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March 2007
Special Delivery
“I’m sure game-changers like that, if they have that ability, are going to rise up those charts a little bit more, regardless of how much production he has on offense or defense,” Linehan said. “We certainly are in the market for that kind of a player if there is such a person.”
Linehan is in luck. Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr. is being billed as this year’s Hester. Ginn, who possesses blazing track speed and is the son of a renowned high-school football coach, returned six punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns in his three years with the Buckeyes.
“He’s an outstanding returner,” Jaguars V.P. of player personnel James Harris said. “He’s made some big plays doing that, and I’m pretty sure wherever he does he’s going to be a threat doing that.”
Because of Hester’s rookie exploits, Ginn says he is also confident that he can make a smooth and quick transition to the NFL.
“Well, yeah. If he can do it, I can do it,” Ginn said. “I’m not trying to be cocky or anything like that, but we do have the same vision and the same type of speed, so if he can go out there and do it, I can too.”
But there is one significant difference between Ginn and Hester. In addition to being a sensational return specialist, Ginn is also a quality wide receiver.
Of the 37 games he played at Ohio State, Ginn started 30 at wide receiver. He increased his reception and touchdown-catch totals every year.
He could go as high as the top 10 with Minnesota at No. 7 and Atlanta at No. 10 having glaring needs at the position. (Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson is regarded as the top receiving prospect and likely will not get past the Buccaneers at No. 4.)
David Hester is a special guy. Those kinds of guys don’t come around very often,” Loomis said. “It doesn’t matter how you get them, if you can find one, (he is) going to impact your team. You can’t manufacture them. You can’t manufacture a guy with that kind of ablitity.”
Ginn has Hester-like speed. But will he have a Hester-like impact?
Bears head coach Lovie Smith thinks he will.
“He will bring excitement to our league similar to Devin Hester bringing excitement to our league,” Smith said.
