Jachai Polite's ex-coach defends Jets 'big-time steal'

[joewilly12]

Jachai Polite’s ex-coach defends Jets’ ‘big-time steal’

By Brian Costello

May 8, 2019 | 8:00pm | Updated 

 

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Jachai PoliteAP

Chris Rumph first saw Jachai Polite play at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2015.

Rumph was an assistant at the University of Florida at the time, and the Gators were looking at Polite initially as a tight end. Then, Rumph saw Polite play defensive end against a top-rated tackle who had committed to Auburn.

“He just proceeded to wear this guy out,” Rumph, now the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, said by phone Wednesday. “We were like, ‘Boys, we got us one.’ ”

Polite did commit to Florida and became one of the best pass rushers in college football last season, with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles, the most in the country. The Jets picked Polite in the third round of the NFL draft, hoping he can bring some of that pass-rushing magic to their defense.

Just like he believed the Gators had something special when they landed Polite, Rumph thinks the Jets may have landed a difference-maker.

“I think [the Jets] got a steal with him in the third round,” Rumph, who was Polite’s defensive line coach in 2016-17, said. “That’s a big-time steal.”

When you watch the film of Polite at Florida, you can see what Rumph is talking about. Polite is constantly bending the edge and terrorizing SEC quarterbacks. He looks like a high-motor pass rusher who can give the Jets the edge rusher they have been searching for since John Abraham left town 13 years ago.

But Polite is a 6-foot-2, 245-pound question mark. Yes, he could be the answer to the Jets’ pass-rushing problems. Or he could just end up being a problem.

If the draft had been held in January, Polite would have gone in the first round based off his 2018 season.

But the months of February and March took their toll on Polite’s draft stock. He had a terrible scouting combine, clashing with teams in interviews, then telling the media about it to go along with some poor testing. Things did not improve at his Pro Day, and suddenly a surefire top-15 pick was sliding down draft boards.

Polite said he learned a lesson from the experience. The Jets believe Polite, who turned 21 in March, is a good kid who made some immature mistakes.

There are whispers, though, from executives with other teams about more baggage than just immaturity. But Polite is not a criminal. He did not fail any drug tests. He does not have a history of DUIs. The Jets are banking on him being able to grow with their support.

Rumph blamed Polite’s mistakes at the combine on those around him not preparing him better. But he admits Polite is sometimes too honest for his own good.

“He’s going to say what’s on his mind,” Rumph said. “He’s not trying to be disrespectful, but he’ll tell you if you ask the question, I’m giving you the answer. Sometimes that might get him in trouble. He’s going to have to be smart going to a big market like New York with what he’s saying and how he’s saying it. But I think his intentions are great, his heart is in the right place.”

Polite showed that heart with his Twitter handle “@retiremoms” — a nod to his mother Katrina Simmons, who he hopes can retire from her job as the supervisor of housekeepers at a hotel in Daytona Beach now that he is in the NFL.

Jets' NFL draft takeaways: Jachai Polite is gamble who may become steal

As far as showing heart on the field, Rumph points to a play in 2017 when Florida was facing Tennessee in Gainesville. Polite was initially fooled on a screen pass to running back John Kelly, but he then ran 25 yards downfield, at one point passing Kelly, before coming back to make the tackle.

“I’ve been coaching a while, and that was one of the top five plays I’ve seen a guy make in my life,” said Rumph, a coaching veteran of more than 20 years.

If Jets fans Google the play, they will be salivating at the potential their new pass rusher shows.

Polite is the most intriguing player the Jets selected this year, the quintessential boom-or-bust draft pick for a team that desperately needs a boomer at pass rusher after too many busts.

[thshadow]

Here's the thing that I don't get.

A concern that came from the combine / pre-draft process is, if he did that badly for that, he must be lazy and hard to coach.  And yet you never heard that during actual football games, and in fact here is his coach also saying good things about him. 

Another concern is that he was lying about his hammy, and that he's actually as slow as an offensive lineman.  But if anyone has watched any of his tape - that has to be 100% false...

I agree with people that say typically if you can't prepare well for the combine / pro-day, something is wrong, and his explanation sounds pretty far fetched.  But TBH, his explanation sounds a lot more believable than any alternative I can imagine...

 

 

[Ken Schroy]

I believe the kid is coachable and will be a terror at some point in his career.

[SR24]

I am very very excited to see this kid play 

[BROOKLYN JET]

Hoping he will be the most bumpable player in JN history.

[static14]

Year one he makes a name for himself. 

[JetFaninMI]

Well boom or bust the Jets have the right guy in Williams to get the most out of this guy. Hopefully He responds to Williams style of coaching and excels. Macc and the Jets sure need him too. I think Polite will be a work in progress.  Hopefully he gets better and better as the Season goes on and lives up too the building hype. Otherwise he will just be another Macc mistake. We will see.

