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Q&A With Wayne State RB Joique Bell

April 6, 2010 By 2 Comments

by Chris Warner, Patriots Daily Staff

Wayne St. Running Back Joique Bell

It’s tough for Division II players to make it in the NFL. It’s especially tough for Division II players with mediocre 40-yard-dash times.

Okay, there’s Jerry Rice. And, yes, Walter Payton. But they’re the exceptions.

Joique Bell hopes to become another. The Wayne State Warrior led the nation with over 2,000 yards rushing, earning the Harlon Hill Trophy (D-II Player of the Year). He talked to PD this week about his love of football and his hope that, when evaluating him, teams look at his film (below) more than his 40.

I wanted to ask you what it has been like to go from a small college atmosphere to the national stage over the last couple of months.

Oh, it’s been very exciting. It just points out that – not only for me, but for my teammates and all the D-II players and all that – knowing that talent can be recognized. If you have talent, they will find you. This is a testament to that, so it’s a blessing to even make it this far.

And what was it like, going to the combine, for example, when you’re surrounded by players that have gotten so much national exposure?

It’s not really that big of a transition. You know, they do the same things I do; I did the same things they did. I didn’t get that much exposure, but I look at the other players as human beings. I don’t put anybody on a pedestal; I look at everybody at the same level, because right now, none of us are in the NFL yet. After that, I just look at everybody as level, I don’t put anybody above anybody else. When I went down there, nobody acted like they were above anybody else. It was a good atmosphere to be in. You meet a lot of new guys and make a lot of new friends, make some good contacts, and hopefully you can take that to the league, or even play with some of them.

Speaking of being put on a pedestal, you did really, really well at Wayne State. What were your expectations when you went there?

My expectations when I first came here was just to help the team. I knew I would be a good player because of my work ethic and my playmaking ability. I knew I would be a decent player, but when you go out there and perform – when I started performing, I realized I really could be a great player… So I put in even more work and more work, working harder and harder in the weight room, and doing extra drills on my own, and doing conditioning on my own, thinking that everything paid off. When I first came in, like I said, I was expecting to be a role player my first year – you know, redshirt – and be the best offensive scout (team player) I could be for the defense. Once I saw how good I was playing against the defense, I was like, wow. We had a very good defense my freshman year. Once I started doing really well against them, I knew that I was ready for this league.

At what point when you were playing did you know that you were going to be a big part of Wayne State’s program?

Oh, probably my first game of the season. At the time, I didn’t know. Somebody called me and told me, I think after my first game, I led the entire nation in all-purpose yards, which I didn’t know. Just, someone called me, and I said, wow. I checked it out myself, and I was like, “Wow, I really can play with the best.” So, it was kind of – it just kind of took flight from there. A week before my first game, one of the starting positions at running back was a senior. We were battling for it. A week before, we had a scrimmage, and I did better than him in the scrimmage. I think that Monday following, that next week… they made a depth chart and took me from practice running back and put me at first. After that, it was just like clockwork.

And which season was that?

This is my freshman season.

So, as you were excelling and doing better and better, at what point did you start thinking that you were going to get a look from the NFL? Or was that something you were thinking about even before college?

Actually, I told myself when I was in my first year of playing football. When I was a little guy, I wanted to do this. At the time, when you’re small, you know, people say, “I want to be a fireman, I want to be a policeman, I want to be a lawyer,” and I thought I wanted to be a football player. Usually, when a kid grows up, he tries to think of what he used to dream about when he was younger, but with me, I stuck with it. When I came to Wayne State, the year I didn’t play – my freshman year, my first year here – I was working for the (Detroit) Lions. I believe the scout for the Lions was walking into the facility. I was working security, and I pulled him to the side. I said, “Can I ask you a question?” and he said, “Yeah, go ahead.” I said, “Do you think a guy can (make it) from a Division II school, like Wayne State University?” And he said, “Hey, if you have talent, they’ll find you.” And after that, that’s all I needed to hear. I took it into my own hands.

Let’s go back even further and look at you going to Wayne State. You were a multi-talented athlete in high school. Were there other sports you were interested in, or did you know football was what you were going to play at the next level?

Actually, I was a better baseball player. I was a better baseball player, but I just loved football more. You know, it was something that I wanted to do. I played varsity football for two years, varsity baseball four years, varsity basketball three years, and I was varsity track for three years. I also was in band, too, but hey. Going through high school, football season, any extra time I had was all connected to football: either watching film or watching other players, or going out and doing a little workout, going to my backyard and doing sprints in the backyard, just for my sake. You know, I’m more passionate about football than any other sport, so that’s why I stuck with it.

Were you recruited to play baseball?

