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Mike Jasper Interview


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Bethel has Bass Fishing as a sport - now there's something I didn't know you could compete at collegiately. :)

 

www.bethelathletics.com

Yep. But there's a big controversy with bass fishing. Because of Title 9, the university had to start a women's varsity sport…they chose "noodling".

 

I think this kid is going to pour himself into his new job

That's really a low blow. :)

 

 

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http://www.thestar.com/article/984285

 

The more I read about this guy, the more I love him in Buffalo. According to the Bills scout who found him: “The amazing thing about him is that he never gets tired,” Hand said. “In the games I watched, he never came off the field. He played hard the full game.”

 

Apparently, he also did very well on the Wonderlic

Good article; also puts to rest how the Bills found him (not through Levi Brown).

 

And this:

Jasper says his weight issues aren’t over. When the Bills open training camp, he plans to be 360 pounds — a weight he hasn’t seen since high school.

:o

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I love this kid! Athletic freak (I hope they re-test him after he gets to 360# and see what his speed/agility numbers look like then), intelligent (he's got to be; mom is a principal), good sense of humor ("I’ve got more of a beach body now") and seems like a nice guy.

 

This guy looks athletic enough to play Long Snapper & since no more wedges are allowed we just got ourselves a 2 for 1 man wedge!

Apparently he did kickoffs. Imagine him as a KO specialist and then running down the field making tackles? :blink:

And this:

 

:o

If he could lose 73# in 4 months, he can lose 15 in 2 more months (or whenever camp opens).

Edited by Doc
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Could you imagine a 375-400lb NT who can move, lining up with Dareus on one side, and Williams or Carrington on the other? Nobody would move that line. And, he could go in on offense in the goal line situations and just push the pile. These are the kind of picks that I get excited about. You've got to think outside the box if you want to get an edge in this league, and be willing to take chances.

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Could you imagine a 375-400lb NT who can move, lining up with Dareus on one side, and Williams or Carrington on the other? Nobody would move that line. And, he could go in on offense in the goal line situations and just push the pile. These are the kind of picks that I get excited about. You've got to think outside the box if you want to get an edge in this league, and be willing to take chances.

True. That's why I wanted them to take Bowers in the 2nd round, even if it meant going (back) to the 4-3. He's supposedly an elite pass-rusher who can play the run, and the Bills could have used him.

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He was 390# in the video. But was that a regulation-sized ball? It looked like a kid's ball in his hand.

 

I hear you. I saw team photos of him - I dunno HS or college but he looked like an adult playing with the Tiny Football League.

I think that's going to be his biggest hurdle - he'll be playing now with guys much closer to his weight class and strength, and technique becomes critical.

 

Apparently he did kickoffs. Imagine him as a KO specialist and then running down the field making tackles? :blink:

 

"Running into the kicker" would become undesireable for a whole 'nother reason ;)

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I hope all our draft picks make it I think that would be aw some for the team. I am rooting for anybody on the Bills roster to become great because as Bills fans we deserve the best. There will always be a place in my heart for the underdog thats why I have been a fan of the Bills for 40 years now. GO! BILLS!

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How can you not pull for this guy.

 

I agree - this type of story always gets me really pumped.

 

The last time I felt like this was when the Bills signed an undrafted free agent tight end named Jason Peters. Jason's story was different in that:

 

1.) He had been scouted (and was even listed as high as a 3rd rounder on some team's draft boards but went undrafted)

2.) Had scored a 7 on the wonderlic and was deemed unteachable at the pro level

3.) Had some off-the field baggage (I do not remember what)

 

Bills signed Peters the day after the draft.

 

Jasper, apparently, is smart and has no off the field baggage. The major issues are inexperience and weight problems. The latter seems remarkably fixable especially when you see that the kid lost the weight basically on his own. Think about how much easier it will be to keep off the weight with a nutrition coach, working out with a personal Pro trainer all the time, and with teammates around him to encourage him?

 

That simply leaves the question (albeit BIG) about being able to play in the world of the NFL - against huge, strong men rather than boys waaaaay smaller than him. Michael is used to hurting everyone around him sometimes, undoubtedly, by accident. Now he will be getting hit and hurt by others. It will be a big transition for him.

