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You have to give the kid a lot of credit. He was given a chance to show his wares to earn a spot, after a nondescript college, and he took advantage of it.
The Jets signed wide receiver Jonathan Rumph today. He was in their rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis and did a nice job.
He is kind of mystery man, after spending the last two years playing at the University of Georgia, and catching just 18 passes. That is why he was an afterthought in the draft process.
So what happened in Athens?
This guy was a star on the junior college level his first two years out of high school. After lighting up the JUCO ranks, he received offers from some of the nation’s best programs, like Alabama. LSU and Georgia, and picked the Bulldogs.
If Alabama coach Nick Saban wants you coming out of junior college, there is clearly talent there. He has very high standards.
The biggest reason Rumph never really got anything going for Georgia had a lot it had to do with a lingering hamstring injury that never went away almost his entire time with the Bulldogs.
He suffered a tear in a camp before the 2013 season, and the problem lingered into 2014. It clearly was a pretty bad injury.
And it seems like Georgia tired of waiting on him.
Because by the time he finally got healthy, over the second half of the 2014 season, they were set at receiver.
His only production was against Georgia Southern (five catches) and Kentucky (four catches), and both games were blowout wins for the Bulldogs, so these were essentially garbage-time catches.
But if he finally has his hamstring in order, there is no question this guy has talent. He stood out in the rookie mini-camp. I definitely noticed him.
Georgia listed at 6-5, 215 (which means he’s probably 6-3 or 6-4 – most colleges embellish sizes). He’s a big, athletic receiver who will go up and get the football in traffic. He certainly looks the part.
He didn’t help his cause by running a 4.74 forty at Georgia’s Pro Day, but watching him in the rookie mini-camp, he seems to play faster than that.
But there is no question this kid has talent. You didn’t need to be super-scout to watch the Jets’ rookie camp and see it.
Just look at his JUCO production and the programs that wanted him coming of community college.
Now his best shot is likely on the Jets’ practice squad, but that wouldn’t be bad for him because he definitely needs a some time to get his sea legs, after so little action at Georgia.
But he deserves credit for what he did at the rookie mini-camp, along with QB Jake Heaps. They were given a chance to show their wares, and they took advantage of it.
If Rumph had not flashed at that rookie camp, his career likely would have been over. But as Chris Russo likes to say, “he got it done in a big spot.”
June 1, 2015
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