirds innings pitched. Junior Casey Hudspeth, who leads the conference in strikeouts (82), will get the start on Friday. Hudspeth has posted a 5-5 record with a 4.64 ERA in 2006. Taking the mound for USF on Saturday will be right-hander Daniel Thomas. The Tampa native has registered a 2-4 record with a 4.19 ERA, striking out 59 batters this season. Sophomore Davis Bilardello is expected to make his 12 start on Sunday. The Vero Beach, Fla., native will be looking for his second win of the season. Friday’s game will mark the fifth meeting all-time between USF and Georgia Tech with the Yellow Jackets holding a 3-1 edge in the series history.

Marketing geniuses on this board indeed: Three hours to show the country UCF is a good place to go to school if you like getting your ass kicked in in a nice setting, well except for the low budget stadium.

As I can recall, Chucky originally signed with Vancouver...got release...later signed with Magic...went to Detroit on a Sign and Trade deal....dealt to Celtics, dealt to Lakers, dealt to Wizards and finally to the Griz.

I did not have an equal dispersion of ink throughout the autograph and at times, the autograph encroached upon parts of the ticket that I would have preferred to be "autograph-free." In "autograph-appropriate" areas I would say that the autograph itself could have been improved in that the penmanship of Jim Leavitt looks staged, almost as if he had sat down and signed hundreds of these items. Mine seemed to lack any specificity or uniqueness. All in all, I'll complain about this until something else comes along. Just kidding of course, mine looks fine, even when I take off my alleged Green and Gold glasses...I am buying another today.

True... Some thought Chucky would have been drafted right after AI. He was not, but was fortunate to later sign a deal with hometown team Orlando Magic. From there a 7 year $28 million plus deal with the Pistons. He's in the final year of that contract now I believe, but was certainly the first Bull over the $25 million mark that I can recall...and is a Bull known has a hard worker, undersized and a longshot to stick in the Association. Chucky's a great guy and has a lot of heart. I see those parallels quite clearly.

LOL..Well said... If you think the Ath. Dept. is bad now, what do you think it was like 20 years ago before football and all the associated press and coverage received now? I still made every home hoops game. You just got to get off your arse and go. I guess students nowadays have been raised to think someone else is responsible for them...Do your teachers come calling on you at your dorm to make sure you go to class? An article with valid issues, not valid points.

I always thought Andre had quick bursts of speed from the backfield, great blance and good vision. What I did not see was a guy that could outrun everyone else. He often got caught from behind after getting past most of the defense. I don't see him carving a niche as a returns guy. I wish him the best in all regards, and I hope he and all of you know much better than me.

I'm in...we need to know if Bloomie has a PayPal account...

The problem is that the whole of the NFL has now settled for mediocrity.

I know Velcro is a legit Bosox fan...are the others just bandwagoneers, or are they legit...?

I think Levi was on an NFL Europe team, but inactive recently... Yep, looked it up...the Centurions. http://www.nfleurope.com/players/playerpage/1161 • Allocated to NFL Europe by the Detroit Lions and assigned to the Cologne Centurions • Signed by the Lions as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2005.

The whole post was to get a little rise out of our resident Bosox guy - I think it worked... ;D

Yeah, I heard about this...but I won't spill the beans other than the nonspecific reference in another thread... Bulls Country is here for Andre...he's an incredible Bull and he's like a family member to all of us.

Thanks Greg... Do you expect any more Bulls on your blog with this kind of good news tonight? It seems none others were on the radar, but some feel Royal might have a chance to sign a FA deal...

Unofficial word (rumor) is that Andre has also been under some personal stress for family reasons, meaning someone very close to him is not doing well and is receiving care. I'll not post any details here. Stay strong Andre and know we're all with you both personally and professionally as you navigate life after USF.