A Couple of Frye Articles -- Beacon 1/28

[Zipster Jr]

Posted on Fri, Jan. 28, 2005

Zips fans have an eye on Frye

From first look, Akron quarterback on track to NFL

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal staff writer

MOBILE, ALA. - Clark and Nancy Grafton watched practice attentively along the hedgerow as Akron quarterback Charlie Frye drilled passes to receivers Thursday at sunny Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

This isn't the first trip to Mobile for the retired Akron policeman and his wife. They came four years ago to see Zips defensive back Dwight Smith compete in the Senior Bowl.

``He couldn't believe we were here,'' Nancy Grafton said of Smith, now a strong safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. ``I'd saved all his (press) clippings. We told him, `We came to watch you play football.' ''

Their journey was a little shorter this time. The Graftons lived in Cuyahoga Falls until July, when they moved to Austin, Texas.

Clark, who officiated high school football for 20 years, and Nancy are die-hard fans of the college game. They've even attended some at Wooster and Hiram, where ``you have to find somebody to pay to get in,'' Clark said.

Clark Grafton remembers Frye's first Akron game at the Rubber Bowl against Ohio University. Frye was the backup and got in when the starter was injured and the Zips rallied to win in the final seconds.

``That day Nancy was like, `He's going to play pro football,' '' Clark said.

``I said, `He just needs to beef up a little,' '' Nancy recalled.

Nancy Grafton, who teaches classes for insurance agents, might have missed her calling as an NFL scout. Frye did just that, bulking up from 175 pounds to 227 for Saturday's Senior Bowl, where he has drawn good reviews during this week's workouts.

The Graftons continued to follow Frye, estimating they saw him play 25 times, including perhaps five away games, before they left the Buckeye State.

``We did get to see his game this year on ESPN,'' Clark said of the dramatic victory over Marshall.

They'll be in the stands Saturday, Clark likely wearing the white Akron U. cap he sported Thursday.

The Graftons won't be alone. There will be a Frye contingent of 24 led by his parents Sally and Dave, all decked out in Akron jerseys.

``You won't have any trouble finding us. We'll be promoting the university,'' Dave Frye said.

Charlie Frye has done plenty of that on his own. He was the subject of a USA Today story on Wednesday. He's had a camera crew and reporter Lisa Salters from ESPN's Outside the Lines following him for more than a week for a 30-minute show that airs Sunday morning.

``It's very exciting to open up the newspaper and see your son's picture,'' Sally Frye said. ``We're thankful. After this weekend everybody is going to know Charlie Frye.''

Dave Frye said, ``Being at Akron you don't get quite the visibility that you get at USC and LSU and Ohio State. Timing-wise everything that's happening is perfect.''

The ultimate goal is for Frye to enhance his status for the April 23-24 NFL Draft. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. thinks Frye could go as high as the second round and a good performance Saturday for the North team wouldn't hurt.

``This was the bowl game he wanted to go to. It was very important,'' Sally Frye said.

``He knows where he wants to be and where he's headed. He's been preparing for this all of his life,'' Dave Frye said. ``He's very eager to learn, but yet be himself.

``That's what we're most proud of, he's still just Charlie Frye from Willard, Ohio. A humble kid.''

Posted on Fri, Jan. 28, 2005

What the scouts see in Scouting Charlie Frye

``He improved every day. I thought his deep balls were the strength of his game. It was encouraging to me. He threw some nice deep balls every day. Mechanically he gets in trouble; if he doesn't have his legs and feet in order, then it hinders his arm strength. When he's doing his mechanics properly, he's got plenty of arm strength.''

Steve Sarkisian, Oakland Raiders quarterbacks coach (North team)

``Above averge size (6-4, 227). Adequate arm strength. Decent mobility. Not a scrambler but he can elude a rush. Basically adequate physical tools. Very smart, intelligent guy. He's going to be able to pick up an NFL offense. He'll have better receivers to work with at the NFL level, which is going to help him quite a bit.''

Brian DeLucia, Ourlads' Scouting Service

``His feet are good. He had good touch, but there were times when he didn't. He threw a wide route to a running back, but threw it too hard and too far out front. His arm strength needs to improve. That's where maybe he needs to make the biggest strides. When that gets better, I think the accuracy will come with it. In the NFL, seams close quicker and man coverage is tighter; it's a game of speed. The ability to anticipate and get the ball there on time is real important. The better your arm the less anticipation you need. He's got a little bit of a long release, but not a ton. It isn't like watching (Auburn's Jason) Campbell.''

