The two-time NCAA heavyweight champ for the University of Minnesota in 2006 and 2007 tried out for the Minnesota Vikings in April.

Konrad, who hasn’t played organized football since he was a high school freshman, was granted the opportunity to meet with the organization, and was put through a brief set of drills for offensive linemen.

In an article originally published in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Konrad’s college wrestling coach, J Robinson, is quoted as saying, “What I heard is someone from the Vikings grabbed a tackling dummy, held it up and told Cole, ‘Go ahead, hit me as hard as you can.’ And Cole knocked the guy right on his butt.”

The former Golden Gopher heavyweight was a bit more modest in his account to the Star-Tribune. “I knocked the guy back quite a ways, and the dummy flew up in the air,” said Konrad, a four-time NCAA All-American on the mat for Minnesota. “I think that was the deciding factor in the long run.”

Whatever happened at the Vikings’ Winter Park training facility, it earned Konrad an invitation to come back for a three-day rookie mini-camp, held this past weekend.

It’s not Cole Konrad’s first taste of an NFL mini-camp. In 2007, the 6’3” wrestling champ – who now reportedly tips the scale at a hefty 315 pounds – was invited to the New York Jets rookie camp along with Tommy Rowlands, a two-time NCAA heavyweight champ for Ohio State in 2003 and 2005.

In talking about his April tryout with the Vikings, Konrad said, “They said they’d like to try me as a guard. And they want me to get comfortable snapping the ball, in case they want to try me at center. I’ve been doing that. I’ll do anything they want.”

Konrad and Rowlands aren’t the only veterans of the college mat to test their mettle on the football field. In late April, it was reported that 2009 NCAA All-American heavyweight Jermail Porter of Kent State University was about to sign a contract with the New England Patriots. Porter will join one of the more successful big men of amateur wrestling, Stephen Neal, a two-time NCAA heavyweight champ at Cal State Bakersfield in 1998-1999, and 1999 world freestyle champ, who has played right guard for the Patriots since 2001.

A couple years ago, another NCAA heavyweight champ for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Brock Lesnar, tried out for the Vikings as a defensive lineman, and even played a couple games before being cut by the team.

Cole Konrad, a friend and workout partner of Lesnar’s, has talked to the current UFC heavyweight champ about his experience with the Vikings… and weighed that against his expectations for a possible NFL career. “I just feel that offensive line is more similar to wrestling,” said Konrad. “There’s a lot of the same hand fighting for position, using leverage and stuff like that on the offensive line. What I’m trying to do is more like what Stephen Neal did in New England.”

It’s too early to predict what kind of future Cole Konrad might have in the NFL. However, he might find himself joining an elite group of former NCAA wrestling champs such as Jack Riley, Art Baker, Jim Nance, Sherwyn Thorson, Curley Culp, Carlton Haselrig and Stephen Neal who found success moving from grappling to the pro gridiron.

http://www.examiner.com

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Conrad, 24, who has received interest from the New York Jets, checked in at 6 feet 3, 316 pounds. He gave up football as a high school freshman in Wisconsin to focus on wrestling but now wants to become an NFL guard or center. He would love to play for the hometown Vikings but would welcome a chance anywhere.

“I wanted to be the best at what I was doing (wrestling), but I got to the point in my life where I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue, which means I definitely should not continue,” Conrad said. “Football has always interested me, so I figured I’d give it a shot and see where I stand.”

None of the two dozen prospects who worked out were overwhelming, which is why the best they probably can hope for is to be a late-round pick in next month’s NFL draft or to get free-agent opportunities.

“Rough,” Conrad said of his workout. “I feel like a lot of the steps were in place, but I don’t know if I was nailing them as well as I have. I’ve been working on this stuff for six weeks.”

Conrad bench-pressed 225 pounds 21 times.

“Not great,” he said. “But I’m just going to keep plugging, and I hope they understand where I’m at, but more importantly where I can get to.”

