Liberty RB Rashad Jennings good fit for Bengals

[BlainThePain]

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/o...bigconweb2.html

Liberty RB Rashad Jennings good fit for Bengals

* Prediction: Bengals will have successful 2009 draft

By Carlos "Big C" Holmes

Staff Writer

Sunday, March 15, 2009

With the NFL draft a little more than a month away on April 25 and 26, no running back prospect is catching fire like Liberty ball carrier Rashad Jennings. Jennings' draft stock has skyrocketed since his performance at the Senior Bowl, Scouting Combine and more recently Pro Day.

A number of NFL teams are showing significant interest in all-purpose running back. Four teams, Denver, Philadelphia, New England, and the New York Jets, held private workout sessions with Jennings last week and more are expected to follow. The Cincinnati Bengals is another team expected to come on campus and give the player a closer look.

Jennings impressed the 11 teams in attendance at the school's Pro Day March 3, when he ran between a 4.39 and 4.47 in the 40-yard dash. A surprise team in attendance was the Carolina Panthers, who already have two stud running backs, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, in their stable. I think that says a lot for the talent that Jennings possesses. He's projected as a high second-round draft pick and rated by some teams as a Top 5 running back prospect.

Family comes first

After a promising start to his career as a true freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, Jennings transferred to Liberty to be closer to his father, who suffers from diabetes and eventually had his leg amputated. Jennings started nine out of 11 games for the Pitt Panthers in 2005.

"Being in Pittsburgh was a burden on me and my family during that time," Jennings said in a recent phone interview. "It was tough for my mom to take care of my dad traveling 12 hours there and back to games. Anything could have happened on the road. It was so much to deal with at that age and I wanted to be closer to home to help out. I enjoyed Pittsburgh but made the decision I felt was best so I transferred."

Once the running back suited up for the Liberty Flames, he caught fire. Jennings earned consecutive Big South Offensive Player of the Year honors after rushing for a League-record 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2008. He scored a Big South single-season record 19 touchdowns combined rushing and receiving. Jennings is the first player in Big South history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

Proving he belongs

Heading into the draft there were some skeptics among NFL scouts whether or not the player could compete against a higher level of talent after dominating in Division I-AA. Jennings silenced his critics when he accepted an invite to play in the Senior Bowl. He was the game's leading rusher, carrying the ball nine times for 41 yards. It was during the week of practice in Mobile that the Bengals coaching staff took notice.

Jennings set out to prove in Mobile that he was no slouch.

"I wanted to show scouts that I could play," he said. "People tend to forget that I came from Pittsburgh and not out of high school straight to Liberty. I wanted to prove to them that the logo on my helmet doesn't show who I am as a football player. It doesn't matter what logo I have on my helmet. I'm still a complete running back and can compete at any level. I'm a true competitor and love to compete."

The running back was recruited by Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Pitt, North Carolina State and Wisconsin coming out of high school.

Jennings has been a busy man throughout this draft process on and off the field. He finds time in between his workouts to visit area schools in his hometown of Forest, Virginia, which is nearby historical Lynchburg, to relay a positive message to students.

"I want to use football as a platform for ministry," Jennings said. "When I say ministry, it's not necessarily the spiritual aspect, but more so of a role model aspect."

Jennings went on to say that being in the league is more than just a game to him. He said he appreciates what the game has to offer and doesn't play the game for selfish reasons. There's no denying Jennings has a real good understanding of what the game is all about.

Good fit for Bengals

The 6-foot-1, 232-pound Jennings is a big, strong, physical, downhill runner with the speed and ability to make big plays. He has excellent peripheral vision to make nice cutback runs; he's quick, elusive and a good outlet receiver. Not to mention durable and a willing blocker. He's a physically gifted runner who can do all the things asked of a smaller back.

Jennings reminds me a lot of Eric Dickerson and Eddie George with similar upright running style. However, he must work on his pad level and learn to run behind his pads more as he enters the pros.

Jennings would make a nice complement to Cedric Benson, who recently signed a 2-year contract to remain with the Bengals. He would provide the team a nice change-of-pace back and an upgrade from injury-prone running back Chris Perry whose days with the club are likely numbered.

Some experts believe that Jennings could be this year's Matt Forte and he could come off the board earlier than expected. That said there is a good chance that we could see a run on backs in the late first round into the second on draft day.

[HAPPYJAQ]

Yeah, he's my favorite back in this year's draft. A close 2nd is Andre Brown from NC State. Historically, the Bengals have had the most success in drafting bigger RB's (minus Perry). Jennings would be an ideal pick in the 3rd round, if we already have a C in place.

[ArmyBengal]

He has benefitted from the hype machine as well. I'm not saying he's all hype, just that he has benefitted. He was looked at as a 4th rounder RB prior to the combine and pro days. He jumped to the 3rd and is now considered in the top 5 that will go in the 2nd. Some guys just shoot up the boards like that. I actually have been wanting him for quite some time, but if he really goes in the top of the 2nd, I don't view him as the biggest need or the BPA either.

[Baraka]

i've liked him for a while, it sucks the cat's out of the bag. he's identical to wells (size/speed) without the injury questions and OSU entitlement issues.