Bison Illustrated May 2016

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May 2016

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COMPLIMENTARY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FEATURE

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BEHIND THE SCENES

It's been a decade of history-making moments for NDSU Athletics. Carson Wentz going number two overall in the NFL draft could be the cherry on top of a success filled sundae. We went to Chicago to capture the historical event and to witness Wentz's life change forever.

52 CHRIS KLIEMAN GOES TO CHICAGO Chris Klieman was invited by the NFL to attend the draft in Chicago. He took time out of recruiting to walk the red carpet and spend time with his quarterback before his final send off into the pros.

62 ESPN BREAKS DOWN CARSON

WHAT’S INSIDE 28

Draft Night Carson Wentz

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What's Trending

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NFL Play 60

83

What if Wentz went to...

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Media Luncheon

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What's the Word in Philly?

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Ariel Community Academy

104

Joe Haeg

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Red Carpet

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Armed and Dangerous

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Jedre Cyr

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Bison Camps

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Draft Parties

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Senior Success

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Wentz Family Reaction

124

Swany Says

FOLLOW US

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100 MIKE MAYOCK EXCLUSIVE

info@spotlightmediafargo.com

@bisonmag

bisonillustrated.com

facebook.com/bisonillustrated

BISON ILLUSTRATED • M A Y 2 0 1 6

ESPN draft gurus Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. joined Louis Reddick and Jon Gruden before the draft to break down hundreds of prospects for the media. Here's what they had to say about Carson Wentz.

Just moments after the NFL Network went off the air on draft night, Mike Mayock gave us a call to give us his thoughts on Carson Wentz going to Philadelphia.

MEET THE

TEAM MIKE

BRENT

BOUGIE

MICHAEL

RYAN

NICOLE

TRACY

ERICA

JESSE

ANDREW

JOE

SARAH

PAUL

HEATHER

NATE

PAUL

SODA

TANK

HAILEY

AUSTIN

JENNY

MAY 2016 | VOLUME 10 ISSUE 10 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (12 times a year). Our mission is to help promote North Dakota State University Athletics, provide a quality and fun reading experience and to improve the way of life in our community. The publication is mailed to homes across the US and has newsstand distribution throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.

PUBLISHER Spotlight Media PRESIDENT Mike Dragosavich ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Paul Bougie EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andrew Jason EDITOR Joe Kerlin DESIGN/LAYOUT Ryan Koehler, Sarah Geiger, Soda Tran CONTRIBUTORS Josh Swanson, Joe Kerlin, Austin Kettelhut COPY EDITORS Erica Rapp, Nate Mickelberg, Hailey Colbrunn GENERAL MANAGER Brent Tehven MARKETING/SALES Tracy Nicholson, Paul Hoefer, Paul Bougie, Tank McNamara, Jenny Johnson PHOTOGRAPHY J. Alan Paul Photography, NDSU Athletics, Paul Flessland BUSINESS OPERATIONS Heather Hemingway MANAGER SPECIAL THANKS Ryan Perreault, Wes Offerman, Ryan Anderson, Jeff Schwartz, Colleen Heimstead, NDSU Athletics, ESPN Images ADMINISTRATION Nicole Houseal DELIVERY Mitch Rapp FOR ADVERTISING CALL 701-478-SPOT (7768) or email info@spotlightmediafargo.com

Bison Illustrated is published monthly by Spotlight Media LLC. Print quantity exceeds 40,000 per issue. Printed in the U.S.A. Bison Illustrated does not necessarily endorse or agree with content of articles or advertising presented. Bison Illustrated assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Bison Illustrated is NOT an official publication of North Dakota State University.

Send change of address information and other correspondence to: Spotlight Media LLC. 502 1st Ave N. First Floor Fargo ND, 58102 or info@spotlightmediafargo.com

JOE’S EDITORIAL

EDITOR’S NOTE

WHAT’S IN THE MAG FROM THE EDITOR JOE KERLIN

joe@bisonillustrated.com

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bisonillustrated

@bisonmag

his magazine has more interviews than the Today Show so I compiled a quick list of things you will learn. Welcome to the 2016 NFL Draft Issue of Bison Illustrated.

NFL Network’s Mike Mayock Knows Philly

Eagles Fans Will Be Patient

Jedre Cyr Won Draft Night

pg 91

pg 40

More often than not, the loudest group doesn’t reflect the majority. In Philadelphia’s case, there will be hundreds and maybe thousands of tweets and articles calling for Wentz to start as soon as possible in Philadelphia. But the majority of fans will know Wentz needs time to develop. John Duffy, former FM RedHawks player and diehard Eagles fan, knows people are excited about Wentz, but they don’t want to see him play until the coaches feel he’s ready.

Forget my access at the draft; Jedre Cyr was rubbing elbows with Wentz the entire day. We didn’t have enough room to include all of his antics from draft night, but here are the quick highlights: met with Chad Stark at Palmer Hilton, interviewed

by TMZ, made TMZ’s home page, received access to the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year banquet, got Jon Gruden to flash him, Cole Davis and Easton Stick the horns, stood next to Adam Schefter while he was live on ESPN’s airwaves, hung out with Chris Klieman and Wentz’s family after Wentz was picked, and got to shoot pool and celebrate with the new quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. I told you it was an insane night.

pg 100

The biggest and loudest endorser of Carson Wentz throughout the entire draft process was Mike Mayock of the NFL Network. He was in Fargo to watch Wentz throw during pro day and has been drooling over him since.

Wentz was the number one quarterback on his board and Wentz fell to his hometown team. Mayock grew up in Philadelphia and still calls Eagles games during the preseason. If anyone is confident Wentz will thrive in that town, it’s Mayock.

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@joebisonmag

BISON ILLUSTRATED • M A Y 2 0 1 6

Jon Gruden Loves Easton Stick pg 76

This was my favorite nugget from Jedre Cyr’s night in Chicago. The guys were approached by someone with Sportscenter’s Instagram account, and it turns out she was the same person that was with Gruden and Wentz during the taping of ESPN’s QB Camp. She said Gruden must’ve said Easton Stick’s name a hundred times because he loved it so much.

Now, for a second, imagine Monday Night Football color commentator Gruden saying “Easton Stick” with his unique articulation and voice inflection. What a cool experience for Stick

SINCERELY, Joe Kerlin

BISON SHOTS

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BISON SHOTS

BISON SHOTS Welcome to Draft Town!

Grant Park in Chicago saw 100,000 NFL fans gather for the biggest NFL Draft celebration of the year. Fans shopped, ate and participated in numerous games at the carnival-like atmosphere that could only be found at Draft Town.

? DID WE MISS SOMETHING? Let us know and send us your pictures: joe@bisonillustrated.com

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SPORTING CALENDAR

2016 SPORTING CALENDAR

MAY/JUNE

MAY 8 Baseball vs. Omaha (Fargo) 1 p.m.

10 Baseball vs. Concordia

College (Minn.) (Fargo) 6:30 p.m.

11-14 Softball Summit League Tournament (Fargo) TBA

12-14 Women’s Track and Field

Summit League Outdoor Championships (Vermillion, S.D.) TBA

12-14 Men’s Track and Field Summit League Outdoor Championships (Vermillion, S.D.) TBA

14 Baseball at IPFW (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 11 a.m.

20 Baseball vs. South Dakota State (Fargo) 6:30 p.m.

21 Baseball vs. South Dakota State (Fargo) 1 p.m.

25-28 Baseball vs. Summit

League Baseball Championship (Tulsa, Okla.) TBA

26-28 Men’s Track and Field NCAA West Preliminary Rounds (Lawrence, Kan.) TBA

26-28 – Women’s Track and Field NCAA West Preliminary Rounds (Lawrence, Kan.) TBA

15 Baseball at IPFW (Fort Wayne, Ind.) 12 p.m.

19 Baseball vs. South Dakota State (Fargo) 6:30 p.m.

JUNE 8-11 Men’s Track and Field NCAA Outdoor Championships (Eugene, Ore.) TBA

8-11 Women’s Track and Field NCAA Outdoor Championships (Eugene, Ore.) TBA

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Brayden Resch is a sophomore first baseman on the Bison baseball team.

He’s started every game but one in 2016. He’s hitting .282 with 25 RBI and one home run.

BEIND THE SCENES CARSON WENTZ

CARSON WENTZ Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

“It was surreal. It went really quick, but man it was so cool getting that phone call, talking to everybody in the organization, hearing how excited they are and knowing what happened for them to get to this spot where they had to get to take me. And to know that they believe in me that much, it’s just really exciting to walk out on that stage and it’s really cool.”

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BEIND THE SCENES CARSON WENTZ

BEHIND THE SCENES CARSON WENTZ

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By Joe Kerlin

he Auditorium Theatre in Downtown Chicago was the center stage for the biggest night in the NFL’s offseason.

Standing in the middle of it all was Bismarck native and North Dakota State’s five-time FCS champion Carson Wentz. The three years as a backup, the eight weeks with a broken wrist and the three long months after raising a fifth trophy in Frisco had all led to this glorious celebration and end to a prolific college career. Wentz is officially an NFL quarterback and we followed him to Chicago to experience this historic event.

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BEIND THE SCENES CARSON WENTZ

Support in North Dakota

“They’ve been terrific. I know they were throwing a party at the community bowl in Bismarck, and I’m pretty sure the Buffalo Wild Wings back at home was going crazy too. The support is unbelievable. For those of you that don’t know about North Dakota State football, the support we have back there is unbelievable and to know that the support is following me to the NFL, and really the whole state of North Dakota, it’s unbelievable and I couldn’t be more appreciative of those people.” - Carson Wentz

Managing Expectations

“You just block it out. You don’t let the pressure and the expectations get to you. For one, I can say I’m going to put a lot of expectations on myself. I hold myself to a high standard, and I just blocked out all the noise and went and played ball. I’m confident in myself that it will all work out.” - Wentz

Chicago Draft Experience

Photo by Philadelphia Eagles

“I’m thrilled. Initially, I wanted to just be back home with my family type attitude, but then I realized this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Then to come here and experience it, the NFL has done a terrific job putting the last couple days together, it’s been fun being around a lot of the other guys and seeing where they’re all falling and everything. I’m rooting for all those guys as well. I’m glad I came.”

- Wentz

HEAD COACH DOUG PEDERSON

“He’s coming from a winning tradition, a winning program at North Dakota State. He’s a winner himself. You have to love the intangibles about him. Just when you get a chance to meet him in the building, one on one, his demeanor, his aggressiveness, his willingness to learn, sharp kid and was really an attractive pick for us and a good fit for us.”

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Bracing for Philadelphia

“We haven’t gotten real deep with things yet. Everyone has been telling me how passionate everybody is.

Talking to the media last night, I just said they’re passionate here. They hate losing. I said, heck, I’ll fit right in. I hate losing. I’m passionate about the game as well. I think that’s the general consensus I keep getting from this Philadelphia area. Tough love, that’s all part of it.” - Wentz

Living Out the Dream

Photo by Philadelphia Eagles

“I knew once I got onto campus I had the potential. Physically, I knew I was talented. I knew that from an early age. I had a long ways to go.

I just kept working. Even after last season, all the NFL hype and all the things surrounding me. I just blocked it out. My sole focus was winning ball games at North Dakota State, and I knew that would all take care of itself and here I am today.” - Wentz

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS HOWIE ROSEMAN “I think when you’re talking about Carson, you’re talking about a bluecollar quarterback. This guy has an incredible work ethic. He’s got an incredible passion. He fits into the personality of this city and you see that when he plays.”

BEHIND THE SCENES NFL PLAY 60

BEHIND THE SCENES NFL PLAY 60

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he most highly anticipated NFL Draft in North Dakota history finally arrived, and every North Dakota State football fan couldn’t get enough. As for Carson Wentz and the NFL prospects, going to Chicago for the draft wasn’t just another vacation. It was a business trip with a number of events they were running to. We were there from the moment Wentz arrived to the hours after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell read his name. Here’s everything that happened in between.

By Joe Kerlin

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NFL Play 60 Campaign

Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler at a station.

The NFL draft festivities began at Grant Park in Chicago at the NFL Play 60 Clinic Field.

Carson Wentz was among the 25 prospects who helped 100 local children run through football drills for an hour on Wednesday morning. Wentz was joined by Michigan State offensive tackle Jack Conklin, Baylor wide receiver Corey Coleman, Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey and

Wentz and Conklin were paired together to teach the kids how to properly take a handoff and high-step through a ladder on the field.

