On Jerrell Powe

Jerrell Powe zeroes in on a QB

I like Jerrell Powe.  I have since I first met him in Ole Miss’ Indoor Practice Facility in 2007 and saw that big wide grin.

I had been covering Powe since he was rated the top recruit in the country for the 2005 signing class.  His road to the playing field and potential as an NFL prospect was a long one filled with many bumps and turns. Call it the Blind Side II without the help of Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy.

Powe was declared academically ineligible by the NCAA in 2005, attended Hargrave Military Academy, where his academic shortcomings were supposed to be remedied, only to be declared ineligible again in 2006.  He worked as a jailer in Wayne County Mississippi in 2006 and 2007 while working on his grades and was finally approved by the SEC for admission to Ole Miss in 2007 under a weird ruling – he had to show he could handle academics for a year before he could play football.  There had never been a previous ruling like that one and there will never be another.

Powe finally made it to the football field in 2008 – lesser men would have given up.  He emerged as a force in 2009, often being double teamed and being named to the SEC all-conference team.  In 2010, his performance fell off – NFL scouts wonder why.  The answer is simple – the Rebels had issues at defense end and when you don’t have a Greg Hardy, now with the Carolina Panthers, or Kentrell Lockett on the edge, offensive lines can concentrate on blocking the inside tackles.

Still, Powe made it to the NFL combine this week, where NFLDraftScout.com writer Chad Rueter gave him good reviews. Sadly, Rueter saw fit to close his assessment of Powe with the comment: (Powe has) off-field issues scouts would have to overlook to be selected in the first two rounds.  I wrote to Rueter five days ago and asked him what those off-field issues were.  He didn’t respond.

If you Google Powe and the NFL, it returns any number of hits, with some speculating about Powe’s intelligence level and it impacting where he’ll be selected in the NFL draft.  I’m willing to bet that’s the situation to which Rueter was alluding.

That’s unfortunate.  I’ve interviewed Powe countess times after football games and from day one, I found him bright and articulate – and that only improved as he furthered his education and became more comfortable in dealing with the media.

Of course, the bad rap he gets is related to his academic struggles, as well as his mother being quoted (out of context) as saying “Jerrell’s problem is that he just can’t read.”  That quote was later clarified, but the damage had been done.

Powe was one of my favorite contacts.  I remember privately chastising him for grapping his crotch after Ole Miss had scored – a play where he was blocking as a fullback.  I actually got a picture of the act, and he asked me to e-mail to him.  I told him he could have cost the team a 15-yard penalty and he hung his head and agreed.  The violation took place in the north end zone, and I’m sure no coaches saw it, so I felt compelled to talk to him about it.

As I said, he’s a bright young kid and a favorite interview with many of the media types who covered him.  His intelligence can be questioned, but I guarantee one thing, he can carry on a conversation without 15 “you-knows” in a 30-word sentence and can articulate his feelings and provide insight about a win or loss as well as any player in a room filled with athletes and coaches.

It’s too bad Rueter took to keypad without probably ever talking with Powe.  He would have walked away with a different opinion than what he’s heard or read.

Jerrell deserves better.  I don’t know if he’s completed his degree – here’s betting he has, or he will within two years of graduating.

I wish him the best on draft day.  He’s deserving.  I think whoever gets him will get a winner.  And, I feel that if he had had Tracy Rocker working with him the last two years, he’d probably be a first round pick in April instead of a second or third round pick, maybe even lower.

Jerrell’s a great kid and a true Rebel who will do good things for Ole Miss long after his career has ended.

Post by Colreb in Rebel Ramblngs