cowboyjoe
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 28,433
- Reaction score
- 753
Weight issues could hurt Jorvorskie Lane in NFL Draft
By LORI DANNldann@star-telegram.com
Related Content
GETTY IMAGES/RONALD MARTINEZ
Jorvorskie Lane reportedly weighed 295 pounds at the East-West Shrine Game in Houston. GETTY IMAGES/RONALD MARTINEZ
Most-read stories
In Loserville, a drafting slump isn’t helping the Big Four
Management bonuses anger unions at American Airlines
Chris Simms takes advantage of Jay Cutler’s absence
Suspect surrenders in Arlington fatal shooting
Tony Romo for Jay Cutler is nothing but a fantasy trade
"Mean" Joe Greene has evaluated hundreds of college football players in his career as an NFL scout.
But a nearly 300-pound tailback? That’s a first.
Greene’s initial impressions of super-sized rusher Jorvorskie Lane — in the midst of his 16-touchdown junior season at Texas A&M — were good.
"He reminded me of Jerome Bettis," the Pittsburgh Steelers scout said, comparing Lane to the former 255-pound tailback who was a six-time Pro Bowl player and two-time first-team All-Pro selection.
"He was scoring a lot of touchdowns, especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and I think a lot of teams are looking for that kind of guy nowadays with all the two-back offenses."
That was roughly 20 pounds ago, when Lane was closer to the 275-pound range that Greene played at during his days as a defensive lineman on Pittsburgh’s "Steel Curtain" defense.
As Lane’s weight has increased, so have questions about his ability to succeed in the NFL, especially after he grudgingly accepted his shift from tailback to fullback last fall and was unable to drop the 30 pounds new Aggies coach Mike Sherman asked him to lose.
Despite the back’s immense popularity with Texas A&M faithful, many of whom wanted the ball in Lane’s hands as much as possible, Sherman stood his ground. After rushing for 44 touchdowns in his first three years, the "J-Train" never picked up steam in his senior season.
Lane, who bowled over defenders on the way to four 100-yard rushing games and two four-touchdown games as a junior, started just five games last season and rushed for 93 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries in Sherman’s pro-style offense.
The dramatic drop-off in production, combined with ongoing concerns about his weight and attitude about his position change, could have a major effect on Lane’s status heading into the NFL Draft on April 25-26.
"It probably cost him a draft choice," Tennessee Titans scout C.O. Brocato said. "It might have cost him five rounds."
A weighty matter
Weight has always been an issue for Lane, who was born more than a month premature but weighed 230 pounds by the time he was a freshman at Lufkin High School.
He was up to 265 pounds by his senior season.
Still, he never considered himself anything other than a running back.
In seventh grade, when his coaches attempted to move him to tight end, Lane walked off the field.
Turns out the change was only temporary.
He’s been in the backfield ever since.
At A&M, Lane excelled in former coach Dennis Franchione’s zone-read option offense, scoring the bulk of his school-record 50 touchdowns during his first three years and earning an almost cult-like following as the "Round Mound of Touchdown."
Lane admitted being "stunned for a couple of weeks" when Sherman told him he was moving to fullback in the spring, and he reported to fall camp about 25 pounds heavier than the 265-pound target mark set for him.
"People look at it like I’ll just wake up one day and lose weight," he said at the time. "It’s a hard task."
Lane also was slow to embrace his role as a blocker, something scouts say he must do if he wants to play on the next level.
"A lot of better players than him have had to do that," Packers scout Alonzo Highsmith said. "There are no 290-pound halfbacks his size in the league. Guys have to change positions and change their mind-sets all the time.
"We would all love to date Halle Berry, but hey, we can’t. We have to be who we are. This is not a time to be stubborn."
Despite his subpar final season, Lane earned second-team All-Big 12 honors at fullback and was invited to the East-West Shrine Game in Houston.
While there, he turned a few heads with some one-handed catches in practice.
But the biggest buzz came when Lane weighed in at a whopping 295 pounds.
"I told him then, 'You have to show some ability to control your weight, and the next time you work out for the scouts, you need to have lost at least 15 pounds,’ " Greene said. "Controlling one’s weight is a big issue in the National Football League, especially for big guys. And I have been there.
"If you’re not responsible for controlling your weight, that’s a red flag for other things."
