Overloaded with Frye/Draft Info Yet?

[Captain Kangaroo]

NFL's eye on quarterback Frye

Willard grad a likely pick in first 3 rounds

By Jon Spencer

News Journal

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Akron quarterback Charlie Frye, a Willard High School graduate, takes questions from the media after working out for NFL teams April 1 at the University of Akron.

Frye works his way through passing drills for the NFL executives and scouts.

AKRON -- April Fool's Day was no joke to quarterback Charlie Frye or his guests.

At a time of the morning when many are wolfing down a Pop-Tart or McGriddle on the way to work, Frye was already huddling in a film room at the University of Akron with NFL scouts.

They were quizzing the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Willard native on blitz protections. As they watched film, they drew up three protections on a blackboard, erased them and had Frye re-draw them to measure his comprehension and retention.

He aced that test, which came as no surprise to former Akron quarterbacks coach Tom Stacy.

"Charlie lived in our office, looking at tape all the time," said Stacy, now the offensive coordinator at Ashland University. "All the awards he got and the success he'll have in the future is deserved because he worked his tail off."

Frye's reward comes Saturday, when he is expected to go in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft. He has a chance to become the highest Akron player ever selected, surpassing defensive end Jason Taylor, taken in the third round and 73rd overall by Miami in 1997.

One mock draft has Frye going in the first round to the Green Bay Packers, looking to groom a successor to Brett Favre. Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. thinks Frye is more likely to be taken by the Pack with one of their two second-round picks, 51st and 58th overall.

The Browns are another team that has shown considerable interest. New general manager Phil Savage said he has seen Frye throw at least 20 times over his career, partly because Frye considered coming out after his junior year before he was deemed a middle-round pick.

Savage was the highest-ranked executive among the 11 NFL teams that sent representatives to Frye's April 1 "Pro Day" workout at Akron. Savage and Frye spent two hours together that afternoon, having lunch and going over game tape.

While national analysts see the Browns taking Utah quarterback Alex Smith with the third pick in the draft, some think Cleveland will pass on a quarterback in the first round and try to steal Frye with the second pick in the second round, 34th overall, or with another pick it might acquire in a trade for its No. 1.

Savage isn't tipping his hand. Frye isn't losing sleep over where he's headed.

"I know the New York Giants called (Steelers quarterback) Ben Roethlisberger the night before last year's draft and said they were going to draft him, and you know who they picked," Frye said, referring to quarterback Eli Manning. "You can't believe anything you hear. Whoever picks me is going to get a quarterback who does what the coaches ask."

According to former Akron head coach and current Ashland University boss Lee Owens, an NFL team will also be getting a guy who could be the face of that franchise for years to come.

"He's never going to big-time anyone," Owens said. "Dave and Sally Frye, if they're not the best parents, they're darn close to it. Charlie is special and that's because of the environment he was raised in."

Owens could talk for hours about the Charlie Frye who set 54 school records and ranks No. 11 on the NCAA's career total offense list (11,478 yards).

Instead, he prefers to talk about the Charlie Frye who recently popped in on Owens and Stacy at Ashland to reminisce about old times. He can also discuss the Charlie Frye who pinch-hit for Owens as speaker at the Hillsdale Middle School graduation so that Owens could attend his own daughter's graduation.

"Last year was going to be my last year at Akron, no matter what happened, because it would have been my 10th year and time to try something different," said Owens, who was fired after the 2003 season, even though the Zips were 7-4 and ranked among the Division I-A leaders in offense. "I thought the coaching staff and senior class, particularly Charlie, were building toward something special, but it wasn't meant to be.

"I made the best of it and Charlie did the same thing. What he accomplished last year, with a whole new offense and coaching staff, was phenomenal."

Browns player personnel director Bill Rees agrees.

"He did a great job, especially the second half of a season in a new offense," Rees said. "He dug his heels in and not only learned it, but mastered it."

Rees witnessed an interesting end to Frye's April 1 workout. With his shirt was already drenched with sweat from 30 minutes of throwing without a break, Frye launched a half-dozen 60-yard passes from a flat-footed position in a test of pure arm strength.

Again, Frye appeared to ace the exam.

"I've never seen him do that in a practice, but I have seen him throw like that under duress," Stacy said, laughing. "And he put the ball right on the money."

Like Owens, Stacy laments not being able to finish at Akron what started with signing Frye.

"When you recruit someone like that, you'd like to see it through," Stacy said. "I'm happy it has turned out the way it has. Most important was how it affected him.

"He's just a great young man, so down to earth. The thing I always liked is that he kept his mouth shut and worked his tail off. You have so many prima donna athletes these days. Any time he talked, he talked with a purpose."

Frye, named MVP of the Senior Bowl, has spent the last four months preparing for Saturday. He was tutored by 24-year NFL coaching veteran Rod Dowhower in Arizona and added 10 pounds of muscle with the guidance of Warren Anderson and Tim McClellan, trainers of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.

While analysts agree Smith and Aaron Rodgers of Cal will be the first quarterbacks drafted, Frye's stock has gone through the roof of Akron's new indoor facility.

A few months ago, few outside Ohio had heard of him. Now some say he's a Brett Favre clone.

"I've watched (Favre) play a lot," Frye said. "He seems pretty fearless. That's the same demeanor I have. He leaves it all on the field and he loves to play the game. That's the same reason I play the game. If that's what you're trying to compare, then that's accurate."

[Zipsrifle]

The most stunning thing about this article is:

"Last year was going to be my last year at Akron, no matter what happened, because it would have been my 10th year and time to try something different," said Owens.

Good thing we showed him the curb huh!

[zipper]

All the Owens stuff cracked me up. You were leaving no matter what, yeah Right! I'm sure he's sitting there in Ashland thinking JD stole HIS Coach of the Year award.

[GP1]

I'm sure he was just waiting with bated breath to take that 50% pay cut.