Gilyard Thread (renamed)

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"It took me from a kid that felt like he was full - from a kid that felt like I was everything and anything to football in Cincinnati - to someone that didn't have anything at all," Gilyard told reporters. "I was homeless in the city. I lost my scholarship. I got evicted from my house. With that all in mind, I had to find faith and myself. I had to grow up. I was a real knucklehead kid. Arrogant, cocky, immature. I had to grow up, so that helped me out a lot. I wouldn't change it for nothing."

Those questions about 2006 have popped up frequently during team interviews this week, but it has been Gilyard's ability to answer them point blank that has drawn the biggest raves.

But to those who have followed Gilyard's career with the Bearcats, this is the person they have grown to follow and respect. He has drawn rave reviews for speaking and owning up to his problems without teams having to pluck and pry it out of him with a series of questions.

"I speak it truthfully and as gracefully as I can," Gilyard said. "I try not to sugarcoat anything. When you get caught up in sugarcoating you might slip in a lie here and there and that's not what I'm about."

Between his performance at the Senior Bowl, where he had five receptions for 103 yards and a TD, and the Combine, Gilyard has tried to work on his 40 time. The only thing he will not do at the combine is lift due to a sore shoulder.

Gilyard's goal for the 40, which he will run today, is be better than 4.55.

Gilyard has had informal talks with the Bengals, who have the 21st pick in the first round. Another team that might have an interest too is Baltimore, which has the 25th pick and is coached by former UC and Miami assistant John Harbaugh.

"I like the UC guys and we already have one in Haruki (Nakamura)," Harbaugh said.


http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100227/SPT02/2280375/1062/SPT/UC+product+Gilyard+sharing+his+story

 

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Ed Thompson: Congratulations on winning the Under Armour Offensive Player of the Game Award, that had to be a big thrill.

Mardy Gilyard: I was extremely excited. I was out here with the best of the best, and Cincinnati is one of the smaller of the big schools, so with that in mind I felt like I got to let everybody know who Cincinnati was.

Thompson: Had you set any specific goals for yourself going into Senior Bowl week? Or did you approach it with the thought of just going out there and doing your best each day?

Gilyard: I told myself before I got to Mobile, "Mardy you're down here for a reason, the only reason is to prove everybody wrong." Guys like [Todd] McShay, saying I'm a small guy or a late-round guy, I don't feel that way. I've never felt that way about myself. I felt I was one of the more talented wide receivers coming into the draft because I'm more versatile. I wanted to show that even though I'm not a 6-foot-3, 220-guy, I can go out and be successful blocking guys, catching the ball, breaking tackles, and on special teams. I know I can't pay attention to the critics and I try not to, but by the same token, I wanted to shut everybody up when it came to me and my size and to show how I can be the best of the best.

Thompson: You made a terrific adjustment on a pass from Dan Lefevour for a 42-yard gain. Talk about how that play developed and why you made the adjustment you did.


Gilyard celebrates following a win over West Virginia.
Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Gilyard: I close the ground on corners fast. I strongly feel that if I can get any corner on their toes before they open their hips, it's over. Coach taught me how to slap that arm down and get over top of those guys, so when I got up on the corner from Kentucky (Trevard Lindley)--I was shocked that, one, he let me get that close to him, and two, I felt like he didn't respect me as a receiver. So when I got up on his toes, he just lollygagged his arm out there and I smacked it down. Then Dan put it in the perfect spot, which was that back-shoulder throw that I was expecting, because me and the guy were even. When that happened, I put the brakes on and focused on catching the ball. Regardless of what the corner was going to do, I really had to get tunnel-vision, s

http://cincinnati.scout.com/2/943875.html

 

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On Lance's radio show tonite..

Mardy Gilyard, 6:35pm.

 

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Gilyard wants to be a Bengal, per Lance's blog.

 

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Gilyard: 'It's just all a dream'
By Paul Dehner Jr., CNATI.com Posted April 24, 2010 4:22 PM ET

After two long days of waiting to hear his name, Mardy Gilyard didn't have to wait long on Saturday. Actually, he didn't have to wait at all.

With the first pick of the day and 99th overall, the St. Louis Rams selected the University of Cincinnati wide receiver at the top of the fourth round.

