Dwyer goes to Pittsburgh Steelers — updated with Dwyer quotes
After a wait that he described as humbling, former Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer said he’s excited to be a Steeler.
At one time projected to be a first-round pick, a combination of factors saw Dwyer tumble all the way to the sixth round of the NFL Draft, where Pittsburgh made him the 188th player selected.
“It was very hard [ to wait],” Dwyer said. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. It made me think about a lot of things. I’ve got to come in and be ready to work and that’s what I’m going to do.”
He wasn’t supposed to last that long. After rushing for 1,395 yards as a sophomore to earn ACC player of the year honors, he rushed for 1,395 more as a junior last season to help the Yellow Jackets win the ACC. When he submitted his early-entry paperwork to the NFL in December, coach Paul Johnson said it came back with a first- or second-round pick projection.
Instead, Dwyer became a polarizing player, with some draft analysts slotting him high and others very low. It seemed the more that analysts looked at him, the more they found they didn’t like. They questioned his weight and speed. They didn’t like his pass-blocking and pass-catching skills, neither of which he was asked to do at Tech because of the nature of the run-focused offense. In the end, he was the 12th running back taken behind notables from Kentucky and Southern Illinois.
“It could have been a lot of things, but it’s over now,” Dwyer said. “As long as the team’s winning, I’m fine.”
Dwyer played at around 242 pounds in Tech’s spread-option. A toe injury sustained in the Orange Bowl hampered his training and conditioning in the weeks leading up to the NFL Combine. As a result, he weighed 229 pounds, four more than his target weight, and ran a relatively slow 40 time. But the toe healed and a slimmer Dwyer (225 pounds) bounced back at Tech’s pro day a month later to run a 4.52, seven-hundredths faster than his time at the Combine and within the top-10 times posted there. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said on Saturday that he never saw a burst from Dwyer during workouts. He had 15 plays of at least 20 yards or more last season, including a pass, an indication that he is fast enough to run away from tacklers.
Analysts also wondered whether Dwyer could transition from lining up close to the line of scrimmage, as he did in Tech’s spread-option, to the deeper start required in a pro-style offense. Dwyer pointed out after Tech’s pro day that he was used in that formation during his freshman season at Tech when Chan Gailey was coach.
Lastly, a week before the draft, foxsports.com reported that Dwyer flunked a drug test at the Combine. However, Dwyer had previously alerted the NFL that he has been taking prescription mediciation for ADD since he was in the 5th grade. Dwyer said one of the doctors who reviewed the drug tests mistakenly omitted him from the list of previously cleared patients. Dwyer’s agent, Adisa Bakari, said every NFL team knew about the medicine before the draft, calling it a “non-issue.”
As Dwyer said, it’s over now. He will report to Pittsburgh’s mini-camp next week. He said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin wants him to learn the playbook as quickly as possible. The team features one running back who dominates the snaps, Rashard Mendenhall. Dwyer said he can be a third-down back, if not more.
“I will do whatever it takes to get on the field,” he said.
Should he make the squad, Atlanta fans can watch him when the Falcons open against the Steelers on Sept. 12 at Heinz Field.
Dwyer is the fourth Yellow Jacket taken in this year’s draft, following defensive end Derrick Morgan to Tennessee with the 16th pick, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas to Denver with the 22nd pick, and safety Morgan Burnett to Green Bay in the third round (71st overall) on Friday.
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185 comments Add your comment
4 ncs are better than 1
April 24th, 2010
8:58 pm
Hey football dad, fess up, are you a dawg fan? Sure sounds like you are. What about the uga players that didn’t get drafted very high? You do realize how highly rated they were coming out of high school, don’t you? Maybe CPJ’s system helped Bay Bay get noticed more than if he had played in a pro style? A lot of one on one coverage, learning how to block (which NFL teams love, by the way), etc. Ever think of it that way or are you just trying to beef up the dawgs and their weak draft?