Conrad works out with another former Gophers NCAA champion heavyweight wrestler, Brock Lesnar, who now competes professionally in mixed martial arts. Lesnar had an unsuccessful tryout with the Vikings as a defensive end in 2004.

“I don’t want to look back and say I didn’t give football a try,” Conrad said.

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LAS VEGAS (AP) — Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira took the UFC interim heavyweight title, forcing former two-time champion Tim Sylvia to tap in the third round on Saturday night.

In the co-main event, former heavyweight champion Frank Mir spoiled former NCAA wrestling champion Brock Lesnar’s UCF debut, grabbing Lesnar’s leg and securing a kneebar that forced him to submit at 1:30 of the first round.

Nogueira took the title vacated when Randy Couture suddenly retired from the organization.

Sylvia showed superior striking, repeatedly landing punches throughout a dominant first round. Sylvia defended Nogueira’s takedown attempts and landed effective punches in the second round.

But in the third round, Nogueira reversed a Sylvia takedown and gained side control. Sylvia was able to escape side control, only to fall directly into a guillotine choke which forced him to tap 1:28 seconds into the round.

Nate Marquardt beat Jeremy Horn, finishing off the veteran of more than 100 MMA fights by guillotine choke 1:37 seconds into the second round, and Ricardo Almeida defeated Rob Yundt by guillotine choke at 1:08 in the first round.

Tyson Griffin and Gleison Tibau stood toe to toe and exchanged punches throughout the majority of their three-round fight, with each fighter landing numerous shots.

Neither fighter appeared to be hurt in the match and Tibau was able to take down Griffin on numerous occasions. However, Griffin landed the more effective strikes and took the decision with all three judges scoring the bout 30-27.

In the preliminary bouts, Chris Lytle wasted little time in finishing off Kyle Bradley. Lytle stunned the UFC newcomer just moments into the fight and never let up, knocking out Bradley just 33 seconds into the first round.

Tim Boetsch made an impressive UFC debut, defeating David Heath by TKO at 4:52 of the first round; Marvin Eastman earned his first victory inside the octagon with a decision over Terry Martin; and “The Ultimate Fighter Five” cast member Rob Emerson gained his first UFC victory, defeating Keita Nakamura by split decision.ncaa

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“I think I thought more about how I would answer the media’s questions,” he said. “After my freshman year, I knew I wanted to go undefeated, but I also knew I had to keep my focus simple and direct. However, that means giving a boring media interview. I had to focus on being my best for the next match, and I had to move my feet and attack with my hands. It had to be that simple. I would guess that the Patriots are very aware of the magnitude of what they are doing.”

(Larry Owings shocks Dan Gable at the 142 lb finals at the 1970 NCAAs… handing the Cyclone his only loss in HS and college in his very last college match. — Moderator’s caption)

Now a coach at ISU, Sanderson expresses all the sentiments athletes need to will themselves to perfection — he is maniacally obsessed with focus and admits he likes winning only a fraction as much as he hates losing. As a wrestler, he fulfilled all three of Aristotle’s categories of perfection. Yet one obvious paradox remains: Despite being the most statistically flawless grappler in NCAA history, he is not the most famous one. That designation still goes to Iowa State’s Dan Gable, who, not coincidentally, lost his final collegiate match (in heartbreaking fashion) after 181 straight wins.

“Gable losing his final match is probably talked about more — or at least as often — as his greatest victory. The circumstances of that one loss did add a lot to his fame,” Sanderson concedes. “My first thought is that fans like perfection. Perfection is the ultimate goal. But then again, perfection seems unattainable to me. Perfection goes beyond winning and losing. You can win a game and not be perfect. Even though I went undefeated in college, I wouldn’t say I had a perfect career. Since true perfection in sports is unrealistic, I would say that fans want to see that their teams are human, whether they win every game or not.”

