Black@Gold Forever32
04-14-2008, 02:02 AM
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_562192.html
Cherilus means business
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, April 14, 2008
Boston College tackle Gosder Cherilus is really a linebacker at heart. An offensive lineman with the mentality of a defensive player, Cherilus (SHARE-uh-luss) has a budding reputation for being as tough as he is big (6-foot-7, 320 pounds).
Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Mean.
"That player on the other side of the line, he might be a nice guy, but he's not my friend," said Cherilus, regarded among the top offensive linemen in next week's draft, a likely first-rounder and a possible target for the Steelers, who have the No. 23 overall pick.
"Football's what I do, not who I am. I'm not a dirty player, I play hard. There's a difference. I played four years in college and never had a personal foul. It's nothing personal. Just football."
Somewhere, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is rubbing his hands together in anticipation. And smiling.
Speaking with reporters at the recent owners meetings in Florida, Tomlin confessed to having a fondness for offensive linemen who play with a chip on their shoulder.
"Well, you know, you like guys who have the potential to fly off the handle within the rules of the game," Tomlin said.
Like Gosder?
"Every time a coach puts you in position to go at a guy running the ball, you appreciate it a lot more because you're just not sitting there receiving," said Cherilus, who visited the Steelers on March 27 at their South Side facility. "You're getting to go at them, show them what you've got, beat them up a little bit, put your hands on them, put them on the ground, do what you have to do. If you're an offensive lineman and you don't like to run the ball, there's something wrong with you."
Cherilus' words are music to former Pitt star Jim Sweeney, a classy offensive lineman for 16 NFL seasons, the last four with the Steelers. As Cherilus' eyes and ears leading up to the draft, Sweeney said his pupil's on-field ferocity shouldn't be underestimated.
"As soon as he crosses the white line he becomes a different personality. In college, he wasn't satisfied if he didn't dominate," said Sweeney, who retired as a player following the 1999 season and is an assistant coach at South Fayette. "As an offensive lineman, you always have to stay in control, but you can also have a little tenacity to you. He gets after people."
The protector of quarterback Matt Ryan's blind side in 2007, Cherilus faced the creme de la creme among defensive ends playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference: Clemson's Phillip Merling, Miami's Calais Campbell, Virginia Tech's Chris Ellis and Georgia Tech's Darrell Robertson.
Early in his career, Cherilus battled North Carolina State's Mario Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft.
"The top defensive ends that got drafted the last three years, I faced them all. I never had a week off," said Cherilus, who started at right tackle his first three seasons before switching to left tackle his senior year. "As a sophomore, I was thrown out there against Mario Williams. He's one of the most freakishly athletic guys I've ever seen in my life, but I'm a fighter. At the end of the day, he didn't get to my quarterback once.
"There are a lot of great offensive linemen in this draft, but nobody's faced the type of players I've faced. I played 51 straight games in college, never missed a start. I played against some very good players and was very successful against them. The league really prepared me for the next level."
BC has the track record of producing quality NFL OL....I'm not totally against the drafting of Gosder....I just prefer other OL and players....If the Steelers could trade down and still draft Cherilus that would be sweet...Takes two to tango though...
Cherilus means business
By John Harris
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, April 14, 2008
Boston College tackle Gosder Cherilus is really a linebacker at heart. An offensive lineman with the mentality of a defensive player, Cherilus (SHARE-uh-luss) has a budding reputation for being as tough as he is big (6-foot-7, 320 pounds).
Welcome to the NFL, Mr. Mean.
"That player on the other side of the line, he might be a nice guy, but he's not my friend," said Cherilus, regarded among the top offensive linemen in next week's draft, a likely first-rounder and a possible target for the Steelers, who have the No. 23 overall pick.
"Football's what I do, not who I am. I'm not a dirty player, I play hard. There's a difference. I played four years in college and never had a personal foul. It's nothing personal. Just football."
Somewhere, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is rubbing his hands together in anticipation. And smiling.
Speaking with reporters at the recent owners meetings in Florida, Tomlin confessed to having a fondness for offensive linemen who play with a chip on their shoulder.
"Well, you know, you like guys who have the potential to fly off the handle within the rules of the game," Tomlin said.
Like Gosder?
"Every time a coach puts you in position to go at a guy running the ball, you appreciate it a lot more because you're just not sitting there receiving," said Cherilus, who visited the Steelers on March 27 at their South Side facility. "You're getting to go at them, show them what you've got, beat them up a little bit, put your hands on them, put them on the ground, do what you have to do. If you're an offensive lineman and you don't like to run the ball, there's something wrong with you."
Cherilus' words are music to former Pitt star Jim Sweeney, a classy offensive lineman for 16 NFL seasons, the last four with the Steelers. As Cherilus' eyes and ears leading up to the draft, Sweeney said his pupil's on-field ferocity shouldn't be underestimated.
"As soon as he crosses the white line he becomes a different personality. In college, he wasn't satisfied if he didn't dominate," said Sweeney, who retired as a player following the 1999 season and is an assistant coach at South Fayette. "As an offensive lineman, you always have to stay in control, but you can also have a little tenacity to you. He gets after people."
The protector of quarterback Matt Ryan's blind side in 2007, Cherilus faced the creme de la creme among defensive ends playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference: Clemson's Phillip Merling, Miami's Calais Campbell, Virginia Tech's Chris Ellis and Georgia Tech's Darrell Robertson.
Early in his career, Cherilus battled North Carolina State's Mario Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 draft.
"The top defensive ends that got drafted the last three years, I faced them all. I never had a week off," said Cherilus, who started at right tackle his first three seasons before switching to left tackle his senior year. "As a sophomore, I was thrown out there against Mario Williams. He's one of the most freakishly athletic guys I've ever seen in my life, but I'm a fighter. At the end of the day, he didn't get to my quarterback once.
"There are a lot of great offensive linemen in this draft, but nobody's faced the type of players I've faced. I played 51 straight games in college, never missed a start. I played against some very good players and was very successful against them. The league really prepared me for the next level."
BC has the track record of producing quality NFL OL....I'm not totally against the drafting of Gosder....I just prefer other OL and players....If the Steelers could trade down and still draft Cherilus that would be sweet...Takes two to tango though...