M
Mark Eckel
Guest
By BOB McGINN
BFF is as good a way as any to describe the relationship between Jester Weah and Daurice Fountain.
By the end of the month, two buddies from Madison will be embarking on careers as wide receivers for NFL teams, probably as mid-to-late round draft choices.
Every step of the way they’ll be communicating on various forms of social media and phoning back and forth about the next step in their joint athletic journey that began during their middle-school days in Dane County.
“When we’re around each other we act goofy sometimes,” Weah said from the University of Pittsburgh. “There’s always laughter. Daurice is like my brother. Daurice is very religious and down to earth. He’s a guy you can count on.”
On the morning last month that Fountain conducted this interview in Cedar Falls, home of the University of Northern Iowa, Weah texted him to begin his new day.
“Me and him are so close, it’s crazy,” said Fountain. “We stay in contact every day. He’s probably my brother.”
It’s strange for the state of Wisconsin to produce one wide receiver for pro football, let alone two in one draft. It’s even stranger for two exceptional prep players raised within five miles of Camp Randall Stadium not to have worn the cardinal and white of the University of Wisconsin.
Teammates in three sports at Madison Memorial High School, Weah and Fountain were so successful that they followed each other as winners of the Wisconsin State Journal Boys Athlete of the Year Award. Weah, 23, won in 2013 before Fountain, 22, won in 2014.
“Literally, by his junior year, I already knew he was going to win it in his senior year,” Fountain said.
Added Weah: “If I remember right, Reece told me he was going to get that same award next year. He held to it.”
Besides being an all-state wide receiver, Weah completed a three-year career as part of Memorial’s dominant basketball program by receiving some all-state mention.
Basketball probably was Weah’s first love. In the spring, he spent most of his time playing AAU hoops while dabbling in track and field.
As Weah’s senior year wound down in 2013, Fountain kept pestering his pal to make a greater commitment to track. “I remember he was always on me to just come out for track practice,” said Weah. “He’d say, ‘I’m going to be there, you’ll have fun with it.’ I did that, and the rest is history.”
At the WIAA Division I State Track Meet in La Crosse, Weah won both the 100 meters (10.7) and the 200 meters (21.73). At the same time, Fountain captured the 110 high hurdles and the long jump.
As a senior, Fountain ran 14.04 in the highs to establish a state record that remains on the books; he went on to win a pair of Missouri Valley Conference indoor titles in the hurdles and qualify for Division I nationals twice.
“We definitely had a competition to see who got more gold medals,” Weah said. “It was pretty amazing.”
Weah didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year at Memorial. He had been interested in another sport at that time of year, and for good reason.
His uncle, George Weah, in 1995 became the only African to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award. He would play for AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester City. In December, he was elected president of Liberia.
Jester hasn’t seen his famous uncle in a decade or so. He has seen his highlights, and a trip to Africa is “definitely on my bucket list.”
Soccer was the first sport that he signed up for, and that was in a youth league on Madison’s west side. He stuck with it until fifth grade, stopping only because his size made him feel awkward.
At that point Weah turned to basketball, and as a sophomore he played 32 minutes in Memorial’s memorable 80-78 triple-overtime victory over De Pere in the Division I state finals at the Kohl Center.
The first time the friends played on the same team was when Fountain made the Spartans’ junior-varsity basketball team as a freshman.
Those were the years when they’d get dropped off at Camp Randall and sit with 78,000 other people watching the Badgers. A few years later, they were yearning for the chance to play on that field.
That was early in Gary Andersen’s two-year tenure as the Badgers’ coach. Suffice it to say that their grand plan to play together at UW didn’t materialize.
“I remember going to some Wisconsin games and camps with Daurice,” said Weah. “We both thought we were going to get offered. But my mom always tells me everything happens for a reason.”
Weah accepted a scholarship at Pitt from coach Paul Chryst, who had been the Badgers’ offensive coordinator for some of his prep career. One year later, Fountain had nothing from FBS schools before signing with FCS Northern Iowa.
“I really didn’t understand,” Fountain said. “There were hard feelings. They had to do what’s best for their program, and if that didn’t involve me and Jester, so be it.
“I’m definitely happy for the path that I chose. Going the FCS route and choosing UNI, I wouldn’t trace my career any differently if I had a chance.”