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=perfectpats

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The text of this message has been posted in the FILES section of NCAA Heavyweight Champs 2

Well i said i would hop on here and give an update as to how the weekend went, so im staying true to my word.

As im sure many of you noticed, i was upfront with the Jets on the importance of my wrestling and one way or the other both Tommy and I weren’t planning on staying past monday night. It was three days to showcase our skills… (i would say natural skills but i dont believe in ‘natural skills’) So mainly what they were looking for was our foot speed, and most importantly balance. Everyday we went from 6 am until 10pm learning everything you could imagine in the football world; plays, strategies, calls with different formations from the defense, and actually a lot about the press and displaying a positive image… which is quite tricky actually, you would be surprised how the press phrases questions to get arrogant sounding responses even when its not intended that way (i saw how that happened to a guy and will likely never believe an arrogant quote i see again, you only here a response… not the question). Then twice a day we took to the field working plays, foot drills, bag drills, conditioning, even once a guy who trains pro boxers came in and we did a boxing workout which was a lot of fun. All in all it was a great experience and i would do it again in a heartbeat.

Like i said i was only planning on being there for the three days and following that i met with Coach Mangini, he and i talked about football and a future. Im happy to say he liked what he saw out of both Tommy and I. We were invited back but as we both stated that was not an option until we retired from wrestling. He told me to meet with some of the coaches at the U to learn plays and terminology from now until i finish wrestling so if i decide to comeback it would be more familiar to me. He also told me to stay in touch with him throughout this year and next just letting him know my progress and he said he plans to follow our wrestling careers. Im definately thinking about this opportunity once wrestling is finished, i did have a lot of fun with it. As far as the workouts were concerned, i did pretty well. My foot speed and balance were the best attributes i had and gave me an advantage in the drills and sprints. — plus my conditioning didnt hurt either… the longer practice went the better i was performing. I think i could talk all day about this experience and whether i decide to pursue this or not i will not forget this past weekend.

-Thats kinda the breakdown, take care guys.

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HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Cole Konrad looked down at the football gear spread out in front of his locker, shook his head and smiled.
“There’s tons of stuff here,” Konrad said with a laugh Sunday in the New York Jets’ locker room.

Konrad, a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Minnesota, is used to wearing very little while competing in his natural sport. As one of 51 players participating in the Jets’ rookie minicamp, Konrad is in new surroundings, with a multipiece football uniform and helmet replacing his usual wrestling singlet and head gear.

“Football’s foreign to me, just like a lot of these guys would feel if they tried wrestling,” said Konrad, wearing a gray Minnesota Wrestling T-shirt. “I’m just learning every day as I’m coming in here. Everything’s new to me.”

He’s not alone. Tommy Rowlands, also a two-time NCAA wrestling champ from Ohio State, is in camp with the Jets on a tryout. The two wrestlers are roommates during the three-day camp — and opponents on the mat.

Konrad is No. 1 in the heavyweight division of the college rankings, but is second to Rowlands in the U.S. senior freestyle rankings. Rowlands beat Konrad in the finals of the U.S. National Championships last month in Las Vegas. The two will meet again next month at the U.S. World Team Trials on June 10 in Las Vegas, with each man’s sights set on winning an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.

“We don’t talk wrestling too much, but we get along real well,” Konrad said. “We’ve been talking about football mainly.”

Konrad, 23, is trying out for the offensive line, while Rowlands, who’ll turn 26 next month, is giving it a shot at linebacker. Neither has played competitive football in years: Konrad since his freshman year of high school, and Rowlands since eighth grade.

“What you look for in terms of progress is a little bit different (from other players),” Jets coach Eric Mangini said. “What I like about these guys is that they’re in a foreign environment, yet they’re not fazed by it. They’re going to go out and compete like crazy because that’s how they’re wired, and that’s a great characteristic.”

