Injured left foot can't slow Ted Ginn
At `75 to 80 percent,' receiver wows scouts
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sportswriter
COLUMBUS - St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan knew Ted Ginn Jr.'s sprained left foot wasn't fully healed.
But the Rams still chartered a plane and brought a six-man contingent to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Wednesday to see the private workout of Ohio State's speedy junior flanker and kick returner.
``He's making progress. Obviously there's still a ways to go yet,'' Linehan said afterward. ``But even not 100 percent, he ran faster than most guys.''
Nearly every NFL team was represented, and most scouts who filtered out of the building said their stop watches timed Ginn in 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Ginn made three tries and his father, Ted Ginn Sr., said his son went in 4.38, 4.40 and 4.41. Ginn's agent, Neil Cornrich, was not permitted to attend, but said Ginn's times were all 4.3s.
``Ted is never pleased. I was OK with it,'' said Ginn Sr., who figured his son was ``75 to 80 percent.''
Ginn Jr. declined to be interviewed.
``He's still not fully healed,'' said Miami Dolphins college scout Ellis Rainsberger, who worked for the Browns under former coach Bill Belichick. ``He was limping and wore down toward the end. He did great getting to do what he did.''
Linehan also gave Ginn points for trying.
``No question. We had heard he was going to do the best he could and was making progress,'' Linehan said. ``I talked to coach (Jim) Tressel. He said he's been working very hard at getting himself back. You can't push these things. A lot of guys get hurt during football season. He got hurt real recently so you don't want to rush it. He's going to be just fine.''
The Rams hold the 13th overall pick in the April 28 NFL Draft. It might have been no coincidence that a mock draft crawl running on ESPNews on Wednesday had Ginn going to the Rams. Among those staffers watching was Rams receivers coach Henry Ellard, a former NFL standout.
Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis also attended. The drills, which included pass patterns, were run by Dolphins receivers coach Terry Robiskie, the former Browns assistant. His son Brian is a split end at Ohio State.
Ginn will hold another session Monday at OSU for one team, said Ginn Sr., who would not reveal the team. Another team is considering sending its defensive backs coach to work out Ginn.
Ginn, who is the Big Ten's all-time leader with six career punt returns for touchdowns and another two on kickoffs, was injured three months ago. He was hurt in the celebration after his 93-yard scoring return on the opening kickoff in Ohio State's loss to the University of Florida in the BCS National Championship Game. Ginn Sr. said his son began running just three weeks ago.
``He's a go-getter, so he's showing the effort of trying to do it,'' Ginn Sr. said. ``Other people probably wouldn't even try.''
Asked what doctors were telling him about Ginn's recovery, Ginn Sr. said, ``They said six weeks, three months, it could be longer. I don't think it's in the doctors' hands, I think it's in the Lord's hands.''
Linehan sounded willing to be patient with a player whom he thinks can have the same impact as Chicago Bears standout Devin Hester, a rookie from the University of Miami who had six returns for touchdowns in 2006 (including postseason).
``I saw it with my own eyes with Devin Hester last year on Monday Night Football,'' Linehan said. ``He changes games, he affects games. (Ginn) is going to do the same things at the next level that Devin is doing. What Devin did in college, (Ginn) has done here at Ohio State. You have to game plan around a guy like that.''
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Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com.