One NFC quarterbacks coach

Posted on Thu, Jan. 27, 2005

Frye earns praise before Senior Bowl

Zips quarterback impresses receivers, coach

By Marla Ridenour

Beacon Journal staff writer

MOBILE, ALA. - Most of the receivers on Charlie Frye's North team at the Senior Bowl said they weren't skeptical about a quarterback from Akron.

But UCLA's Craig Bragg fessed up on one count.

``Yeah, I was looking in the training room the other day and they had his helmet,'' Bragg said. ``I'm like, what is that on his helmet, is it a rabbit-dog-ram thing? What is a Zip? I was meaning to ask him at practice, but I haven't gotten a chance.''

Frye's headgear might look strange, but his passes are perfection. At least that's what the players pulling them in have concluded after three days of practice.

``It's probably the most catchable ball I've ever been thrown,'' Bragg said.

``He's very accurate; he puts it to you,'' Northern Colorado's Vincent Jackson said. ``He'll lead you. He usually doesn't underthrow you. He throws a ball that's easy to catch.''

``I like catching from him,'' Oklahoma's Mark Clayton said. ``He has a lot of zip. When you come out of your break, you can look for the ball, and it will be in the air. That's one thing coach (Norv) Turner preaches, to get the ball out of your hands. The receivers should never see the ball leave your hands.''

Oklahoma's Brandon Jones likes Frye's arm, and then some.

``He's one of the best I've played with,'' Jones said. ``He has a real strong arm, and I like his attitude. He has a lot of fight in him. He's real competitive, you can tell by talking to him. And he loves the game. One time he told me, `I don't care how much they pay me, I just want to play.'

``You can tell he wants it bad. I enjoy him because I can tell he's going to be a good player down the road. He's starting out early.''

Oakland Raiders coach Norv Turner, heading the North team, called Frye's performance in practice Wednesday ``outstanding.''

``I liked the way he picked up what we're doing,'' Turner said. ``He was the most relaxed he's been. He was kind of letting it flow instead of trying to be perfect. When we got in team situation, he slid the pocket, he improvised a little bit and made some good throws.''

Frye was pumped afterward, and it wasn't just because he was the subject of a story in Wednesday's USA Today.

``My confidence is up a lot,'' Frye said. ``I can see it. Now I can go out there and have fun. The first two days I was trying to think too much.''

Turner will ease up on practice today, the final big workout of the week, with his players wearing jerseys and shorts and taking no contact. So it was extremely important that Frye learned from an unimpressive day by his fellow quarterbacks. Connecticut's Dan Orlovsky fumbled on back-to-back snaps and Oklahoma State defensive back Darrent Williams picked off two passes against Orlovsky and Purdue's Kyle Orton.

``I was 100 percent in team (drills),'' Frye said. ``They were trying to force the ball downfield with everybody dropping. I was watching that. Coach flipped the rotation today and went in reverse so I got a chance to watch before I got in. You've got to learn from other people's mistakes and check it down to the backs. That's what I went in there and did.''

Before the April 23-24 draft, Jones and Clayton are working out in Arizona not far from Frye, so they get together occasionally.

``He throws to BJ, and I'll go catch up with them,'' Clayton said.

It might have helped Frye that Clayton and Jones have different styles. Clayton is 5-foot-10, 185 pounds; Jones is 6-2 and 215.

``I like throwing to those Oklahoma boys,'' Frye said. ``They're different, though. Mark is more of a shifty, quick guy and Brandon has those long strides. When a DB is sitting at 12 yards, he's going to be on them like that.''

Their time together before arriving in Mobile explains why Jones has shown good chemistry with Frye. Jones pulled in a bomb Wednesday in the end zone after a play-action fake and a pump fake from Frye.

``I like Charlie,'' Jones said. ``He reminds me of more of an NFL quarterback. He throws so well and so hard. He works so hard.''

When they met, Jones said he didn't underestimate Frye's ability, even if he wasn't surrounded by the talent in college that Jones enjoyed at Oklahoma.

``I heard a lot about him,'' Jones said. ``I know down there they don't get a big group of recruits. He's pretty good to do what he did with what he had.''