Mangini, who wrestled in high school, is intrigued by their athleticism, which prompted the invitations. Both Rowlands and Konrad were surprised when they received calls from Brendan Prophett, the Jets’ assistant director for pro scouting.

“I thought it was a prank call,” Rowlands said, laughing. “When I returned his call, it was a voice mail and it said he was from the New York Jets, so I figured if someone was pranking me, they’re going to great lengths to make the joke work. At that time, I knew it was real.”

And one of them making the team isn’t necessarily impossible. Mangini was with New England when Steve Neal, a two-time NCAA champion wrestler, tried out and became a serviceable offensive lineman for the Patriots.

“I don’t want to give anybody the edge because I know they’re both going to worlds,” Mangini said with a smile. “I think they’re pretty comparable.”

And they are on the wrestling mat, too.

Rowlands, from Hilliard, Ohio, is Ohio State’s career leader in wins, team points and takedowns. His career record with the Buckeyes was 161-14, including the 2002 and 2004 NCAA heavyweight titles.

“I’m planning on winning the Beijing Olympics and then retiring from the sport of wrestling,” said Rowlands, currently an assistant wrestling coach for the Buckeyes. “At that point, you never know, but if I achieve that goal, I know I’ll be able to walk away from the sport knowing I’ve reached the pinnacle. If I’m able to do that, I’ll be real happy.”

Konrad, from Freedom, Wis., won NCAA heavyweight titles in each of the last two years, and went 154-13 — including 76 straight victories to end his career at Minnesota. Known as “King Cole” during his college days, Konrad’s cauliflowered left ear is an easily recognizable memento of his wrestling battles.

While the footwork techniques used in wrestling have helped them on the field, Rowlands and Konrad both have had their hands full grappling with football.

“I didn’t think it was going to be as difficult as it is to pick up the plays. I thought I’d catch on pretty quick,” Konrad said, snapping his fingers. “There’s actually a lot of little steps to everything. I’m constantly learning. Even when I think I’m doing it right, there’s still the little things I need to fine-tune.”

Rowlands acknowledges that the experience has been everything he thought it would be.

“I expected to be overwhelmed with the information that’s been given to me and be on par from an athletic standpoint with the guys here,” Rowlands said. “I feel like the problem is the no football experience, and this is the highest level of the game. I’m just trying to work through that.”

By the time minicamp ends Monday, both Rowlands and Konrad hope they have shown enough to warrant invitations back to camp next month — regardless of their Olympic wrestling hopes.

“I’m trying to take advantage of this opportunity and do the best I can,” Rowlands said. “If they want me to be a part of the team, then I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.”

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Just one year earlier, Neal was the defending World champion, before getting unseated by Kerry McCoy in 2000. But going into the 2001 U.S. Nationals, Neal knew it would be his last year as a wrestler – no matter what happened. He had made the choice to try out for NFL scouts and work to be signed as a free agent.

Improbable? Neal did not play football in college. Impossible? His mix of size, strength and athleticism made him an interesting prospect for any team that had nothing to lose by taking a risk.

There were other options, too. Kurt Angle had become a star entertainer for the WWE, and Neal had been approached by their executives. But that was not a life he was interested in.

“I always wanted to play football,” Neal said. “I just got real fortunate to step in at the right time. I’m glad the option was there. I was originally going to try to pursue this in 2000 if I made the Olympic Team. I was trying to set the process in motion from my end of it. I just got lucky that Matt Ghaffari introduced me to my current agency, who then got me a tryout.”

That tryout turned into a free agent contract to join the New England Patriots practice squad. If Neal was to succeed in football, he would have to change everything he knew from competing at a high level in wrestling.

There was no more individuality. Everything needed to be done as one cohesive unit – a team.

“When you’re playing football, there’s 22 guys on the playing surface. In wrestling, there are two guys. In wrestling, you see if the guy’s going to head butt you or not. In football, you don’t see where the blows are coming from,” Neal stated. “There are a few skills that are similar. You have to have pretty good balance. You definitely need a lot of strength. You just have to expect to win.”