"It was shocking to hear my name," Gilyard said on a conference call. "They called me before 10:00 (ET) and said, 'Hey we're going to take you. We're not going to fool around or beat around the bush.' I was just like, stoked, because now I can finally get ready to go to work. I've been waiting to go to work for forever it seems like."

Gilyard spent the last two days passing time in his hometown of Bunnell, Fla., playing with his dog, fishing, hanging out with family members and on Saturday he was about to go crabbing.

"We're actually throwing a big party for me here in a couple hours, so I've got to be the man to bring back some crabs," Gilyard said. "Everybody loves seafood."

The seafood will taste even better on a relaxed stomach. Many pundits saw Gilyard being selected in the second or third round and he openly stated his deep desire to stay in Cincinnati and play for the Bengals. But in the third round when Gilyard was still on the board and the Bengals were drafting receiver, it was the name of Jordan Shipley that was announced and not Gilyard. So he went to sleep on Friday night still without a team.

"It's just been really stressful," Gilyard said. "I thought I was going to be one of the top guys taken as far as wide receivers, but God has a plan for everybody, so I just tried to stay focused and deal with it."

Gilyard finished last season with 87 receptions for 1,191 yards and 11 touchdowns. In the past two seasons he also returned five kicks for touchdowns.

The Rams already selected quarterback Sam Bradford to invigorate their offense and now Gilyard will hope to do the same.

There are currently 10 receivers listed on the Rams roster and none have more than four years experience. The Rams passing offense sputtered last year as no wideout caught more than 47 passes. That was Donnie Avery, who had 47 for 589 yards. Danny Amendola caught 43 passes at the second receiver spot.

But the Rams were a team without a game-breaking wideout who can make plays after the catch. Thus, Gilyard's drop may have been to the perfect space.

Though, he wouldn't go so far as to say he sees himself contributing immediately.

"I'm just going to try and come in and compete my hardest and let the rest of it just sort itself out," Gilyard said, but did say he thinks he can make an immediate impact in the return game.

He doesn't plan on wasting time in developing chemistry with Bradford.

"Yeah I'm ready," Gilyard said. "I can't wait. Oh God, I can't wait."

He's endured enough waiting for one weekend.

"It's just all a dream," Gilyard said. "Now it's come true. As a kid you're always doing the little countdown, '3-2-1, I've scored the winning touchdown! I'm going pro!' It's like slim to none that kids get a chance to actually go pro. Now that I've actually heard my name called and knowing that I'm going to be a Ram, that's a blessing."

http://cnati.com/featured-stories/gilyard-its-just-all-a-dream-001842/

 

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Gilyard robbed at gunpoint.

Mardy Gilyard, a former star University of Cincinnati football player, was robbed on the street at gunpoint in the 2600 block of Jefferson Avenue on Monday night, according to Cincinnati police.




More than one man armed with a gun approached Gilyard and his friend, Terry Hobbs, and robbed them of $300 in cash and $1,000 in jewelry about 9:30 p.m., a police report shows. No injuries were reported.

At least one of the suspects was described as a black man who wore all black clothing. He was 5-foot-7 and 185 pounds.

Gilyard, 23, a standout wide receiver, was picked in the fourth round of the NFL draft last month by the St. Louis Rams.


http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100518/NEWS010701/305180020/Gilyard+robbed+at+gunpoint

 

[JasonS]

Just glad he is ok and didn't try to be a hero. Live for another day. Still sucks though.

 

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People suck sometimes.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Wow, this isn't good news. Glad he is OK. Could you imagine him never getting to realize his dream because some punk thug needed a few extra dollars? I wonder if they knew who they were robbing. We live in a horrible society that this is an every day occurance. News like this won't help in recruiting either. Keep your head up, Mardy.

 

[JasonS]

I am sure they did. Mardy is pretty recognizable. As far as recruiting goes, this unfortunately happens everywhere. No matter what University you go to there will always be areas around it that are questionable at best.

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Yeah, but you're most prominent face of the program kind of calls it out to attention. That is the problem of being in a big city. I know UC has done everything it can to push away this element from the neighborhood, but it is a losing battle.

 

[JasonS]

I agree. So far ESPN hasn't gotten a hold of it. Hopefully it stays that way. There is nothing worse than the National media blowing things up.

 

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Per NFL rule, rookies cannot participate in any team activities other than the rookie minicamp until final examinations are concluded at the player's college. The rule applies even if a player has withdrawn from school, as so many do — Gilyard included — following the fall semester to concentrate on the pre-draft process.