“All these kids, it brings me back to being an education major. I’ve done some stuff like this for a while, so it’s fun. The kids bring the energy, and it’s awesome.”

– Carson Wentz

BEHIND THE SCENES NFL NETWORK

BEHIND THE SCENES NFL NETWORK MEDIA LUNCHEON

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he NFL Network, one of the two networks covering the NFL Draft live from Auditorium Theatre, hosted a luncheon with the media Wednesday afternoon. Hundreds of media members flooded in and out of Gino’s East to ask questions to NFL Network personalities and to taste the world-famous Chicago deep-dish pizza. In attendance from the NFL Network were Mike Mayock, Charles Davis, Daniel Jeremiah, Kurt Warner, Michael Irvin, Steve Mariucci, Curtis Conway, Maurice JonesDrew and Ike Taylor.

You love to see that at that level (FCS) because you know that’s going to present some other guys with an opportunity down the road.

Next year, it might make an NFL scout show up to North Dakota State and look at somebody that they may not have looked at before because of the success not only Carson had there but also Coach (Chris) Klieman and the atmosphere they built at an FCS school. I’m always pulling for those guys that come from a smaller school because it breaks a perception and opens a door for the next guy that goes to that school.”

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CHARLES DAVIS The four-year starter at Tennessee went undrafted but participated in the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp in 1987. He called three consecutive BCS National Championship games from 2007-09.

He is now an analyst on NFL Total Access and Around the League on the NFL Network

KURT WARNER Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the St. Louis Rams, played in another with the Arizona Cardinals. He played his college ball at Northern Iowa.

BEHIND THE SCENES NFL NETWORK

“I worry about it if that person has a propensity for not being buttoned down or all of a sudden, ‘Wow this is great, bright lights, I’m going here.’ That’s a Manziel. That was a worry. He fulfilled it, unfortunately. That’s something I have to keep in mind going forward because I made him my number one quarterback coming out that year. I put him ahead of Teddy Bridgewater. Keep in mind (that) the quarterback, the kid is going to be grounded, in the facility for everything you want and then off you go. I don’t think we have any worries about that with Carson Wentz.”

STEVE MARIUCCI Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers head coach compiled a 7267 career record in nine seasons.

He’s currently an analyst on the NFL Network. He also appears on the Thursday Night Football pre- and postgame shows.

“It will be interesting to see which guys take advantage of their opportunity and do things right and stay on the straight and arrow because everything in their career is really shortlived. Not everybody plays like Brett Favre, Jerry Rice, Peyton Manning; 18-20 years. The average is three years, and that’s year-to-year, flash in the pan. So do the right things, and I want to see who can do that.”

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BEHIND THE SCENES ARIEL COMMUNITY ACADEMY

BEHIND THE SCENES ARIEL COMMUNITY ACADEMY

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he morning of the draft, the prospects were split up into two groups. One went to the Shiners Hospital to meet with patients, while the others went to Ariel Community Academy to speak in front of kids in the Chicago suburbs.

Carson Wentz was in the group that went to Ariel, and he and the other prospects were joined

by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. They went to the school as part of the NFL’s youth character education initiative. Eli

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BISON ILLUSTRATED • M A Y 2 0 1 6

Apple, Joey Bosa, Kevin Dodd, Chris Jones, Shaq Lawson, Darron Lee, Jarran Reed, A’Shawn Robinson and Laremy Tunsil joined Wentz on the stage. Not surprisingly, Wentz answered the first question.

“Character, to me, is to remember to do the right things in your community,” Wentz said. “It’s saying the right things and it’s staying out of trouble.

It’s handling yourself in a professional way. That’s how I and the rest of these guys hope to show the youth in America.”

BEHIND THE SCENES RED CARPET

BEHIND THE SCENES RED CARPET

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he NFL literally rolls out the red carpet for the draft’s top 25 prospects when they come to Chicago. Two hours before the draft begins, every prospect had an opportunity to walk 200 feet surrounded by photographers on one side and adoring fans on the other. Fans shouted and cheered for the players they wanted

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their teams to select as cameras flickered away at the dapper college football players about to become pros.

It was also an opportunity for the prospects to show their style.

Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliot was the second man on the red carpet and he stole the show when he tucked his dress shirt

up, showing off his abs for the cameras. It was a look that he established in Columbus, Ohio, and he was quoted as saying he was trying to have fun with the moment.

In between the prospects arriving on the red carpet, college coaches of the men about to be drafted arrived. Among the likes of Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, NDSU head coach Chris Klieman took a stroll down the red carpet.

Then came Carson Wentz. He arrived with his mother, Cathy, on his right arm. Wentz was dressed rather conservatively compared to the others, but he was representing his university with an NDSU-colored tie and pocket square.

BEHIND THE SCENES RED CARPET

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BEHIND THE SCENES ARIEL COMMUNITY ACADEMY

BEHIND THE SCENES DRAFT TOWN

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he NFL Draft returned to Chicago for the second consecutive year this April. The NFL and Chicago joined forces to create a giant NFL expo in Grant Park, which they dubbed “Draft Town.” Fans got the opportunity to run through combine drills, buy discounted NFL apparel and check out numerous booths. The booths included an autograph station with ex-NFL stars, a Chicago Bears Hall of Fame and a mock-NFL Draft podium where fans could take a photo with an authentic jersey from their favorite team.

BISON ILLUSTRATED • M A Y 2 0 1 6

BEHIND THE SCENES ENTOURAGE

BEHIND THE SCENES WENTZ’S ENTOURAGE

By Joe Kerlin | Photos by Darren Gibbins and Jedre Cyr

Former Bison fullback and Carson Wentz teammate Jedre Cyr was in for a trip of a lifetime when his friend, former roommate and quarterback Carson Wentz invited him to Chicago to experience the NFL Draft up close and personal.

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J

edre Cyr had plans to be in Chicago for the NFL Draft. He was going to haul his Cyr Truck Lines rig to Chicago, park it near Ben LeCompte’s brother’s house and explore all the happenings around the NFL Draft. The problem was that he didn’t have a ticket until his former quarterback called.

­ “Hey Jedre, what are you doing next Thursday?” Carson Wentz asked.

Cyr responded, “Going down to Chicago to hang out and support you.”

“Do you have a ticket?”

“No.

Illustrated’s Joan Niesen for a photo and interview.

“Do you want one?”

“Uh, is that a serious question? Duh, I want a ticket!”

Cyr was on his way to Chicago the following Wednesday and after spending the night at LeCompte’s, he took the train into Downtown. He headed to the Palmer House Hilton hotel, where Wentz was staying to meet up with the rest of the guys.

Wentz’s three friends from high school, Justin Ledger, Tate Leapaldt and Meyer Bohn joined Wentz in Chicago, along with his former teammates Cole Davis and Easton Stick.

Cyr was dressed in Bison gear from head-to-toe until someone from Wentz’s agency came in with a white dress shirt that was too big for everybody else. Cyr tried it on and it fit. Later he found out it was worth $185.

The Bismarck boys, Davis, Stick and Cyr got premium seats inside Auditorium Theatre for the draft, conveniently located an arm lengths away from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

They weren’t there long after the draft began. After they roared in approval when Wentz was taken by Philadelphia, they went underneath the Theatre to celebrate. That’s when they were approached by Sports

The handler of the SportsCenter Instagram page greeted them next and the guys cheered for the camera. (You can check out the video on Instagram.) The same person handling the video was also with Jon Gruden and Wentz during the filming of Gruden’s QB Camp for ESPN. “She told us Gruden fell in love with Easton Stick’s name,” Cyr said. “She said he must’ve said it a hundred times, ‘Easton. Stick. I love that name, man.’”

The guys met with Wentz’s family at Hub 51 Restaurant. Wentz finally showed up about two hours after his selection because he had to run through the media gauntlet and play the No. 1 pick, Jared Goff, in a game of Madden.

After dinner, Wentz, his girlfriend, his brother and his wife and the guys said goodbye to the family and headed to Uno’s Pizza and Grille to play pool and hang out in a private room for the rest of the night.

Although Cyr didn’t comment on how late the night went, he said it was a night he and the rest of the guys will never forget.

* * *

POST-DRAFT MIKE MAYOCK

DRAFT PARTY HERD & HORNS

DRAFT PARTY @

Herd & Horns T

he cameras were rolling as people packed Herd & Horns the night of the Draft. The restaurant located on 12th Avenue, just south of NDSU hosted cameras from the NFL Network, which cut to live shots of

the packed restaurant when Wentz was selected. The packed house didn't have to wait long for Wentz's name to be called. As the cameras cut to Herd & Horns, the crowd went wild for this once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography

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DRAFT PARTY HERD & HORNS

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DRAFT PARTY BISMARCK

DRAFT PARTY @

Bismarck S

Hundreds of Wentz fans showed up to the Century football stadium called the Community Bowl and watched the NFL draft on the video board.

“We like Carson Wentz and thought it’d be cool to host this. It’s important to him and it’s important to us,” Grant Nemecek, a senior at Century, told the Bismarck Tribune.

ESPN was there to provide a live look-in when Wentz’s name was announced. Among the video cameras, fans had the opportunity to take a photo with a life-sized Wentz cutout and participate in a handful of inflatable games.

tudents from Century High School in Bismarck, N.D. know how to throw a draft party. What started as a marketing project with 16 students turned out to be one of the more memorable nights in Bismarck history.

Photos by Ryanne Marie I Exposure 46

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DRAFT PARTY BISMARCK

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We ran into Cary Degenstein (pictured in the white jersey) all the way in Chicago and he couldn’t have been more excited tp see where Carson Wentz landed. He even got some photos with Philadelphia Eagles fans after Roger Goodell made it official Thursday night.

REACTION COACH KLIEMAN

HEAD COACH

Chris Klieman

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orth Dakota State football’s head coach Chris Klieman has had a wild two years.

He inherited a team that was damaged by graduation, lost the all-time-winningest quarterback in Division I history and introduced plenty of new faces to the coaching staff.

But there was one guy under center that was destined to be a star. When Carson Wentz was invited to the NFL draft in Chicago, the NFL extended its hand to Klieman, inviting him to the event. We tracked Klieman down the Monday after draft night while he was out driving door-to-door to talk to recruits. He answered our questions about this oncein-a-lifetime experience.

BY JOE KERLIN *This interview has been edited for print.

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Bison Illustrated: When did you decide to go to Chicago?

Chris Klieman: “The NFL sent an email out to me, basically stating that I was going to have one of the top players selected in the draft. Because of that, head coaches would be invited on behalf of the NFL. They wanted to know if I wanted to do it and I absolutely did so it was a pretty cool experience to do that and be with his family.”

BI: So were you going even if Carson decided not to?

CK: “No, it was well before. It was well before and it was contingent upon Carson going. I said, ‘Yeah, I’d be excited about going,’ and then I know there were some emails back and forth. Once he decided that he was for sure going, then they reached out again quickly and said, ‘Okay, let’s get your travel arrangements set up.’”

BI: So you were there with a handful of other coaches from these big programs.

Did you get a chance to speak to any of them on Thursday?

CK: “I talked to Dabo Swinney for a little

GOES TO CHICAGO

bit. I flew in Thursday and out Friday morning. There was a lot of small talk with different coaches. I’ve known Coach Swinney, so I was able to visit with him a little bit. Chris Ash is the head coach now at Rutgers. I’ve been friends with Chris for a number of years and he was there supporting those Ohio State guys because he was the DC (defensive coordinator) at Ohio State. I spoke to Urban Meyer (Ohio State head coach), spoke to Art Briles (Baylor head coach). Everybody was great. It was just small talk with a number of guys.”

BI: So was that your first official walk down a red carpet?

CK: “Absolutely it was my first time. I don’t know if I’ll get very many after this, but it was pretty special and pretty fun to be a part of.”

BI: I know you saw those two NDSU fans in the front row. Did that surprise you a little bit?

CK: “I thought it was really cool. I saw NDSU fans throughout that whole day, whether it was on the red carpet, or just around town and stuff. It was really neat

to see them. Obviously, it didn’t surprise me that NDSU was going to have a pretty good contingency of fans there.”

BI: Easton Stick and Cole Davis were invited by Wentz. What was the experience like for them?

CK: “They were really excited about having the opportunity to support a really good friend. Those three have been very close the last couple of years, and I thought it was great that Carson invited them and those guys got to experience something that for younger guys, that was pretty cool for them to see.”

BI: How was Wentz on draft day? You were around him that entire day.

CK: “He was no different than he was any other conversation I’ve had with him for the last two years. Cool and calm, and I could sense a lot of stress in the room prior to us going to the red carpet but not from Carson. A lot of the other ones I could tell were pretty nervous and stuff. Carson was not. He was ready for this journey to finally come to an end and find out where he was going. In my conversations, I sat with him and his mom for about 45 minutes before they called us down to the red carpet, and he was as cool and calm as we all expect him to be.”

BI: What was the atmosphere in the green room like prior to the draft?

There were 25 prospects in there, so it must’ve been crammed.

CK: “It was an extremely crowded room with 25 prospects there, and roughly

Coaches in Attendance Art Briles Baylor Mark Dantonio Michigan State Sonny Dykes California Jimbo Fisher Florida State Hugh Freeze Mississippi Brian Kelly Notre Dame Chris Klieman North Dakota State Urban Meyer Ohio State Jim Mora UCLA Gary Patterson Texas Christian Nick Saban Alabama Dabo Swinney Clemson

everybody had about 10 people. So there were probably 250-plus people in there.

The NFL cameras, the ESPN cameras and stuff. It was really busy in there, and I think, I know our table was right next to Goff’s. Once Goff went, then ours went, we never went back up there, mainly because the other kids were under a lot of stress and anxiety of not knowing when they were getting picked, so I don’t think they want you back up there celebrating your guy’s pick. It was really hectic up there, let’s just say that.”

BI: Yeah, it looked like you were standing next to Zach Wentz.

CK: “Carson and his parents and grandma and some other people were at the main table, and Zach and I were just standing behind, soaking it all in and visiting right behind Carson. So when we hear the phone ring, and that was really fast after the Rams had selected and they (Goff’s table) left, there wasn’t much time off that clock and then, boom, they were already calling Carson, and the conversation was already starting.”

BI: So Ezekiel Elliott had his national championship ring on and one of the Alabama guys had about three on his hand. You didn’t have anything but your wedding ring on.

CK: “You know, and neither did Carson.

He and I talked about that, and a part of our staying humble, staying hungry, it’s just not something that we flaunt out there. Maybe we should, but I think that says a lot about the fact that Carson and I didn’t. We just didn’t wear it that day. I didn’t see anybody else with their rings on, I had no idea. I know somebody who has it on all the time and who was there was Jedre (laughs). He might have had all five on.”

BI: Coach, thanks for taking your time out from recruiting North Dakota to talk to us about this amazing experience.

CK: “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m just so happy for Carson and all the guys that were either drafted or signed somewhere. I’m truly blessed to be a part of those guys’ lives.

They’re really special to me.”

* * *

REACTION WENTZ FAMILY

The Wentz Family

Reacts!

Carson Wentz was lucky enough to have members of his immediate family along with him for the ride in Chicago. He had his mom, Cathy, around his arm at the red carpet and his father, Doug, with him in the green room. He was also accompanied by his brother, Zach, Zach’s wife, and his grandmother, Beverly.

We caught up with Zach and Beverly after they returned from Chicago.

Photos Captured via NFL.com and Joe Kerlin The interviews have been combined and edited for print.

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Conversation Bison Illustrated: What was Chicago like for the family?

Beverly: “Definitely surreal. Never in my life did I think I would experience something like that and I have never watched a draft before for any sport because I had no reason to.”

Zach: “It all happened so fast down there. We were busy, and it felt like we were doing stuff all the time, and before you know it, his name was called and he was picked and we were down in the green room with him. It was all a whirlwind, but it was an experience our family obviously won’t forget.”

BI: What was all the attention toward Carson like for you guys?

Zach: “Wherever we went, there were people whispering toward each other or pointing. People start to recognize his face in a variety of different areas, and it’s certainly different because we expect that in the state of North Dakota at this point. Even when you start getting to bigger markets such as

that, even people there are matching the face to the name and understand who he is.”

BI: Did some of the attention spill over to you guys, the family?

Beverly: “I did do one interview in Chicago and I didn’t even know what that was. I think that’s something they’re putting together to give to Carson. I’m not sure who it was that did that. They made an appointment with Cathy, so we all went up there.

His dad’s family was there, and then we came and they took us into this room. Cathy was interviewed first, and then they asked if I would. I agreed.”

Zach: “The craziest thing was there were three or four people in Chicago who thought I was Carson a couple times who wanted my autograph or a picture with me.”

BI: Much is made about the green room. How was it back there?

Zach: “It was full back there for sure.

We were very thankful that we got enough tickets for our family for as

Carson was accompanied by his brother, Zach, grandmother, Beverly, and immediate family members while in Chicago.

many as we needed back there. We were all just trying to soak it up and enjoy it. We probably got back in the green room about a half hour before the draft started, and after about 15 minutes we were out of there. We tried to soak it up as best we could and really enjoy the moment and reminisce about the moments that led up to this.”

Beverly: “By then, you are expecting it. After the Rams chose Goff, the word was pretty much the Eagles are going to take Carson. So you anticipate it happening.”

BI: Is the city of Philadelphia ready for the Wentz brothers?

Beverly: “Yes, and I don’t know if I like that (laughs). It’s very good for Carson to have Zach there. Those two boys are so close. They’re different.

One is more laid back, and, of course, Carson is more active and hyper.

They are the best of friends.”

Zach: “My wife and I will move probably at the end of June. Carson will get a place, and then we’ll start looking at places somewhere around where he buys a place.”

BI: Zach, when did it hit you that your brother is going to play in the NFL? Zach: “My wife and I, I think when he walked across the stage that was a moment and when my wife and I were with Carson and we landed in Philadelphia and then we walked out of the terminal, there were 15 to 20 fans and media members waiting there for a variety of different reasons. It hits you that this is surreal.

His life is going to change. He’s now the face of an entire city plus the whole state of North Dakota.”

BI: Beverly, can we expect you at more Bison football games this fall?

Beverly: “I’ll be there. I’ll go to all the home games. I’ve got my own Bison family, the people I’ve been sitting by for four years. They told me I have to keep coming (laughs). I said, ‘I’ll do it one year at a time.’ Make sure I can still drive back and forth for these type of things. I’ve been a Bison fan forever. My husband, who died from cancer at the age of 46, was an NDSU grad in Pharmacy in 1955.

We went back for homecoming. I’ve been a Bison fan since then. Zach was there so we followed him there and everything. I’m a Bison through and through.”

* * *

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PRE-DRAFT TODD MCSHAY

O

ne of ESPN’s premier NFL Draft and college football analysts, Todd McShay has been the sports pundit with an eye on Carson Wentz most. After learning about the quarterback from North Dakota State last year while scouting John Crockett, McShay has put Wentz under his microscope. McShay has been a respected NFL Draft analyst at ESPN since 2006, and chances are you’ve been seeing his face a lot while tracking Wentz’s national rise.

McShay met with the media over a conference call on April 19 to talk about every quarterback in the draft. We have edited the conference call to gauge McShay’s takes on NDSU’s Wentz.

MCSHAY’S TAKE Todd McShay started the call explaining why he thinks teams are packaging picks to move up in the first round to get a quarterback.

TODD McSHAY – “We’ve seen it with Kyle

TODD McSHAY ON THE ART OF THE DRAFT BEFORE THE BIG NIGHT Photo by Rich Arden / ESPN Images

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Boller (2003), we’ve seen Brady Quinn (2007), teams packaging picks and moving up for number one.

It’s not always just the quarterback position. The last five guys that were picked in the Top 5 from teams that moved up to get ‘em, four of them did not play a down in the League last year. It’s frightening.

So that’s why it is – I understand Jeff Fisher and Les Snead know they have to win and you have to have a quarterback in this league and they prove it. They’ve built a really good roster. Their defense was outstanding at one point, and it still has a lot of talent. They’ve come to the realization that they just couldn’t figure it out at the quarterback position. The reason teams move up for the quarterback position and make moves like this, you could call it desperation because that’s the only position really that you can make up for several other weaknesses on your roster if you’re really good there. With the salary cap as it is

now, it’s very difficult to build a complete team, on both sides of the ball, and no position affects more positions and can overcome other weaknesses more so than quarterbacks.

You can understand why teams get desperate and do things like this. The odds don’t point in their favor, though, for the Rams. We’ll see. We know they moved up to go get a quarterback. … You have to have a good quarterback, but it’s a tricky tightrope that you walk trying to figure out if it’s worth packaging picks and moving up to go get one and if you’re not good enough around it, then you’re putting your quarterback in a bad situation if you have to play them early.

There’s a lot of layers to it, but I always think it’s a questionable move to reach for a quarterback if you truly don’t believe he belongs there, but teams have talked themselves into thinking it. I think both these quarterbacks can be really good, though.

I really do. I think Wentz and Goff have a chance to be really good starters in the league, but they need time to develop and they need the right situation around them.”

It hasn’t been all about Carson Wentz and Jared Goff. McShay gave his comments on Paxton Lynch and if the New York Jets would be reaching for him at 20th overall.

McSHAY: “I definitely think it would be a reach. I think there’s a big drop off after Goff and Wentz at the quarterback position. The next three quarterbacks expected to come off the board are all for different reasons. Christian Hackenberg has ability. A

lot of people thought he was going to be the first overall pick down the road when we saw him with Bill O’Brien at Penn State, and he turned out to the new coaching staff and it wasn’t a good mesh. He’s lost some confidence, inconsistent with his mechanics, but he makes throws on tape that most of these other quarterbacks can’t make or have not made. Under pressure, throwing to a spot, exceptional plays and then there are times when you watch him and he misses throws that I’ve never seen a Drew Brees or an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady or Manning miss.

He needs to be rebuilt and he needs to get with the right organization that has time to develop him and has time with the right people in place to do it.

With Paxton Lynch, he has all the physical ability in the world. He’s just coming from an offense that’s very simplistic and he’s got to learn how to get his team in and out of a huddle and how to make line checks and pre-snap audibles and get them out of bad plays into good plays. He hasn’t’ had to do any of those things. Teams have got him on the board, and he’s not performed very well so there’s concern. He’s a long-term development project, a lot like Brock Osweiler, but I think he’s less polished than Osweiler when he was coming out of Arizona State. Then there’s Connor Cook, who is the most polished of the group.

He’s 34-5 as a starter, has all the background that you look for, pro-style system, can get you in and out of bad plays to good plays and sees the field and can do all those things, but accuracy, never completed more than 60 percent. He’s inconsistent in that regard.

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PRE-DRAFT TODD MCSHAY

His decision-making can be up and down, doesn’t have a big time arm, and so there’s physical limitations and has a lower ceiling on Cook than you’d like to see.”

Next, McShay commented on if the New York Jets should trade up into the Top 2 to get Wentz or Goff. (This was a day before Philadelphia made a trade with Cleveland.)

McSHAY: “I understand the need and

want to go get a quarterback. But again, you study the history of it and how few times that has worked.

I mean the percentages are so low when you give up as many picks as it would take and may be giving away a veteran and still multiple picks to move and get one player.

The fact that all these quarterbacks

or a sixth, so you’re talking about dipping into your credit card for next year and giving away a couple more picks this year. You can wind up getting a quarterback and one or two additional picks in this draft and then also having lost something for next year. It just seems like too much to give up, but again, we just saw it recently with LA. I wouldn’t do it, but again, I understand what teams end up doing it because there is so much pressure to find that guy.”

Finally, McShay gave us his take on the debate: Who do you like more at No. 1, Goff or Wentz?

McSHAY: “I had a second round grade

on Wentz coming into the year and I thought he played better early in the year. I think because he was at

Photo by Nick Caito / ESPN Images

in the first round, you look over the history, maybe 55-45 maybe at best 60-40 in terms of success rate. And so now you’re betting a bunch of picks on a 60 percent at best option. It’s frustrating as a Jets fan, and you want that guy and you want to be all excited about his quarterback, but I wouldn’t do it. I don’t know what they’re thinking or if they have any intention on doing it, but they’ve got a second, third, fourth, and they don’t have a fifth

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North Dakota State and didn’t get a lot of national recognition, that to me is the reason why it seems so meteoric in terms of his rise. I’ll tell ya, Blake Bortles was a much faster rise nationally because he came out as an underclassman and, within NFL organizations, that was more of a surprise than rise. It certainly has been, for a guy that hasn’t been playing every Saturday on primetime television in your living room, I can see how it’s a big

rise. I mentioned Bortles as a guy, and I think that’s a fair comparison, certainly in terms of where I graded him. It’s Carson Wentz now, he’s got some (Ben) Roethlisberger in him too, in terms of strong in the pocket and ability to extend plays and create outside of the pocket. I said it earlier.