The biggest gap came in technique, Neal said. He had to learn not only his job on every play, but the jobs of his teammates as well.

But he did have one thing on his side. Even though Neal did not play college football, as every other player in training camp for the Patriots had that year, he received a lot of respect from his teammates.

“They knew I was a top athlete from another sport. They knew I didn’t have the football skills, but they all believed I could get it done,” Neal said.

Nearly five years ago after his first tryout with an NFL team, Neal is now a starting guard for the three-time World champion Patriots and one of the most respected offensive linemen in the NFL. His life, once consumed by wrestling and worrying about where his next check would come from, is now consumed by NFL playbooks, his wife Jodee and his two children, three-year old Colby and one-year old Jillian.

While so much has changed with Neal, even more has changed within wrestling. New weight classes. New rules. New faces. He finds it hard to keep up sometimes.

“I try to watch (wrestling) as much as I can. I try to follow the college stuff. As for the international, it’s impossible for me to watch the Worlds or anything. We are in the middle of training camp and starting our season,” Neal said. “I was pretty excited when Tolly (Thompson) took third in the world. Tolly’s a great guy. We went back and forth competing in international and college, so for him to represent the country and take third is a cool thing.”

“It’s tough, too, when FILA keeps changing the rules. I mean, I won a World title and barely understand what’s going on now. But I would have loved to have had that push-out rule when I was wrestling,” Neal added with a laugh.

Neal also found time to see some of his old training partners and teammates competing in the inaugural season of Real Pro Wrestling.

“I think it’s really exciting. You watch a lot of the other sports and they hype up the players and they hype up how intense it is. Real Pro Wrestling is doing that for wrestling. I think it’s cool you get teams and fans that are excited about it. You need a fan base to help your sport grow.”

Even with the possibility of RPW, Neal still would have taken a chance at the NFL. It was his goal. It was his dream.

And while Neal does not know how long he will play in the NFL, though he says he’ll keep going as long as they let him play, he does know what he wants to do when his football career is over.

“I think I’d get back involved with wrestling. Running kind of sucks, and it’s always good to get out there in the wrestling room. You compete and you battle, and that would be a good way for me to get my weight down when football’s over,” Neal said. “I weighed about 265 (lbs.) when I competed. These new weights would have been good for me. But right now, I weigh around 300. I can’t wait to get back down.”

That weight, however, may help him in the New England winter time, along with helping him to keep some of the most powerful men in the world from laying a finger on the quarterback he protects.

But one question will always remain among wrestling and football enthusiasts alike – which is more satisfying, winning an individual World title or a team World title?

“It is hard to compare. When I won in 1999, I was out there on the mat by myself. In football, there’s 53 guys on the team, so you share that victory with everyone. The bonding of a team is really special, but the individual championship is great because of how much work you’ve put in.”

Five years ago, who would have thought he would have to answer that question? Certainly not Neal, the Patriot who will always have one more World title than his teammates.

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Lewis has led the Bengals to consecutive 8-8 records. In his rookie head coaching season of 2003, Cincinnati was the NFL’s most improved team, and he finished second behind Bill Belichick of New England in Associated Press voting for NFL Coach of the Year. In 2004, Lewis guided the Bengals to a .500 finish while QB Carson Palmer was seeing his first NFL action, and also while adjusting to injuries that sent 18 players to season-ending medical reserve lists.

The Bengals have set regular-season home attendance records each of the past two years, last year topping the half-million mark for the first time with a total of 524,248. All eight games were sellouts, marking the franchise’s first such sellout sweep since 1992 at Riverfront Stadium.

The first seven games on the 2004 schedule drew the seven largest crowds in team history, including a record 65,806 for the Oct. 25 Monday night contest vs. Denver. The Bengals enter the 2005 season with a streak of 11 straight regular season sellouts, dating back through the last three games of 2003.

