Tagged: ‘Manti Te’o’

posted by on March 12, 2013 4:42 PM

ESPN NFL blogger Pat Yasinskas reflects on Notre Dame star Manti Te’o's visit to Gruden’s QB Camp

 

 

Pat Yasinskas joined ESPN in January 2008 as the NFC South writer for ESPN.com’s NFL Nation blog network.

He previously covered the Carolina Panthers for the Charlotte Observer and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the Tampa Tribune. In addition to following these teams, as well as the Saints and Falcons, in his current role, Yasinskas is providing scouting reports in the month ahead on the 12 NFL Draft prospects who are participating in the fourth installment of Jon Gruden’s QB Camp series.(Full QB Camp TV schedule.)

Yasinskas has attended several QB Camp film sessions in Gruden’s Tampa office (aka the F.F.C.A., or Fired Football Coaches Association), including Monday’s visit with All-America Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, a projected first-round pick. (The SportsCenter Special: Gruden’s QB Camp: Manti Te’o episode will debut Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. ET.)

Yasinskas filed a recap of the Te’o visit for ESPN.com. Below he discusses with Front Row what he’s had the opportunity to observe at QB Camp this spring.

2012 -- Gruden's QB Camp logo

This is the first time you have covered Gruden’s QB Camp. What are your impressions so far?
It’s beyond what I expected. It’s fascinating. I’m blown away by what a big process it is. The half-hour shows with commercials are probably 23 minutes. They are doing four hours of film work and chalkboard work, and in some cases they are also doing an hour-long workout. What you see on TV is probably one-eighth of what goes on. Also, the preparation by Jon — he has so much film of each kid, as well as plays that are similar to the points he’s trying to make. He obviously spends days getting ready for each guy. And I can honestly say that from an X’s and O’s standpoint, I have learned more in these four sessions than I have in the 18 or 19 years that I’ve been covering the NFL.

What’s the reaction of the players when they come through QB Camp?
I’ve been surprised that everyone I’ve seen has been very relaxed. It’s amazing the comfort level that all of them have developed with Jon. None of them looks like a 22-year-old college kid who knows he’s on national TV. They look like they are just sitting there with a coach, chatting and breaking down film and drawing up plays. I’ve been very impressed with how I’ve seen the kids handle it.

What were your thoughts on Manti Te’o’s QB Camp? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes, Gruden's QB Camp

posted by on February 14, 2013 2:21 PM

Front & Center: Jon Gruden on return of fourth Gruden’s QB Camp

Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden (L) with former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck during Gruden’s QB Camp in 2012. (Tim Casey/ESPN Images)

Click HERE to listen or visit iTunes to download the podcast and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the Front & Center podcast. Also, make sure to check out the ESPN Radio app, available for the iPad.

For top college quarterbacks moving onto the National Football League, visiting Jon Gruden’s QB Camp has become an annual rite of spring.

The Monday Night Football analyst and Super Bowl-winning coach personally prepares detailed lesson plans for every player.

Last year, Gruden mentored Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill and others, arguably the most successful class of rookie quarterbacks in NFL history.

He helped prep each of them for the jump to the NFL.

(To the delight of fans, Gruden also introduced “Spider 2 Y Banana” into the lexicon.)

Gruden’s QB Camp series presented by Corona Extra is back for a fourth year this spring, beginning Thursday, April 4 at 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2) and continuing throughout the month with segments on SportsCenter and NFL studio shows across multiple ESPN networks.

Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden with former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck during Gruden’s QB Camp in 2012. (Tim Casey/ESPN Images)

The SportsCenter specials will offer a first-hand look at some of this year’s top prospects leading up to the 2013 NFL Draft, which ESPN will again televise April 25-27. continue reading…

Filed in: Announcements, Gruden's QB Camp

posted by on January 30, 2013 2:30 PM

ESPN The Mag: The Perfect Issue

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick featured on the cover of The Perfect Issue.

Colin Kaepernick is featured on the cover of The Perfect Issue.

The current issue of ESPN The Magazine features San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on the cover — and it’s “Perfect.”