No, I wasn’t recruited to play baseball. And even if I was, I wanted to (avoid) it. I could have played here at Wayne State, because we have a variety of players who did football and baseball here, but when I got here, my head coach for the football team wouldn’t let me do any other sport: he wouldn’t let me do basketball, wouldn’t let me do baseball. Strictly, only football.

You said you were in band?

Yeah. I played the tuba.

The tuba? Do you still play at all?

Yeah, I can still play. I tell everybody, put the music in front of me, just give me ten minutes to go over the music, and I’ll have it.

So if there’s any kind of breakdown with the band at halftime, you could step in if need be?

Yeah. Actually, I think they had my high school band come down for my last home game. It was great. Then after the game, I went out there. You know, they do the same stuff they used to do when I was in high school, so I went out there and we did the same – we did the music, we did the steps again. It felt good just to get back some old-time memories.

What other schools were you looking at, and what made you decide on Wayne State in the end?

I mean, there were a lot of D-II schools looking at me, a lot of D-I schools looking at me. U of (Michigan), Michigan State looked at me. They wanted me for (defensive back), but I didn’t want to do that. So I stuck with playing running back, and Wayne State was the only school that recruited me hard for running back. Because my senior year, right before the season, our quarterback transferred to a different school, so we didn’t have a quarterback. Since I played quarterback my sophomore year, I said, if you need a quarterback, put me back at quarterback. I only played about four games at running back, so I really didn’t have any running back film, but when Wayne State saw the film I did have, they wanted me to play running back. And they were the most persistent and the most genuine coaching staff to come get me, and it was a great decision for me.

So what kind of offense did you lead as a quarterback (in high school)?

Oh, we ran a spread offense, mostly. We ran spread, we ran pro, we ran off-set, mostly, in high school. When I came here, we had to change it up when they put me back at running back. We did a lot of stuff as far as spread. I mean, we ran a variety of spread, two-back, one-back… We ran Wildcat. Did I say Wildcat?

Oh, I don’t think so.

Yeah, we ran a lot of Wildcat.

Now, did you run that, when you ran the Wildcat?

Yeah, I ran that. I ran that. I think we ran that every year except my freshman year.

And what are some things that you see as a quarterback in the Wildcat formation that maybe you don’t get to see as a running back out of the pro?

I really get as much out of both, except when it’s a pass formation and I have to read the defense – as far as the DBs and how they drop back, if it’s Cover Three or Cover Two. Other than that, I look at it the same way, because out of the Wildcat, what we do is mostly run. So I want to take my mindset off of being a running back then becoming a quarterback, because in the Wildcat, it’s a running back that takes the quarterback out to take out an extra defender. I don’t want to have that mindset of a quarterback, I want to keep my mindset as a running back, to see that hole and hit it, not dance around in the backfield, get sacked or anything like that… When I’m out there, I don’t think, I just react, because sometimes you don’t have time to think, you just have time to react.

Have you gotten to meet with any NFL teams?

Yeah, you meet with just about every team at the combine, and then I had a private workout with the Chiefs, and that’s about it.

And how did that go? What are the types of things you think they’re interested in?

Well, I know that they look for size, they look for speed. They look for good hands, and those other things when they came down for the private workout. Most importantly, they’re looking for conditioning. I was in very good condition when they came down, so I figure everything went very well.

In terms of conditioning and workouts, it seems like you haven’t had a great 40 time. How important do you think that is in terms of being a running back?

Oh, it’s a difference. It’s a difference. When you look at a 40 time, (compare it to) the guy that’s got game speed. I mean, I don’t have to say it: you look at the great people, some of the greatest in the game ran a 4.6. Jerry Rice never ran anything over a 4.6, but you’ve never seen him get caught from behind. There’s a lot of players. You look at (Frank) Gore from the 49ers, he ran a 4.67… but some guys, their stride opens up after 20 yards. I’m “next man speed,” that’s how I am. So once you get in front of me, I’m going to catch you, or once you’re chasing me, I’m not going to let you catch me. That’s the kind of player I am. Hey, if you look at the 40 time, of course it’s not going to look as great as if you looked at me on film.

One last thing, just for our readers I can write it out phonetically. How do you pronounce your name?

Joyk.

And where’s that from?

It’s French. What I was taught, it’s French-slash-Greek for “Conqueror.”

Conqueror. Okay, excellent. Well, I hope you do some conquering in the next month.

Hey, I hope so. I hope so.

I wish you a lot of luck, Joique. Thanks for talking to us today.

All right, man. Thanks.

Email Chris Warner at [email protected]

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2010 Patriots Daily Senior Bowl Review

February 2, 2010 By 5 Comments
By Greg Doyle, Patriots Daily Staff

The Senior Bowl was played this past weekend in a sloppy showing that saw the North prevail over the South (what is this, 1865?), 31-13. There was no surrender at the Appomottox Court House, but there were plenty of first impressions of Senior prospects who’ll be in this year’s NFL Draft. Its important to note, sometimes players who had good weeks of practice have bad games. And sometimes players who aren’t all that good happen to have good games. This is just the first step in the evaluation process. The Combine will follow at the end of the month. There will be many school Pro Days and private workouts between now and then. Impressions will change. Players will race up and down “the charts” without playing much football. But still, the Senior Bowl is a fun tool for those of us who love the draft and love to see new players come into the NFL.

