Questions, risks surround top wideouts in draft
Mistakes? Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard certainly has made a few.
But he seems to have learned from them, fought hard to overcome them, and is one of the top players at his position this year heading into next week's NFL draft.
Gilyard's troubles began after a freshman season in 2005 when he played cornerback and returned kickoffs. He was accused of plagiarism in a class he failed, saw his GPA drop below 2.0, lost his scholarship and was ineligible for the 2006 season as Brian Kelly took over the Bearcats' program from Mark Dantonio.
Gilyard saw how short the trip was from his high horse to the back seat of his Pontiac.
"It took me from a kid (who) felt like I was everything and anything to football in Cincinnati to someone who didn't have anything at all," Gilyard said. "I was homeless in the city. I lost my scholarship. I got evicted from my house. I had to find faith and find myself. I had to grow up. I was a real knucklehead kid - arrogant, cocky, immature. I had to grow up, so that helped me out a lot. I wouldn't change it for nothing."
While 2006 was a wasted year academically and athletically, it was a banner year for his personal growth. He thought about transferring, but his mother and brothers convinced him to stick it out. And then Gilyard went to work, literally.
"I was a cook at an Italian restaurant," he said. "I sold kitchen cutlery, I was a pizza delivery driver, and I worked construction."
His living arrangements? A 2002 Pontiac Grand Am. He's able to joke about it now.
"That was the easiest rent I ever had to pay," he said.
In the summer of 2007, Gilyard played semi-pro football, and in the fall, Kelly restored his scholarship at Cincinnati, and the 6-foot, 187-pound Gilyard moved to wide receiver, where he was an eight-game starter. Over the next two seasons, he caught 168 passes for 2,467 yards, 22 touchdowns, averaged 29.0 yards on 76 kickoff returns and 12.6 yards on 16 punt returns.
He plays faster than his 4.6 40-time (he ran just under 4.5 at Cincinnati's pro day) and has great elusiveness and run-after-the-catch ability. He's still learning the receiver position and would benefit from a stronger commitment to the weight room, but Gilyard could hear his name called in the second round.
He helped his cause with 103 receiving yards in the Senior Bowl, including a 32-yard TD grab. It made up for a shaky start in practice leading up to the game, when Lions wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson wasn't thrilled with Gilyard's sense of urgency.
"Coach Jefferson is really, really, really strict," Gilyard said. "He was strict with everyone, but it seemed like he was real strict on me. He got in my face. One day he was like, 'We're gonna send you home, man.' Sometimes you get lackadaisical and you need that kick in your butt."
Gilyard also got some good advice from Jefferson.
"He told me, 'Mardy, you don't need to get in any trouble. If you hang with a crew, tell your crew you'll hang with them when you have time. You got a dog and a girl?' I was like, 'Well, I got a dog. I don't have no girl.' He said, 'Then you need to spend all your time with your dog.' "
Top 10 wide receiversDez Bryant, Oklahoma StateDemaryius Thomas, Georgia TechArrelious Benn, IllinoisGolden Tate, Notre DameEric Decker, MinnesotaDamian Williams, USCJordan Shipley, TexasMardy Gilyard, CincinnatiRiley Cooper, FloridaBrandon LaFell, LSULeGere's view: It's possible the first five wide receivers drafted could all be juniors -- Bryant, Thomas, Benn, Tate and Williams. While only Bryant and Thomas are sure-thing first-rounders, there are questions and risks about both.Bryant was suspended for most of the 2009 season for lying to the NCAA about his relationship with Deion Sanders, who was suspected of working for agent Eugene Parker and recruiting Bryant. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder is easily the most gifted pass-catcher in the draft. Thomas averaged 25.1 yards on 46 catches last season but suffered a broken left foot in February that required surgery. The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Benn is physical and tough with good run-after-the-catch and tackle-breaking ability, but he is far from a finished product. He had a great sophomore season (67 catches, 1,055 yards) but his numbers plummeted last year (38 catches, 490 yards) in a bad offense. Tate had huge numbers the past two seasons (151 catches, 2,576 yards, 25 TDs), but he lacks size (5-10, 199) and doesn't play to his timed speed (4.48).False17032000Illinois' Arrelious BennAssociated PressFalse <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=372821">Bears expect much more from young receiving corps <span class="date">[04/13/10]</span></a></li><li><a href="/story/?id=372819">Where the Bears will draft in 2010 <span class="date">[04/13/10]</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div>