Senior editor Ryan Hockensmith explains the concept behind “The Perfect Issue” this way: “In the past, some of our most interesting stories and interviews have come from a very simple question that we’ve posed to athletes: How do you do what you do on the field?

“So that was our general marching order with ‘The Perfect Issue,’ to try to capture every nuance to how athletes perform their jobs. Part of that is perfection, and how it is achieved. And part of it is the relentless pursuit of perfection, and recovering from imperfection.”

The Mag’s senior designer Jason Lancaster said of the concept: “I think we explained it pretty nicely in our intro [page 39]: Imperfection is perfection.”

Breaking news on the weekend of closing this issue added some challenges, Lancaster said.

“The less-than-perfect scenario would be late-breaking, unforseen stories [involving] Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o breaking late in the close cycle and having to come up with a story and illustration in about five hours,” he said. “[That was] very much less than perfect.”

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on January 20, 2013 2:16 PM

Jeremy Schaap on his interview with Notre Dame star Manti Te’o

ESPN's Jeremy Schaap and Manti Te'o during Friday night's interview. (Photo by Ryan Jones / ESPN Images)

ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap and Manti Te’o during Friday night’s interview. (Photo by Ryan Jones / ESPN Images)

On Friday night, in Bradenton, Fla., ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap conducted a thorough interview with Heisman Trophy Award runner-up, Manti Te’o, regarding the details of the recent revelation of the “girlfriend hoax.”

With more than 300 questions asked over a two-and-a-half hour interview, Schaap followed up the off-camera sit-down by poring over the 15,000-plus word transcript in the wee hours of Saturday, eventually power-napping in a makeshift bed.

“I was in one of those swivel chairs with my feet up on another one for about 25 minutes after my 6:45 Good Morning America “hit” [satellite appearance],” said Schaap, shortly after arriving back in the metropolitan New York area Saturday night.

Schaap spoke with Te’o at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, where the Notre Dame star is preparing himself for the upcoming NFL Draft Combine.

In this Front Row Q&A, Schaap provides more details and answers some lingering questions that have circulated in the hours since Te’o's first post-Deadspin story interview.

Schaap also spoke with Ed Sherman of the Sherman Report for a Q&A to address similar topics. ESPN.com also has several Te’o-related stories.

Since you got to Brandenton, what have your days been like?
It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind. We had the Lance Armstrong news. I was in Bristol late Wednesday night. The following morning, we got into Bradenton, I thought there was a possibility we were going to conduct Thursday night an interview with Manti Te’o. By the time I landed, I was told that was not a possibility. The interview was off, although I was always skeptical that was going to happen just because of the general difficulties that you have. Then the possibility arose that just something might happen on Friday [that Te'o would interview]. But I didn’t have 100 percent confirmation that we’d have the interview until I think it was after 3 o’clock on Friday.

When you got that information that you would have the interview, you’d already been working on questions by that point?
Oh yeah, I’d been working on questions, a team had been working on questions in Bristol, the producers I was working with were working on question lists, the producer I came down with, Willie Weinbaum, was working on a question list. Oh, and there was also the Mike & Mike show chipped in. Mike Greenberg and producer Liam Chapman had some suggestions. There was a lot of input about questions.

You get the preparation done. What are you thinking on your way over?
I’m really trying to master the topic the best I can in my head, to make sure I understand everything that I need to understand. There are logistical issues as well. . . There were no [video] cameras in the room, but there was a still camera. . . . There was a lot of things going through your head, and it happened so suddenly, there wasn’t any time to get nervous. More than anything else, there was just this curiosity about what it was he was going to say. Often you go into this big “get” but there’s not a big mystery in the center of it. There was in this case. Like everyone else, I wanted to know what he was going to say, how he was going to respond to an aggressive line of questioning.

Is this the first time you’ve seen him [in person]?
Yes, this is the first time I’ve seen him [in person] in my life.

Why was the interview conducted at IMG Academy?
It’s a facility that issues invitations to top prospects to train and get all types of expert advice to prepare for the draft combine. It’s not exclusive to IMG clients. Manti Te’o is not an IMG client.