So what did we learn? Lets take a look, position by position, at the good, the bad and the ugly.

Quarterbacks:

Of course the story here was Tim Tebow, Florida’s legendary quarterback who’ll, no matter what you think of his NFL prospects, will go down as one of the great college players of all time. His day was uneven at best. He made some decent throws and actually completed 8 of 12 with at least one perfect throw being dropped. But still, the hitch in his delivery was present, the slow release and all the other technique issues that make him a project. I have always been a Tebow believer. I feel strongly the talent is there, the size, the smarts, the mobility, the arm, the accuracy even and with some good, NFL coaching for a year or two, he will be productive in the league. But its evident he has a long way to go. He did dispel the somewhat over-the-top criticism he can’t take a snap under center as he did so at least half the time Saturday. But he is a work in progress and it’ll take many, many more practices and much hard work before he is ready to successfully step on an NFL field as a starting quarterback. The best quarterback in the game right now was Tony Pike from Cincinnati. He displayed good field presence, accuracy and touch. Of all the guys on the field at QB Saturday, Pike was the one who looked most NFL ready.

Running back:

Dexter McCluster from Mississippi had an uneven day. He looked a bit sluggish as a receiver running routes and fumbled once when hit head on. He didn’t show his usual explosiveness in the return game either. But one late burst on a screen play late in the game was impressive and shows once he gets an offense down, the speed and elusiveness is there and can open up an offense. Joique Bell was a small school kid from Wayne State who got a chance to play with the big boys and had his moments. Early in the game he showed both power and speed running the ball. He has a good 220+ frame and good quickness. But he struggled later and did put a ball on the ground though the offense recovered. He has a ways to go but has some obvious talent and size. LeGarrette Blount from Oregon made a nice showing with power and hard running. He’ll need to answer character questions as he missed most of 2009 due to a suspension. And his speed is only adequate. He’s never been used much in the passing game. But he has power and size and runs hard. It was a good day for him and a good first step.

Wide Receiver:

Jacoby Ford from Clemson showed off his world class speed a number of times on a reverse early in the game and an electrifying punt return. For the Patriots, Ford would solve a lot of problems. He has the kind of rare speed to stretch the field while also being able to play effectively inside in the slot. He has great kick return potential as well. He may even last to the second round, where the Patriots have three choices. Jeremy Williams from Tulane had a generally good day with six catches and a long run on a reverse. He has good size at 6’1″ 201 and looked to be a solid route runner. But he did drop one easy perfect throw from Tebow that would have converted a first down. Mardy Gilyard from Cincinnati was probably the best receiver in the game, topping the 100 yard mark and scoring a touchdown. He also showed return ability. With more positive displays before the scouts such as this one, it would be no surprise if Gillyard ended up in the first round of the draft.

Tight End:

Alabama tight end Colin Peek had a workmanlike day where he displayed good wheels and nice hands down the seam. He is somewhat of an under the radar player who wasn’t featured too much by the Crimson Tide, but has good ability and nice height at 6’6″. The Patriots will likely be in the market for a tight end. Peek is the type of mid-round guy they just might love. He scored the South’s only touchdown of the day. Garrett Graham from Wisconsin also displayed good foot speed and hands and the ability to get down field and create match up problems for linebackers. The Patriots likely need a pass catching tight end type, unless they feel Rob Myers is a sleeper in that regard. And Graham was the on guy in this game who looked like he could fit that bill.

Offensive Line:

The best lineman of the day for me was LSU’s Cirion Black who showed a combination of strength, good footwork and relentlessness in playing the game. Much talked about guard Mike Iupati from Idaho struggled mightily early in the game at right guard and appeared uncomfortable there. Later, when he switched to his more natural left guard spot, he performed much better. Yet, he appeared more of a mauler type and not a particularly good athlete. The Patriots prefer better athlete on their line and Iupati did not appear to be their style of player. Boston College’s Matt Tennant struggled some at center and it appears he will need to gets stronger before he is ready to play in the league. Pencil him in as a mid-round choice who’ll have to undergo serious NFL strength and conditioning coaching and improvement. Arizona State’s Shawn Lauvao caught my eye holding his own against Alabama’s massive tackle Terrence Cody in the second half. Lauvao played mostly tackle this year for the Sun Devils, but played guard for them in the past. He played guard Saturday. The Patriots may like his tenaciousness and versatility, though it appears he may need to bulk up a bit as well.

