5/1/2015 Damarious Randall took unusual path to Green Bay's secondary
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/302087161.html 1/4
Home » Blogs » Sports Blogs
Follow:
TwitterPackers BlogThe Journal Sentinel's team of Packers beat writers provide the latestnews, notes and analysis
Tweet 10
Dunne: Analyzing the RandallPick
Packers and the 2015 NFL Draft
Video
Photos
Related Coverage
Packers could use firstround pick DamariousRandall as safety orcornerbackKenosha's Waynes, Gordontaken in first roundWhat scouts are sayingabout the Packers' pickPackers could pick insidelinebacker nextBears' pick of Kevin Whitebrings another explosivereceiver to NFC NorthNFL firstround report:Thursday at a glanceNFL draft: Arms tootempting to pass upPackers fans travel toChicago for NFL draft
Sports Blogs
Damarious Randall took unusual path to Green Bay's secondary
EMAIL PRINT (3) COMMENTS
Green Bay — He was a baseball player from a baseball family.Damarious Randall himself isn’t sure where he’d be if not for a shoulderinjury suffered at Butler Community College (Kan.)
“If I didn’t hurt my shoulder, where am I today?” Randall said. “I reallycouldn’t tell you. I really don’t even know.”
As it turns out, the shoulder injury allowed Randall to switch back tofootball.
He transferred to Mesa Community College (Ariz.), starred, and thenspent two years at Arizona State. And on Thursday, the Green BayPackers made the defensive back their firstround draft pick at No. 30overall. Randall was a free safety in Todd Graham’s scheme with theSun Devils, though general manager Ted Thompson said he viewsRandall as a cornerback moving around in Dom Capers’ scheme.
At Mesa CC, Randall was a cornerback, returner and wide receiver.
This multisport, multiposition background is what appealed to thePackers so now they'll be counting on him in a division that just addedanother weapon in West Virginia's Kevin White. The 5foot11, 190pound Randall said that 12 teams spoke to him about playing corner with“seven or eight” discussing safety. Several teams have sought after suchhybrid players in the draft, such as San Francisco taking Northern Illinois'Jimmie Ward at the same selection in last year's draft.
Whether it's in the slot, out wide or at safety, Randall says he'scomfortable.
“I have a background in both of them,” Randall said, “so I just feel like Ican play whatever they ask me to play, corner or safety. So just whateverthe coaching staff feels is best for me to help the team.
“Corner’s fun to be out there on an island and then safety kind of beingback there controlling the back end is also fun. So either one, just beingon the field is just kind of my mindset.”
In his two seasons with the Sun Devils, Randall had 177 tackles (15 forloss), six interceptions and 12 pass breakups. He admits he didn’tenvision the Packers a serious possibility on draft day, though noted hedid spend time with the team at the NFL scouting combine and spoke oneon one with a secondary coach for a while.
With Arizona State blitzing so much, the defense was in a lot of zerocoverage across the board meaning that the safety Randall has been inmany oneonone situations with receivers.
Out of high school in Pensacola, Fla., he opted to pursue a baseball careeras a centerfielder at Butler CC and then hurt his shoulder.
“I had a brother that was drafted back in ’06 to the Royals, a brother backin ’99 played for the Cincinnati Reds,” Randall said, “and my dad isactually still playing in an adult men’s league now. So it was just kind oflike a baseball type family.”
The experience at centerfield, he said, helps in “judging the ball” and
LATEST PACKERS BLOG POSTS
At inside linebacker, Carl Bradford is 'ready toprove everybody wrong'
Carl Bradford on new Packers CB DamariousRandall: 'He's a ballhawk, he's always aroundthe ball'
Does height matter? It might in the Packerssecondary
Video: Analyzing the Packers' first pick, CBDamarious Randall
Damarious Randall took unusual path to GreenBay's secondary
Damarious Randall: 'I just feel like I can playwhatever they ask me'
Packers take Arizona State DB DamariousRandall in the first
Chicago adds another physical WR in KevinWhite
Up or down: a look at Packers GM TedThompson's draft trade options
Packers Podcast: What will the Packers do in theNFL draft?
