CB Brandon Underwood (official thread)

[BearcatinFL]

Underwood has been a starter...

Underwood has actually been a stater the entire season. Early in training camp, the coaches identified Underwood as "impressive" and wanted to find a mix that would get him on the field. So for the first 3 games, they rotated DeAngelo Smith to Free Safety and put Underwood at Corner. Then for the Akron game, they switched Underwood to Free and Smith to CB. Underwood played Free until an injury to Mickens before the PITT game forced him to switch back to CB. Hope this helps to clear things up.

Too bad he didn't have his life in order to start his carreer at OSU. Sounds like he got a (short) 2nd chance at Cincy and has made the best of it. He's been selected third-team all Big East as Safety. One wonders what he could have done with more seasoning...oh well.

 

[IronBuckI]

Is there any chance that Brandon could get a medical RS for 2005, or is Cincy even going to pursue something like that?

 

[BearcatinFL]

Is there any chance that Brandon could get a medical RS for 2005, or is Cincy even going to pursue something like that?

That would be nice for Brandon, but I haven't heard of anything. The Bearcats lobbying for a 6th-year of eligibility (recent example Ben Mauk) hasn't been successful. I don't want this to come across that I'm whining, but Cincinnati doesn't have the same clout with the NCAA as OSU. This only hurts the kids, but it's a fact of life...

Here's to hope, however.

 

[martinss01]

That would be nice for Brandon, but I haven't heard of anything. The Bearcats lobbying for a 6th-year of eligibility (recent example Ben Mauk) hasn't been successful. I don't want this to come across that I'm whining, but Cincinnati doesn't have the same clout with the NCAA as OSU. This only hurts the kids, but it's a fact of life...

Here's to hope, however.

yeah, getting a 6th year is tough no matter what school is asking. i really liked brandon. he just had bad timing at tOSU. uc has been an excellent fit for him and im really happy to see him succeed there. id love to see him get another year and would like to see the ncaa rules changed to accommodate situations like his and mauk's.

 

[IronBuckI]

IMO, Mauk was denied because he'd already used one rule to get an extra year of playing time, and the NCAA was not going to let him do that again. I think that Brandon may have a legitimate shot at an extra year, if he tries for it.

 

[BearcatinFL]

Mauk's case was admitedly complex. His initial appeal was based on losing a year to injury (2006) I believe. When that was denied, he wanted another year because he claims he redshirted as a freshman due to injury. The problem was that Wake Forest didn't have documentation to back up his claim. So either it wasn't true or Wake Forest was sloppy with the records. Either way, he was denied.

Hopefully with Brandon he and UC can build a better case.

 

[osugrad21]

Cincy

Ex-Buckeye makes grade

By Bill Koch ? [email protected] ? December 31, 2008
MIAMI - It took Brandon Underwood a while to figure out what he should have known from the start. The message never hit home during the three years he spent at Ohio State. But he gets it now.

"When you sign your letter-of-intent, you agree to be a student-athlete, not just an athlete," he said. "I was just trying to be an athlete."
Underwood was so lacking in his academic approach that eventually the coaches at Ohio State, where he was following in his brother E.J.'s footsteps, told him they had seen enough. They would not renew his scholarship for the 2007 season.
"I didn't know what I was going to do," Underwood said, "if I was even going to keep playing football."
He landed at the University of Cincinnati, where head coach Brian Kelly was willing to give him another chance but only if Underwood took care of his academic business.
Underwood understood. Go to class and get good grades or don't play football. He chose to go to class.
By then, he was so far behind that he had to take an overwhelming amount of courses - 42 hours during spring and summer quarters - in order to become eligible to play this fall.
"I sat down with the coaches and we made a plan for me," Underwood said. "I had a very structured day. I started with school and finished with football and studied a little bit more after that. I pretty much didn't have a life during the summer."
Cont...

 

[Poe McKnoe]

New York Times - Star of the Orange Bowl Will Wear a Headset

Underwood said he had a close relationship with Tressel, whom he characterized as a players' coach. But he said he marveled at Kelly's ability to connect

"He could talk me into doing anything, Underwood said. He speaks really well. He could be a car salesman if he wanted to. Underwood paused and laughed. He quickly added, I mean that in a great way; not a used-car salesman."

When Underwood's interview ended, he had a polite request.

"Could you mention that I?d like to thank Coach Kelly for giving me the opportunity to be part of the team?? Underwood said. I'm very grateful. I've been blessed to be put in this situation. I just want to say thank you. He made a believer out of me."