He’s going to need time and so will Jared Goff. I think Goff, it seems like everybody you talk to, he’s going to be the first pick. I have Wentz slightly ahead of Goff, basically with identical grades, but you have to pick one, and I would go with Wentz.

That’s always the case. If you look over time, so many quarterbacks that are put in the right situation to succeed and there are so many that are put in a bad situation, play too early, without protection around him don’t succeed. Sam Bradford, when he was healthy and when he was protected, even when he was under pressure but healthy in his career, he was the offensive rookie of the year his rookie year.

But they didn’t protect him there.

He got beat up and he’s a guy that came into the league with durability issues.

It’s going to be fascinating, like I said before, to see where these guys wind up and how they’re brought along. Blake Bortles is one of those guys that had the mental toughness, and I think both Wentz and Goff have it, to overcome some real struggles early in their career.

But physically can they hold up and mentally? Can they handle it? I think they can, and they appear to be guys that can, but you don’t want to throw your quarterback to the fire if you’re not able to protect them and put them in at least a decent situation early in his career.” * * *

PRE-DRAFT MEL KIPER JR.

MEL KIPER JR. M

LEANS GOFF OVER WENTZ IN PRE-DRAFT RANKINGS Photo by Rich Arden / ESPN Images

el Kiper Jr. is the go-to NFL Draft pundit on ESPN. He’s broken down prospects from 32 drafts. He’s led the annual coverage on ESPN since 1984 by providing in-depth analysis on hundreds of prospects every year. He appears on ESPN’s biggest shows including “Sportscenter,” “NFL Insiders” and “NFL Live.”

Kiper Jr. met with the media over a conference call on April 19 to talk about every quarterback in the draft. We have edited the conference call to gauge Kiper Jr.’s takes on NDSU’s Wentz.

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KIPER JR.’S TAKE After fielding questions about almost every player in the first round, Mel Kiper Jr. finally tackles the FCS debate and if he was evaluating Wentz differently than any other quarterback in this class.

MEL KIPER JR. “Yes, it does. There’s no

question. I kept (Jared) Goff ahead of him (Wentz) all year. Wentz got hurt October 17 and he only played a year and a half as a starter and he didn’t play much in high school as a starting quarterback. He’s got really

PRE-DRAFT MEL KIPER JR.

limited experience for a second pick in the draft, so that’s why I kept him behind Goff. You can’t teach the size, arm and athletic ability he has and work ethic and the smarts he has. Carson Wentz has a lot going for him, but to ascend from all the way where he was, say in August, as the 30th-best player on my board, to number two, he didn’t get to that point. He was around seven or eight.

I actually had Goff at seven and Wentz at eight. The way they ended up on my big board, and I’ll tweak that a little bit this week. I think the level of competition is a concern, no question about it.”

look at Kevin Hogan, kind of an overachiever type. Doesn’t have the arm, does have that long delivery, I see him more as a backup type.

Dak Prescott needs some work, not a precise passer, but he has talent.

And Nate Sudfeld is more fourth or fifth round. I look at it right now, it depends on where they want to pull the trigger on a quarterback. Early on, you’re probably looking at the fourth pick, Ezekiel Elliot, running back, Ohio State, or Joey Bosa or Myles Jack, those will be the three players to look at for the Cowboys at four, knowing now that the quarterbacks will be long gone.”

Kiper Jr. explained why he has Goff over Wentz and if going from Bismarck, N.D., to Los Angeles will be a factor for the Rams deciding on a quarterback to pick first overall.

So, what did Kiper Jr. think of the Rams’ decision to trade up? He also dropped a great review of former NDSU offensive lineman Joe Haeg.

KIPER JR.

KIPER JR.

“Not only do I think that, but I think you take the best quarterback.

I think if you look at Goff, I just felt like all year, when you watched him throughout his career he progressed physically, he was about 180, 185 pounds, now he’s 217. You look at the fact that he can spin it with the best of them. He’s got great ability and awareness in the pocket, that’s the thing. Dealing with all the pressure and duress in the pocket, he does it exceptionally well. He’s got the vision and he makes accurate throws in that type of environment, where, of course, Carson, playing at North Dakota State, limited sample size. He only has 2014 and some games in 2015 and that was it. So I think you look at the level of competition, the fact he had a limited sample size in terms of starts. Where Goff has more of a body of work and two years ago, he went to Evanston, Illinois, and played Northwestern as an underdog and led Cal to an upset victory. He’s played against better competition, no question about it. He’s played longer at the quarterback position and he’s been playing behind a horrible offensive line and he hung in there and hasn’t gotten hurt. Carson is bigger. Goff hung in there and took a lot of shots and has come back for more every time. It’s not a huge gap there for me. I like Carson a lot. I just couldn’t move him up that far. He started 30 and got all the way up to where he

Photo by Nick Caito / ESPN Images is now at eight and he’s right behind Goff, but I couldn’t make that move ahead of Goff because he got hurt October 17, and he came back and, yeah, he played well, but I wasn’t going to make that jump so I stuck with Goff, mainly because I don’t think anyone has done it better in terms of maneuvering in the pocket over the years than Jared Goff.”

Before mentioning the Los Angeles Rams’ trade into the first pick, Kiper Jr. commented on the Dallas Cowboys strategy over the past decade and if they’re a possible destination for one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class.

KIPER JR. “I have no issue with it. They

almost took (Johnny) Manziel a few years ago, and taking Zack Martin has paid dividends, huge dividends.

What they need to do now is think about at four, but they’re not going to get a quarterback at four. They’re going to be gone, so you think early second round, that would be Connor Cook and Hackenberg. If you want to wait until the third round, you’re probably looking at Jeff Driskel from Louisiana Tech, who I think is not as accurate as he needs to be. You

“I was just going to mention (Joe) Haeg actually when you talk about guys that can be that early to mid day three guy. He’s 6’ 6’’, he’s going to add weight to that frame.

He’s about 300-305 now. He really is a kid who moves well for a player that size, gives you some versatility.

I think as an early to midday three pick, he will come off the board. In terms of the quarterback situation, I’d be shocked and really surprised if Cleveland didn’t take him (Wentz). If they traded that pick to let somebody else in there to get him like Philadelphia or the New york Jets.

When you got three quarterbacks that are pretty doggone good in that position, and you’re a distant fourth, and have RG III (Robert Griffin III), I don’t get not taking Wentz if Goff goes number one, but hey, it looks like they may not. We’ll see if they take one at the start of the second round at pick 32. Cleveland is going to be a fun team to watch, a fascinating team to watch because of the mistakes they’ve made, but what they do here, with the new organization in place, we’ll see.

Wentz I think goes two. I don’t think he’ll go to Cleveland, looks like he may go to somebody else like Philadelphia or the Jets.” * * *

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PRE-DRAFT LOUIS REDDICK

LOUIS REDDICK

LOVES THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES FOR WENTZ

Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

L

ouis Reddick played in the NFL for seven years.

After retiring, he became a scout (2001-04) for the Washington Redskins before his promotion to director of pro personnel (2005-07). He joined the Philadelphia Eagles organization as a scout in 2008.

A year later, he was promoted to assistant director of pro personnel in 2009. He was promoted to director of pro personnel before the Eagles didn’t renew his contract before the 2013 season.

He joined ESPN that same year as an NFL Front Office Insider. He joined ESPN’s Round 1 coverage alongside Chris Berman, Jon Gruden and Mel Kiper Jr. last year.

Reddick met with the media over a conference call on April 19 to talk about every quarterback in the draft. We have edited the conference call to gauge Reddick’s takes on NDSU’s Wentz.

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REDDICK’S TAKE As a former personnel director in the NFL for years and having hosted hundreds of prospects on visits, Louis Reddick explained what he’s looking for during the pre-draft visits.

LOUIS REDDICK

“What you’re really trying to get at is what authentically is this player all about. They’re so coached up in today’s process, starting from the Senior Bowl to these Top 32 visits that it’s very hard to crack the code with these guys. So to speak and get them, to get them out of that monotone agent speak, that monotone advisor speak that’s always, ‘Yes, sir. No, sir. I’m just happy to be here, sir. I’d play in any scheme, sir. I can take any kind of coaching, sir. I’ll do whatever you ask me to do, sir.’ Because you know that’s how 95 percent of these

players are not. You have to be very tactful as far as being able to say, ‘Hey, look, let’s cut through all that stuff and I really want to get to whether or not this is the best place for you, whether or not you’re the best player for us, because in the end, everybody wants to be successful here.’ The player wants to be successful. The organization wants to be successful. So some teams, some scouts, some coaches are better at disarming players more so than others. Have I ever been turned off by a player (during a visit)? Absolutely. Absolutely. I have and I’ve also been turned off by a player after the fact when I find out that we weren’t able to crack the code, so to speak, and get him out of the mode of thinking when he’s been around the people who are key decision makers, but as soon as maybe an intern or a driver takes that player to an airport after a Top 30 visit, he lets his true self be shown and then he starts

bad-mouthing his trip. He didn’t like his hotel, didn’t like the fact that he wasn’t first class on the airplane.

And we have eliminated players based on that kind of behavior alone.

We’ll find out sooner or later, teams will find out sooner or later, who you authentically are if those players can show it to us right off the bat.”

Reddick was asked how this quarterback class compares to last year’s and this is how he broke it down, starting with Carson Wentz.

REDDICK “How I compare the two,

compared to last year’s quarterbacks, I’ll say this, I think the body of work with both Marcus and Jameis was obviously a lot more extensive than it is for Carson Wentz, when you’re only looking at basically two years of experience there for Carson.

With Jared (Goff), it’s obviously a little longer. He’s been a four-year starter there. How I would compare the players, I think with Jameis, obviously Jameis was the cream of the crop of this group from a projection standpoint, meaning it was easiest to take Jameis’s film from college and transfer it to the pros and do it in that way because he played in a conference and competition that is of a higher level than what Carson Wentz did. With Carson, the projection is good in a sense that he’s playing in a pro-style offense, calling pro-style plays, has pro-style responsibilities at the line of scrimmage, but obviously the competition is not there.”

Okay, so what about the kid from Cal, Jared Goff?

REDDICK “With Jared Goff, him and

Marcus Mariota you can kind of group together a little bit because their offenses are a little unconventional on first and second down. So the projection is not there, and they’re a little different in types of players from a run skill perspective. But when it comes to third down, these guys are similar in a sense that both of them played in offenses that could transfer on third down to the NFL level, and you saw both of them perform at a high level on that critical down.

I can tell you this, within scouting departments, a very key part of

the evaluation, how players play in critical moments, that being third downs, redzone, two-minute, end of games where the score differential is plus or minus seven points, these guys are very good in those areas.

Jared and Marcus you can compare a little bit. Carson and Jameis compare a little bit with the styles that they come from, but all these guys have very unique characteristics, all of them have a need for there to be great structure around them and great help from an organizational standpoint in order for them to be successful. I mean, you saw what happened there with Jameis Winston, as far as him being able to come on late in the year because the structure around him was strong.

Dirk Koetter (Tampa Bay head coach), his relationship with him was strong. Dirk Koetter parlayed that into a head coaching job, quite honestly. So when you look at it this year, of the two players here, I mean whoever the Philadelphia Eagles take, knowing who they have on their coaching staff, whatever quarterback they take is sitting kind of pretty now. If you’re being coached by Doug Pederson (Philadelphia Eagles head coach), you’re getting coached by Frank Reich (Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator), John DeFillippo (Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks coach), those are some quality coaches that know how to scheme it up right and teach the fundamentals right. Whichever quarterback goes there is sitting kind of good I think.”

Philadelphia is a tough sports town located in one of the top five media markets in the country. So how much pressure is going to be on Wentz, an FCS kid, if he goes to The City of Brotherly Love?

