USF's Pierre-Paul Has NFL Execs Jumping for Joy

TAMPA, Fla. -- He goes 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, yet stunned everyone at the NFL combine with a blazing 40-yard dash time. He played one year of high school football and three years of college at three different schools before finding a home in the Big East conference, if only for one season. He has very little tape to evaluate, yet he easily could be a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft next month.

There are lots of questions about Jason Pierre-Paul.

So what has been one of the hottest topics NFL execs and coaches have discussed with the South Florida defensive end the past month or so?

"Back-flips," he said Tuesday.

Pierre-Paul rocketed from unknown quantity to unbelievable pro prospect in just one season of FBS competition at USF, but his notoriety -- and athleticism -- went viral when his hand-spring challenge match against linebacker and teammate Kion Wilson hit YouTube in the days preceding the combine.

It had viewers ... um ... flipping out.

See for yourself.



If you think 14 consecutive backward handsprings are impressive, guess what? Pierre-Paul's says his "career high," as he calls it, is 23.

"It's like watching Spiderman or something," said linebacker Kion Wilson, the dizzy loser in the competition.

A pass-rushing Superman would be preferred.

"They ask me how I do it. I say it's easy for me," Pierre-Paul said. "It's something I learned as a little kid and it just stayed with me."

Agent Drew Rosenhaus: "That video definitely helped him. The athleticism is one of the rarest things [for a NFL prospect] you'll see out there."

But how does making like Keri Strug on steroids equate to sacking an NFL quarterback? It doesn't. Pierre-Paul, however, took care of the football stuff last fall when the junior college transfer erupted onto the scene with 45 tackles, 16 /2 for losses, 6 1/2 sacks and an interception return for a touchdown in starting just seven of 13 games.

"They ask me [if] I feel like I'm ready for the NFL, I say I just feel ready," Pierre-Paul said at USF's pro day auditions Tuesday. "Put me on the field and I will produce."

That chance will come, but teams are going to be careful with Pierre-Paul, the Deerfield Beach, Fla., native who attended College of the Canyons (Calif.) and Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College before transferring to USF a year ago. With so inconsistent a track record -- and only 13 games of FBS tape -- to evaluate, Pierre-Paul is the poster child for what the Mel Kipers of the drafting world like to call a "boom or bust" guy.

"Very, very unusual," New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said last week at the NFL meetings. "Two junior colleges, one year of high school football. He wasn't in spring [football] or two-a-days, right? He missed all those. He's a very interesting player."

Pierre-Paul became even more interesting after an eye-popping performance at the NFL combine in Indianapolis last month, highlighted by 40-yard dash times of 4.64 and 4.69 that stamped his status as a first-round pick who projects as an end in a conventional 4-3 front or outside linebacker in a 3-4.

The performance in Indy was so strong, Pierre-Paul passed on running the 40 with his former teammates on campus Tuesday, a decision the NFL types on hand -- including head coaches Tom Coughlin, Marvin Lewis and Lovie Smith -- certainly understood. He did take part in the agility drills for both with defensive linemen and linebackers.

"Once you post a number, it's a number," New Orleans defensive line coach Bill Johnson said.

(Some personnel folks might have preferred seeing Pierre-Paul do his back-flip thing as opposed to the three-cone drill or shuttle run. Definitely would have been more entertaining.)

The next number of note Pierre-Paul wants to post is something in the top-10 of the April 22 draft's first round. Jacksonville, selecting 10th and with the fewest sacks in the league last season, looms as a possible landing spot. Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Tennessee, Miami and New England also are among the teams looking for help rushing the passer.

"I don't care where I go," Pierre-Paul said. "I just want to play football."

After that: 24 back-flips.