On Feb. 14, 2005, it was announced that Lewis and the team agreed on a one-year extension of Lewis’s contract, which now covers the next four seasons (through 2008). And in a move unprecedented for the franchise in regard to coaching staff stability, it was announced that all of Lewis’s assistants have been signed through 2006.

“Marvin has done an excellent job,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “He has established himself with the Bengals and the community. We feel good about the future of our team being in his hands.”

Said Lewis:

“My family and I are very grateful for the faith this shows in the direction of our program. I’m excited about the opportunity afforded me to build our team to a championship level. Just as important is the commitment by the organization to keeping our coaching staff intact. It’s a great endorsement of our future and direction.”

The Bengals future starts at quarterback, where Carson Palmer, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, survived anticipated growing pains in ‘04 and finished with a 96.9 passer rating over his last six games. Well before season’s end, there was consensus agreement in Cincinnati and beyond that Lewis had made the right move by naming Palmer as his starter in March, when offseason workouts first began. The decision had sparked discussion at the time, as veteran Jon Kitna was coming off a career-best season in 2003.

“Carson did an outstanding job of growing into the position,” says Lewis. “He expanded our options with his abilities.”

Defensively in 2004, the Bengals boasted a bumper crop of promising rookies. S Madieu Williams and CB Keiwan Ratliff identified themselves as future stars with heady play and hard hits. LB Landon Johnson went on a late-season tackle binge, and DE Robert Geathers showed superb big-play potential. LB Caleb Miller had his moments before being slowed by injuries, and DT Langston Moore, who was seeing his first NFL action, proved a capable starter when pressed into service by injuries to veterans.

“I really feel this club is going in the right direction in every area,” says Kitna, who has stayed on as Palmer’s backup at quarterback. “Moreso even than at the end of 2003, you can see the foundation we’re building on.”

Lewis has been demanding of Bengals players, stressing punctuality, accountability and attention to detail. But while demanding more, he has given more. With support from team ownership, he has upgraded the weight room, brought more amenities to the locker room and improved team meal service.

“He has treated guys like pros, and we’ve acted more like pros,” said offensive tackle Willie Anderson, one of four Bengals selected for the Pro Bowl after the 2004 season.

In addition to bringing the football team more confidence and unity, Lewis has reached out to strengthen the franchise’s ties to the community, making more than 100 appearances in his first two years.

A partial list of causes and organizations he has supported includes the YWCA, Cincinnati Public Library, FreeStore/Food- Bank, Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Procter & Gamble’s “A.D.O.P.T.” program, the NAACP, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati.

In October 2003, Lewis and wife Peggy launched the Marvin Lewis Community Fund to “empower, educate, and inspire children while enriching inner-city communities.” In its short existence, the Fund has donated more than $600,000 to its recipients and programs.

Lewis was hired as the ninth head coach in Bengals history on Jan. 14, 2003. He brought credentials as a record-setting NFL defensive coordinator with a Super Bowl championship ring.

In 2002, the season before he joined the Bengals, Lewis led the Washington Redskins to a No. 5 NFL defensive ranking, serving as assistant head coach as well as defensive coordinator. He came to the Redskins after six seasons (1996-2001) as defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens, a tenure that included a Super Bowl victory in the 2000 season.

In the 2000 regular season, Lewis’s Baltimore defense set the NFL record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game campaign (165), clipping 22 points off the previous mark.

Lewis’s 2000 defensive unit is regularly included when football people engage in conjecture about the best NFL defense of all time. The 2000 Ravens finished first in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed (970), rushing average allowed (2.7), total takeaways (49), fumble recoveries (26) and shutouts (4).

The 970 rushing yards allowed were the fewest in NFL history for a 16-game season. And in four postseason contests, the Ravens defense allowed only one TD.

Lewis had his first NFL assignment from 1992-95, as linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The opportunity came after 11 years in college coaching.