REDDICK “I don’t think, if Goff goes first

overall, there’s any more pressure on Wentz there at number two going to Philly. They’ve handled this situation, quite honestly, I kind of like how they handled it. Look, they set it up to where basically Sam Bradford’s contract is a oneyear deal now, so they have the bridge quarterback. They paid the premium for Chase Daniel as they should have as a number two. I don’t think they ever had any intention

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Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

on Chase Daniel being the starter for any extended period of time, but anybody who has listened to me talk about that position understands the composition of the quarterback room and the relationship between the number one and number two quarterback is ideal, which means the backup quarterback has to have the exact make-up that you’re looking for. That being a selfmotivator, highly intelligent, a guy that’s going to support the number one, be a second set of eyes, almost be a second coach for him, be a friend for him. Chase Daniel fits all of that, that’s why Doug Pederson brought him there. So Carson, for a

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locker room make-up standpoint, in the quarterback room, he would be walking into the perfect situation, where he can come in, learn from a guy who was a very high draft pick, first overall at the quarterback position in Sam Bradford, he has the support of a guy like Chase Daniel, to help him along, be his second set of eyes, kind of be his mentor, and then on top of it, kind of like broadening the umbrella here, just look at what they’re trying to put together from a coaching and development perspective, as far as the coaching staff is concerned. Doug Pederson, Frank Reich, John DeFilippo, this is exactly how you really draw it up in

a meeting room, as far as setting up a player for success at the quarterback position. Now, they need to get more pieces at the wide receiver position, make sure the offensive line is intact so they can protect Carson so when he gets put in there. But I think they’ve handled it as best as you can right now, as far as taking care of the short term, and then taking care of the long term so, if, in fact it is Carson Wentz that goes there to Philly, if I’m Carson, I’m ecstatic.” * * *

PRE-DRAFT JOHN GRUDEN

JON GRUDEN

ON QUARTERBACKS BEFORE THE DRAFT Photos by Scott Clarke / ESPN Images

F

or seven consecutive years, former Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden broadcasted his “QB Camp” series on ESPN. The show is centered on Super Bowl XXXVIIwinning coach Gruden meeting with the top quarterbacks in the NFL Draft prior to the big day. This year, Gruden’s QB Camp included Carson Wentz (NDSU), Jared Goff (California), Paxton Lynch (Memphis), Christian Hackenberg (Penn State), Dax Prescott (Mississippi State), Connor Cook (Michigan State) and Cardale Jones (Ohio State). Gruden watches film with the quarterbacks and then hits the field with the NFL prospects.

Gruden met with the media over a conference call on April 21 to talk about every quarterback in the draft. We have edited the conference call to gauge Gruden’s takes on NDSU’s Wentz.

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Before getting into the quarterbacks, Jon Gruden explained the concepts pocket presence and pro readiness.

JON GRUDEN “Pro readiness, I think you

have to use some different tiers.

Number one, you got to evaluate the mental quickness, the arm quickness and the body quickness of each candidate. How well do they communicate, their interactions with others, what’s their interest level, their football intelligence? Can they teach the game themselves?

PRE-DRAFT JOHN GRUDEN

Jared Goff comes from a no-huddle, shotgun spread offense where most of the information comes from the sideline, so that’ll cause him to have some serious adjustments, I think.”

Next, Gruden tries to explain the importance of measurables and the intangibles and how they are related to Goff and Carson Wentz.

GRUDEN “They’re both important. I don’t think you can sustain greatness without the intangibles. I mean, if you don’t have the work ethic, the passion for the game. If you don’t have leadership, if you don’t have toughness, (if) you don’t have intangibles, you can’t sustain anything. So I think you have to have those things. I think at every position, to be a great player, you have to have the proper intangibles.

And sometimes those intangibles are lacking, and that’s the reason guys fizzle out. In terms of the measurables, you’re looking at Goff, who is six-foot-four and Wentz is a little bit bigger. All these guys run under five-flat. I think you really have to look at the film and how these guys throw the football into tight windows, under duress, on the move, how they can rally their team, how they perform in critical moments, and that’s why you have to spend a lot of time studying the tape and meeting these guys and comparing them.”

Two teams traded up in the draft to position themselves for a quarterback. Gruden justifies if they did it to fill out a need at quarterback or if they think very highly of Goff and Wentz.

GRUDEN “I think it’s a combination of They have to be able to do that at this stage of the game. Then you have to go to the film and really take a good look. Can they make the tight-window throws, are they tough in the pocket, can they solve problems, how tight are they in red zone situations? Do they take care of the ball? Can they bring their team from behind? There are so many different things that you have to evaluate, and then you look at the system, the training ground that they come from. Not a lot of prostyle systems at the college level.

both things. It’s hard to compare this draft to last year’s draft or the draft 10 years ago. I know there are a lot of analytical people out there that are trying to do that and perhaps that makes their decisions based on time analysis, analytics, I don’t know. All I know is that if you don’t have one of these guys, if you don’t have a quarterback, here’s the pool of quarterbacks in this year’s draft, and if you have a really good scouting department, you can see who the candidates are going to be at that next year’s draft. I think when people are looking at this

year’s group of quarterbacks, there are several that have the ability to play in this league, and if you don’t get one this year, I hope you have a magic wand to get one next year or in the following year’s draft because nothing that happened five years ago is going to help you right now.”

Having an FCS quarterback projected to be a No. 1 pick has been a topic of much debate before the draft. Gruden was asked if he evaluated film any differently with Wentz.

GRUDEN “It’s hard. It is hard, no

question. The speed of the game is different. The guys he’s throwing to and the guys he is throwing against are different. Hard to study it, hard to say can this kid do it at the next level. But I did see Carson Wentz in the Senior Bowl on the practice field in the few reps that he had in the game function and look like he belonged there. But it is difficult. It was hard with Tony Romo, who went undrafted. I’m sure it was hard for us with (Joe) Flacco, coming out of Delaware, hard with Steve McNair coming out of Alcorn, hard with Kurt Warner, who we had in Green Bay. Andy Reid, Steve Mariucci, Mike Holmgren and myself, we cut Kurt Warner, that just goes to show you this is not a perfect science.”

Gruden explained what he loves about Wentz’s game.

GRUDEN “Carson Wentz, when you

watch him on tape, number one, I just like a big guy that has athleticism. This is a kid that carried the ball a lot on designed quarterback runs. He’s got a consistent, compact throwing motion and he had a good Senior Bowl week. I thought he stood out there as well. He’s got the prototype size, and I talked earlier about the system of football that he comes from. You see him at the line of scrimmage take ownership of the game. I like the way he brought his team back to beat Northern Iowa, obviously playing well in two national championship games.

I think his overall performance was very consistent. I love what he did when he got hurt this year.

He stayed loyal. He stayed with his

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PRE-DRAFT JOHN GRUDEN

and get them all ready, but Doug Pederson will have to answer that.

That’ll be a challenge.”

Gruden knows the pressure of being a head coach in the NFL. He was asked specifically about the pressure Carson Wentz will feel in Philadelphia.

GRUDEN “That’s the million dollar

team. He helped develop the young quarterback (Easton Stick). He didn’t leave town and start doing exercises with some mysterious strength coach to get ready for the draft. This guy finished. I love that about him.”

stuff going on, and it starts with coaching and system football.”

Next, Gruden was asked how the NDSU offense is comparable to an NFL-style scheme.

GRUDEN “I think that’s very underrated.

GRUDEN “First of all, they get in a

huddle. Can you imagine that? They get into a huddle with 11 men and they call a play. They get underneath the center. They use numerous personnel groupings, they’re not in the same one-back, one-tight end, three-receiver set the entire day.

They use every formation, every shift and motion that you can use.

They involve the quarterback at the line of scrimmage. He (Wentz) gets up there and audibles, changes plays and changes protections. He doesn’t have to look to the sideline to get all the answers, and that’s huge.

Those elements alone distinguish their offensive system that most of the other colleges that I’ve seen in the last three or four years, you see three-step, five-step, seven-step drops. Play action, movements, throws, screens and a passing game that has progressions to it. If the primary isn’t open, you go to the secondary receiver. If he’s not open, you go to the outlet receiver, so I see a lot of elements and concepts at North Dakota State that I see in the NFL. When you win five national championships, there’s a lot of good

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So, is the system under Doug Pederson and Frank Reich going to be beneficial for the quarterback that gets drafted by Philadelphia?

That used to be one of the most important things in developing a quarterback. It was A, the system, and B, the guy coaching the system.

I grew up under Mike Holmgren and Bill Walsh, Paul Hackett, and I always felt the quarterback was the most important man in the organization. Now, the way teams change offensive coordinators every year and change head coaches, they change those guys like they change their shirt. So I don’t think many organizations put an emphasis on a system of football like they used to. I think it’s challenging for these guys to develop, but in terms of Doug Pederson, what you’re getting is obviously a man that falls off Andy Reid’s tree. You’re going to see a guy who is very quarterbackfriendly. The problem right now I see in Philadelphia is that they got too many quarterbacks to be friendly with. How are they going to distribute any reps and get anyone ready when you got Sam Bradford making $18 million and you got Chase Daniel, who is a backup making $7 million, and now you’re going to have the number two pick in the draft. I don’t know how you’re going to get these guys all reps

question. That’s something you’re going to have to prove no matter who you are, whether you’re a player or coach in the NFL, and especially in Philadelphia, given what the Eagles just gave up to get a player, let’s just say it is Carson Wentz, there’s a tremendous amount of pressure. But the one thing that stands out about Wentz is his offthe-field intangibles. He’s a two-time captain, he’s a 4.0 GPA, he’s a fifthyear finishing senior, valedictorian in high school, very faith-oriented and if anybody can stand the mental pressure that comes with playing in Philadelphia and withstand the physical pressure that it takes to play at a high level, it’s Carson Wentz.”

Lastly, Gruden was asked how he would handle the quarterback situation if he were the head coach of the Eagles?

GRUDEN “I think that’s the biggest

challenge that they’re going to have.

When you look at the amount of reps that you can have with your team, that number is substantially less than it was five years ago with this new collective bargaining agreement. So you’ve got to get a new head coach, who is running a new offensive system, you better get it in gear quickly because the games are about to start. So who is going to get the reps and who is going to get the leftovers. You don’t have time to get three guys reps. You just don’t. If you do that, then you’re not running a real sophisticated offense. It’s hard to get one guy ready to go today, let alone two. There could be a trade.

I don’t want to start any rumors in Philadelphia, but if they do draft a quarterback with all they have invested in him, I’m sure they want to give him as many reps as possible, and that’s going to make somebody unhappy and perhaps expendable.” * * *

NFL DRAFT WHERE WILL WENTZ GO?

WHAT IF

T

he Carson Wentz hype has come full circle since the Bison quarterback last took the field for NDSU. Now the only question is: what jersey will he wear when he steps back on the field in August? A handful of teams have been believed to be in the running for Wentz in the 2016 NFL Draft, so we narrowed it down to five. We highlight these teams’ journeys to the draft and how they positioned themselves to draft the former Bison star.

WENTZ WENT TO..

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NFL DRAFT WHERE WILL WENTZ GO?

DRAFT PICK #2 OVERALL

CLEVELAND BROWNS DRAFT PICK #7 OVERALL

SAN FRANSISCO 49ERS DRAFT PICK #13 OVERALL

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES DRAFT PICK #15 OVERALL

LOS ANGELES RAMS DRAFT PICK #20 OVERALL

NEW YORK JETS

The Cleveland Browns have started an NFL-high 24 quarterbacks since returning to Cleveland in 1999. On March 11, 2015, the Browns signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback Josh McCown to compete with second-year quarterback Johnny Manziel, who was drafted 22nd overall in 2014.

The 2015 San Francisco 49ers began the season with a new head coach, Jim Tomsula, after Jim Harbaugh left the organization on a sour note the season prior. They still had their quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had led them to a Super Bowl appearance in 2012.

Chip Kelly made it known prior to the 2015 season that he wanted personnel control in Philadelphia. Sam Bradford, coming off backto-back season-ending knee injuries in St. Louis, started the first nine games of the season for the Eagles, going 4-5. He strained his throwing shoulder against Miami and missed two games. Mark Sanchez started those two games and lost them both. Bradford finished the remaining five games going 3-2. Kelly was fired before the final game of the regular season, and the Eagles finished 7-9 and earned the No. 8 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Nick Foles received a two-year contract extension before the 2015 season after getting traded for Sam Bradford. Foles went 4-7 as the starter, throwing for seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He was benched after the Rams’ ninth game of the season. Fourth-year man Case Keenum stepped in and finished the season 3-1. Keenum was named the starter to begin the 2016 season on January 5.

The 2015 calendar year started with the hiring of new general manager Mike Maccagnan and head coach Todd Bowles. The Jets traded for Houston Texans quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on March 22 for a late-round draft pick.

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DRAFT PICK #1 OVERALL

LOS ANGELES RAMS DRAFT PICK #2 OVERALL

CLEVELAND BROWNS DRAFT PICK #7 OVERALL

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS DRAFT PICK #8 OVERALL

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES DRAFT PICK #20 OVERALL

NEW YORK JETS 86

BISON ILLUSTRATED • M A Y 2 0 1 6

The Rams began the offseason with the 15th pick in the draft and relocated the franchise to Los Angeles. On April 14, 21 days after Carson Wentz pro day and 14 days before the draft, the Rams traded their first round pick, two secondround picks (43 and 45), a third-rounder (76) in 2016, and their first and third round pick in next year’s draft to the Tennessee Titans for the first overall pick in the 2016 draft.

