The St. Louis Rams gambled when selecting cornerback Ronald Bartell, Jr. of Howard University with their second pick of the NFL Draft. That’s not news.
What should be discussed is the fact that the Rams missed out on the true gem of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Jerome Mathis of Hampton University.
Drafted by the Houston Texans in the fourth round, Mathis led Division I-AA in kick returns with a 35.5 average and gained national recognition after his performances in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. The Rams still do not have a kick returner, if you recall.
He accounted for 394 all-purpose yards and a 93-yard kick-off return in two games. During the NFL Combine in February, he broke Deion Sanders’ 40-yard dash record with a time 4.31. Mathis’ hand-time was 4.25, compared to Sanders’ 4.28. Mathis is also a two-time NCAA champion in the 200-meter dash.
Bartell wasn’t even the best defensive back in the MEAC, according to many scouts. That guy is Nick Collins, formerly of Bethune-Cookman, who was taken by the Green Bay Packers with the 51st overall pick in the second round.
Collins led the MEAC with six interceptions in 2004. In his junior season at free safety, Collins totaled six interceptions, 21 tackles and seven pass breakups.
While Bartell has the size at 6-1 and the speed at 4.39 in the 40-yead-dash, he was consistently beaten like a rug during practices for the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and did not stand out in the game.