Former OSU star works out for Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil and other NFL personnel

By Brooks Hatch
Mid-Valley Sports

One of the Oregon State football program's all-time special players got evaluated by his future employers and the Beavers' special teams got a new coordinator Thursday.

Tailback Steven Jackson, a probable first-round selection in the April 24-25 NFL draft, and other seniors ran, lifted and worked out for Kansas City Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil and a bevy of other scouts and personnel directors at the Truax Indoor Center.

Afterward, Beaver coach Mike Riley said he expects to hire Bruce Read as the new special teams coordinator, pending institutional approval.

In reprising a role he held in 1997-98 in Riley's first tenure here, Read will be considered a graduate assistant and will be paid by the New York Giants. He had one year remaining on his contract when they fired coach Jim Fassel and his staff after a disappointing 2003 season.

Jackson was interviewed and quizzed at the recent NFL Combine in Indianapolis, but he didn't do anything physical because he was recovering from minor surgery on his right knee. So Thursday was the first time he'd been test-driven since he announced he would forgo his senior year on Christmas Eve.

Jackson was accompanied by his parents and several advisors. He weighed 231 pounds, about four pounds below his 2003 playing weight, and looked considerably stronger and more cut after several months of workouts with fitness trainer Bob Kersee in Los Angeles.

"I think I did all right, nothing special,'' Jackson said. "I started out with the bench press, the vertical jump, (drills) to see what kind of athlete you are. They followed up with the 40-yard dash and some running back drills.

"The big interest was to see how I caught the ball, so I did quite a few routes. All in all I think it went pretty well. I think I put an impressive regimen together. I caught it well and I think I looked in shape.

"I think the coaches were pleased with my performance.''

Added Riley: "They were impressed with everybody and with Steven in particular. They thought he looked absolutely great. He's always been a great-looking guy, but he's really taken it to another level. He looks the part (of an NFL player), for sure.

"There are a lot of coaches here; they just want to see the guy. It's confirmation for them, you just want to see what he looks like, maybe interview him and get a feel for what he's like to coach.

"These days are important, but the most important part was the production he had already while he played. I didn't hear any negative comments about any of the guys, but I'm not sure that I would have.''

Jackson returned to his hometown of Las Vegas after Thursday's workout. He will test for teams on an individual basis before the draft.

"We'll see what teams are interested me and who wants to fly me out,'' he said. "I'll stay in shape and just wait on phone calls to come in.''

Media and spectators were barred from the testing and scouts didn't comment on individuals.

"They worked Steve out pretty good. He was definitely working for his money,'' said junior defensive end Bill Swancutt, who watched to get a feel of what he'll go through next year.

"He looked real fast. He's been taking care of himself and doing all the right things. Rich (middle linebacker Richard Seigler) and Dwan (defensive tackle Dwan Edwards) had some pretty good times, pretty good workouts also.''

Jackson said he bench pressed 225 pounds 16 times and ran about 4.55 in the 40-yard dash on the slow FieldTurf surface.

Jackson led the Pac-10 in rushing in 2002 and 2003, and some sources predict he'll be the first running back selected in the draft.

"I've set pretty big goals for myself when I was here, and now I'm setting them big in the NFL,'' he said. "My first hurdle is to be the first back taken. We don't know where that may be, but it's something I do want to accomplish.

"I didn't realize how long this process is. Normally at this time we were training in winter and spring camp. It's a long, gruesome process.

"A lot of teams want to see extraordinary things out of you. You want to go out and impress these guys, you want to put up amazing numbers, but sometimes you just have to be yourself.''

Jackson said his advisors had believed that the Pittsburgh Steelers would take him as the 11th pick. But they landed the running back they needed by signing veteran Philadelphia Eagle Deuce Staley as a free agent.

"That kind of threw (his group) off a little bit, but who knows?'' Jackson said. "With this workout, hopefully we impressed some people and we'll have some guys trade up for me.

"I have no preference where I'm headed. I'm kind of welcoming anywhere. I'm used to the big town, growing up in Las Vegas, and used to the small town after coming to Corvallis."

Jackson laughed when asked to comment on the intelligence and personality tests he took at the Combine. He reportedly scored a very respectable 28 on the 50-question Wonderlich test, an exam only one player in history has ever aced.

"I'm known for my intelligence, so I had to prove that I wasn't taking PE classes here,'' he said with a guffaw.

He also chuckled while recalling the odd assortments of questions used to compile his psychological profile.

"They're off-the-wall questions, like ‘Do all chickens lay eggs?' No they don't, kids,'' he said. "They ask crazy questions, some kind of thinking questions, and you only have 12 minutes to answer them. It gets your brain turning.'‘

The impending hire of Read, the son of legendary Northwest coach Don Read, addresses the problems that confounded OSU's injury-ravaged coverage and return units throughout the 2003 season.

The Beavers had more return yards than yards allowed, and were renowned for their kick-blocking ability in Read's first tenure here. Led by defensive end Jamil Braithwaite (7) and safety Terrence Carroll (3), they blocked a combined 15 punts, field goals or extra-points in 1997 (5) and 1998 (10).

The Beavers were also third in the Pac-10 in kickoff returns (23.1 ypr), fifth in punting (35.1 nypp) and 10th in punt returns (7.4 ypr) in 1998. Opponents averaged 6.6 yards per punt return and 18.6 yard on kickoff returns.

"I think it's quite a coup,'' Riley said. "The last three jobs I've had I tried to hire Bruce Read. This year I got another chance, so now I'm 3-for-4.''

Read coached with his father at the Oregon Institute of Technology, Portland State and Montana before coming to OSU in 1997. He accompanied Riley to the San Diego Chargers in 1999 and worked for the Giants in 2002-03.

Riley said Read's attention to detail and dedication makes him stand out among his peers.

"He really grew as a coach here and took this place to another level, and then took the Chargers to another level. We were third in the NFL in the overall ratings and that's why he got about three job opportunities out of it'' when Riley and his staff were fired after the 2002 season.

"He studies special-teams and communicates it well. He breaks every part of it down. A lot of time special teams are coached in general; he's very specific and detailed as to what each guy's job is.''

Last year's special-teams coordinator, LeCharls McDaniel, will coach the tight ends. That will free offensive coordinator Paul Chryst, the 2003 tight ends coach, to concentrate solely on the quarterbacks.

"LeCharls will give us a guy where the tight ends have a home; Paul had to really juggle his schedule'' to give them the appropriate attention, Riley said. "This is just a real bonus for us.

"I think we got a pretty good deal. This doesn't happen very often, it's just a freak thing. He has a year left on his Giants' contract so he can afford to do this.''

Former Beaverton and Washington quarterback Taylor Barton, still on the mend from ulcerative colitis, is expected to be the new administrative assistant.