McCown won the position battle in camp and started seven of the first eight games in 2015, going 1-6 before getting benched for Manziel. Austin Davis joined the quarterback carousel, and the Browns finished 3-13, earning the second pick in the draft.

After a 2-6 start, Kaepernick was benched for Jacksonville’s 10th overall pick in 2011, Blaine Gabbert, who was traded to San Francisco before the 2014 season. Gabbert finished the 2015 season 3-5 and the 49ers finished last in the NFL West with a 5-11 record. The 49ers fired Tomsula and hired Chip Kelly, who was fired by the Philadelphia Eagles on January 15.

The Eagles hired former quarterback and quarterbacks coach under Any Reid Doug Pederson, on January 18. Pederson’s former backup in Kansas City, Chase Daniel, signed a three-year deal with the Eagles on March 10. That same day, Philadelphia exchanged first-round picks with Miami, moving up to 8th, and sent cornerback Byron Maxwell and linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Dolphins.

During minicamp in August, the Jets’ starting quarterback Geno Smith was “sucker-punched” in the locker room and was projected to be out six to 10 weeks. Fitzpatrick took over and never let go of the starting job. Fitzpatrick threw for 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was one touchdown short of clinching a playoff berth for the Jets against Buffalo in the last game of the year. The Jets finished 10-6 and earned the 20th pick in the draft.

NFL DRAFT WHERE WILL WENTZ GO?

DRAFT PICK #1 OVERALL

LOS ANGELES RAMS DRAFT PICK #2 OVERALL

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES DRAFT PICK #7 OVERALL

SAN FRANSISCO 49ERS DRAFT PICK #15 OVERALL

CLEVELAND BROWNS DRAFT PICK #20 OVERALL

NEW YORK JETS

Two weeks before the draft, the Rams brought Wentz then Goff to Los Angeles to meet with each prospect. It was later released the following week, the NFL had asked the Rams to not release the name of the player they will take first overall. On draft night, the Rams selected Goff.

Pederson and Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie had dinner with Wentz at Mezzaluna in Fargo on March 30. On April 21, a week before the draft, the Eagles traded for the No. 2 overall pick from the Cleveland Browns for the No. 8 overall pick and four other picks. The trade upset current starter Sam Bradford, who threatened to hold out.

WHO WON WENTZ? The Eagles made it official by selecting Wentz second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Wentz was on his way to Philadelphia.

Kaepernick trade rumors swirled this offseason and according to reports, he was involved in deals that would’ve sent him to Denver and New York. They all fell through and Kaepernick remained a 49er after the draft.

Head coach Hugh Jackson attended Carson Wentz’s pro day in Fargo, and after the workout, it was released that the Browns had signed quarterback Robert Griffin III. They officially bowed out of the race for Wentz when they traded the No. 2 overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for their No. 8 overall pick. They again traded back to 15th on draft night.

After the season, Fitzpatrick was looking to restructure his contract and threatened to hold out for eight to 10 million dollars a year. The Jets currently have 2013 secondround pick Smith and 2015 fourth-round pick Bryce Petty on their roster. The Jets reportedly tried to move up to the number one pick but failed.

Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

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WHATS THE WORD IN PHILLY

Word What’s the

in Philly?

T

he Philadelphia Inquirer’s Zach Berman knows Philly. He grew up there, left for college in Syracuse, N.Y., but knew in his heart that his home city is where he belonged. After spending a couple years at the Washington Post in D.C. and having a cup of coffee at the Star-Ledger covering the New York Giants, Berman made his return to the City of Brotherly Love. After four years on the Eagles beat, he’s seen a lot go down with his home team’s football franchise.

The rise and fall of Chip Kelly and the hype build-up of Carson Wentz is what makes Berman the man with his finger on the pulse of Philadelphia Eagles football. He flew to Fargo just days after the draft to write a story for his newspaper, and while he was in town, he caught up with us to field questions about Wentz’s new team.

Interview By Joe Kerlin | Photos by Paul Flessland, Phil Ellsworth, Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

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The Conversation Bison Illustrated: After Chip Kelly was fired, was there a sense around the organization that they needed to make some major changes?

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“

Zach Berman: “If you look at the hire they made, they hired Doug Pederson, put in Howie Roseman, installed the 3-4 defense. It’s really going back to what they had under Andy Reid in many ways.

They had the most success in their franchise for a long time under Andy Reid, and they’re going to that model, frankly, to the point that they take a quarterback number two. The first pick of the Andy Reid era was Donovan McNabb number two, so there’s a whole lot of comparison.

I knew they were going to draft a quarterback.”

BISON ILLUSTRATED • M A Y 2 0 1 6

It’s not identical, but there’s a lot of comparisons to the Andy Reid era.”

BI: After the combine, the Eagles were sitting at 13th. At that time did you get a sense they were going after a quarterback in this draft?

ZB: “I knew they were going to draft a quarterback. I didn’t know in what round. At that point, we didn’t know if (Sam) Bradford was coming back.

When Bradford was re-signed, I didn’t

know if the quarterback was going to come early or if the quarterback was going to come in the third, fourth or fifth round. But I knew they were going to draft a quarterback. Doug Pederson had some positive things to say about Carson Wentz at the Senior Bowl. That was Doug Pederson’s first exposure to him. At the combine was when you started to hear more buzz that Wentz could be a top pick.

But at that point, it wasn’t clear the quarterbacks would go one-two in the draft.”

BI: Around the time the organization had dinner with Wentz in Fargo, is that when you felt like. “Okay, they’re taking a serious look at this guy?”

ZB: “They were at the owners meetings down in Florida. Jeffrey Lurie was talking about drafting a quarterback. It was clear they were going to draft a quarterback.

At that point, they had Bradford, and I remember this specifically, I was asking Doug, ‘Are you going to Carson Wentz’s pro day tomorrow?’

He said he’s not going to the pro day, he prefers to work quarterbacks out individually and meet with them individually opposed to the pro day setting, and he was going to take the next two weeks to kind of look at the top quarterbacks in the draft. And then, that’s exactly what they did.

Clearly, if you’re going to California to see Jared Goff privately, going to North Dakota to see Carson privately, there’s a degree of interest, you just don’t know how far up you need to go. Then when the Rams traded to number one, it looked like it was going to be tough for the Eagles to get, well, it really depended on the direction the Rams were going to go.

When it became clear that the Rams were going to go with Goff. Well, I

WHATS THE WORD IN PHILLY

shouldn’t say it was clear, but when it looked likely that the Rams were going to go with Goff, the questions was, if the Eagles wanted Wentz, would he fall to eight? How far up would they need to go? It wasn’t too many days later, it was a Wednesday when the Eagles traded up to get the number two pick. Then, at that point, it was clear that Wentz was the target.”

BI: Eagles must’ve known the Rams were going with Goff, right?

ZB: “I think the Eagles had a good idea. Now, they liked both those guys. They liked Goff and Wentz, but they had a good idea that Goff was going one.”

BI: Why are the Eagles so confident in Wentz?

ZB: “I think for all the tangible and the intangible reasons. The size, the athleticism, the arm strength, the offense that he’s coming from. But then, they really like the intangibles characteristics. The toughness, they feel like he can play in Philadelphia both physically and his personality.

They want a quarterback who can play in cold weather, they want a quarterback who can handle a big media blitz, per se, a lot of fan pressure, and I guess they induced from meeting him that he can do that.”

BI: What makes you think that Wentz is going to make this jump to the bigger market?

ZB: “That’s a good question because it’s easier when you’re drafted. When you throw the interception, when you lose games, that’s really when it’s tested. But, I think he needs to have thick skin. That’s going to be the key.

He’s going to have to win. If you win, they’ll love you.”

BI: Is Carson Wentz the third guy in Philadelphia right now? If Sam Bradford leaves, will it be Chase Daniel’s job?

ZB: “They don’t want Bradford to leave. They’re playing it as Bradford is the quarterback, Chase Daniel will be the backup, and Carson will sit and learn in year one. If you look at the model Doug Pederson had or that Doug Pederson goes off of, when McNabb was drafted in ’99, he didn’t start right away. Doug Pederson was the starting quarterback for the Eagles. They want him (Wentz) to develop. I remember at the combine, Doug Pederson referenced Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers’s development, guys like that, and I think that’s what the Eagles are looking for here. They don’t want to have a day one starter at quarterback.

They want him to learn the system, develop and go in when he’s ready.”

BI: What’s your mission while in North Dakota?

ZB: “I’m hoping to show my readers in Philadelphia where Carson is from, what he means to the state of North Dakota and the people in North Dakota. I want to show readers in Philadelphia where he’s from and why that’s important. A lot of our readers, I think they don’t know North Dakota. This is my first time in the state of North Dakota, and it seems to be an important characteristic for Carson. The Players’ Tribune article he wrote focused on him being from North Dakota. I want to show where he’s from and the people out here, the places out here and the scenes out here.”

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J

ohn Duffy is an Audobon, Pa., native. He’s a diehard Eagles fan and has had season tickets for 14 years.

He also pitched for the FM RedHawks for three years and coached at Concordia (Minn.) for four years. We called him up to see what Eagles fans are saying about Wentz.

Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Bison Illustrated: How big of a Philadelphia Eagles fan are you?

Josh Duffy: “I dated a girl from Fargo.

She was from New Jersey, but she was a sportscaster in Fargo, and we had to break up because of long distance. Nothing bad happened.

She ended her letter with, ‘Hey, everything was great. I wish you the best of luck, and hopefully, one day you’ll see your Eagles win the Super Bowl.’ That’s how big of a fan I am.”

BI: What has Sam Bradford done for you lately?

JD: “Not a whole lot but really bug a lot of people in Philadelphia, which may be good for Carson. I think a lot of people just don’t understand why a guy that is a starter who just got paid $18 million, who has made $90+ million with his contract and really hasn’t done a whole lot in the NFL. I think people would obviously welcome him back for this year. I

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think, this year, he gives the Eagles the best chance to win as many games as possible while allowing Wentz to develop. But he has people ticked that he's taking this stance.

He’s still the starter. It’s not like they said he’s (Wentz) going to come in and compete and win the job. They said, 'You’re (Bradford) the starter.' Wentz is going to sit a year, learn the game, learn the speed of the game, get acclimated. You’re the starter. And that doesn’t sit well with people here in Philly."

BI: Do you think fans from other NFL teams are reading the situation like that?

JD: “From what I’ve read, from what I’ve heard on the Philadelphia sports talk shows here, not only is he getting killed regionally here in Philly, but he’s getting killed nationally. And I think people view it as a sense of entitlement. (Brett) Favre didn’t complain when the (Packers) drafted (Aaron) Rodgers, I don’t think (Drew) Brees complained when they drafted (Philip) Rivers.

When the Giants signed (Kurt) Warner then drafted (Eli) Manning, he didn’t complain. It’s not like this is a completely unprecedented thing in the NFL. And all those guys are a lot more accomplished than Sam Bradford. In this day and age, some of these athletes are soft, and, I think more than anything, Bradford is coming off as very soft. In a way, this might be the best thing that could’ve happened for Wentz, from what everyone’s been told and what everyone has read, he’s a hard-nosed kid from North Dakota. Chris Coste did an interview here with one of the morning guys and said that you compare him (Wentz) to Chase Utley.

If he’s that type of player and he has success, the fans in Philadelphia will love him forever.”

BI: Are you excited for Wentz to be an Eagle?

JD: "Obviously, some people from Fargo were like, 'Oh, you have a chance to get this guy. He’s going to be a great NFL quarterback.' So I’m excited. One, that the Eagles have a guy who looks like they can hitch their wagons to for 10 years.

Two, he has all the intangibles, his grades never got below a 4.0, captain and I know the people from North Dakota are like, they are the salt of the earth, they’re the greatest people in the world. So I know the kid’s not going to have problems off the field, which always makes it easier. I have an 11-year-old nephew that I'm like, 'Hey, you could be like Carson Wentz one day.' This is a guy who's going to be here, and you don’t have to worry about him doing something off the field that someone has to explain to their 11-year-old nephew what’s going on. There’s nothing personally against Wentz that people from Philly are nervous or upset about."