So even though he wasn't attending classes this spring, school's finally out for Gilyard, a fourth-round pick. With Cincinnati's final exams concluding Thursday, Gilyard was on the practice field in Earth City for the start of the three-day, full squad minicamp.

"It was great to have him out there," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "Because of the rule with exams he couldn't be here until now. It's going to take him a little while to get up to speed ... but he'll get caught up quick."

It's Gilyard's goal to be caught up by the start of training camp at the end of July, which doesn't give him much time. Once the minicamp ends Saturday, the Rams have just one more week of OTAs, encompassing three practices, after which the veterans are dismissed until the start of camp. The rookies stay for one additional week before getting their own break from Rams Park.

"I have a little catching up to do; I came in behind the bubble," said Gilyard, who will throw out a malaprop or two during interviews. "But there's no doubt in my mind I'm going to catch up through me working after practice, sitting with the 'Qs' (quarterbacks) in the (meeting) room, and just meshing with them and the coaches and plucking their brains."

As for not being able to participate in the OTAs, Gilyard said, "It just (stunk) that I couldn't out here sooner, but I'm out here now, and it's all business."

Gilyard spent his time in exile in Cincinnati catching passes from former Bearcats quarterback Tony Pike, a sixth-round draft pick by Carolina, as well as current Bearcats QB Zach Collaros. And when a human arm wasn't available, he caught balls from a JUGs machine, sometimes having them fired over a chair while on his rump — the better to work on his concentration.

The Rams sent him study materials to try to stay current with what was taking place 300-plus miles away in St. Louis.

"They sent me some stuff to look over so I could stay refreshed on where I need to line up, the splits, and so on and so forth," Gilyard said. "Our route tree, things of that sort, just so I wouldn't come in like a deer in the headlights."

He spoke regularly on the phone with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell. And even more regularly with fellow rookies, quarterback Sam Bradford and cornerback Jerome Murphy. "Just trying to get a feel of what we're doing on both sides of the ball," Gilyard said.

Now that he's back, Gilyard says he plans to "just become a sponge," soaking up everything he can.

During the morning practice Thursday, Cromwell was in the huddle with Gilyard, helping him to get lined up and running the proper route after the play call. Gilyard stayed after practice to work with Bradford on a few routes after both the morning and afternoon sessions Thursday.

"Now that he's here we're going to try to put in as much work as possible," Bradford said. "Both of us are learning things. It's good for us to stay after practice because I'm learning, he's learning, and hopefully we can get on the same page."

At this point, Gilyard says the challenge is more mental than physical.

"The catching and the running, that's the easy part," Gilyard following the morning practice.

As if to emphasize that point, he made a couple of nice catches in the afternoon practice. But Gilyard added, "It's just worrying about that playbook. The playbook's like a phone book. It's like the Yellow Pages."

On Thursday, Laurent Robinson, Donnie Avery, and Danny Amendola were the top three wide receivers with the first-team offense. But Gilyard is determined to crack that group and be a major contributor as a rookie.

"I didn't think they brought me in to sit on the sideline," he said. "So I'm going to come in and try to contribute the best way I can to bring the Greatest Show on Turf back to St. Louis.

"Whatever you want me to do, I'm going to do. Serve water? I'll serve water. Gatorade? I'll crack the top. You know what I'm saying? I'm just that guy."

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/rams/story/66AF9F89AFBC19178625773F00087C33?OpenDocument

 

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RavensInsider The. St. Louis Rams have agreed to a four-year, $2.34 million deal with rookie wide receiver Mardy Gilyard, according to a league source.
about 8 hours ago via web
Retweeted by hansensouthbend and 10 others

 

[david aka the TYZ]

Good for him, couldn't happen to a better guy. I immediately became a Rams fam when they drafted him.

 

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What life lessons #rams rookie WR Mardy Gilyard learned at the rookie symposium. #bearcats http://bit.ly/9VjASU
joshkatzowitz (Josh Katzowitz), 7/7/2010 9:54 AM

 

[nparker1]

Sucks for Mardy. Due to injuries, his playing time was going to increase. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury himself. Lets hope he can recover quickly, because I think he could really be an intricate part in the new Rams offense, and gel with Bradford.
Go Bearcats!