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http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/feb/19/former-cincinnati-standout-gilyard-gearing-naples-/
NAPLES — There are two NFL prospects from north Florida that many teams are eyeing as April’s draft approaches.
Both are defined by their faith.
Both played in the Sugar Bowl and the Senior Bowl.
One of them is a born-again quarterback was in the news recently for tackling his mom during a Super Bowl ad. The other is a wideout who has spent the past six weeks in Naples with Clif Marshall, preparing for the NFL combine.
While Jacksonville native Tim Tebow has made news for commercials and political prayer breakfasts, Bunnel’s Mardy Gilyard has been in Naples training with Ignition Florida, a company designed to prepare the former Cincinnati receiver for the tests that await him next week at the combine in Indianapolis.
Marshall is Gilyard’s trainer, choosing what he eats for breakfast and getting the receiver ready for the sprints, jumps and mental hurdles that stand between him and the first-round selection he covets.
Like Tebow, Gilyard is devout in his faith.
“The one thing I liked about Ignition is that they’re faith-based, I needed that,” Gilyard said.
When they first met in January, Tebow earned MVP honors and set a BCS record for all-purpose yardage as the Gators beat Gilyard’s Bearcats 51-24 in the Sugar Bowl.
If the Sugar Bowl was a showcase for Tebow, a week later the Senior Bowl was just that for Gilyard, who finished with five catches for 103 yards and a touchdown on his way to offensive MVP honors.
The game was an important step for Gilyard to prove he is more than just a product of now-Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly’s spread offense.
“I showed that the system stuff is out of the window at the senior bowl,” Gilyard said.
Gilyard played with an NFL prospect in quarterback Tony Pike, and said he would tell an NFL GM to take his quarterback before Tebow.
“Timmy’s a product that needs to be polished. If Timmy would have went to say UCF, he wouldn’t have been Tim Tebow,” Gilyard said.
“Timmy can run, Timmy can do that whole spiel, but when it came down to dropping back and throwing he was having a lot of trouble with that. He’s an excellent character, but speaking relative to football his throwing ability’s not that good. And I’m not just saying that because they beat us in the Sugar Bowl, it’s just truly speaking facts,” Gilyard said.
Two years ago, when sophomore Tim Tebow was on the cusp of winning the Heisman Trophy, Gilyard was living in a car and paying back the thousands of dollars he owed the University of Cincinnati for tuition after his scholarship was revoked.
Gilyard lost his the scholarship from then-coach Mark DAntonio for skipping too many classes.
Gilyard found himself pumping gas, one of the four jobs he worked while paying back the school, when Kelly took over the Bearcats program. A member of Kelly’s staff called and told Gilyard he could try out as a receiver.
Two years later, Gilyard is grateful to be in Naples with Marshall preparing for the combine.
The 40-yard dash will be the measuring stick for receivers, and Gilyard is confident his reputation as a spread offense receiver will be put to rest.
“Im not a 4.55 guy, I’m a sub 4.4 guy,” Gilyard said.
While Tebow’s draft status remains to be seen, Gilyard said he is confident a fast 40 time will get him selected in the first round. Gilyard is looking at the 21st pick as an ideal landing spot.
“The team I like is the Bengals, their No. 1 need is a wideout,” Gilyard said.
Gilyard met and befriended Chad Ochocinco while still in college, and calls the Pro-Bowler a mentor that he can chit-chat with all the time.
The NFL combine begins Thursday in Indianapolis, with receivers working out on Friday.
NAPLES — There are two NFL prospects from north Florida that many teams are eyeing as April’s draft approaches.
Both are defined by their faith.
Both played in the Sugar Bowl and the Senior Bowl.
One of them is a born-again quarterback was in the news recently for tackling his mom during a Super Bowl ad. The other is a wideout who has spent the past six weeks in Naples with Clif Marshall, preparing for the NFL combine.
While Jacksonville native Tim Tebow has made news for commercials and political prayer breakfasts, Bunnel’s Mardy Gilyard has been in Naples training with Ignition Florida, a company designed to prepare the former Cincinnati receiver for the tests that await him next week at the combine in Indianapolis.
Marshall is Gilyard’s trainer, choosing what he eats for breakfast and getting the receiver ready for the sprints, jumps and mental hurdles that stand between him and the first-round selection he covets.
Like Tebow, Gilyard is devout in his faith.
“The one thing I liked about Ignition is that they’re faith-based, I needed that,” Gilyard said.
When they first met in January, Tebow earned MVP honors and set a BCS record for all-purpose yardage as the Gators beat Gilyard’s Bearcats 51-24 in the Sugar Bowl.
If the Sugar Bowl was a showcase for Tebow, a week later the Senior Bowl was just that for Gilyard, who finished with five catches for 103 yards and a touchdown on his way to offensive MVP honors.
The game was an important step for Gilyard to prove he is more than just a product of now-Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly’s spread offense.
“I showed that the system stuff is out of the window at the senior bowl,” Gilyard said.
Gilyard played with an NFL prospect in quarterback Tony Pike, and said he would tell an NFL GM to take his quarterback before Tebow.
“Timmy’s a product that needs to be polished. If Timmy would have went to say UCF, he wouldn’t have been Tim Tebow,” Gilyard said.
“Timmy can run, Timmy can do that whole spiel, but when it came down to dropping back and throwing he was having a lot of trouble with that. He’s an excellent character, but speaking relative to football his throwing ability’s not that good. And I’m not just saying that because they beat us in the Sugar Bowl, it’s just truly speaking facts,” Gilyard said.
Two years ago, when sophomore Tim Tebow was on the cusp of winning the Heisman Trophy, Gilyard was living in a car and paying back the thousands of dollars he owed the University of Cincinnati for tuition after his scholarship was revoked.
Gilyard lost his the scholarship from then-coach Mark DAntonio for skipping too many classes.
Gilyard found himself pumping gas, one of the four jobs he worked while paying back the school, when Kelly took over the Bearcats program. A member of Kelly’s staff called and told Gilyard he could try out as a receiver.
Two years later, Gilyard is grateful to be in Naples with Marshall preparing for the combine.
The 40-yard dash will be the measuring stick for receivers, and Gilyard is confident his reputation as a spread offense receiver will be put to rest.
“Im not a 4.55 guy, I’m a sub 4.4 guy,” Gilyard said.
While Tebow’s draft status remains to be seen, Gilyard said he is confident a fast 40 time will get him selected in the first round. Gilyard is looking at the 21st pick as an ideal landing spot.
“The team I like is the Bengals, their No. 1 need is a wideout,” Gilyard said.
Gilyard met and befriended Chad Ochocinco while still in college, and calls the Pro-Bowler a mentor that he can chit-chat with all the time.
The NFL combine begins Thursday in Indianapolis, with receivers working out on Friday.