He’s represented by CAA. Many different agents send their potential draftees [to IMG]. Getting back to the interview, you knew you had no time limit. What was your strategy? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on January 19, 2013 12:00 PM

ICYMI: The Week on Front Row

ESPN covered all the angles concerning the controversies surrounding Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o and disgraced cycling champion Lance Armstrong.

Friday evening, Te’o told ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap that he was a victim and “never” part of an elaborate hoax.

Armstrong confessed — in an interview with Orpah Winfrey televised Thursday — that he used performance-enhancing drugs when he won seven straight Tour de France crowns. Friday, former teammate Tyler Hamilton reacted to Armstrong’s statements in an interview with Outside The Lines host Bob Ley. The video above is a portion of the interview.

ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row

• Go inside ESPN Digital Media’s third annual Hackathon, where more than 85 ESPN developers, designers and engineers were given 48 hours to submit working prototypes of what could be ESPN’s next top-ranked digital product.

• A This is SportsCenter spot featuring Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and his larger-than-life hands launched this week. SportsCenter’s John Anderson shared a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot.

• Jim Boeheim’s Car Wash visit to ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters on Monday provided a chance for a timely reunion with ESPN Communications publicist Keri Potts, who worked for Boeheim while attending Syracuse University.

• Columnist and commentator Jemele Hill was a panelist for ESPN’s third annual Content of Character special. Front Row spoke to Hill about the roundtable discussion and the importance of social media.

Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week continue reading…

Filed in: ICYMI Highlights

posted by on December 10, 2012 8:05 AM

Tweetback: ESPN President John Skipper named SBJ’s “Most Influential in Sports Business”; Manziel wins Heisman; Bo now more known

Front Row knows you have better things to do all weekend than check your social media feeds, so we do it for you.

Here, from the ESPN PR universe, are some of the Tweets, posts and other commentary you may have missed.

You can thank us later!

But first, today’s edition of Sports Business Journal (@SBJSBD on Twitter) contains the publication’s list of the “Most Influential People in Sports Business.” The magazine has honored ESPN President John Skipper with the No. 1 position on the annual list. Here’s the cover:

Sports Business Journal’s cover from the December 10-16 edition.

“When I ask people in the sports business to name the most influential executive, John Skipper’s name always gets mentioned,” said Abraham Madkour, Executive Editor SBJ/Sports Business Daily. “He took over one of the most recognizable American brands a year ago, and ESPN didn’t skip a beat. There is a reason why everyone wants to be like ESPN. Its day-to-day influence on the sports business is without equal.”

Joining Skipper in the SBJ “Top 50″ is ESPN executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Sean Bratches, who is No. 34 on the list. continue reading…

Filed in: Announcements, Weekend Tweetback

posted by on December 7, 2012 3:00 PM

ESPN’s Desmond Howard remembers his Heisman season and how the honor has affected him

Desmond Howard with his Heisman Trophy on December 14, 1991. (Photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Editor’s note: ESPN will telecast of the 78th annual Heisman Trophy Presentation presented by Nissan on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET. The live telecast, from the Best Buy Theater in New York, also will be available on WatchESPN, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN Radio. The three finalists for the award are senior quarterback Collin Klein (Kansas State), red-shirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) and senior linebacker Manti Te’o (Notre Dame).

ESPN counts former Heisman Trophy winners Andre Ware (Houston quarterback, 1989)
and Desmond Howard (Michigan wide receiver, 1991) among its college football experts.

ESPN’s Desmond Howard
(Allen Kee/ESPN Images)

Yesterday, Front Row caught up with Ware to discuss his Heisman experience; today we talk to Howard.

How did your Heisman season unfold?
This is how it went: First game of the year we played Boston College at their place and I scored four touchdowns, so I started to hear that I was a pretty good player. Next week we played Notre Dame in Ann Arbor and I scored two touchdowns, including the infamous catch. The next day I am on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

So, now I’m a candidate. At this point, they had already had David Klingler of Houston on the SI cover with a bundle of dynamite in his hand saying he was going to win the Heisman. It anointed him as the next Heisman winner. After the Notre Dame game, I am on the cover and that is when the buzz started even though most felt Klingler was still the guy. Then, Miami killed Houston in their game and the momentum just kept going with me.

