http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/sports/football/03jets.html?ref=football&pagewanted=print May 3, 2009 Basketball Standout Is Jets? Work in Progress By BRIAN HEYMAN FLORHAM PARK, N.J. ? J?Nathan Bullock raced 15 yards down the middle of the field and Mark Sanchez hit him right in the hands with a pass. But the ball dropped to the turf, as if Bullock were a basketball player masquerading as a football player at the Jets? rookie minicamp. A few minutes passed in Saturday?s morning practice, and Sanchez came back to Bullock. He was running a different route but Sanchez hit him in the hands again. This time, Bullock hung on to the ball and ran down the left side of the field. ?He?s a little more natural than most basketball players,? Jets Coach Rex Ryan said. ?That?s good to see.? Bullock played basketball rather well the last four years at Cleveland State. He led the Vikings in scoring each season on the way to 1,800 career points. He also helped them make their first N.C.A.A. tournament appearance in 23 years in March and had 21 points in a first-round upset of Wake Forest. But he has returned to his high school football roots as an undrafted free-agent tight end with the Jets. He is a 6-foot-5, 240-pound work in progress, hoping to flash enough promise at this three-day camp so that the Jets do not throw up their hands right away. After this camp ends Sunday, Bullock would like to be invited to training camp at the end of July. ?I saw a brighter future here than I did in basketball, at the moment,? Bullock said. Antonio Gates certainly made the transition, going from a college basketball player at Kent State to an All-Pro tight end with the San Diego Chargers. Others have successfully played this transition game, too. ?It shows me that it?s possible,? said Bullock, who caught a deep pass in the afternoon session. ?And it?s a possibility of failure. I know both roles. I?m taking it as a challenge.? Gary Waters, Bullock?s coach at Cleveland State the last three seasons, began recruiting Gates to play basketball at Kent State. Waters then left for Rutgers, where he coached Rashod Kent, who became a tight end after college and played seven games for the Houston Texans in 2003. ?When I look at J?Nathan, he has got basically what they have,? Waters said. ?All of them were decent athletes. J?Nathan may even be a little better at certain things. I think he?s got the power like Rashod Kent had, and he?s got great hands. I think he?s going to make the team. I think he?s that good an athlete.? At Flint Northern High School in Michigan, Bullock was a McDonald?s all-American nominee as a senior, averaging 20.6 points and 13 rebounds. But he was also an all-state honorable mention performer in football in his senior year, when he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver. He averaged 11.5 yards a carry and 22.9 yards a catch. Still, Bullock said his heart was with basketball. After his first season at Cleveland State, though, several major colleges tried to lure him back to football. Then Waters took over, and Bullock stayed. ?I either had to convince him then or it was over,? Waters said. Two days after Cleveland State lost to Arizona in the second round of the N.C.A.A. tournament, N.F.L. teams began expressing interest. Bullock tried to get himself ready quickly. More than a dozen teams sent representatives to his pro day on April 10. After going undrafted last weekend, he signed with the Jets. ?When we put him one on one, it looks like he?s trying to box somebody out for a rebound,? Sanchez said. ?It?s easier to teach a basketball player to play football than vice versa. He?s doing really well. He?s got a lot of raw talent, and with the coaching staff here, they?ll sharpen his skills and he?ll be just fine.? So basketball is now one of his backup plans. Bullock will graduate this month with a degree in mechanical engineering. A couple of N.B.A. teams and a handful of professional basketball teams overseas have also shown interest. ?It?s just an option,? Bullock said. ?I?m wholeheartedly at the Jets, taking this opportunity at 110 percent. If things fall through, then I?ll take it accordingly.?
Whispers : TE dept. ~ ~ ~ Whispers ? league wrap-up By PFW staff - May 3, 2009 AFC Whispers ? For a Jets team that only boasts one true tight end ? Dustin Keller, as James Dearth is primarily a long snapper ? undrafted free agent J?Nathan Bullock is one of the club?s most intriguing players in minicamp. The 6-5, 240-pound Bullock was co-MVP of the Cleveland State basketball team that upset Wake Forest in the first round of the NCAA tournament, and he hasn?t played football since he was a high school standout in Michigan. Like Chargers star Antonio Gates, the Jets will give Bullock an honest shot to prove that his hardwood skills translate to the gridiron. > http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/Whispers/2009/wrapup050309.htm _________________ > http://www.thecure.com/default.aspx
I think if any of the guys work out from this mini camp it will be Davie or Simmons. Simmons got a lot of praise from Rex. Here's his Minnesota bio: http://www.gophersports.com/ViewArt...80&DB_OEM_ID=8400&ATCLID=261208&Q_SEASON=2008