Weah graduated in four years with a degree in communications. It took Fountain just three years to graduate in mass communications.
“We both thought we were going to get offered,” said Weah. “We always talk about, ‘Man, what if we both came here? It’d be a whole different story.’ To this day we talk about this.
“I felt like getting out of Madison definitely was real helpful to me. I definitely matured real quickly. I had a good experience at Pitt.”
The last time they were together was in January at the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Each started for the East team. At last, they were teammates again.
Whereas Weah had been a two-year starter in the Atlantic Coast Conference and was well known to NFL personnel men, Fountain’s approach to the all-star game had to be far different. Weah already secured an invitation to the NFL scouting combine a month later. Fountain didn’t have an invitation and, despite his sensational week in Florida, never did receive one.
In the game, Fountain led both teams in receiving yards (61) and return yards (40). He turned a short slant into a 38-yard gain before evading several tacklers on a 30-yard punt return. He didn’t return for the Panthers.
Fountain was named the East-West’s most valuable offensive player.
“He was the talk of the East-West Shrine Game,” an executive in personnel for an NFL team said. “He’s probably going to go in the third or fourth rounds. You look back and ask, ‘How is he not at … pick a Big Ten school?’”
One month later Fountain (6-1 ½, 206) absolutely tore up his pro day in Cedar Falls. His vertical jump of 42 ½ inches, his broad jump of 11-2 and his arm measurement (34 inches) were greater than any recorded by a wide receiver at the combine. His hands (10 1/8 inches) tied for second.
A three-year starter, Fountain caught 150 passes for 2,077 yards (13.8) and 23 touchdowns for teams that posted a 31-21 record under coach Mark Farley.
“He’s the life of the party,” Farley told reporters last season. “He brings all the energy. He is engaging. He is a good person. He is flamboyant. He is the whole package. You won’t find a better person to hang around.”
His 40-yard dash time of 4.54 seconds run on what one scout called a spongy, loose surface probably didn’t hurt him.
“He’s very raw in terms of route running and precision,” said one scout. “He’s got a lot to clean up but that’s also the intriguing part because you see the up side.”
That scout said both Fountain and Weah were better NFL prospects than any of the Badgers’ wide receivers that have ended their careers since theirs began.
“I don’t want to be arrogant with my competitiveness but I see myself definitely in the top half of the draft,” Fountain said. “I believe I’m quick enough if any coaches want me to play in the slot. I believe I’m also fast enough and strong enough to play outside. Use my quickness when I have to and my strength when I have to.”
Weah’s five-year career included a freshman redshirt season and then sophomore and junior seasons in which he played 17 games without a catch.
Pat Narduzzi, the Michigan State defensive coordinator who took over at Pitt in 2015 when Chryst went back to coach Wisconsin, saw a marked transformation in Weah during his break-out season of 2016.
“He’s maybe progressed more off the field than he has on the field,” Narduzzi told reporters in 2017. “He could tell you that … he was probably one of the grumpiest, moodiest guys to coach. It was, like, ‘What happened to this guy?’ Now he’s totally, totally different as far as his attitude.”
Meshing beautifully with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada, Weah led Pitt in receptions (36), receiving yards (870) and touchdowns (10) in 2016. His 24.2 average ranked No. 2 nationally.
“I had a slow start,” Weah said. “It was hard for me to learn the playbook at first and to build confidence in myself. I made plays in practice but when I went out on the field it just wouldn’t translate. I just had to believe I could make a play. When Coach Narduzzi brought Matt Canada in everything turned for the good.”
Weah increased his reception total to 41 as a senior for a 17.0 average and four TDs. According to one scout, he was inconsistent catching the ball in 2017 and, in his judgment, slipped from the third or fourth rounds to maybe the fifth.
At 6-2 and 214, Weah is a power player with blazing 4.41 speed.
“I see myself as a deep threat that can make a play when needed,” said Weah. “I can also help in the run game. I really take pride in my blocking.”
Both players have been busy in recent weeks, visiting with and working out for multiple teams.
The now is football. The forever is friendship.
The post Weah, Fountain: Good receivers, best friends, NFL-bound appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
Continue reading...