Defensive Line:

There were two extremely impressive lineman for me during the game, those being Dan Williams from Tennessee and Cam Thomas from North Carolina. Williams has all the tools and could be a top 15 pick. He can play inside and outside in a 3-4 and would fit the Patriots perfectly, though they may have to move up to get him. He is polished, stout at the point of attack, plays hard and is very disruptive versus the pass. He seemed skilled at diagnosing screens as well. Thomas looked like a prototypical nose tackle who caused a ton of problems for opposing linemen. He had a sack, which isn’t his forte, but also was very stout against the run. At 330 lbs., he’d fit perfectly on the nose for a 3-4 team and improved his stock immensely on Saturday. Somewhat unheralded, he may now have moved up into the second round of the draft. Another player who really caught my eye was Georgia’s Geno Atkins who made a ton of plays and was very active. He may be a bit undersized for the Patriots, though he looks capable of being an end and could possibly fit with them there. A pure hustle player who looked like a 3-4 end to me and a more talented version of Mike Wright was Penn State’s Jared Odrick. The team that drafts Odrick will get their money’s worth as he can play all 3 downs and his motor never stops. He has solid talent as well and is equally good against both the run and pass. He is just a good football player, not spectacular at anything, but very good and hard working at all aspects.

Linebacker:

I included Michigan’s Brandon Graham here, though he played pretty much straight 4-3 defensive end in the game. Graham was easily the game’s MVP, racking up 2 sacks, causing a fumble and generally terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Reportedly, the Patriots worked him out earlier this week and spent a lot of time with him. Mike Mayock compared Graham favorably to former Michigan end Lamarr Woodley, now a starting linebacker for the Steelers. To me, he reminded me somewhat of former Patriots Willie McGinest, albeit a bit shorter at 6’2″. In any event, his pass rush skills are beyond dispute after the display he put on Saturday. He is good against the run. The question is, can he play standing up at all? He didn’t Saturday. Can he be an outside linebacker? Should the Patriots even care anymore? What is wrong with having a designated third down rusher if he is superior at it? It says here Graham can convert to OLB, but it may take some time. He clearly is a good, physical and relentless football player. If he is merely a situational pass rusher his first year, so be it. But if you add him, he will make plays for you in 2010. One of the other two players who stuck out to me at linebacker was TCU’s Daryl Washington who was an inside linebacker in college but played outside Saturday. He was good, showing solid instincts in the passing game and good tackling ability. He has a 6’3″ frame but only checks in at 228 right now, a bit small for Patriots linebackers. But perhaps its time the Patriots not be so beholden at linebacker to “the mold.” Washington can play football. Its obvious. He is smart, he is physical, he’s quick, he’s a good tackler. At one time Tedy Bruschi was undersized for a 3-4 as well. That turned out all right. Washington can put on weight. And the Patriots should consider him even if he doesn’t fit their traditional requirements. San Jose State’s Justin Cole also looked to have a good day to me. He has more of the Patriots prototypical size and he’s played outside before. He has a little bit of everything, good size, movement, pass rush ability and long arms. He’s probably a mid-round choice but may make a good outside linebacker project for a 3-4 team. On the other side of the spectrum, Miami’s Darryl Sharpton I thought looked like he lacked instincts and didn’t pack a punch when he did make a tackle. I was unimpressed. South Florida’s George Selvie is a player I liked during the college year, but he is a college defensive end who is trying to convert to linebacker as well. He looked completely lost out there, as much as anyone on the field at any position, and did not make any plays. Though he has great size and talent, its apparent its going to take time with Selvie. While I’m not completely down on him and think there is plenty to work with to turn him into an NFL linebacker, that it will probably take him at least a year, maybe two, probably removes him from any first and possibly even second round consideration.

Defensive Back:

Probably the defensive back who had the best day was Florida State’s Patrick Robinson, a cornerback. Robinson looked comfortable and quick, providing good coverage and good run support. Solidly built he is another player who perhaps won’t flash the amazing athletic ability of other corners, but is solid in every way, tough, physical, smart and will be a good corner in the NFL for many years. Alabama’s Javier Arenas had an uneven day, displaying good instincts at time and making a nice return on special teams, but getting beat for a long touchdown by Gillyard. Arenas is a good player and reportedly a leader, but not talented enough to be a great corner in the NFL and is probably a mid-round choice. He’ll help some team with his excellent kick return ability, however. Two safeties who had good days include USC’s Taylor Mays, who had an interception and was active in run support and Nebraska’s Larry Asante. Mays at one time was considered a sure-fire top 5 pick. Then he had a mediocre year this year and its even a question whether he’ll go in the first round now. He did a lot to rehabilitate himself Saturday with a very strong day in which he looked like a leader on the field and played with intensity. Asante is a tough, physical, smart safety who’ll probably start in the NFL for ten years.

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