BI: What are the fan base’s expectations for Carson Wentz?

JD: “I think that people are more willing to wait the year. I don’t think they think he’s going to step in and have the rookie year Cam Newton had. I think everyone is prepared for a little bit of a learning curve with sitting a year. We don’t expect him in 2017 to come lead this team to the Super Bowl, but hopefully, ‘18, ’19 and ’20. If Wentz can have the type of career McNabb had and win at least one Super Bowl, he would be the mayor of Philadelphia and the governor of Pennsylvania if he won it. If he leads the Eagles to a Super Bowl, he could do whatever he wanted for the rest of his life.”

* * *

POST-DRAFT MIKE MAYOCK

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POST-DRAFT MIKE MAYOCK

POST-NFL DRAFT

WITH NFL NETWORK’S MIKE MAYOCK

J

ust minutes after the 2016 NFL Draft first round was over and the NFL Network went off the air from their live studio in Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, lead analyst Mike Mayock gave us a call. The months of speculation were over. The pre-draft analysis was irrelevant. We knew where Carson Wentz was headed the following day to begin his NFL career.

We asked Mayock about Philadelphia and when he thought Wentz was going to be ready to set fire to the NFL.

THE CONVERSATION BISON ILLUSTRATED: Well that was one heck of an experience for us. This wasn’t your first rodeo, though, how was the first round this year?

MIKE MAYOCK: “It was pretty exciting. Two quarterbacks, we knew going in advance slowed things down a bit.

Once San Diego got us rolling with Joey Bosa and then we had another trade from a quarterback later. It was fun. It was a typical first round with a bunch of moving parts.”

BI: Right, and LA made their big

trade a couple weeks ago, and we finally found out they preferred Jared Goff over Carson Wentz.

Why do you think that is?

MM: “I think when you’re looking at Goff and 1,600 career pass attempts, Carson Wentz had 612. Effectively, there were about a thousand more pass attempts for Goff, a thousand more reps, more video on him for pocket awareness, decision-making, getting a feel for every kind of blitz

combinations at the highest level of college football. I think when you look at that and with their tailbacks like Todd Gurley and a defense that’s ready to go, it probably seems like Goff would be ready right away. I agree with that. Wentz, 600 attempts, I mean he’s my favorite quarterback in this draft, but there’s a sense around the league that he might take a little longer, not because he’s not smart, he’s brilliant. He works his tail off and he knows the game. He just hasn’t had enough reps. I’m guessing that’s why LA pulled the trigger on Goff.”

BI: There has been a lot made of the

Philadelphia coaching situation and how it’s a good destination for a young quarterback. Why is that?

MM: “I think it’s because (Doug Pederson and Frank Reich) both played the position and coached the position. So it’s the best of both worlds. You have a guy that’s been

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they want to bring Carson Wentz along at whatever pace he can be brought along, and I think time will tell.”

BI: Speaking of Bradford, how do

you feel general manager Howie Roseman handled the quarterback situation there this offseason?

MM: “I think there was a plan in place at the combine. I think he liked both the quarterbacks, he knew they were both franchise quarterbacks, he moved up from 13th to 8th, with Miami in a trade, he figured out pretty quickly eight wasn’t going to be enough to get one of the two quarterbacks. So, eventually he thought the teams ahead of him—he was talking to Cleveland, he was talking to San Diego—eventually, he made the trade that guaranteed the second pick. I think he knew the play the whole time.”

BI: Nice. So when do you think

Photo by NFL Network

Wentz will be able to digest the playbook, get enough reps in practice and be ready to make his first start?

MM: “It’s a really hard one to know

in there at the highest level. He understands the pressure of being a quarterback on a day-to-day basis.

He’s coached at the top level. Frank Reich has been around, helped Philip Rivers. Doug Pederson helped groom Donovan McNabb. I think they had been getting the most out of Alex Smith. So I think it’s a great situation to be in a room with two coaches that have been there before you and kind of understand the pressure you’re going through.”

I know the city well. I do the preseason games for the Eagles.

I think he’ll be just fine. He’s a hardworking Midwestern kid.

Philadelphia fans love blue collar.

They don’t like prima donnas. They want somebody who goes to work.

They might get frustrated. They might get impatient when they see him play. But at the end of the day, they’re a town that likes a full day’s work, and Wentz will give it to them.”

BI: The coaching situation seems to

BI: Can Wentz be the week one

be ideal for Wentz, but what about the city of Philadelphia? How do you think he’ll handle the pressure from that tough fan base?

MM: “I grew up in Philly. My father was a football coach in Philly.

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starter?

MM: “I don’t think so. I think Philadelphia would anticipate it being Sam Bradford and I think there’s a reason they wanted to sign him to a three-year deal. I think

because he’s a hard worker and he’s smart. So I know he’ll do all the work. Really, to me, it comes down to the process and he’s going to have to speed the process up.

Things are going to happen way more quickly than he’s used to. The pressure, I’m talking about physical, not external stuff. The players are bigger, faster, they’re going to be quicker with pressure and he’ll have to make quicker decisions, get the ball out quickly and that’s the challenge. When they think he’s ready, and like I said, if that’s week three, week five or next year, it’s going to be when he’s ready. The thing I would have confidence in is that he’ll work hard to make it as early as possible.”

BI: It was great to talk to you, Mike.

Enjoy the rest of the draft.

MM: “Thanks, you, too.” * * *

NFL DRAFT JOE HAEG

Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography and Paul Flessland

JOE HAEG

LANDS IN INDIANAPOLIS

J

oe Haeg started for four years on the NDSU offensive line.

That alone isn’t unprecedented but for a walk-on? That’s almost unheard of. NFL teams were definitely not overlooking Haeg as he started the draft process. Haeg met with 11 teams prior to the draft and participated in the Senior Bowl, combine and NDSU’s pro day. We caught up with Joe before and after the draft. Here’s what he has to say about being selected in the fifth round with the 155th pick by the Indianapolis Colts.

PRE-DRAFT Can you give us a rough estimate of how many teams brought you in for workouts, what did they do with you and where did they have you on their draft boards?

JOE HAEG: “I’ve probably had around 10 private workouts, as well as, I think I have one this week actually. It’s been pretty crazy and hectic. A lot of it is, I actually haven’t had any visits. A lot of the meetings I’ve had with teams, they all went smoothly, I didn’t need to fly out there for more meeting or anything of that nature. I’ve had plenty of private workouts, and that’s something that has been fun, to be with the o-line coach and see how their version of blocking is and being able to adapt to their techniques. As far as where I’m going, I mean, it ends up being thrown in the air. A lot of teams that are really interested have me

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in their Top 100 picks. But anything can happen on draft day. I could still fall to a late spot. We’ll just see how it goes. Heck, even if I do fall to the seventh round, I’d still be getting drafted in the NFL, which is amazing to say. I’m just trying to embrace it and I’m just excited to find out where I’m going.”

Have the coaches brought up your weight and do they want you to gain more?

JH: “Every team is different. There are teams that told me, we want you to get down to 300 pounds and there are teams that want me up at 315. So right now I’m at about 305, 306, and that’s right in the middle.

Once I find out whatever team I’m going to, they’ll have a weight they want me to play at, or at least try to approach and get close to.”

What did the reception from Bison fans mean to you before the Spring Game last month?

JH: “That was awesome. We have the best fans in the nation. I honestly believe that. Being back there, being in the Fargodome again was awesome to see the fans and all the other players, all the other seniors, we had our senior banquet that night, which was awesome. It was awesome to see all the guys again and really get one final send off from NDSU.” How did playing at NDSU prepare you for this moment?

JH: “I think the rigor of the offseason workouts that we take part in, it’s not a part-time thing. They do an amazing job of, we have a very complicated system compared to a lot of college teams, especially with this trend of all this no-huddle, spread, all these systems. I’ve met guys at the combine who they may have had seven different run plays that they ran the entire season and we, gosh, we probably have 40, if not more than that, run plays.

Being able to be in a pro system like NDSU has been extremely helpful, especially when it comes to board work and showing coaches that you know how systems work. It’s been very helpful throughout the entire process.”

POST DRAFT Have you talked at all with the Colts about where you’ll play along the line? Do you have the versatility to be a guard as well as a tackle?

JH: “We haven’t discussed that yet, but he’s just excited for me to get out there as well as I am.

He just told me to get ready to work hard, stay humble and just keep grinding like I did at North Dakota State. We’ll see how everything falls once we get later into the summer and into camp.”

How much interest had the Colts shown in you?

JH: “Actually quite a bit. I actually only had one official meeting at the NFL Combine. They were the one team, and we had a great meeting.

I really connected with all the coaches. It was a great experience.

I know I’m very excited. The Colts were one of the teams I’ve been looking forward to – I’ve always kind of been hoping in the back of my mind that I’d be able to play for.

I’m just very excited that I got that call from them.”

This is going to be a huge jump from a small school. Are you ready for that?

JH: “Absolutely. When I went to the Senior Bowl, I did have a shoulder injury but for the practices I was able to get in – at first, you can tell it’s a little bit faster but when it comes down to it, you’re playing football and that’s the thing. No matter what, even if I was at Alabama or Iowa State, there’s still going to be a jump that those guys have to make to the pro level. I’m excited to get out there and kind of just embrace it.” * * *

ARMED & DANGEROUS JENSEN & SMITH

Bison Champions bringing

ARMED & DANGEROUS FOOTBALL CAMP

to Fargo

Former North Dakota State quarterback Brock Jensen is bringing QB guru Steve Calhoun’s Armed & Dangerous Football Camp to Fargo. The camp will also feature Jensen’s former NDSU teammate and fellow Canadian Football League player, wide receiver Ryan Smith.

Armed & Dangerous travels all over the country to train youth and high school football players to “perfect every possible movement they’ll be required to perform in game situations and believe success stems from paying attention to the details.”

By Austin Kettelhut | Photos By J. Alan Paul Photography

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ARMED & DANGEROUS JENSEN & SMITH

What to expect at the camp: Armed & Dangerous is primarily an offensive-skill-position football camp, specifically for quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends, but they welcome anyone who wants to have fun and learn to be a better football player.

Jensen, Smith, Calhoun and his staff will be training players through a wide variety of different drills throughout the camp.

“There’s a lot of different types of drills,” said Jensen. “We’re going to be working on a lot of footwork drills because that’s the most important part of the (quarterback) position.”

Jensen says his camp will primarily specialize in quarterbacks, but Smith and the other coaches will be working with other positions as well.

“Probably going to be release drills, top of your route break drills, I mean I’ve got some stuff but it’s kind of hard to explain through words,” said Smith.

What you can gain from the camp: “No matter what their age, it’s a process, and allowing them to come to camp and give them some knowledge that moving forward is going to be the main purpose of it,” said Jensen. “And also to have fun, we’re meant to have a fun time out there. We’re playing ball.”

Jensen and Smith agree that the most important aspects of becoming good at anything are hard work and focusing on the small, finer details.

“The littlest thing could make the biggest difference and that’s what I’m going to try and ingrain in these kids heads,” says Smith. “If you get your technique right, everything else will come.”

If you go: May 14 & 15 Youth Football Camp (Grades 4-7) 12-2 p.m. at Shanley High School, Fargo Cost for QBs: $200 Cost for WRs, RBs & TEs: $150 May 14 & 15 High School Football Camp (Grades 8-12) 2-5 p.m. at Shanley High School, Fargo Cost for QBs: $250 Cost for WRs, RBs & TEs: $200

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CANADIAN LIFE BROCK JENSEN

Two short-lived stints on an NFL roster, playing in the FXFL and eventually landing in the Canadian Football League have given Jensen a new outlook on football and life in general.

“It’s been a huge commitment to pursue professional football,” said Jensen. “I’m just trying to enjoy the years that I have in the game right now and I don’t know when it will be my last year, but there’s a lot more to life than just football.”

Jensen had high hopes heading into the 2014 NFL draft. Based on conversations he had with NFL scouts and team representatives, he thought he had a shot at getting drafted in the later rounds, but he never heard his name called.

“I got plenty of calls from teams thinking that that was probably going to happen and it didn’t,” said Jensen. “I knew I was going to have a tough road ahead of me from there.”

Despite the letdown, the Miami Dolphins came calling immediately after the draft and offered Jensen

a contract as an undrafted free agent (UDFA), which he signed soon thereafter.

Jensen’s first offseason in the NFL quickly initiated him into the process and life of being a UDFA. The Dolphins would go on to release, re-sign and release him again during the summer of 2014.