James
April 24th, 2010
9:00 pm
Known him for years at church. The struggles his family faced throughout his life built his character. This snub will only make his story that much better. He will be blessed in a great way. Remember his name and appreciate his humble nature!
bug crusher
April 24th, 2010
9:10 pm
Enter your comments here
bug crusher
April 24th, 2010
9:13 pm
RAMBLING WREAK F#%$ STUPID BASEBALL!!!!!!!!!!
bug crusher
April 24th, 2010
9:14 pm
AND WE GOT IT BROKE IN US WHEN THEY LET LSU ILLEGALLY JUMP US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Enter your comments here
just the fact
April 24th, 2010
9:26 pm
5 dafted beats 4 drafted 30-24
SILLY UGA FANS
April 24th, 2010
9:35 pm
Football dad,
Your comment confuses me. The draft was dominated by defense and o-line for most of the first 15 picks minus Spiller and Bradford. Thomas was the first WR picked and over Dez Bryant, who I think we can all agree is great. You could argue that pro teams will second guess GTs WRs and RBs on some levels such as route skills, but they know they are getting team players. Watch for Hill to be in this same situation in two years and you will see that WR can flourish under CPJ. I would also expect Allen to do well in next years draft with several others following soon after. I don’t know how much you know of CPJ’s offense but the playbook is only a qaurter of the way open due to needing more skilled lineman, which CPJ is working on.
To the Clemson fan that commented on Spiller. I know there were several GT fans that laid it on about Dwyer being better than Spiller, but most said that Spiller was a better all around back and Dwyer was a better between the tackles powerback. Both should do well in the NFL.
Good luck to all our former players, the GT faithful wish you well.
birdman
April 24th, 2010
9:45 pm
football dad sounds just like a….. football dad
birdman
April 24th, 2010
9:50 pm
Enter your comments here
Shug
April 24th, 2010
10:01 pm
Yikes, 6th round. That’s where you pick punters and Colorado School of Mines players. Kids out there, don’t do drugs.
4 ncs are better than 1
April 24th, 2010
10:06 pm
Yikes, 6th round, that’s where DAWGS get picked. Oh no, I mean 7TH!
4 ncs are better than 1
April 24th, 2010
10:09 pm
Kids out there, don’t do Ugay!
hind tit
April 24th, 2010
10:45 pm
hope dyer makes big impact. playing the spread offense cost him alot of money. another player that’s going to lose out is the linebacker playing qb what a waste but that’s his fault. alot of teams wanted him at linebacker but he choose qb. willie is the reason uga players fell so low. poor coaching cost them dearly. these guys are better players than they showed.
come on
April 24th, 2010
10:47 pm
Shug, man u r just sick if u r still on this drug thing. he takes a prescription medication. grow up. u must have a sad life if u will bad mouth a kid who has his dream come true no matter where he went to school. i for one am glad for the uga kids that got drafted even as a jacket. so let all these kids have a time to live it up. good luck to them all.
dwyer003
April 24th, 2010
10:54 pm
anyone who says dwyer is fat is obviously stupid. yes, dwyer was told to put on bulk in 2009 because paul johnson moved him from A-back to B-back (fullback). fullbacks need to have power over speed. in the off-season, dwyer went from 239 pounds to around 220. he has worked his tail off to get into shape. he should be faster, but just as strong. if nfl teams saw his tape, they would know that dwyer would’ve gotten over 1500 yards rushing if qb nesbitt wasn’t a 1000 yard rusher himself. if he played in any balanced rush/pass system, dwyer wouldn’t have gone past the 2nd round. he deserves to be the second or third rb taken. cj spiller was better than him, but dwyer has more power and will excel in the nfl because he knows that his hard work was rewarded with back-to-back 1395 rushing seasons. this guy is a huge steal for pitt. starter in 2 years or less. bet on it. i really don’t see any reason that he should’ve gone past the 3rd round
oh, and joe haden, the number 7 pick, ran a 4.5 in the 40 yard dash. if anyone has seen him play in uf, he seems like a very fast player. when you see dwyer play, he can be as fast as anyone on the field.
by the way, i am a huge gt fan. but our fans need to grow up. stop making fun of little grammatical errors. just because someone makes a typo, doesn’t mean they are uneducated.
