Jimmy Graham lets tough-guy persona show through

INDIANAPOLIS NFL teams must be questioning Jimmy Graham's toughness.

At least it sure seems that way as he keeps casually mentioning his problems staying out of foul trouble during his former life as a basketball banger at the University of Miami.

"I was a physical basketball player," Graham, a fascinating prospect at tight end, reminded reporters here at the NFL Scouting Combine. "I mean, I fouled out almost every game."

A little later, Graham was asked what parts of his basketball experience might translate onto the football field.

"I think my ability to attack the ball in the air," he said. "I fouled out of every game."

He smiled broadly as a handful of media members recoiled at the notion.

"Hey, it happens," he said, laughing.

For the record, Graham was disqualified just 11 times in his four years as a Hurricanes basketballer. His 290 career fouls do rank eighth in UM basketball history.

Pardon the harmless exaggeration, but it seems he'd like NFL teams to believe he was a sharp-elbowed enforcer who all but had his face displayed on post office walls throughout the Atlantic Coast Conference.

That way, maybe his future employers would actually believe he can block a little bit.

Catching the ball and getting open shouldn't be a problem.

"I think I have the ability to stretch the field," Graham said. "Very fast, very big. I think my strength is catching the ball, scoring touchdowns. I think my weakness is my technique on blocking. That's something I kind of had to forego [in college]."

Graham ran an unofficial time of 4.55 in the 40-yard dash here at Lucas Oil Stadium, and his other measurables figured to match up favorably with most of his competition at the position.

He measured at 6 feet 6 and 260 pounds, and said he was "kind of surprised" by that development.

"I think I'm 6-7," he said. "Basketball, I'm 6-8 [in shoes]."

Graham's basketball background adds to his allure in large part because of two names: Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez.

Those two prototypical tight ends emerged from college basketball backgrounds to reach a combined 16 Pro Bowls (and counting).

When asked last month at the Senior Bowl if it was realistic for him to emulate that path, Graham didn't hesitate.

"I believe it is," he said. "I mean, I've been playing this game six months and I'm here. I believe I had a great season. I caught five touchdowns and the first time I put on pads was in August."

If that sounds a little cocky, well, so what?

"Antonio Gates is my idol, him and Gonzalez," Graham said. "I'm looking to kind of follow in their footsteps."

Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen are other ex-UM tight ends who have blazed a trail for Graham. He would like nothing better than to be the latest product of "Tight End U," and it meant quite a bit for Graham when he was able to be at Sun Life Stadium and watch Shockey help the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl title three weeks ago.

"I think the biggest thing [Shockey] told me was he was proud of me," Graham said. "From Jeremy Shockey, that means a lot. That tells me I have been doing things the right way."

Now if he could just get NFL teams to stop questioning his toughness.



(sun-sentinel.com)