"I thought
I would run it faster than that," added Vanderbilt Catholic's star defensive
tackle, Joel Ross. "I was like man, I have been doing it in the 4.9's before
this. I want to see what I can do next time."
Ross had 62 tackles,
10 of which were for losses, 8 sacks, and recovered 3 fumbles as a junior. He
is already benching over 360 pounds and squats 600 plus.
"I think
my overall body strength and my quickness are my best attributes. I just try to
go 110 percent every play, every game."
Has Joel had a chance to take
in any football camps this summer?
"No, I am in summer school for
a subject I need to make a better grade in. My class ends in July. I will see
what camps are left over and try to go to one of those. Right now, the only thing
on my mind is getting my grades straight. Football will take care of itself."
Where
does Joel stand, academically?
"I have a 2.5 overall GPA and a 2.3
Core GPA."
Which colleges are staying in constant contact with Ross?
"I
talked to Ole Miss today, and I get a lot of letters from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. I got a letter from Oklahoma State today. They have all offered me, all
three."
Any additional offers?
"I picked up an offer from
Arkansas, Grambling, and McNease State."
Outside of the colleges who
have offered; who else is in the game for Joel's signature?
"I guess
mostly from LSU, considering they are my home state. I thought they would have
already offered me. And Florida, they won the national championship. They can
pretty much get who ever they want. They call a lot, and I guess you can say they
are keeping me on the hot seat."
What stands out about Ole Miss?
"I
feel pretty good about Ole Miss. They have a good staff. I was able to go up there
last summer for a camp of theirs. They were the first school to offer me. They
offered me at their camp, and that just kind of got things going between us. They
have a great DL coach, and then Coach Orgeron started out as a DL coach at Miami
and USC. Everyone has told me that he is the best DL coach in the country."
It
also looks like the Rebels have a key connection with Joel.
"I would
have to say that Ole Miss is recruiting me the hardest because my head coach just
got a job up there, and I know they are drilling him about getting me and staying
in contact with me. We talk pretty much every day. Yea, I would have to say Ole
Miss is recruiting me the hardest. Oklahoma is not far behind them though. They
have really been pushing for me to commit."
What are Oklahoma's positives?
"To
tell you the truth, I do not know much about the Oklahoma schools. I know that
Oklahoma plays in a bunch of bowls, and I hear OSU has been playing in some bowls
too. They are both good programs, but I probably know a little more about Oklahoma
because of their tradition and my relationship with their staff."
Where
do the Hawgs stand?
"Arkansas is another good program and are always
playing in bowls. Their past success; that is what stands out about Arkansas.
They also turned McFadden into something special. I am really anxious to see what
they do this year. They have really picked up their recruitment with me ever since
they offered me a few weeks back."