best of luck to Burnett, Thomas, Morgan, and Dwyer
FL Dawg
April 24th, 2010
11:01 pm
Take all 110+ teams in NCAA, cram them down into 32 and then allow the players to stay as long as they desire or are able to and you have the NFL. I say that to remind everyone (including potential college players) that the NFL is the best of the best. That is why Dwyer fell as far as he did. Every single NFL team has talent equal to that of Dwyer and most of the other draft prospects. There are really no sure things in the NFL draft. Only a few have a better chance than the others at succeeding. The NFL is looking at a combination of things, size, athletic ability, skill, intelligence. All teams try to determine heart and desire as well, but this is much harder to evaluate. How successful any player is in the NFL comes down to where he ends up and what their needs are at the time. Dwyer could have been the best back in the country, but if other teams already had a guy like him in the system, why waste a pick. Its all about risk and reward. Apparently, the risk on Dwyer was not worth the reward in most teams analysis. We may think that Dwyer (Curran or whomever we choose) should have gone higher, the ones writing the checks disagreed.
Personally, I think Dwyer should be pretty happy with Pittsburg. Pittsburg is tough hard nosed offense that will fit Dwyers style well. I understand he (and others) may not like where he went, but hey, he made the show. Now he has to earn the check. I wish him well and think he went to a team that fits him well. If I were him, I would not think twice about what round he was taken. Everyone chosen has the potential to make a big name for themselves. Good luck to Dywer, Curran and all the other UGA and Tech players that made the big dance. Make Georgia proud to call her your own.
Dawgforlife
April 24th, 2010
11:35 pm
I am coming on a Tech board to make a positive comment about a nice young man who is a team player. I will not be like the Tech fans who gave personal attacks to Rennie Curran after he was drafted 3 rounds earlier. JD is a plyer and a good one. He was rated 12th in the country bye some scouts coming out of high school. He was cost millions of dollars playing in the option. He bloated up to play fullback and was still to heavy at the combine. He had to play too close to the line of scrimage to propery showcase his talents on film. He didn’t have to catch a pass. He didn’t have to show he could excel on blitz pick ups. He had to share carries. Everything he did, he did for PJ’s offense and so Ga Tech could win games. He is a class young man. I will root for him. But, the offense is honestly what held him back
the real OLD GOLD
April 24th, 2010
11:38 pm
Steal for the Steelers…
p.s. How did the Titans quietly end up with the ACC Def. Player of the year AND the SEC’s leading tackler? The Falcons draft filled gaps, but it was less than an exciting fan draw.
Willie Martinez
April 24th, 2010
11:59 pm
Dwyer fell so far because all scouts watched my stifling D completely suffocate him. He’s a joke – a product of a high school system. But hey, best of luck to him.
GO DAWGS
April 25th, 2010
12:12 am
Hey nerds Dwyer will be a flop in NFL,he is fat,lazy,slow and remember rushed for 30 yards or so against Willie Martinez defense.That high school offense that Paul Johnson claims will work and is so confident of will be real bad when CPJ can’t recruit players to come play at the Flats because they will not be ready to play in the NFL and will never graduate to become something in life.CMR makes more players ready for NFL than any coach in the nation with or without a national title and recruits know this.30-24 WE RUN THIS STATE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kshizzle
April 25th, 2010
12:19 am
Today the guys on ESPN said that teams had removed Dwyer off of their board for medical reasons and that was the reason he slipped and that taking him in the 6th round was safe because of how late it was in the draft. What a bunch of BS. JD is the best RB in GT history. He deserved better. He will make an impact this year in Pitt if not start in Pitt before this year ends.
granmama buzz
April 25th, 2010
1:06 am
I was soooo upset that JD didn’t picked in the first, second or third rounds of the draft as I thought he should have…..BUT the only way to PROVE them wrong is to show them that you are a #1 pick and continue playing with the drive and determination you always have. Now I’ve got another team to cheer for …. from Kell High School, to Georgia Tech, to Pittsburgh Steelers….WE’RE PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. ….You will ALWAYS be my 1st round draft pick!
dawgpride
April 25th, 2010
2:34 am
this article is slanted big time. Stop making excuses for why Dwyer was not picked early in the draft. You guys act like he was done a disservice here, when he was NOT explosive in workouts, has weight problems, and is playing in a gimmick offense that ill prepares RB for the NFL.
RamblinWreck
April 25th, 2010
2:39 am
GO Dawgs: You are one clueless UGAG fan! Dwyer is good and how many players for yoru louzy school got drafted at all? Any as high as Morgan? Son’t think so! Your special QB Mettlinloser got booted off the team, so good luck this year. Your schedule is easy as chitman and you still lose to SC, GT, UF as always, and another surprise team, maybe the division 1-AA. LMAO! Go blow it out your redneck azz!
RamblinWreck
April 25th, 2010
2:42 am
UGA: Better get ready for Idaho State. I think they got your number. LMFAO! Hey, maybe Caleb King can jump over one of their players like Knowshow did against the chippewas! Now, that will make sportscenter for sure. THWG! WOOF WOOF WOOF! Hey, do you think your ugly azz mascot can last the year?
bug crusher
April 25th, 2010
2:49 am
Hey Ramblinwreck: I admit we suck at baseball, basketball and academics. However, we lead the nation in underachieving. That’s something every dawg fan should be proud of. That’s an accomplishmnent! However, we will win the NC in football, just like last year and the year before and the year before that and the year before that. Oh, I forgot, that year was a rebuilding year, so don’t count that one. UF here we come. We are going for losing 19 of 22 and that my friend, is a record we all will be proud of and will stick in the minds of dawg fans all over the country. tears are falling from the sky, tears are falling from the sky. Oh no! GO DAWGS SICKEM!
Paddy
April 25th, 2010
5:46 am
Dawg Mist….Dwyer is too slow? He ran a 4.52 for all the NFL scouts. If you were a NFL GM you could never field a team if 4.52 is slow to you. Some people just do not know the game!
Baldjacket
April 25th, 2010
6:30 am
I was shocked to see Dwyer go as late as he did but I think he will love Pittsburg. It was worth the wait.
tiger fan 28
April 25th, 2010
6:58 am
HWY DELBERT D— #2 STEELER RB, FAST WILLIE HAD 389YDS AND MISSED A BUNCH OF GAMES!!!!! JD WIL GET PLENTY OF TOUCHES IF HE DESERVES THEM..WIL HAV 500 YDS EASILY IF HE COMES IN WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE AND SHAPE…
Flo-Ri-Duh!
April 25th, 2010
7:40 am
Dwyer is basically a fullback playing half back… a straight ahead runner with power. He did look heavy in his uniform and is also a victim of his offense much like Tebow. They seldom threw a pass to him or required him to pass block so his skills there are average at best. He should have stayed in school one more year and lost 10 lbs. – maybe he would have gone in the 3rd round.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
April 25th, 2010
7:42 am
Bug Crhusher is a closet Tech fan obviously and he will be crushed!
DodgerDAWG
April 25th, 2010
7:48 am
Congrats to the FOUR Tech players taken in the NFL draft. But once again UGA RUNS THIS STATE with FIVE players in the draft…..
Stinger
April 25th, 2010
7:55 am
The Steelers can now cut Hine Ward and just give Dwyer the ball.
5 National Championships Later
April 25th, 2010
7:59 am
Number of players drafted in the NFL over last decade:
1- Miami- 68
2- Georgia- 62
3- FSU- 60
4- Florida- 59
Coach Hewitt..
April 25th, 2010
8:38 am
Here are Dwyer’s combine numbers… (per ESPN’s numbers):
40: 4.68 — Best of RBs 4.35 (J. Best)– Worst 4.75 (A. Dixon)
3 Cone: 7.56 — Best of RBs 6.75 (J. Best)– Worst (Dwyer)
Shuttle: 4.67 — Best of RBs 4.06 (D. McCluster)– Worst (Dwyer)
Vertical Jump: 33 — Best of RBs 41 (M. Hardesty)– Worst 30.5 (C. Scott)
Broad Jump: 107– Best of RBs 124 ( Hardesty/Tate)– Worst (Dwyer)
Bench Reps: 15 — Best of RBs 26 (L. Miller/ B. Tate)– Worst 13 (S. Johnson)
WHAT A FAT LAZY BUM… He’ll never make it thru camp with the Steelers…
Coach Hewitt..