 

I absolutely love this kind of story. Kudos to the Bills and their scout (Hand)

 

-RichNJoisy

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I'm surely pulling for this young man. I think his pick in the seventh round was great. I'm all for taking freaks of nature very late in the draft. I would have to say the odds are against him though.

 

Has anyone seen any video or heard anything about him playing football? I've obviously read about his athletic abilities and watched his video at the gym but I've really not heard anything about his playing abilities.

 

I'm not knocking the pick, just wondering. I am all for projects like him in the seventh round.

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kid has a work ethic thats for sure. one thing a player can't be is lazy and this kid is working towards being an nfl player and it seems he is very determined to push anyone ahead of him out of the lineup. we are gonna have some competition on our def line and hopefully starts to mold into that of green bay's and balt!

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Screw it, I am going to create the TBD Mike Jasper fan club in the same mold as the Lauvale Sape and Gibran Hamdan fan clubs:

 

I would like to throw my hat into the ring as a member and as Director of Public Relations.

 

I have experience as an executive member of the Sape and Hamdan clubs.

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I agree - this type of story always gets me really pumped.

 

The last time I felt like this was when the Bills signed an undrafted free agent tight end named Jason Peters. Jason's story was different in that:

 

1.) He had been scouted (and was even listed as high as a 3rd rounder on some team's draft boards but went undrafted)

2.) Had scored a 7 on the wonderlic and was deemed unteachable at the pro level

3.) Had some off-the field baggage (I do not remember what)

 

Bills signed Peters the day after the draft.

 

Jasper, apparently, is smart and has no off the field baggage. The major issues are inexperience and weight problems. The latter seems remarkably fixable especially when you see that the kid lost the weight basically on his own. Think about how much easier it will be to keep off the weight with a nutrition coach, working out with a personal Pro trainer all the time, and with teammates around him to encourage him?

 

That simply leaves the question (albeit BIG) about being able to play in the world of the NFL - against huge, strong men rather than boys waaaaay smaller than him. Michael is used to hurting everyone around him sometimes, undoubtedly, by accident. Now he will be getting hit and hurt by others. It will be a big transition for him.

 

I absolutely love this kind of story. Kudos to the Bills and their scout (Hand)

 

-RichNJoisy

While he'll be facing bigger guys in the NFL than he did in college, he's still bigger than most of them. And judging by his 33 reps of 225# (or 4-5 reps of 405#), he's strong enough.

 

As for the weight thing, it seems like he's made a lifestyle change, which is the best way to tackle weight loss. That he not only dropped below 400# like he was asked, but dropped 25# under that target weight, says something.

Edited by Doc
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http://www.radio.pressbox1.com/

 

This is from the local station. I can't listen at work - but maybe someone else can.

 

He was not a DT at Bethel - he's listed there as OL. I think he's probably being taken as an OT project ala Peters.

 

Bethel has Bass Fishing as a sport - now there's something I didn't know you could compete at collegiately. :)

 

www.bethelathletics.com

I think Buddy just got tired of Bill in NYC complaining about the Bills being too small and weak so went out and drafted Mt. Jasper

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Bills Article on Jasper

 

“I said, ‘Hey Mike I know everybody is telling you they want you to lose 100 pounds, but I’ll make a deal with you. If you can prove to us you’ll get under 400, get to 399 pounds I’ll talk to GM Buddy Nix and see if he’ll let me have a workout with you this spring.’”

 

Jasper agreed. Hand kept in touch with Jasper, who kept the Bills scout up to date on his progress. While the Bethel lineman got to work on his physique, Hand began the task of presenting his report to Bills Vice President of College Scouting Tom Modrak and General Manager Buddy Nix.

 

“It really wasn’t that tough to sell them because I had brought him up on the pre-draft meetings we had and shown a picture of him after he had started to cut down his weight,” said Hand. “He was 405 in the picture and I explained what was going on with him. When I went to Missouri with Buddy to watch Blaine Gabbert’s pro day I showed the workout video on Jasper’s website to Buddy and that’s when the ball really started rolling in pursuing him.”

 

Nix advised Hand to not go in to Bethel to work out Jasper until as late as possible as they wanted Jasper to be at his lightest so they could get the most accurate gauge of his athleticism at a proper playing weight.

 

This was a outstanding job by Buddy in trusting his scout and giving him guidance, as well as being men of their word.

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