Inside the Army All America Media Room
by Nick Ironside
They each just took the first step toward their college careers. From left to right sat Mike Floyd, Patrick Johnson, Terrelle Pryor, Jameel Owens and Dayne Crist following the first big national game of their careers. Three of the five have verbally committed to a school, leaving Owen and Pryor to still decide between prestigious football schools. Some slouched and spoke quietly and quickly. Some sat up tall and spoke with authority.
Seeing how the players do on the field is one thing. Then seeing them off the field is a whole other angle. You see their reaction to people, their true personalities, and are able to tell what type of schools they’re looking at just by reading their body language and the way they carry themselves. Here’s a personal vibe on the five.
Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame verbal - Floyd displayed plenty of athleticism during the Army All-American game. He had a touchdown catch, courtesy of Terrelle Pryor, and made three great grabs. Only one receiver might’ve outplayed him on the field, that being Dan Buckner. In the media room, Floyd was a little shaken by the amount of people, stating before the conference started, “I’ve never seen anything like this before!” Floyd was well-spoken, and was open to almost any question the media asked of him. Floyd may need a little coaching in speaking up, but did a fine job for someone who hasn’t seen that type of setting before when the camera was on him.
Patrick Johnson, CB, LSU verbal - Johnson is one of the top players in the country, with his height and athleticism used to his advantage. He took complete advantage of the opportunity in San Antonio, and proved he could play with the best. Johnson decommitted from Miami (FL), because the Hurricanes stopped contacting him after he verbally committed while LSU still talked to him. Johnson was open and answered all questions, including immediately taking his LSU hat without hesitation, saying, “OK, sure,” when asked. He carries himself well and should handle the media very well in college.
Terrelle Pryor, QB, uncommitted - Pryor is definitely a great athlete and showed it last Saturday running and passing for touchdowns. His first touch of the ball on national television became a 22-yard run, after juking a few defensive players. Pryor named five finalists in no specific order; Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and Florida. Pryor should scratch Ohio State, because the Buckeyes won’t run the spread and already have a young quarterback. The same instance is also with Florida, and you can get the feeling Pryor doesn’t want to sit, which is a good attitude to have most of the time. Michigan seems like the logical choice ? a proven coach in Rich Rodriguez who has mastered the spread. Penn State isn’t as talented a team as Michigan, and Oregon just doesn’t have the running back for the spread like Pryor would have at Michigan with fellow high school senior Sam McGuffie.
In the media room, when Pryor did speak he did so with little charisma. Pryor slouched, didn’t speak extremely clearly and shook off some questions. For example, when asked if Texas was in the race for him, Pryor interrupted the reporter and said, “No Texas.” He was asked to repeat the short sentence because he wasn’t clear the first time. Pryor, with coaching about answering questions from the media should turn out to be a very good player if playing in the spread, and should turn out to be okay with the media. Pryor will announce his college decision on National Signing Day.
Jameel Owens, WR, uncommitted - Owens wasn’t noticed as much as he may’ve liked to be on the field, but still made a few nice plays. Owens also didn’t make it clear which schools were in the running completely. In the media room, Owens spoke with authority and was very clear. He seemed like a very nice guy, and one that would be willing to do interviews with almost anyone. He never shook of a question and looked like he was having fun. Should be a good college player, and should be great with the media.
Dayne Crist, QB, Notre Dame - What else is expected from a (future) Notre Dame quarterback? Very Brady Quinn-esque, great big build, throws with accuracy most of the time and is a bit more mobile then Quinn. Crist will, however, have to work on not staring down the receiver. In the media room, Crist was the one who shined most of all. Crist, like Jameel Owens, spoke with authority but had a charismatic aspect that makes me think of him being a Notre Dame captain come his senior season. He has a great personality and was willing to share that with the media. He responded the best to the question asked by a military member, and was overall a laid back nice guy. High expectations at Notre Dame with a quarterback, but if anyone can fill Quinn’s shoes, if not Clausen, look for Crist to succeed