“I guess you kind of gotta know what you’re signing up for when you pursue a career at the professional level,” said Jensen. “It’s unfortunate, but I still look at the positives of that situation to help me move forward.”

Following his second release from Miami, Jensen would go on to play in the Fall Experimental Football League for several months before returning to NDSU to finish his degree.

Jensen recently settled on more fertile ground with the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL, signing a twoyear deal prior to the 2015 season with a third-year team option in 2017.

Although the Redblacks have reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player, Henry Burris, and a 16-game starter last year for the Toronto Argonauts in Trevor Harris ahead of Jensen on the depth chart, he is not taking the experience for granted.

“He’s (Burris) a very good football player and an even better man,” said Jensen. “To learn behind him has been a privilege, really. He’s forgotten more football than I’ve ever learned.”

Jensen says his faith is the most important part of his life, and he’s keeping the faith that the right situation is going to come his way.

“We’ll see how things play out, and obviously, they (Ottawa) have a plan and I know they like me a lot and they’re excited to work with me,” said Jensen. “I just go back to, there’s a plan for me, and I just kind of gotta keep plugging away, keep working hard and chips will fall where they’re supposed to.” * * *

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* * *

Do you want to learn from college coaches? Do you want to show the Bison coaching staff your skills? Do you want to become a Bison? NDSU camps give you the perfect opportunity to get your name out there and to work on your craft with Division I coaching staffs. Check out these amazing opportunities.

summer

guide

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Football

ison Camp

SUMMER CAMPS

YOUTH CAMP Information Dates: June 14-16 Grades Fall of 2016: 1-8 Cost: $100/Camper Schedule Grades 1-4 – Mornings Only • 7:30-8 a.m. – Registration/ Check-In/Arrival • 8-9:30 a.m. – Offensive & Defensive Practices • 9:30-10 a.m. – Snack/ Water/Highlight Videos • 10-11 a.m. – Activities • 11-11:30 a.m. – Contests Grades 5-8 – Afternoon Only • 12:30-1 p.m. – Registration/ Check-In/Arrival • 1-1:15 p.m. – Camp WarmUp • 1:15-2:45 p.m. – Offensive & Defensive Position Specific Skill Training • 2:45-3 p.m. – Snack/Water/ Highlight Video • 3-4:30 p.m. – Football Activities: Razzle Dazzle, Agility Tests, 7-on-7 Passing, 1-on-1 Passing, Football Position Competitions

What To Bring – Tennis shoes and shorts

TEAM CAMP Information Dates: June 18-20 Grades Fall of 2016: 9-12 Check-In: 12-2 p.m., Saturday Check-Out: 12 pm, Monday Commuter: $150/Camper Resident: $185/Camper *limited to 24 teams Schedule • June 18 – Check-In from

12-2 p.m., individual and team practice, 7-on-7 • June 19 – Individual and team practice, 7-on-7, O-Line/D-Line challenge, scrimmage, rumble in the dome, eat & meet in-between session • June 20 – Scrimmages

What to Bring – Tennis shoes, grass cleats, workout clothes, helmet, shoulder pads, jersey, pants, thigh pads, hip pads, knee pads and mouth guard.

INDIVIDUAL CAMP Information Dates: June 24-26 Grades Fall of 2016: 9-12 Early Check-In: 6-9 p.m., June 23 Friday Check-In: 7-9 a.m., June 24 Check-Out: 11 a.m., June 26 Commuter: $250/Camper Resident: $280/Camper Resident Early Arrival: $300/Camper Schedule • June 23 – Early Arrival Only Check-In From 6-9 p.m.

• June 24 – Registration & Check-In from 7-9 a.m., individual session, practice • June 25 – Individual sessions, practice, 1-on-1s, three full practices • June 26 – Competition after morning practice

What to Bring – Tennis shoes, grass football shoes, workout clothes, helmet, shoulder pads, jersey and mouth guard.

women’s basketball

soccer

SUMMER CAMPS

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DAY CAMP

ELITE GIRLS ID CAMP

Information Dates: June 6th-10th Ages: 5-14, boys & girls Check-In: 8:30 a.m.

Time: 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Pre-Registration: $125 YMCA Member: $100 NDSU Employee: $100 Walk-Up Registration: $135 Location: Ellig Sports Complex

Information Dates: July 24th-27th Grades Fall of 2016: 8th12th & Graduating Seniors Check-In: 6-7 p.m., Day 1 Check-Out: 12 p.m., Day 4 Resident: $300 Commuter: $275

What To Bring: Cleats, shin guards, camp soccer ball, tennis shoes, sunblock and rain gear

JUNIOR BISON CAMPS

COLLEGE PREP CAMP

Information Dates: June 1-3; June 27-29 Check-In: 8-9 a.m., Day 1 Daily Times: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Cost: $110 Location: Wallman Wellness Center

Information Dates: June 7th-9th Grades Fall of 2016: 9th12th Check-In: 4:30-5:45 p.m., Day 1

OFFENSIVE SKILLS CAMP

Resident: $225/Camper Commuter: $200/Camper Location: Wallman Wellness Center

Information Dates: June 5-7 Grades Fall of 2016: 6th-8th Check-In: 4:30-5:45 p.m., Day 1 • Day 1: 6-9 p.m.

• Day 2: 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

• Day 3: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Resident: $250/Camper Commuter: $225/Camper Location: Wallman Wellness Center What to Bring: Water bottle, money, towel, blanket, pillow, toiletries

BISON ILLUSTRATED • M A Y 2 0 1 6

• Day 1: 6-9 p.m.

• Day 2: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.

• Day 3: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

What to Bring: Water bottle, money, towel, blanket, pillow, toiletries

volleyball

POSITIONAL DAY CAMP I

HIGH-PERFORMANCE CAMP

Information Dates: June 13-15 Ages: 6th-College Fee: $105

Information Dates: July 6-8 Ages: 9th-College Commuter: $290 Resident: $340

YOUTH CAMP I Information Dates: June 13-15 Ages: K-7th Fee: $115

ALL-SKILLS CAMP Information Dates: June 16-18 Ages: 6th-12th Commuter: $250 Resident: $300

YOUTH CAMP II Information Dates: July 13-15 Ages: K-7th Fee: $115

POSITIONAL DAY CAMP II Information Dates: July 13-15 Ages: 6th-College Fee: $105

Photos by J. Alan Paul Photography

SENIORS WHERE DID THEY GO?

SENIOR H SUCCESS

alf of the 2015 Bison football senior class landed in an NFL organization in April.

With two drafted and five signed as free agents, it was one of the most successful senior classes to ever roll through NDSU. We highlight what's next for these #ProBison.

ZACH VRAA

MINI CAMP INVITEE MINNESOTA VIKINGS

CJ SMITH

CARSON WENTZ

FREE AGENT SIGNEE

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

ROUND 1 PICK 2

ANDREW BONNET

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

FREE AGENT SIGNEE CAROLINA PANTHERS

JOE HAEG

LUCAS ALBERS

MINI CAMP INVITEE ARIZONA CARDINALS

ROUND 5 PICK 155

JEREMY KELLY

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

BEN LECOMPTE

MINI CAMP INVITEE ATLANTA FALCONS

MINI CAMP INVITEE CHICAGO BEARS

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SWANY SAYS

swany says PHILADELPHIA GETS A WINNER IN WENTZ: FORMER BISON QUARTERBACK THE NEW FACE FOR ONE OF MOST RECOGNIZED FRANCHISES IN THE NFL FOLLOW @swany8

ot everyone was smiles when the Philadelphia Eagles selected North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz with the second overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. While Bison and Eagles fans celebrated the dawn of the “Wentzera” in the City of Brotherly Love, one guy sat in his corner sulking, threatening to take his proverbial ball and go home. Sam Bradford, the Eagles starting quarterback – for the time being – has dropped off the grid since Wentz became the face of the franchise.

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“I have not spoken to Sam and not reached out to him,” said Howie Roseman, the Eagles vice president of football operations, during an interview with ESPN’s Mike & Mike the Tuesday following the draft.

Tom Condon, Bradford’s agent, confirmed that Bradford wants out of Philadelphia. Condon told ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio that, “It’s his right to demand a trade and he wants to be traded.” Poor, poor Sam Bradford. The newest patron saint of cry babies, who inked a two-year deal in March with $22 million guaranteed, wants the Eagles quarterback job handed to him on a gilded plate, thank you very much.

Before arriving in Philadelphia via trade last season from the then-St.

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BY JOSHUA A. SWANSON *Swanson is a native of Maddock, N.D., a proud NDSU alum and a lifelong Bison fan.

Louis Rams, who have since moved to Los Angeles, Bradford’s professional career was best characterized as a mixed bag of injury-plagued uncertainty. After missing most of 2013 and all of 2014 with knee injuries, Bradford missed time in his first season with the Eagles due to a shoulder injury and concussion.

Now, it’s Bradford’s bruised ego that is keeping him on the sidelines. If Wentz has anything to say about it, that’s where Bradford will stay, at least in Philadelphia.

As Bradford is busy demanding a trade and skipping the Eagle’s offseason activities, Wentz, on the other hand, just like his career at NDSU, is embracing the chance to compete for the starting job.

“It’s something that’s out of my control entirely, so I’m gonna just come in and earn the respect of my teammates and compete and, you know, learn,” explained Wentz during an introductory press conference in Philadelphia a day after the draft.

You have to wonder, as Bradford pouts and Wentz talks about earning his teammate’s respect, who is the veteran and who is the rookie?

This stark difference tells you all that you need to know about why the Eagles drafted Wentz despite investing $22 million in Bradford less than two months ago. In a matter of days, Wentz has distinguished himself from Bradford before taking an NFL snap. Although the Eagles decision to trade the farm to acquire Wentz will ultimately be judged by

Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images

This is what helped convince the Philadelphia brass that Wentz was worth the risk and their jobs. “The kid bleeds winning,” said Eagles coach Doug Pederson, a former NFL quarterback who, along with his staff, has earned a reputation for developing quarterbacks. “He’s a blue-collar guy with an incredible work ethic and passion. He really fits what we want to do here.” One of Wentz’s biggest supporters, the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock, who chronicled Wentz’s rise from NDSU quarterback to heralded pro prospect to the face of one of the NFL’s most recognizable franchises, says it’s that passion that separates Wentz and will allow him to handle the high-pressure cauldron that is Philadelphia. his on-the-field performance, you can understand why the Eagles mortgaged their future on the young signal caller who hails from Bismarck. As far as leadership skills, character and leading a team – the intangibles possessed in spades by great quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, etc. – Wentz is the winner compared to Bradford the whiner.

Next to American politics, the NFL is one of the most dog-eat-dog businesses in the world for bare-knuckled, bruising competition. Keep in mind, Eagles fans once booed Santa Clause.

Their fan base is so “passionate,” the team had a court and jail inside their old stadium, Veterans Stadium, to arrest and try fans for offenses committed during the game. Seriously.

Wentz has proved undaunted, ready to get to work to win over his teammates and the famously discontent fan base.

“I know they’re real passionate and they want to win,” said Wentz, who came back after missing eight games with a broken wrist to lead the Bison to their fifth straight FCS national championship in January. “And I’m the same way. I think I’ll fit in fine,” Wentz said, before adding this note to Eagles fans. “I’m bringing it. They’re getting a passionate player themselves. It’s going to be fun … It’s an exciting time. I’m pumped to be an Eagle and ready to go to work.”

“I do think he can handle it,” said Mayock of Wentz’s transition from Fargo to Philadelphia. If you recall, Mayock broadcasted Wentz’s pro day live for the NFL Network from the Fargodome and called Fargo his favorite pro day stop in the last ten years. “I’ve gotten to know this kid a little bit. More than I typically get to know a kid, which makes me more confident in my quarterback evaluation. So let’s forget about all the physical traits and go straight to the intangibles. He’s intelligent, he’s got a great work ethic and he loves the game of football. If you’re talking about having passion and being the face of a franchise, this is the kid.”

Mayock is absolutely right. Those of us in North Dakota who have watched Wentz – or, more appropriately, “Carson,” as most folks refer to him in these parts – are nodding our heads in agreement. See, we’ve gotten to know this kid from NDSU a little bit too, and we know this. Years from now, and after a Super Bowl title (or two), many will say the Eagles were geniuses for trading up to get Wentz. Back in his home state, we’ll be saying the same thing we’re saying now – the Eagles got a winner, a guy they can be proud to call one of their own, just like those of us in North Dakota. Everyone up for the kickoff, from Fargo to Philadelphia, the march is on!

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