RB Tim Hightower?

[D-Dogg]

No it doesnt. He would have knocked it out of the back of the endzone for a safety, instead of a SF TD.

I thought I heard Green saw that in an interview the following week ?

Nidan is correct.

"Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating, contacted the team Thursday and referred everyone to Rule 12, Section 1, Article 8, Subsection B of the rule book. In the end zone it is illegal to intentionally bat a loose ball in any direction (in the field of play, it is illegal to intentionally bat a loose ball forward). If [Eric] Green would have batted the ball out of the end zone, a penalty would have been called. The 49ers would have maintained possession, and a half-the-distance penalty would have been enforced."

From Bill Simmons, of all places.

Green would have had to make it appear that he did not purposely do it.

 

[abomb]

Nidan is correct.



From Bill Simmons, of all places.

Green would have had to make it appear that he did not purposely do it.

I stand corrected.

I apologize if my original post was blow-hardy.

 

[cardsfanmd]

OK, I was wrong. Hows about Green just learns to fall on the damn thing. Holt had one good play all year and we were unable to capitalize on it.

 

[Sandan]

Which is pretty much what Green said the following week

 

[CardEd]

DraftSeason: How will you respond to teams that question the level of competition you faced at college in comparison to a player at a big time program?
Tim: You respond by always giving your best in everything you do. People don't believe what you say but they always believe results. I can't control what environment I was in. I am very thankful for being able to play at a place like Richmond under good coaches and great teamates. Richmond taught me a lot, and most of all it taught me how to be appreciative of everything and what it means to really work hard and commit myself and I think those qualities will speak for themself when I get the opportunity.
.

I love that answer. Sounds like he has a good head on his shoulders.

 

[Mulli]

How abouts not letting Alex bleeping Smith drive the length of the field in 35 seconds to get into that bleeping position.

 

[cardsfanmd]

How abouts not letting Alex bleeping Smith drive the length of the field in 35 seconds to get into that bleeping position.

Gotta love the "Pendy Prevent".

 

[WisconsinCard]

I doubt he takes Edge's job this year, but I can definitely see this guy carrying the load in the future. He does seem to have moves, and I will bet my life his 4.51 40 time is better than what Edge (who ran for 1200+ last year) would run right now.

Thats exactly what I was going to say. Yes the kid is a plodder, but hey so is Edge at this point. I will just wait and see what the kid looks like in pads. If nothing else we needed a short yardage back to get the tough yards between the tackles.

 

[cardsfanmd]

I still dont get why everyone is calling him slow. If that 4.51 time is correct, that is pretty damn fast. Jonathan stewart only ran a 4.46. Is 5/100's of a second really that huge of a difference? I also take into account that this guy has been at 1-AA Richmond. Do they even have a trainer? Did he have a position coach? I am anxious to see what Lott/Carthon can do with him.

 

[Cardiac]

I doubt he takes Edge's job this year, but I can definitely see this guy carrying the load in the future. He does seem to have moves, and I will bet my life his 4.51 40 time is better than what Edge (who ran for 1200+ last year) would run right now.

Gotta agree. It also appears that he has that burst when clearing the line of scrimmage that Edge no longer posses. All conjecture at this point until the hitting starts. I have a kool aid induced hope that Whiz and company didn't worry about drafting a RB early because they had this ace in the hole.
GULP GULP GULP GULP ahhhhhhhh.

 

[joeshmo]

I still dont get why everyone is calling him slow. If that 4.51 time is correct, that is pretty damn fast. Jonathan stewart only ran a 4.46. Is 5/100's of a second really that huge of a difference?

Since Stewart ran that time on a broken toe, yes.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Since Stewart ran that time on a broken toe, yes.

OK, he still only ran 9/100's of a second slower than Mendy (same gap between Mendenhall and McFadden).

 

[joeshmo]

OK, he still only ran 9/100's of a second slower than Mendy (same gap between Mendenhall and McFadden).

5 hundreths of a second is equal to a 1/2 a step faster. That is a noticable difference. Difference between good runs or not so good runs are only seperated by half steps.

Thats if you think 40 times have anything to do with actuall play on the field which it doesnt.

 

[Shane]

Thats if you think 40 times have anything to do with actuall play on the field which it doesnt.

40 time isnt as important IMO as is the tim in the first 10-15 yrads for a RB. The question is do they have that burst to get to the hole. On tape this kid looks VERY quick with VEY good burst. Will have to wait and see when the pads are on against NFL talent though.

 

[joeshmo]

40 time isnt as important IMO as is the tim in the first 10-15 yrads for a RB. The question is do they have that burst to get to the hole. On tape this kid looks VERY quick with VEY good burst. Will have to wait and see when the pads are on against NFL talent though.

That 10 yard maybe even the 20 yard split time is actually more important to me as well. How fast can you get to the second level is far more of an important time.

 

[1DS]

The step up from Richmond to the NFL is going to be significant. Maybe he can make the transition, as it appears he has some intangibles that translate to the NFL well (strength, burst and most importantly, determination). However, I doubt he will hit the ground "running". He's going to have to be coached up, which will take some time. I know RB is supposedly the easiest position to transition to in the NFL, but the game is going to be so much faster in this level. If it's a step up to the NFL from the big college programs, Tim has to take two giant steps and pole-vault over a river.