BFF is as good a way as any to describe the relationship between Jester Weah and Daurice Fountain.
By the end of the month, two buddies from Madison will be embarking on careers as wide receivers for NFL teams, probably as mid-to-late round draft choices.
Every step of the way they’ll be communicating on various forms of social media and phoning back and forth about the next step in their joint athletic journey that began during their middle-school days in Dane County.
“When we’re around each other we act goofy sometimes,” Weah said from the University of Pittsburgh. “There’s always laughter. Daurice is like my brother. Daurice is very religious and down to earth. He’s a guy you can count on.”
On the morning last month that Fountain conducted this interview in Cedar Falls, home of the University of Northern Iowa, Weah texted him to begin his new day.
“Me and him are so close, it’s crazy,” said Fountain. “We stay in contact every day. He’s probably my brother.”
It’s strange for the state of Wisconsin to produce one wide receiver for pro football, let alone two in one draft. It’s even stranger for two exceptional prep players raised within five miles of Camp Randall Stadium not to have worn the cardinal and white of the University of Wisconsin.
Teammates in three sports at Madison Memorial High School, Weah and Fountain were so successful that they followed each other as winners of the Wisconsin State Journal Boys Athlete of the Year Award. Weah, 23, won in 2013 before Fountain, 22, won in 2014.
“Literally, by his junior year, I already knew he was going to win it in his senior year,” Fountain said.
Added Weah: “If I remember right, Reece told me he was going to get that same award next year. He held to it.”
Besides being an all-state wide receiver, Weah completed a three-year career as part of Memorial’s dominant basketball program by receiving some all-state mention.
Basketball probably was Weah’s first love. In the spring, he spent most of his time playing AAU hoops while dabbling in track and field.
As Weah’s senior year wound down in 2013, Fountain kept pestering his pal to make a greater commitment to track. “I remember he was always on me to just come out for track practice,” said Weah. “He’d say, ‘I’m going to be there, you’ll have fun with it.’ I did that, and the rest is history.”
At the WIAA Division I State Track Meet in La Crosse, Weah won both the 100 meters (10.7) and the 200 meters (21.73). At the same time, Fountain captured the 110 high hurdles and the long jump.
As a senior, Fountain ran 14.04 in the highs to establish a state record that remains on the books; he went on to win a pair of Missouri Valley Conference indoor titles in the hurdles and qualify for Division I nationals twice.
“We definitely had a competition to see who got more gold medals,” Weah said. “It was pretty amazing.”
Weah didn’t start playing football until his sophomore year at Memorial. He had been interested in another sport at that time of year, and for good reason.
His uncle, George Weah, in 1995 became the only African to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award. He would play for AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester City. In December, he was elected president of Liberia.
Jester hasn’t seen his famous uncle in a decade or so. He has seen his highlights, and a trip to Africa is “definitely on my bucket list.”
Soccer was the first sport that he signed up for, and that was in a youth league on Madison’s west side. He stuck with it until fifth grade, stopping only because his size made him feel awkward.
At that point Weah turned to basketball, and as a sophomore he played 32 minutes in Memorial’s memorable 80-78 triple-overtime victory over De Pere in the Division I state finals at the Kohl Center.
The first time the friends played on the same team was when Fountain made the Spartans’ junior-varsity basketball team as a freshman.
Those were the years when they’d get dropped off at Camp Randall and sit with 78,000 other people watching the Badgers. A few years later, they were yearning for the chance to play on that field.
That was early in Gary Andersen’s two-year tenure as the Badgers’ coach. Suffice it to say that their grand plan to play together at UW didn’t materialize.
“I remember going to some Wisconsin games and camps with Daurice,” said Weah. “We both thought we were going to get offered. But my mom always tells me everything happens for a reason.”
Weah accepted a scholarship at Pitt from coach Paul Chryst, who had been the Badgers’ offensive coordinator for some of his prep career. One year later, Fountain had nothing from FBS schools before signing with FCS Northern Iowa.
“I really didn’t understand,” Fountain said. “There were hard feelings. They had to do what’s best for their program, and if that didn’t involve me and Jester, so be it.
“I’m definitely happy for the path that I chose. Going the FCS route and choosing UNI, I wouldn’t trace my career any differently if I had a chance.”
