Wed Feb 6 13:28:24 2008

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Around FCS: Shining Stars

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Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Like a lot of college football fans, I enjoy watching the slew of all-star games that dot the calendar in January and early February. For me, it is a chance to watch how some of the top seniors in FCS fare against their better-known counterparts from the FBS.

And just about every year, we see our favorite underdogs not only introduce themselves to the larger football world, but shine in these encounters.

Just this year, we watched quarterback Josh Johnson from little, non- scholarship San Diego win most valuable player honors at the 83rd annual East- West Shrine Bowl, and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of Tennessee State earn an MVP award at the 59th Senior Bowl.

Johnson, one of the three finalists for the Walter Payton Award last season, completed 5-of-11 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown and rushed three times for 91 to lead the West to a 31-13 victory.

Rodgers-Cromartie had an interception to go with four tackles and a pass breakup to help the South to a 17-16 win in the Senior Bowl.

Both players did wonders for their NFL draft potential with their performances, and a number of other FCS players also improved their draft projections with strong showings.

In a weak year for FBS quarterbacks, Johnson skyrocketed in the eyes of many scouts with his combination of throwing and passing ability. In some NFL eyes, he is considered one of the true sleepers of the draft.

Scouts are also impressed with Johnson's upside and aren't terribly worried about his lack of experience against bigger opponents.

Rodgers-Cromartie opened eyes even wider with his outstanding week of practice and gameday play in the Senior Bowl. Questions about his tackling ability and toughness were answered early. That, and Rodgers-Cromartie's coverage talent, have moved him to a position where he could be drafted as early as late in the first round, or early in the second round.

He wasn't the only player to show well in the Senior Bowl. Hampton defensive end Kendall Langford came up with a key 4th-and-1 stop for the South as the North was trying to run out the clock. That set up a late South drive and a game-tying touchdown on the final play of regulation. The ensuing PAT then lifted the South to its one-point victory.

Northern Iowa tackle Chad Rinehart was highlighted for some key blocks that fueled the North's running game.

Delaware's Joe Flacco had a rough day in the Senior Bowl, hitting just 2-of-7 passes for 22 yards and tossing one interception. But, taking snaps under center for the first time as a collegian, Flacco had one touchdown pass taken away when officials incorrectly applied a rule when his receiver had possession of the ball in the end zone.

Flacco impressed scouts with his strong arm and his 6-6 size in practice, though he struggled with footwork. Some reports in a variety of publications have Flacco being viewed as a second- or third-round choice, while other scouts still have questions about him and look at Flacco as a long-term project.

Flacco helped himself some more on Saturday in ESPN's College Football All- Star Challenge. He won two of the three contests for long toss and scramble, beating out his better-known rivals like Boston College's Matt Ryan, Michigan's Chad Henne and USC's John David Booty. Flacco was third in an accuracy contest won by Hawaii's Colt Brennan.

Another quarterback who could find himself as a draft choice, though probably in the late rounds, is New Hampshire's Ricky Santos. Santos had a rough week of practice for the Hula Bowl, with scouts expressing worry over his arm strength. But when the whistle blew for the game, Santos was his old self, completing 10-of-16 passes for 169 yards, though he was intercepted once. He also had three rushes for four yards in the East's 38-7 thrashing of the West.

A pair of receivers, Appalachian State's Dexter Jackson and Duquesne's Bruce Hocker, made their mark at a pair of all-star games.

Jackson's 4.3 speed grabbed the attention of scouts in practice for the East- West Shrine Bowl, and former NFL coach Dick Vermeil took a special liking to the receiver/returnman. Jackson caught two passes for 38 yards and made enough of an impression that he was called in late to play in the Senior Bowl, when another player was injured.

In just one practice at the Senior Bowl, Jackson again grabbed attention, though he was little more than decoy and returman on game day. His draft stock, however, has jumped to the third- or fourth-round range.

Those around the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference have long known what others are just finding out, that the lanky and athletic Hocker is one of the top receivers in the country.

Hocker showed well in the Hula Bowl, catching a three-yard touchdown pass for the East and finishing with three receptions for 32 yards. He also participated in the Texas vs. the Nation All-Star game in El Paso, TX last week and hauled in one pass for 13 yards.

The Texas vs. the Nation game was quite a showcase for FCS talent, with 28 such players on the two rosters. And, the CSTV announcers did their best to play up some of the biggest FCS stars.

Appalachian State free safety Corey Lynch had already raised eyebrows during practice. Scouts were pleased with his faster-than-expected 40-yard dash time (4.58), and also the fact that he measured at 6-1.

During the game, Lynch made an immediate impact, with a tackle on his first play from scrimmage, and intercepted a pass near the end of the first half with one of his classic breaks on the ball.

Lynch also brought back memories of ASU's upset over Michigan, just missing a blocked punt on Texas State punter Chris MacDonald and later combining with Liberty's Vince Redd to block another MacDonald effort. Lynch recovered the blocked punt, but then fumbled the ball away when he was hit on a return.

All in all, the three-time All-American and 2007 Buck Buchanan Award runner- up may have worked his way into a late-round draft selection.

Richmond tailback Tim Hightower followed up on a strong week of practice with a solid game, running six times for 25 yards. The only downside was a fumble - one of six Nation turnovers in their 41-14 loss to the Texas All-Stars.

Southern Illinois lefty quarterback Nick Hill showed he could run - numerous line breakdowns by the Nation squad had him dashing for his life. Despite the lack of protection, Hill was 2-of-6 for 14 yards and was the only quarterback on his team not to throw an interception. He was a late replacement for injured LSU quarterback Matt Flynn.

Jaymar Johnson of Jackson State was one of the offensive stars for the Nation, grabbing a pair of catches for 46 yards and also showing well on returns. Villanova tight end Matt Sherry also had a pair of nice catches for 31 yards.

Georgia Southern's Jayson Foster, for some reason a member of the Texas squad, didn't get much of a chance during the game after turning in a strong week of practice. The Walter Payton Award winner was moved from his normal quarterback slot back to wide receiver and returnman, but he managed one nifty catch and run for 22 yards.

Some of the best play from the FCS performers in the Texas vs. the Nation game came from defensive linemen.

San Diego defensive end Eric Bakhtiari showed why he led the FCS in sacks with a sack and several pressures on Hill and the other Nation quarterbacks. Rudolph Hardie of Howard and Derrick Gray of Texas Southern were also applying heavy pressure, while Hampton's Marcus Dixon was among the best defensive linemen for the Nation team.

You couldn't blame the porous offensive line play on several FCS performers. Among those who turned heads in practice and on game day were Appalachian State's Kerry Brown, Mississippi Valley State's Thadeus Coleman and Northwestern State's Demetrius Bell.

Mike Dragosavitch of North Dakota State has long been known for having one of the strongest legs in FCS, and he showed off at a pair of all-star games. Dragosavitch had a record 69-yard punt in the Senior Bowl and followed that up with some more booming kicks at the Texas vs the Nation game.

With the dust settled after the season of all-star games, you can't help but think it was another fine showing by the FCS. And with the draft combine and various pro days around the country to follow, we should see plenty of FCS players smiling when the NFL holds its draft in April.