 

[Totally_Red]

The step up from Richmond to the NFL is going to be significant. Maybe he can make the transition, as it appears he has some intangibles that translate to the NFL well (strength, burst and most importantly, determination). However, I doubt he will hit the ground "running". He's going to have to be coached up, which will take some time. I know RB is supposedly the easiest position to transition to in the NFL, but the game is going to be so much faster in this level. If it's a step up to the NFL from the big college programs, Tim has to take two giant steps and pole-vault over a river.

In the meantime he'll be contributing on special teams and the scout team.

 

[gohard83]

he should be able to unseat Shipp

 

[Zeno]

Not sure if anyone posted this....

Second look puts Hightower on draft boards

Thursday, Apr 24, 2008 - 12:07 AM

By PAUL WOODY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

For a young man who seemingly was off NFL draft boards two months ago, Tim Hightower has been to a lot of NFL cities in the past few weeks.

"Let's see, Detroit, Jacksonville, St. Louis, Miami, Cincinnati, Houston, Philadelphia, Green Bay, San Diego and Baltimore," Hightower said.

Hightower, 6-1 and 225 pounds, was the star running back at the University of Richmond last season. He gained 1,924 yards, averaged 5.9 yard per carry and scored 20 touchdowns.

But when the list of players attending the NFL combine was released, Hightower's name was not on it.

"The NFL scouts came in when he was a junior, and he ran something like a 4.69 40," UR running backs coach Charles Bankins said.

The 40-yard dash is one measure NFL scouts use in assessing a pro prospect's merit. A running back needs to be in the 4.3-to-4.5 range. Anything above that moves a player from prospect to suspect.

"Sometimes, we get caught up in numbers," Bankins said.

At his "pro day" on the UR campus this spring, Hightower ran a 4.51 40-yard dash.

The NFL scouts saw that number and put it together with Hightower's numbers from the 2007 season, and a player who had been consigned to the free agent category moved into the draft-choice category.

Hightower is a rare blend of size, speed and versatility. He became a star running back. He had been a solid fullback. Even when he was a star running back, he continued to be a standout special teams player.

The real story on Hightower, though, is not so much what he did during the 2007 season but what he did to get ready to have an outstanding 2007 season.

"Tim's goals were to increase his flexibility and his lower body and core strength," said UR strength and conditioning coach Brandon Hourigan. "Some guys write things down and take them to heart. Some guys say they're going to do something and never do. Tim gets it. He was awesome."

To improve flexibility in his hip flexors and hamstrings, Hightower took yoga and pilates classes.

"He worked to get himself into better speed positions and to lengthen his stride," Hourigan said.

"He always had good turnover, but he needed to open his stride length."

In the process of doing that, Hightower opened the eyes of many in the NFL.

"He's productive, hard-nosed and can catch out of the backfield," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. "His versatility is a plus.

"If he had game-breaking speed, I'd see him going in the late second round or early third round. As it is, I'd say the best scenario would have him going in the fourth round."

Hightower has heard he'll go anywhere from the third to the fifth rounds.

"I'm controlling what I can control," Hightower said.

One thing Hightower, 21, could control was his academic standing. He graduates this spring with a degree in religion.

Hightower, once overlooked, now might find himself in the right place at the right time.

Many teams are searching for a complementary back who can be effective for 10 to 15 carries per game, taking pressure off the starter and contributing on special teams.

"I've been preaching for years that you can find running backs late in the draft, and it's the only position you can say that about on a consistent basis," Kiper said.

Hightower, a native of Waldorf, Md., is not concerned so much about what round he is selected. He just wants to be selected.

"All the teams say they have me on their draft boards," Hightower said. "They all tell me they want to draft me, and that they hope they can do it before someone else does."

 

[HookemCards]

I was pretty harsh on the kid (or Graves for the pick actually) when we drafted him. But based on the stuff I've read since then, he seems like a good kid and a decent pick at this point. The difference between Richmond and the NFL will be huge for him, but sounds like he'll work hard to close the gap.

 

[Totally_Red]

Interesting that he says he was pegged as a 3rd to 5th rounder. I know Whiz said they considered him in the 4th. It looks like he was picked at exactly the right spot. Again with the outstanding special teams player. That pretty much seals the deal as the 2nd or 3rd RB on the roster unless he gets hurt in training camp. I'm on the bread truck.

 

[black]

I don't mind the pick. I'd rather take a chance on Hightower than McFadden. Or take a chance on a one year wonder. Alot of experts say Stewart is going to be a beast, who knows.

I'm on the bread truck as well.

 

[HookemCards]

I'm doing Atkins right now, so i'm going to stay off the bread truck, and just watch and cheer from a distance.

 

[black]

I'm doing Atkins right now, so i'm going to stay off the bread truck, and just watch and cheer from a distance.

Your 1000th post. You could have done better than that. (kidding)

How is Chet doing these days? LOL

 

[CardNots]

I find it surprising for an unknown back from the east coast would generate a thread this long. We certainly might have something here. It will be fun to monitor him through pre and training camp.