Under the microscope
Lane had a chance to show his progress toward that goal earlier this month when a large contingent of NFL scouts, coaches and general managers converged on College Station for Pro Day. Instead, he watched from the sidelines in street clothes, citing a hamstring strain.
Even worse, he didn’t get weighed or measured, leading to even more speculation about his weight.
Lane also refused to talk to the media in attendance, saying only that he was concentrating on academics and that he planned to work out for scouts at Stephen F. Austin’s Pro Day on Monday.
"That was disappointing," Highsmith said. "He’s had since November to get ready, and you only get a couple windows of opportunity. There were some GMs there that won’t be at Stephen F. Austin. I think Jorvorskie is a talented young man and a good kid — I like him personally — but he has to get focused on how good he wants to be."
Some have wondered if Lane might be following in the footsteps of another former big back at Texas A&M who was unable to fulfill his early promise.
Ja’Mar Toombs rushed for 26 touchdowns in three seasons as a 260-pound fullback with the Aggies and appeared to have a solid future in the NFL before weight issues sent him to the Arena Football League in 2003.
But talent-wise, scouts say Lane is a cut above Toombs.
"Jorvorskie is a better athlete," Brocato said. "For a guy as big as he is, he’s got tremendous hands. And his feet are just as good and quick as any running back who’s 200 pounds. You watch him run. Put on a tape and watch him from the back side, from the end zone. He can move and cut terrific for a guy that size."
Will that be enough to convince an NFL team to take a chance and draft Lane?
Scouts say they’ll know more after Lane’s workout at Stephen F. Austin.
"I don’t think anyone doubts his ability to play," Greene said. "But his weight is a concern. From a mental and professional standpoint, he has to get that under control if he wants to realize his potential."
Regardless of whether he’s drafted or signs as a free agent, everyone agrees that Lane can be an impact player at the next level if his attitude is right.
"He’s shown he has the talent to run the ball, and he looks like he could become a good blocker," Highsmith said. "But he has to put in his mind, 'I’m going to do everything I can to get down to 260 pounds, and I’m going to knock the crapout of people.’ If he doesn’t, he won’t be playing pro football.
"It’s all on him now. His whole career is on him."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFL Draft April 25-26
Radio City Music Hall,
New York
Cowboys’ first pick: Second round, No. 51 overall
Lori Dann, 817-390-7760
By LORI DANNldann@star-telegram.com
Related Content
GETTY IMAGES/RONALD MARTINEZ
Jorvorskie Lane reportedly weighed 295 pounds at the East-West Shrine Game in Houston. GETTY IMAGES/RONALD MARTINEZ
Most-read stories
In Loserville, a drafting slump isn’t helping the Big Four
Management bonuses anger unions at American Airlines
Chris Simms takes advantage of Jay Cutler’s absence
Suspect surrenders in Arlington fatal shooting
Tony Romo for Jay Cutler is nothing but a fantasy trade
"Mean" Joe Greene has evaluated hundreds of college football players in his career as an NFL scout.
But a nearly 300-pound tailback? That’s a first.
Greene’s initial impressions of super-sized rusher Jorvorskie Lane — in the midst of his 16-touchdown junior season at Texas A&M — were good.
"He reminded me of Jerome Bettis," the Pittsburgh Steelers scout said, comparing Lane to the former 255-pound tailback who was a six-time Pro Bowl player and two-time first-team All-Pro selection.
"He was scoring a lot of touchdowns, especially in short-yardage and goal-line situations, and I think a lot of teams are looking for that kind of guy nowadays with all the two-back offenses."
That was roughly 20 pounds ago, when Lane was closer to the 275-pound range that Greene played at during his days as a defensive lineman on Pittsburgh’s "Steel Curtain" defense.
As Lane’s weight has increased, so have questions about his ability to succeed in the NFL, especially after he grudgingly accepted his shift from tailback to fullback last fall and was unable to drop the 30 pounds new Aggies coach Mike Sherman asked him to lose.
Despite the back’s immense popularity with Texas A&M faithful, many of whom wanted the ball in Lane’s hands as much as possible, Sherman stood his ground. After rushing for 44 touchdowns in his first three years, the "J-Train" never picked up steam in his senior season.
Lane, who bowled over defenders on the way to four 100-yard rushing games and two four-touchdown games as a junior, started just five games last season and rushed for 93 yards and five touchdowns on 35 carries in Sherman’s pro-style offense.
