Owen Schmitt proving his value at Senior Bowl practice.

Once again he is making us proud. He is delivering his patented hits. He is doing his catch the ball run, run the ball, and knock-heads thing. He is impressing his teammates particularly the defensive ones, which he welcomes with a never stop till the whistle blows mentality. He is more importantly impressing the NFL coaches. Owen is the type of guy who simply needs a chance once he gets it he will impress. This part of his job interview is going very well. I encourage everyone to watch the Senior Bowl so that you too can once again see Owen shine. The picture to the left is from ESPN.

ESPN has done a story on the Big O and here are some of the highlights of that article:

"He's got a hard head and won't quit coming at you," Penn State linebacker Dan Connor said admiringly. "I like his style. He's old-school. He's tough and rugged. Going against him … it's like 1972 football." "You don't have to look around when he hits somebody," Connor said. "You know who it is by the way it sounds." At one point, Schmitt's helmet popped off while he was blocking Michigan linebacker Shawn Crable. In vintage fashion, Schmitt never even thought about stopping. "The whistle didn't blow yet, so you keep going," Schmitt said, shrugging. Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom, who coached running backs in the NFL, faced Schmitt each of the past two seasons and thinks he can play in any system. "He's exactly what you're looking for, a big guy who can block, can run, can catch the football and be your short-yardage guy," Croom said. "You can do so many things with him. That's what makes him so valuable." Tom Rathman, who also knows a little something about playing fullback in the NFL, has had a close-up view of Schmitt this week. Rathman won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers while clearing the way for Roger Craig and now is the running backs coach of the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders' staff is coaching the North team this week. "Everything you look for in a fullback, he has," Rathman said. "It's about him taking it to the next level, getting better in everything he does, whether it be the pass game or the run game. He's got to get better as a blocker. But he has the tools to take that next step. It's a matter of how fast he progresses." The comparisons between Rathman and Schmitt are obvious, but Rathman stopped short of calling them mirror images of each other. "Nah, I was a lot better looking than he is," Rathman quipped. Schmitt gets a chuckle out of being asked whether he would be willing to play H-back or even special teams in the NFL.
"I'll play water boy if they want to draft me," he said. "I don't care. I'd punt if they really wanted me to. I just want to impress some people and show them what I can do." - By Chris Low ESPN.com

And impress is what he continues to do on and off the field. I can't wait to see you in the NFL. My love of all things Owen will continue to grow and develop as he continues to grow and develop in the the next opportunity. Fathers of aspiring football players please do yourself a service and watch this man play. His attitude and aptitude for football is exactly what your boy should attempt to acquire.

DaGeek