Weah graduated in four years with a degree in communications. It took Fountain just three years to graduate in mass communications.
“We both thought we were going to get offered,” said Weah. “We always talk about, ‘Man, what if we both came here? It’d be a whole different story.’ To this day we talk about this.
“I felt like getting out of Madison definitely was real helpful to me. I definitely matured real quickly. I had a good experience at Pitt.”
The last time they were together was in January at the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Each started for the East team. At last, they were teammates again.
Whereas Weah had been a two-year starter in the Atlantic Coast Conference and was well known to NFL personnel men, Fountain’s approach to the all-star game had to be far different. Weah already secured an invitation to the NFL scouting combine a month later. Fountain didn’t have an invitation and, despite his sensational week in Florida, never did receive one.
In the game, Fountain led both teams in receiving yards (61) and return yards (40). He turned a short slant into a 38-yard gain before evading several tacklers on a 30-yard punt return. He didn’t return for the Panthers.
Fountain was named the East-West’s most valuable offensive player.
“He was the talk of the East-West Shrine Game,” an executive in personnel for an NFL team said. “He’s probably going to go in the third or fourth rounds. You look back and ask, ‘How is he not at … pick a Big Ten school?’”
One month later Fountain (6-1 ½, 206) absolutely tore up his pro day in Cedar Falls. His vertical jump of 42 ½ inches, his broad jump of 11-2 and his arm measurement (34 inches) were greater than any recorded by a wide receiver at the combine. His hands (10 1/8 inches) tied for second.
A three-year starter, Fountain caught 150 passes for 2,077 yards (13.8) and 23 touchdowns for teams that posted a 31-21 record under coach Mark Farley.
“He’s the life of the party,” Farley told reporters last season. “He brings all the energy. He is engaging. He is a good person. He is flamboyant. He is the whole package. You won’t find a better person to hang around.”
His 40-yard dash time of 4.54 seconds run on what one scout called a spongy, loose surface probably didn’t hurt him.
“He’s very raw in terms of route running and precision,” said one scout. “He’s got a lot to clean up but that’s also the intriguing part because you see the up side.”
That scout said both Fountain and Weah were better NFL prospects than any of the Badgers’ wide receivers that have ended their careers since theirs began.
“I don’t want to be arrogant with my competitiveness but I see myself definitely in the top half of the draft,” Fountain said. “I believe I’m quick enough if any coaches want me to play in the slot. I believe I’m also fast enough and strong enough to play outside. Use my quickness when I have to and my strength when I have to.”
Weah’s five-year career included a freshman redshirt season and then sophomore and junior seasons in which he played 17 games without a catch.
Pat Narduzzi, the Michigan State defensive coordinator who took over at Pitt in 2015 when Chryst went back to coach Wisconsin, saw a marked transformation in Weah during his break-out season of 2016.
“He’s maybe progressed more off the field than he has on the field,” Narduzzi told reporters in 2017. “He could tell you that … he was probably one of the grumpiest, moodiest guys to coach. It was, like, ‘What happened to this guy?’ Now he’s totally, totally different as far as his attitude.”
Meshing beautifully with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada, Weah led Pitt in receptions (36), receiving yards (870) and touchdowns (10) in 2016. His 24.2 average ranked No. 2 nationally.
“I had a slow start,” Weah said. “It was hard for me to learn the playbook at first and to build confidence in myself. I made plays in practice but when I went out on the field it just wouldn’t translate. I just had to believe I could make a play. When Coach Narduzzi brought Matt Canada in everything turned for the good.”
Weah increased his reception total to 41 as a senior for a 17.0 average and four TDs. According to one scout, he was inconsistent catching the ball in 2017 and, in his judgment, slipped from the third or fourth rounds to maybe the fifth.
At 6-2 and 214, Weah is a power player with blazing 4.41 speed.
“I see myself as a deep threat that can make a play when needed,” said Weah. “I can also help in the run game. I really take pride in my blocking.”
Both players have been busy in recent weeks, visiting with and working out for multiple teams.
The now is football. The forever is friendship.
The post Weah, Fountain: Good receivers, best friends, NFL-bound appeared first on Bob McGinn Football.
Continue reading...