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Patriots fit best for Navy's NFL prospects
By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer
Published 05/07/09
Agent Chad Wiestling spoke to several National Football League teams about his three clients from the Naval Academy.
The Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts were among the teams interested in signing wide receiver Tyree Barnes, fullback Eric Kettani and slot back Shun White to free agent contracts.
After several rounds of discussion, it became clear to Wiestling that the New England Patriots were the best fit for all three Midshipmen, due solely to the presence of head coach Bill Belichick.
"Most NFL teams just don't understand how the Naval Academy works. I had general managers and coaches ask me questions which made that very clear," said Wiestling, who works for Integrated Sports Management. "Coach Belichick has a unique insight into the Naval Academy and what it's all about. He was willing to work with these players. He gave me his word that he would."
Barnes, Kettani and White all signed free agent deals with the Patriots on Monday, although it remains unclear what they're availability will be. New England holds a mandatory mini camp for all players in June while preseason training camp begins in July.
"We brought Eric, Tyree and Shun in to our rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis and decided they are players we want to continue working with. The Midshipmen are tough and disciplined young leaders and we are pleased to have a few more of them," Belichick said.
Barnes and Kettani are graduating on May 22 and will receive 30 days of "basket" leave, which they are hoping to use to participate in training camp. White has been extended academically and must take some courses during fall semester in order to graduate so his situation is less clear.
"We are all still awaiting word from our superiors as to what we can and what we can't do," Kettani said. "Hopefully, we can work things out with the Navy as far as leave time so that we can participate in whatever camps the team holds."
For now, all three are just happy to be formally affiliated with an NFL franchise. Wiestling said Barnes, Kettani and White received unspecified signing bonuses and will be paid $130 for each day they spend working for the Patriots.
"This is an opportunity I never thought would happen. I didn't come to the Naval Academy to play professional football, so obviously this is an unexpected surprise," Kettani said. "Every kid that plays organized football dreams of one day making the NFL. I wouldn't be going through all this if I didn't feel I had a legitimate shot."
Kettani ranks eighth on Navy's all-time rushing list with 2,091 career yards. The 6-foot-1, 233-pound fullback consistently ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds in pre-draft workouts for scouts and also possesses a 32-inch vertical leap. He can bench press 395 pounds and clean 335, marks that ranked among the team leaders.
Several scouts and analysts told The Capital that Kettani likely would have been taken in the NFL Draft had there not been questions surrounding his military commitment.
"I'm real excited about being with the Patriots. New England is a great organization and a proven winner. Coach Belichick is a class act and his knowledge of the Naval Academy and what we go through was definitely a factor in our decision."
White set a single-season record for a Navy slot back by rushing for 1,092 yards and eight touchdowns. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound speedster set a single-game school record with 348 yards rushing against Towson and averaged a 8.27 yards per carry. The Memphis native has run the 40-yard dash in 4.36 seconds and was a standout sprinter for Navy track team, setting the school record with a 60-meter dash time of 6.87 seconds.
"It's a blessing from God that I am getting this opportunity. It's something that I have worked very hard to attain and now I need to work even harder to make the most of it," said White, whom New England signed as a kickoff returner and slot receiver.
Barnes had one of the finest seasons by a Navy receiver in years with 20 receptions for 400 yards. The sleed 6-foot-2, 197-pounder battled leg injuries throughout his career, but is now fully healthy and ran the 40-yard dash in less than 4.4 seconds for scouts.
Navy has never had three players sign NFL contracts in the same year. In 1998, quarterback Chris McCoy and lineman David Viger signed free agent deals with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets, respectively.
Since then, wide receiver Travis Williams (Green Bay, 2000) and fullback Kyle Eckel (New England, 2005) are the only academy graduates to receive NFL contracts. Eckel has spent a total of four seasons in the National Football League and is currently on the roster for the Philadelphia Eagles.
"It's a great accomplishment on the part of Tyree, Eric and Shun to get a shot at the NFL. They're all very talented football players and clearly the Patriots liked what they saw in them," Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "Those guys understand they must serve a military commitment and embrace that. This is a win-win situation for them. They are going to be Naval officers, first and foremost. At some point, they will get a chance to pursue their dreams of playing in the NFL."
The Department of Defense has established an Alternative Service Option that allows Army, Air Force and Naval graduates with special abilities to serve two years on active duty then six more years in the reserves. However, former Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter ordered the early release program "held in abeyance" and declared that all Naval Academy graduates must serve the requisite five-year commitment.
Army and Air Force have continued to employ the Alternative Service Option for athletes with professional potential. For instance, Caleb Campbell, a safety selected by the Detroit Lions in the 2008 NFL Draft, will be allowed to pursue pro football beginning in May, 2010.
There is speculation that newly installed Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus will restore the Alternative Service Option for Naval Academy graduates. If that were to happen, Barnes and Kettani could pursue pro football full-time beginning in May, 2011.
"New England is a good situation for us because Coach Belichick has Naval Academy ties and understands what me, Eric and Tyree are going through. He knows we have military duties we have to perform and is willing to work around that," said White, who will now graduate in December.
Belichick is the son of the late Steve Belichick, a Navy assistant football coach from 1956 through 1989. Bill Belichick grew up around the Naval Academy and attended Annapolis High.
Barnes, Kettani and White all attended New England's rookie and free agent mini camp, which was held last Thursday through Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. It was essentially a tryout for all three players, who attended meetings and participated in two-a-day practices in shorts, shoulder pads and helmets.
"We knew we were being evaluated and that a contract was dependent on how we did. I just went out there and did whatever they asked me to do and performed to the best of my abilities," White said. "Fortunately, me, Eric and Tyree showed enough to get signed."
http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/nas/...-prospects.html
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