The dramatic drop-off in production, combined with ongoing concerns about his weight and attitude about his position change, could have a major effect on Lane’s status heading into the NFL Draft on April 25-26.
"It probably cost him a draft choice," Tennessee Titans scout C.O. Brocato said. "It might have cost him five rounds."
A weighty matter
Weight has always been an issue for Lane, who was born more than a month premature but weighed 230 pounds by the time he was a freshman at Lufkin High School.
He was up to 265 pounds by his senior season.
Still, he never considered himself anything other than a running back.
In seventh grade, when his coaches attempted to move him to tight end, Lane walked off the field.
Turns out the change was only temporary.
He’s been in the backfield ever since.
At A&M, Lane excelled in former coach Dennis Franchione’s zone-read option offense, scoring the bulk of his school-record 50 touchdowns during his first three years and earning an almost cult-like following as the "Round Mound of Touchdown."
Lane admitted being "stunned for a couple of weeks" when Sherman told him he was moving to fullback in the spring, and he reported to fall camp about 25 pounds heavier than the 265-pound target mark set for him.
"People look at it like I’ll just wake up one day and lose weight," he said at the time. "It’s a hard task."
Lane also was slow to embrace his role as a blocker, something scouts say he must do if he wants to play on the next level.
"A lot of better players than him have had to do that," Packers scout Alonzo Highsmith said. "There are no 290-pound halfbacks his size in the league. Guys have to change positions and change their mind-sets all the time.
"We would all love to date Halle Berry, but hey, we can’t. We have to be who we are. This is not a time to be stubborn."
Despite his subpar final season, Lane earned second-team All-Big 12 honors at fullback and was invited to the East-West Shrine Game in Houston.
While there, he turned a few heads with some one-handed catches in practice.
But the biggest buzz came when Lane weighed in at a whopping 295 pounds.
"I told him then, 'You have to show some ability to control your weight, and the next time you work out for the scouts, you need to have lost at least 15 pounds,’ " Greene said. "Controlling one’s weight is a big issue in the National Football League, especially for big guys. And I have been there.
"If you’re not responsible for controlling your weight, that’s a red flag for other things."
Under the microscope
Lane had a chance to show his progress toward that goal earlier this month when a large contingent of NFL scouts, coaches and general managers converged on College Station for Pro Day. Instead, he watched from the sidelines in street clothes, citing a hamstring strain.
Even worse, he didn’t get weighed or measured, leading to even more speculation about his weight.
Lane also refused to talk to the media in attendance, saying only that he was concentrating on academics and that he planned to work out for scouts at Stephen F. Austin’s Pro Day on Monday.
"That was disappointing," Highsmith said. "He’s had since November to get ready, and you only get a couple windows of opportunity. There were some GMs there that won’t be at Stephen F. Austin. I think Jorvorskie is a talented young man and a good kid — I like him personally — but he has to get focused on how good he wants to be."
Some have wondered if Lane might be following in the footsteps of another former big back at Texas A&M who was unable to fulfill his early promise.
Ja’Mar Toombs rushed for 26 touchdowns in three seasons as a 260-pound fullback with the Aggies and appeared to have a solid future in the NFL before weight issues sent him to the Arena Football League in 2003.
But talent-wise, scouts say Lane is a cut above Toombs.
"Jorvorskie is a better athlete," Brocato said. "For a guy as big as he is, he’s got tremendous hands. And his feet are just as good and quick as any running back who’s 200 pounds. You watch him run. Put on a tape and watch him from the back side, from the end zone. He can move and cut terrific for a guy that size."
Will that be enough to convince an NFL team to take a chance and draft Lane?
Scouts say they’ll know more after Lane’s workout at Stephen F. Austin.
"I don’t think anyone doubts his ability to play," Greene said. "But his weight is a concern. From a mental and professional standpoint, he has to get that under control if he wants to realize his potential."
Regardless of whether he’s drafted or signs as a free agent, everyone agrees that Lane can be an impact player at the next level if his attitude is right.
"He’s shown he has the talent to run the ball, and he looks like he could become a good blocker," Highsmith said. "But he has to put in his mind, 'I’m going to do everything I can to get down to 260 pounds, and I’m going to knock the crapout of people.’ If he doesn’t, he won’t be playing pro football.
"It’s all on him now. His whole career is on him."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFL Draft April 25-26
Radio City Music Hall,
New York
Cowboys’ first pick: Second round, No. 51 overall
Lori Dann, 817-390-7760