Niners draft prospectus: Ted Ginn Jr.

By Thomas Sorrell
February 8, 2007

For the next several weeks, I am going to focus on an aspect of the football season that I know and love: the NFL draft. Specifically, the players who will likely be available for the San Francisco 49ers in the first and second rounds, and why the 49ers should or should not draft them.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances (such as the 49ers pulling a coup de grace in free agency and signing several big-name players the first weekend in March), this is what to expect on Mondays and Thursdays from RealFootball365. It will all culminate with my running draft diary and a detailed analysis of the 49ers' draft picks the following Monday. It should make for a good time.

With that, let's get started. First up is Ted Ginn Jr., the lighting-fast wide receiver from Ohio State.

Why the 49ers should draft Ted Ginn Jr.:

First, he's the fastest player I've ever seen on a football field. He moves laterally very well, but his straight-line speed is what is most impressive. He's the type of player who, once he makes a move, he's gone 99 times out of 100. It is very difficult for defenders to gain an angle on him because his stride is so long, it looks like he's not running as fast as he is.

Second, his natural athletic ability and concentration is something that has to be seen to be believed. His hands are amazing. Very rarely does he drop a pass that is within his reach. Also, Ginn was widely considered the best cornerback in the country coming out of high school, but thanks to a lack of offensive playmakers for the Buckeyes, he moved over to the offensive side of the ball without complaint.

The scary thing is that he's still learning the receiver position. Yes, he is still a bit raw, and his route running isn't quite where you would want it to be, but it's better than average. By the way, the same statements could be said of Vernon Davis last season, and Mike Nolan thought enough of him to warrant the sixth overall selection in the 2006 draft.

Third, Ginn is a good kid. He goes out every week and plays his hardest at all times. He blocks very well downfield. He never takes plays off. When he scores touchdowns, he hands the football to the referee and celebrates with his teammates. Forget what you might have heard about him being injured while celebrating his kick return for a touchdown in the National Championship Game; one of his own players slipped as he approached him and crashed into his ankle -- Ginn was simply standing in the end zone.

Something else that's well worth mentioning is that Ginn never once complained about a lack of touches while he was donning the scarlet and gray of Ohio State. Even though his receiving yardage dropped thanks to the emergence of other weapons, he never made a single negative comment about any of the players or coaches.

In the current NFL, where receivers are constantly yelling and screaming about not getting the ball (Antonio Bryant) while drawing attention away from the team and onto themselves with their off-the-field statements or shenanigans (Terrell Owens), Ginn's humble, soft-spoken, team-oriented attitude is more than a breath of fresh air -- it's the wind from a jet engine.

Fourth, the 49ers' offense lacks three things: a primary receiver, a "defense must account for him at all times" playmaker (Davis is good in space, but no one on the offense can help take the heat off him), and a true deep threat on the outside. Ginn can fill all three of those gaps by himself.

He is the type of player who can stretch the defense and take some of the heat off Frank Gore and the running game. Someone who can run two defenders off on a "go" route and free up some room underneath for Vernon Davis to catch the ball in space and take on smaller defensive backs one on one. Someone who can catch a quick slant and turn it into a 50-yard gain.

One of the 49ers' offensive staples last season was the end around, yet they lacked a receiver with speed to run it effectively. Bryan Gilmore and Arnaz Battle were the usual ball carriers, but the longest run by either of them was 22 yards. Ginn's speed could turn that 22 yards into 72. Something else to think about is what sort of impact a fake end around to Ginn followed by a quick handoff to Gore would have on the opposing defense. The 49ers' opponent would have to account for Ginn's speed around the edge, and by the time they realized he didn't have the ball, Gore would be past them.

One more possibility would be a favorite play of the Colts. Throughout the season (and especially in the playoffs), they lined their pass-catching tight end, Dallas Clark, up in the slot with Marvin Harrison flanking him. Clark then ran a streak route to clear out room for Harrison, who was running a slant route. If the 49ers drafted Ginn, this play would decimate defenses.

Finally, Devin Hester showed in 2006 that special teams are vital to the success of an NFL team (it's not as if that's been a secret, though). Players like Eric Metcalf, Brian Mitchell, Desmond Howard and Dante Hall all made their mark on special teams and helped their team to one or two victories a year with their play. The Niners do not have a player like this. In fact, their most consistent return specialist is Maurice Hicks.

Once again, Ginn would solve this problem immediately. In his three years at Ohio State, he returned six punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns and averaged 14.5 and 25.4 per return, respectively.

One of the knocks on Ginn is that he will likely not be a true No. 1-caliber receiver in the NFL, yet no one can establish any sort of legitimate reason to back up this claim. The most common factor I've heard referenced is his lack of "ideal size" (Ginn is 6-foot, 180 pounds). In my opinion, that is nonsense. To use a cliché, size simply doesn't matter anymore -- at least not when you're talking about NFL wide receivers. Don't believe me? Take a look at the top 10 players in yards receiving in '06. Out of those individuals, seven are 6-1 or shorter.

The 49ers may have more pressing needs, specifically on defense, yet an excellent case can still be made for the team to draft Ginn. And if you're still not convinced, head on over to YouTube.com and check out some of his highlight videos. I promise that you will not be disappointed.

Clark emerges as top playoff receiving threat

By Mike Chappell
January 30, 2007

You'll excuse Dallas Clark if he takes a deep breath and really, really savors the moment.

It's one that culminates Sunday in Miami's Dolphin Stadium when the Indianapolis Colts meet the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. It's one that Clark has played a major role in as quarterback Peyton Manning's go-to, gotta-have-it receiver during postseason wins over Kansas City, Baltimore and the New England Patriots.