Lewis helped the Steelers defense rank among the top three in the NFL each season, and he guided the careers of some of the NFL’s best linebackers, including Pro Bowl selections Kevin Greene, Chad Brown, Levon Kirkland and Greg Lloyd. Of Pittsburgh’s 97 sacks over Lewis’s last two seasons, the linebackers were credited with 63.5.

Lewis began his coaching career working with the linebackers at his alma mater, Idaho State, from 1981- 84. Also nicknamed the Bengals, ISU finished 12-1 during Lewis’s first season and won the NCAA Division 1-AA championship. In 1985-86, Lewis was linebackers coach at Long Beach State, and he held the same post at New Mexico from ‘87-89. In 1990, he accepted a position coaching outside linebackers at the University of Pittsburgh.

Lewis earned All-Big Sky Conference honors as a linebacker at Idaho State for three consecutive years (1978-80), and he also saw action at quarterback and free safety during his college career. He received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Idaho State in 1981, and earned his master’s in athletic administration in ‘82. He was inducted into Idaho State’s Hall of Fame in 2001.

Born Sept. 23, 1958, Lewis attended Fort Cherry High School in McDonald, Pa. (near Pittsburgh), where he was an all-conference quarterback and safety. He also earned high school letters in wrestling and baseball. He and his wife, Peggy, have a daughter, Whitney, and a son, Marcus.

Upon his hiring in 2003, Lewis was the eighth African-American to be named to an NFL head coaching position. The first seven were Fritz Pollard (Akron 1921; Milwaukee 1925), Art Shell (L.A. Raiders 1989-94), Dennis Green (Minnesota 1992-2001), Ray Rhodes (Philadelphia 1995-98; Green Bay 1999), Tony Dungy (Tampa Bay 1996-2001; Indianapolis 2002-present), Terry Robiskie (Washington 2000; Cleveland 2004), and Herman Edwards (N.Y. Jets 2001-present).

Since Lewis’s hiring, three more teams have named African-Americans to head coaching jobs. Following the 2003 season, Dennis Green returned to the ranks as head coach at Arizona, and Lovie Smith was hired to lead the Chicago Bears. Following the 2004 campaign, the Cleveland Browns tabbed Romeo Crennel.

PLAYING AND COACHING HISTORY — 1978-80: Played linebacker, quarterback and safety at Idaho State. 1981-84: Assistant coach (AC), Idaho State. 1985-86: AC, Long Beach State. 1987-89: AC, New Mexico. 1990-91: AC, Univ. of Pittsburgh. 1992-95: AC, Pittsburgh Steelers. 1996-2001: Defensive coordinator, Baltimore Ravens. 2002: Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator, Washington Redskins. 2003-present: Bengals head coach.

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Ghiaciuc, 6-foot-4 and 302 pounds, started the final 35 games of his Central Michigan career and blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in each of his three seasons as a starter. He is a former Michigan state wrestling champion.

Ghiaciuc is the fifth of the Bengals’ seven draft choices to sign for 2005. Previously signed were wide receiver Chris Henry of West Virginia, third round; offensive tackle Adam Kieft of Central Michigan, fifth round; wide receiver Tab Perry of UCLA, sixth round; and defensive end Jonathan Fanene of Utah, seventh round.

The Bengals also signed free agent offensive lineman Reese Hicks to a two-year contract on Saturday. He was released by the Denver Broncos on July 25.

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A West Virginia spokesman confirmed Monday that Jones underwent successful sports hernia surgery Thursday, and will be shut down for ten weeks.

In January Jones was honored as the recipient of the Hardman Award as the 2004 West Virginia state Amateur Athlete of the Year. In March he claimed the 184 pound NCAA national title. In April Jones, a native of Slickville, Pa., worked out for about an hour with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were looking at Jones as a possible free agent signing as a defensive back or special teams player.

Continue reading at the source.

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