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
Today's Paper
(http://cinesport.jsonline.com/nflgreenbaypackers/storiesnfldrafts1stround/)The Stories of the NFL Draft's 1st RoundCineSport's Noah Coslov reports from the NFL Draft inChicago where the Broncos traded up to get ShaneRay & the Eagles didn't get Marcus Mariota. Plus, seethe best dressed rookie of the night.
Get More NFL Video (http://video.cinesport.com/nfl)
Subscribe Subscriber Login Search JSOnline
News Watchdog Opinion Sports Business Food Entertainment Lifestyle Multimedia Marketplace Jobs Autos Homes
By Tyler Dunne of the Journal Sentinel May 1, 2015 2:47 p.m.
6Share
Powered by adiply
5/1/2015 Damarious Randall took unusual path to Green Bay's secondary
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/302087161.html 2/4
Chicago for NFL draftBob McGinn's firstroundNFL mock draft
Packers, NFL Picks
Packers' picks: Roundbyround selections, biosDraft: Pickbypickcoverage
Live Draft Blog
Join the discussion all threedays of the NFL draft as TomSilverstein and Tyler Dunneanswer questions and providelive updates and analysis fromLambeau Field.
Day 1 live blogDay 2 live blogDay 3 live blog
2015 Packers' Draft Picks
Here are the Green Bay Packers'picks by round in the 2015 NFLDraft:
Rd. No. Pick1 30 Damarious Randall2 62 3 94 4 129 5 166 6 206 6 210 6 213 7 247
PACKERS' PICKS: Capsules,stats, scouts' comments on allGB's selections
Draft order: Every round,every pick
Bob McGinn Draft Series
WRs: Story | RatingsQBs: Story | RatingsOL: Story | RatingsRBs: Story | RatingsDL: Story | RatingsLBs: Story | RatingsDBs: Story | RatingsSpecialists: Story | Ratings
NFL Draft Basics
Where: Auditorium Theatre ofRoosevelt University, Chicago.
Thursday, April 30: Firstround, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 1: Second andthird rounds, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 2: Fourththrough seventh rounds, 11a.m.
The experience at centerfield, he said, helps in “judging the ball” andThompson cited this background as a reason the Packers were drawn tohim. At Mesa CC, however, resetting his athletic career, he blossomed onthe football field with 69 tackles (50 solo), nine interceptions and five totaltouchdowns (two receiving, two punt returns, one interception return).
In addition to cornerback, Randall caught eight passes for 152 yards atwide receiver, while averaging 28.2 yards per kick return and 18.4 yardsper punt return.
The Packers, under Thompson's scouting staff, have preferred defensivebacks capable of playing at multiple spots. Now, they've added another toa secondary that lost Tramon Williams and Davon House this offseason.
“It was an amazing feeling hearing my name get called,” Randall said,“and just Green Bay and the coaching staff believing in me.”
About Tyler DunneTyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been onthe beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro FootballWriters of America and Milwaukee Press Club.
@TyDunne ✉ [email protected]
Packers and the 2015NFL Draft
An inside look at MikeDaniels' offseasontraining
Exreporter, PR headLee Remmel dies at 90
Patriots 28, Seahawks24
1 of 4
Smh....lmao
Eddie Lacy @Lil_Eazy_Ana_42
Expand
Louisiana boys in New York Saucy. Congrats @ALLAMERICAN_2 so proud of the young man you have have become.
Ha Ha Clinton‐Dix @haha_cd6
Expand
Keep no company around you that you cannot build with or learn from..
Tramon Williams Sr. @HighRizer22
10m
19m
41m
Green Bay Packers playersTweets from a list by Journal Sentinel
Follow Packers players on Twitter.
See Wisconsin athletes on Twitter
An option for the #Packers in the first round goes to Chicago in the second. twitter.com/danwiederer/st…
Tyler Dunne @TyDunne
Expand
A tradition like no other. With the curled lips and aggressive nod of approval. twitter.com/danwiederer/st…
Tyler Dunne @TyDunne
Expand
Tyler Dunne
18m
27m
44m
Packers beat writersTweets from a list by Journal Sentinel
Follow Bob McGinn, Tom Silverstein, Tyler Dunneand Lori Nickel on Twitter.
Follow Journal Sentinel beat writers on Twitter
LATEST PACKERS PHOTO GALLERIES
More Packers/NFL Video(http://cinesport.jsonline.com/nflgreenbaypackers/)
(http://www.cinesport.com)
Top Related