But it's a moment that, in late November, was the furthest thing from Clark's mind.

"Yeah," the veteran tight end said, "I feel very blessed. The Lord works in mysterious ways. The game can be taken away from you so fast, with an injury, being cut, not doing a good job, whatever."

In Clark's case, it was an injury. At the end of a 4-yard reception against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 26, Clark's right knee was driven into the turf. He grabbed it immediately. Team doctors rushed onto the field and the initial prognosis wasn't encouraging.

"I went out on the field and they told me it looks like an (anterior cruciate ligament)," coach Tony Dungy said.

The team was poised to place Clark on the injured reserve list the following Tuesday, ending his season. But Arthur Rettig, one of the team's orthopedic surgeons, intervened with encouraging words.

"Doc Rettig calls back and said, 'I wouldn't put him on IR yet. It may not be where he requires surgery,'" Dungy recalled.

Five weeks later, Clark was back on the field in the regular-season finale against Miami. His knee was stable, and his performance has been striking.

"I'm just trying to get open and hopefully get some balls thrown to me," Clark said. "It's something new for tight ends. We don't necessarily get the ball thrown to us too many times when you have Marv and Reg doing their thing."

That would be Pro Bowl receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, normally Manning's first and second options. They haven't been neutralized in the three playoff wins -- a combined 25 catches for 289 yards and one touchdown -- but neither have they taken over games.

Clark has.

With so much attention paid on the outside to Harrison and Wayne, Clark has exploited the vulnerable middle and linebacker coverage. He leads the team with 17 receptions, 14 of which have produced first downs. He leads all postseason receivers with 281 yards.

The enormity of Clark's contributions can't be overstated. Consider the Colts have had only 11 100-yard receiving games in their postseason history. Clark has accounted for three. Hall of Famer Lenny Moore had two, Harrison and Hall of Famer Raymond Berry one each.

"You work so hard all year and your job is to be there when your number's called," Clark said. "I'm just glad I've been in the right spot at the right time and made some plays."

Miracle Man

Ginn Sr. among the appreciated

January 30, 2007

Dennis Manoloff

Ted Ginn Sr. received a special tribute Monday night at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards for the opportunities he has provided young athletes in the area.

The Glenville High School football coach was thrilled to be honored -- but not so as to pad his résumé or put another item in his trophy case.

"This is huge because it's about Cleveland kids," said Ginn, whose projects include the Ted Ginn Sr. Foundation. "I don't work for awards or recognition, but if the kids are recognized, that's great. Through the tribute, I want people to know that if you give the kids the right guidance, if you give them the love, patience and understanding, then they can rise to whatever they want to be.

"Youngsters all over the city, all over the country, need a lot of love."

Among the young men who love Ginn is Donte Whitner, who just finished his rookie season as a defensive back with the Buffalo Bills. Whitner, a presenter Monday night at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, played at Glenville and Ohio State before being drafted in the first round by Buffalo.

"Without coach Ginn, I would not be in the National Football League," said Whitner, who had 105 tackles and one interception for the Bills. "He's an amazing human being. He means so much to the entire community. What I learned from coach Ginn goes far beyond football."

Ginn is the subject of a documentary by John Dauphin titled "Winning Lives: The Story of Ted Ginn Sr." It is due out in the fall. Some of the footage was shown at the sports awards.

Dauphin, free-lance writer from Worthington, Ohio, and a public-relations coordinator for NASCAR, has spent countless hours with Ginn since last summer. He cannot get enough.

"I obviously have great respect for his work and what he's attempting to do," Dauphin said. "The bottom line with coach Ginn is he's real, as genuine as it gets. And his love for children is incredible. He goes to great lengths to understand their world, so he can figure out the best way for them to succeed."

Ginn develops such strong ties with his players, they view him as a father figure long past their days in direct contact.

"I feel like a second father, a second adult in their lives after their parents," Ginn said. "I'm privileged to have that role, and I take it very seriously."

Ginn's message, no matter how much athletic talent the youngster possesses, centers on dedication. His son, Ted Jr., certainly listened. Junior is in line to become a high first-round pick in April after three standout seasons as a receiver and a kick returner at Ohio State.

When his son made the decision to turn pro after his junior year, Ginn Sr. kept the advice simple.

"I told him to stay calm and stay humble," Ginn Sr. said. "He is about to enter a whole new world, and he needs to focus on doing the right thing because a lot of people are looking up to him."

Ginn Jr. and Whitner are part of a Glenville pipeline Ginn Sr. has built to Columbus. Another member is Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, who earned the GCSA's Outstanding Collegiate Athlete award. Ginn Sr. said there is no reason the pipeline cannot continue full-throttle.

"As long as the right example is set, you expect good things to happen," Ginn Sr. said. "These young men are providing tremendous motivation for the next group."
Smith has credited Ginn, among others, for his rise to Heisman winner.

"I feel good about that, but it doesn't end there," Ginn Sr. said. "I have to keep going to work."

Smith and LeBron James, named Outstanding Pro Athlete, were not in attendance Monday night. Smith was at a quarterback skills challenge in Florida as part of Super Bowl week; GCSA officials did not receive an explanation from James, who missed his fourth straight GCSA.

Ginn Jr. was among the many big names who did make it. Ginn Jr. was in a walking boot, the result of his middle-foot sprain at the BCS Championship Game in Arizona.

The GCSA, the major annual fund-raiser for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, is the biggest sports show in Northeast Ohio. Sports Commission officials announced a sellout -- 1,240 -- for the first time in the seven years of the event.