 

[osugrad21]

4.49 unofficial first run

4.48 on 2nd

 

[Buckskin86]

Friday March 20, 2009
Draft Risers and Sliders: Pro Days
By Tony Pauline, Special to SI.com, TFYDraft.com

It was another important week of pro-day workouts as scouts branched out across the nation to watch the top NFL prospects show off their talents. The results of this weeks workouts will directly impact the first round of April's draft.

Risers

Brandon Underwood/DB/Cincinnati: Underwood is the least heralded defensive back from Cincinnati yet proved to be the fastest on pro day. His 40 times were as low as 4.41 seconds and he looked terrific in position drills. The ability to effectively play cornerback or safety sets Underwood apart from many defensive backs in the draft.

Draft Risers and Sliders: Pro Days - NFL - SI.com

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

6th round, 187 overall, to the Packers.

 

[Steve19]

Well done to Brandon. I hope this works out for him.

 

[osucollegebuck]

UGHHHH my Bills took Cary Harris a few picks ahead of Underwood dumb dumb dumb :(

 

[Buckskin86]

Underwood sees chance for fresh start with Pack
5/1/2009
CHRIS JENKINS
The Associated Press

(AP) ? GREEN BAY, Wis. - Brandon Underwood knows the amount right down to the cent: $7.25.

That was Underwood's hourly wage as a "guest services representative" for Hollywood Video. It's safe to say that his next job will pay a little bit better.

Underwood was taken by the Packers in the sixth round of last weekend's NFL draft, but he didn't fall that far because of a lack of talent. While Underwood hoped to be drafted earlier, he realizes the Packers are giving him a fresh start after he lost his way at Ohio State and ended up paying his own way to play at Cincinnati his senior year.

"It just taught me to be responsible for my actions," Underwood said. "It made me grow up real quick, and made me realize that football is here now but it can be gone tomorrow."

And if Underwood can fuse that newfound sense of responsibility with his ability, the Packers could end up with a sixth-round steal.

"I'm just hoping to establish a name for myself and come in and learn the system," Underwood said. "Basically, try to be a factor, try to show everybody that, 'He was a sixth-round draft pick, but he can play.'"

Underwood sees chance for fresh start with Pack - NewsFlash - cleveland.com

 

[Buckskin86]

SAT., MAY 2, 2009
Packers: Underwood hopes to turn the corner
By JASON WILDE
608-252-6176
[email protected]

GREEN BAY ? Cornerback Brandon Underwood understands how close he was to all this never happening. He also has a greater appreciation now for the game he loves.

The Green Bay Packers? sixth-round draft pick went to Ohio State as a highly touted prospect and left in disgrace, having had his scholarship revoked after three unproductive seasons on the field and questionable decisions off it. He wound up at Cincinnati, where he wasn?t on scholarship and had to pay his own way.

?Every day of my life, I?m going to have to prove to people that I?m not like how I was at Ohio State,? Underwood said during a break in the Packers? three-day post-draft rookie orientation camp, which wraps up Sunday. ?But I don?t have a chip on my shoulder. I?ve been blessed to be here. I?m going to take advantage of my opportunity.?

With the 6-foot-1, 198-pound Underwood, the issue was never his talent.

?Ohio State loved the kid; they thought he was one of the most talented athletes that?s been through that program,? assistant college scouting director Shaun Herock said. ?That?s an eye-opening thing for Ohio State to say that, because there?s some great athletes coming out of there.?

At Cincinnati, Underwood started 14 games last year (eight at cornerback, six at safety), intercepting four passes. More impressive, though, was he did it while also going to class and working at a Hollywood Video store near campus, making $7.25 an hour to pay for school and provide for his wife Brandie and infant son Cameron. The couple had a second son, Blake, about month ago.

?I was a ?GSR,? a guest services representative. First job I?d ever had in my life,? Underwood said. ?I would go to class, and I would practice, and then get out of class and go back to work. It was just a crazy thing. I just really wanted to play football and I was blessed to have the opportunity to be able to play.?

Now, he has another opportunity, and while he made a good first impression on coach Mike McCarthy ? ?You could see the athletic ability ... No question, he?s definitely one of the players that jumped out,? the coach said after the first practice ? he?ll need to continue to do so given the Packers? depth in the secondary.

?It made me grow up real quick, and made me realize that football is here now but it can be gone tomorrow,? Underwood said. ?I have two kids, I have to put food in their mouths and clothes on their backs. It?s just something that I want every day more and more.?

WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL