www.news-record.com/sports/college/costondraft042505.htmPackers take flyer, leap at Coston
4-25-05
By Rob Daniels Staff Writer
News & Record
GREENSBORO — At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds and uncertain where he’d go, Junius Coston hasn’t really worked on his Lambeau Leap.
“I don’t know, but I might have to,” the former N.C. A&T offensive lineman said only minutes after becoming the Green Bay Packers’ fifth-round draft pick Sunday afternoon.
And if he does earn his chance to make that celebratory jump toward the delirious, end-zone occupants of hallowed Lambeau Field, he’ll do it from a slightly different position than he imagined.
Coston, who played everywhere along the Aggie line but spent most of his time at center, admitted surprise but not disdain when informed the Packers envision him as a guard. The NFL’s collective scouting service listed him at center.
“Basically, I’ll just keep a good work ethic, stay in the playbook and play football,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got to do. I feel I’ll be all right if I stay focused.”<br>
Coston became the first Aggie taken in the draft since linebacker Toran James went to San Diego in the seventh round in 1997. James was the third A&T player chosen that season, following linebacker Michael Hamilton (San Diego) and defensive end Cedric White (St. Louis.).
Coston didn’t realize it, but his selection broke A&T’s longest draft drought since the NFL’s color barrier was broken in 1945. The first Aggie draftee, Bob “Stonewall” Jackson, was the sixth-round choice of the New York Giants in 1950, and the five-year gap between integration and selection had been the program’s biggest until recent years.
The six Aggies currently affiliated with NFL teams made it essentially on their own, getting there as undrafted free agents or by being noticed in Canada, NFL Europe or even indoor ball.
Two of them, wide receiver Jamal Jones and cornerback Jason Horton, are Packers. So is one of Coston’s cousins, David Martin, a tight end from Tennessee who made the team as the sixth-round pick in 2001. Furthermore, A&T coach George Small played in Green Bay in 1985.
Now Coston will have his chance. The Packers, like several other NFL teams, began watching him in the summer of 2004 and spent several practices along the sidelines of the fields behind Aggie Stadium in the fall. They were impressed with his adaptability and athleticism, and he was selected one round earlier than many projections said he would be.
“Athletically, he’s better than (fifth round),” said the Packers’ Raleigh-based scout, Brian Gutekunst, son of North Carolina defensive coordinator John Gutekunst. “He’s a self-starter. Every college player has to get stronger, but he’s a good worker and he’ll get after it.”<br>
Larry Beightol, the Packers’ offensive line coach, said he first noticed Coston while watching film of A&T’s September 2004 game at Wake Forest, the first game played between an historically black college and an ACC team.
“And he really did a nice job,” Beichtol said. “Now he’s raw. We’re going to have to see how much he can absorb and how far he can come. I was very intrigued with him in the interview. He’s a really good person. He’s someone who really likes to learn and wants to become an NFL offensive lineman.”<br>
Coston’s chief task will be strength. His score of 21 uninterrupted lifts on the bench press was one of the lowest at February’s NFL Combine among offensive linemen. Of the top 40 prospects, only four produced fewer than 21 repetitions.
“He has the potential for great gains in strength,” Beichtol said. “He’s not there yet. You can look it up and find that out. But I think he has a big upside, and that’s the potential part of it.”<br>
Coston hopes to join a team that finished third in the NFL in total offense last year. A roster spot is available because the Packers released two guards last month and signed one via free agency.
“It’s going to be a great experience,” he said.
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com