Before the buzz, I never thought about winning it. I didn’t take it that seriously because Michigan is not known for promoting individual awards at all. But as the season kept rolling, it came to the point where I became the frontrunner.

What was the Heisman experience like for you?
As the season closed out, it became obvious I was the frontrunner, so then, we had a big game against Ohio State and they were committed to not letting me catch a touchdown. They could have lost the game, never scored a point, but they were not going to let me score a touchdown. They didn’t realize I could play other positions and I returned a punt 93 yards for a touchdown.

My coach had told me there was no doubt I had had a great season. But he told me the year before, the Rocket was the frontrunner and Ty Detmer won instead. It was a word of caution to me that you don’t know how the voters will vote.

What would you tell this year’s nominees about the Heisman ceremony? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on December 6, 2012 3:15 PM

For the College Football Awards, ESPN’s Samantha Steele transitions from sidelines to red carpet reporting

ESPN’s Samantha Steele (left) and David Pollack. (Phil Ellsworth/ESPN Images)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Some people dream of walking down a red carpet while myriad cameras capture their every step.

Samantha Steele dreamed of stepping in front of one camera, on a freshly painted green grass field every week in the fall. That dream came true this year and the ESPN rookie has now wrapped up her first Fall as the sideline reporter for the ESPN Thursday Night College Football game and host of ESPN College GameDay Built by The Home Depot on ESPNU.

Tonight, like the 24 players nominated for The Home Depot College Football Awards, she’s stepping out from under the stadium lights onto the Disney Boardwalk. Steele will host of her very first red carpet ceremony tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU, recapping the season and outstanding accomplishments of players from 21 teams, including the three Heisman Trophy candidates: Johnny Manziel, Manti Te’o and Collin Klein.

Steele has more than just red carpet duties and will continue alongside her College GameDay colleagues during The Home Depot College Football Awards at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN and again on ESPNU during The Home Depot College Football Awards Recap Special closing the night at 9:30 p.m.

Steele gave Front Row a few of her thoughts prior to tonight’s red carpet debut:

Which of your gameday cohorts would ask for advice on what to wear on the red carpet?
First things first, not David Pollack!

I would definitely ask Desmond Howard. I think he has a good feel for what’s cool now, he lives in Miami, he won a Heisman and he’s been to a lot of awards-type shows.

Who are you most looking forward to talking to on the red carpet? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes

posted by on December 6, 2012 1:00 PM

ESPN analyst Andre Ware reflects on winning the 1989 Heisman Trophy

Andre Ware, in 1989, posing with his Heisman Trophy. (University of Houston Athletics Communications)

Editor’s note: ESPN will telecast of the 78th annual Heisman Trophy Presentation presented by Nissan on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. ET. The live telecast, from the Best Buy Theater in New York, also will be available on WatchESPN, ESPN Mobile TV and ESPN Radio. The three finalists for the award are senior quarterback Collin Klein (Kansas State), red-shirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) and senior linebacker Manti Te’o (Notre Dame).

ESPN counts former Heisman Trophy winners Andre Ware (Houston quarterback, 1989)
and Desmond Howard (Michigan wide receiver, 1991) among its college football experts.

Front Row caught up with Ware to ask him to reflect on what winning the award means.

ESPN’s Andre Ware
(Joe Faraoni/ESPN)

What was the Heisman experience like for you?
Imagine having your biggest dream come true and multiply it by 10. Thats what it feels like. There was very little pressure other than to deliver on Saturdays and help my team win. We were on probation that year for some nonsense that happened when most of our team was in elementary school. So, the exposure for our university was outstanding. No one from a school on probation had ever won the Heisman, so that’s what helped remove the pressure. Just that thought helped to keep things in perspective and focus on my job and commitment to our team.

What would you tell this year’s nominees about the Heisman ceremony? continue reading…

Filed in: Behind The Scenes