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LIKE IT IS : Cowboys getting next-best thing to McFadden Published: Wednesday, April 30, 2008 PRINT E-MAIL No fan base is ever 100 percent happy after the NFL Draft. However, anyone who questions Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips picking Felix Jones at No. 22 has been out in the Texas sun too long. Consider this: Darren Mc-Fadden, the No. 4 pick in the draft, rushed for 1, 830 yards and 16 touchdowns on the way to his second runner-up finish in the Heisman Trophy voting, while Jones, as the backup, rushed for 1, 162 yards and 11 touchdowns. McFadden averaged 5. 6 yards per carry, Jones 8. 7. McFadden averaged 177. 7 allpurpose yards per game, Jones 159. 1.
Not only did the Dallas Cowboys get a running back who can go all the way on any carry, they got one of the best kickoffreturn men in the country. Most teams tried to kick away from Jones, but he still averaged 29. 6 yards per kickoff, and there is not a football team that wouldn’t like to start a possession at the 30-yard line or beyond. Jerry Jones and Phillips visited long and hard with people about McFadden during an April trip to Hot Springs for the Arkansas Derby, but they also inquired about Jones. In a perfect world, Jerry Jones would have loved to have the 1-2 punch of the Razorbacks wearing stars on their helmets, but on that day he already suspected that his close associate Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, was not going to let McFadden get away. The Cowboys might have gotten more of a steal than a deal in Felix Jones, who is a tireless, unselfish player. If he had gone to another school he might have been the Heisman candidate, but not once did he so much as whisper a complaint about the attention McFadden, his friend, received. Ironically, Saturday in Tulsa the TV went out as the Jones family and friends watched the draft, according to a Tulsa television station report. He’ll soon be able to afford a warehouse of high-definition flat-screen televisions. The Razorbacks had the fourth-highest number of players drafted. Southern Cal was first with 10, Virginia Tech had 8, LSU 7 and the Hogs 6. What was a little surprising was Peyton Hillis slipping to the seventh round. Yes, fullbacks are a rarity in the NFL today, but Hillis has great hands, better-than-average speed and is a very good blocker. He could be a backup tailback, fullback or H-back. Hillis missed the last four games of his junior season with a calcium deposit in his leg and became a little disenchanted after that. However, if he gets in top shape and gets it in his mind to make this a positive thing, the Denver Broncos may have lucked into an all-around, hard-nosed football player. It was not a surprise that Marcus Monk slipped to the seventh round after missing most of his senior season after knee surgery. If he can survive the minicamps with the Chicago Bears, he will have a chance to make the squad because his knee is improving by the day. One of the more intriguing stories of the draft was Arkansas State’s only pick, Tyrell Johnson of Rison. Johnson was getting some very good attention when he went to the NFL combine, but he couldn’t finish the drills because of hamstring cramps. Still, the Minnesota Vikings traded up with the Philadelphia Eagles to get the 6-1, 205-pound safety with the 43 rd pick of the draft. No doubt scouts were impressed with his speed and agility, which he comes by naturally. His mom, Patricia Bell (formerly Johnson ), was a sprint champion at the University of Arkansas and his father is Alvin Robertson, the standout Razorbacks basketball player who spent 10 years in the NBA. However, for the record, Johnson calls Travis Bell dad because Bell has raised him since Johnson was 6 months old. More Stories From: WALLY HALL · LIKE IT IS : Hitting to all fields as summer draws near · LIKE IT IS : Hogs coach gives group something to chew on · LIKE IT IS : Brutal side of racing blindsides casual fans · LIKE IT IS : Kentucky Derby memories are forever vivid · LIKE IT IS : Cowboys getting next-best thing to McFadden Today's Most Popular 1. Texas quarterback says he’ll be a Razorback 2. RECRUITING : Hogs sizing up offensive linemen 3. HOG CALLS : Coleman’s speed catches coach’s eye in spring 4. Sanchez selected to participate in exhibition hoops tour of China 5. Opportunistic Diamond Hogs take second game from South Carolina Today's Most E-mailed 1. Texas quarterback says he’ll be a Razorback 2. RECRUITING : Hogs sizing up offensive linemen 3. HOG CALLS : Coleman’s speed catches coach’s eye in spring 4. Luigs named to watch list for 2008 Rimington Trophy 5. LIKE IT IS : Plenty to love about Hillis despite strange fall |
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