Archives for April 2003

"He's an athletic guy. He's one of four players who actually got some start time as a freshman. He had some unfortunate experience with some shoulder injuries, but he came back senior year. He split half time with a guy who was in there. I think he's remarkable. He's big guy and he can run a 4.9, which is tough to find those guys. He's a versatile guy. He came with very very strong recommendations, was said that he was probably the best athlete on the offensive line (at Iowa). I feel very strongly about the guy. He's a good pick."

"I feel great. I'm excited. It's a great organization and I'm just excited to get the chance."

Wide-bodied…Shows the leg drive to get movement in-line for the running game… Sinks his hips low and shuffles his feet well on the trap.

Select one featuring No. 1 Pick Willis McGahee

WKBW Sports Director John Murphy will host the special with Bills President and GM Tom Donahoe as a live guest. Sunday, April 27 at 11:30 PM.

"He runs good routes. I'd say he and Josh (Reed) are about the same speed; he may be a step faster than Josh. He's a good run after the catch player. He'll be able to play two to three different positions because of his knowledge of the game."

"It's a great feeling. Playing with Moulds and Bledsoe, I can't ask for anything better."

"He was one of those guys who had a really good career. He came up in his senior year and was having a real good year. He had been a four-year starter there. One of the things that we really liked about him was his versatility. He was a corner and then he played some safety as well as a punt returner and a kickoff returner."

"This past season didn't really go as well as I had wanted it to because I was hurt a lot. I'm so used to playing corner but I played free safety which added a couple dimensions to my game. Through my career at Northwestern State I played well enough for an NFL team to recognize what I can do."

Wide-bodied…Shows the leg drive to get movement in-line for the running game… Sinks his hips low and shuffles his feet well on the trap…Has the balance and power to hit on the move, doing a nice job of taking down the linebackers in upfield blocking.

Positives: Quick-twitch type with deceptive speed and good strength … Has a very good knowledge of the offensive game plan … Competitive enough to fight for extra yardage after the catch … Shows functional acceleration off the line … Runs crisp routes, going in and out of his breaks sharply ? Fluid in his stride ? Does a nice job of tracking the ball in and makes proper body adjustments going for the pigskin in traffic … Has the natural hands needed to make all the catches … Strong runner who is very tough to bring down in isolated coverage … Makes a good effort as a blocker … Quick to spot when the quarterback is in trouble, coming back to make the underneath catch … Fearless over the middle, making the acrobatic catches seem routine … Maintains body control, balance and agility when knifing through traffic.

Negatives: Lack of sustained quickness results in him being taken down from behind too often … Does not explode coming out of his cuts, needing to gather before heading upfield … Can catch the ball away from his body, but tends to lose concentration with the defender in front of him … Appears sluggish on his initial burst and has to do a better job of using his hands to get a push off the defender to defeat the press.

Has deceptive speed and good strength and a very good knowledge of the offensive game plan…Competitive enough to fight for extra yardage after the catch.

Four-year starter who is regarded as not only a superb coverage defender, but also an excellent return specialist and a kick blocker … Saw brief action on offense during his career … Nicknamed "Turtle" for the way he wears his shoulder pads above his ears before dropping them on his shoulders at the last possible moment before practice.

‘McGahee’s knee injury was so severe that he may not get on the field until 2004. And even then, will he be the same guy who shredded college defenses for 1,753 rushing yards last fall?’

‘"I don’t think I’m a risk," he said. "(The Bills) don’t think it’s a risk because they took me. They’ve got a premier back and a great one at that."’