April 25th, 2010
8:50 am
Here’s your answers Nats…video of Steelers RB coach explaining how CPJ’s system doesn’t get RB’s ready for the NFL… Tech RB’s will always go low in draft because they have too much to learn. Bottom line, Tech’s system doesn’t prepare RB’s for the next level. Tech RB’s will always be project players…LMMFAO!!!
http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio/videos/Kirby-Wilson-on-2010-6th-Rd-pick-Jonathan-Dwyer/7d27568a-df63-41a8-bd35-d554446a07ff
SEC fan
April 25th, 2010
8:55 am
Disappointing the way he slammed GT for not being drafted higher. His comments are on the Steelers website and other media but no mention by the AJC. The GT offense isn’t a Pro offense but he still shouldn’t have given that as a reason for not being drafted higher. Thought he has more class than that.
DP
April 25th, 2010
9:04 am
That’s a good video posted by Coach Hewitt. While his system obviously works in college, Paul Johnson’s offense is not the one a running back recruit with NFL aspirations should want to play in, whether as the fullback or a halfback. The fullback is down in a 3 point stance close to the line of scrimmage and runs the dive play all day. The halfbacks have their running lanes pretty much dictated by a late pitch from the QB on the option play. The running backs don’t learn pass protection schemes nor do they catch many balls. NFL scouts can’t see if the backs in this system have the kind of vision and cutting ability required of an I-back.
If you listen to the Pittsburgh running back coach, Dwyer has to go into camp and basically learn everything in the job description of an NFL running back. He is going to have to work his rear end off to even make the team.
Coach Hewitt..
April 25th, 2010
9:13 am
Being a good back in the TO offense is very different from being good back in the NFL. Reading defenses, pass blocking, catching the ball out of the backfield, are not focused on in the TO. This is the NFL’s knock against the TO & Coach Johnson.It’s not who’s right or wrong… just the facts.
Gt4ever
April 25th, 2010
9:17 am
That video is no surprise…. CPJ has a gimmick offense, nobody is surprised…. It will be hard for GT recruiters to refute that kind of information…. I would like to see his offense change, but hey, I have a better chance winning the lottery… I will submit this, the offense does have a impact on the future of any player, but the true barometer is still skill and talent level. If you are good enough to play in the NFL, you will get the chance, no matter what system you originate….
Admiral Ackbar
April 25th, 2010
9:32 am
Johnathan, its a trap! The scumbag ball licker fans know nothing.
Andrea (Maple Hill)
April 25th, 2010
9:43 am
Dwyer has been picked by a good team! He has a great head coach that will see the good in Jon! Jon your people in Maple Hill, NC are so proud of you! Stay focus and prove yourself to them! You can do it!
hirsutedawg
April 25th, 2010
10:01 am
RamblinWreck = Saint Simons. An A-hole by any other name is still an a-hole.
SoCal Dawg
April 25th, 2010
10:17 am
Huge UGA fan but that doesn’t get in the way of my state pride. I wish every player out of GA well whether they had the misfortune of being a techie or the great privilege of wearing the red and black… hey it couldn’t all be sweet.
jb
April 25th, 2010
10:17 am
Well can we at least all agree that Spiller is, and always was, the better back? These pages have been replete with amazing arguments that Dwyer was a better back then Spiller.
bob
April 25th, 2010
10:20 am
Yech’s best team in 20 years, with all their studs leaving and only 4 draft picks? UGA’s worst team in nearly 15 years, with all their studs returning and they had 5 draft picks? Recruits are taking notice. Dark days ahead for the tools.
Jonathan Dwyer
April 25th, 2010
10:22 am
Shweeeeehhhh!!!! I guess I can tear up my Publix application now. Being on a practice squad sure beats bagging groceries along side Joey Hamilton.
blackprix
April 25th, 2010
10:35 am
Good luck to Jonathan, I’m sure this is a lesson learned that will help him in his NFL career.
blackprix
April 25th, 2010
10:39 am
Hey Dawg fans … we will still RUN ALL OVER YOUR BUTTS!!! RBs no matter the offense want the rock and will have no problem coming to GT to show their stuff.
Dwyer’s low draft pick WAS MORE ABOUT HIS COMBINE showing then being in the Triple Option offense in college!
So don’t get too excited we’ll still put up 200-300 yards again running all over the dawgs defense … no change there!
Buckhead Bulldog
April 25th, 2010
10:42 am
Just got done reading the Bay Bay Thomas article in the AJC Sunday Sports section. Wow! What a great kid….Tech should be really proud of that guy. Good luck to him in the Denver/NFL! I will be watching and pulling for his success at the next level…..great story.