[rangerous]

sometimes these kids just act like kids and don't want to kowtow to the combine scouts.  they're acting too cool for school and all that.  well polite showed them.  he's a third rounder and missed out on all of the extra money he would've gotten for getting picked higher.  and the thing is he's going to be working just as hard for less money.

[T0mShane]

“His heart is in the right place” is not an actual, lucid defense of anyone 

[Larz]

He’s a natural 

[joenamathwouldn'tcry]

5 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

“His heart is in the right place” is not an actual, lucid defense of anyone 

Funny thing, that's what I always try to tell myself when I try to reconcile some of the things I read that you promulgate.  Ironic, isn't it TOm?

As for Polite, I see him quickly developing into a cult hero.  Can't wait.

[The Crusher]

Manners 

[Skeptable]

Who cares what his high school coach says... It's high school... Good or bad it means nothing. 

[T0mShane]

3 minutes ago, joenamathwouldn'tcry said:

 Ironic, isn't it TOm?

Like rain on your wedding day.

[Sammybighead]

Liked this pick. It was a proper risk in the third round

[Gastineau Lives]

30 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

Like rain on your wedding day.

Or herpes when you never get laid

[Drums]

34 minutes ago, Skeptable said:

Who cares what his high school coach says... It's high school... Good or bad it means nothing. 

 

1 hour ago, joewilly12 said:

Jachai Polite’s ex-coach defends Jets’ ‘big-time steal’

Rumph was an assistant at the University of Florida at the time, and the Gators were looking at Polite initially as a tight end. Then, Rumph saw Polite play defensive end against a top-rated tackle who had committed to Auburn.

“He just proceeded to wear this guy out,” Rumph, now the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, said by phone Wednesday. “We were like, ‘Boys, we got us one.’ ”

“I think [the Jets] got a steal with him in the third round,” Rumph, who was Polite’s defensive line coach in 2016-17, said.

 

[ASH1962]

The f**king combine is so over rated. Oh so a player can't excel at track & field, big whoop. Didn't Vernon Gholston have a great combine from what I remember?

Watch his tape from last season. Scary.

[Philc1]

The media has done a hit job on this poor guy

[T0mShane]

8 minutes ago, Gastineau Lives said:

Or herpes when you never get laid

You can actually get herpes in many different ways that don’t involve sex

[RobR]

I honestly hope this kid succeeds and turns into a terror on the edge but I just don't see it. The amount of red flags he is throwing as a prospect almost guarantees his failure, let alone that Mac picked him.

Three years down the road I can see poster after poster saying at least Mac swung for the fences with this pick, yet he ends up missing and striking out again.

[cant wait]

42 minutes ago, rangerous said:

sometimes these kids just act like kids and don't want to kowtow to the combine scouts.  they're acting too cool for school and all that.  well polite showed them.  he's a third rounder and missed out on all of the extra money he would've gotten for getting picked higher.  and the thing is he's going to be working just as hard for less money.

he should have stayed for his senior season but some lessons are better learned the hard way I guess. in fairness to him though the UF program does not seem to be doing a great job of training their kids. their top prospects have a bad track record with staying healthy- you saw jawaan taylor fall all the way down to 35 too despite widely being considered as a top 15 pick this year

[Philc1]

1 minute ago, cant wait said:

he should have stayed for his senior season but some lessons are better learned the hard way I guess. in fairness to him though the UF program does not seem to be doing a great job of training their kids. their top prospects have a bad track record with staying healthy- you saw jawaan taylor fall all the way down to 35 too despite widely being considered as a top 15 pick this year

That’s because Right Tackles normally don’t get drafted in the top 15

[cant wait]

5 minutes ago, Philc1 said:

That’s because Right Tackles normally don’t get drafted in the top 15

he dropped due to questions about knee issues

[Philc1]

Just now, cant wait said:

he dropped due to questions about knee issues

Neither Taylor nor Jonah were great OT prospects

[Smashmouth]

 Really getting sick of that ridiculously stupid Music in these highlight videos. Who thought that was good choice ?  This kid can play for sure, Lets hope it translates to the NFL.

Also I think Greg Williams will make sure none of those celebrations before the play was over happen on his watch

 

[Gastineau Lives]

18 minutes ago, T0mShane said:

You can actually get herpes in many different ways that don’t involve sex

Fighting Tom Shane.

[RobR]

Just now, Philc1 said:

Neither Taylor nor Jonah were great OT prospects

Jonah was and always will be considered a LT prospect, hence why he got drafted so high. I agree that Taylor was always a RT prospect and that is why he dropped.

[Philc1]

2 minutes ago, RobR said:

Jonah was and always will be considered a LT prospect, hence why he got drafted so high. I agree that Taylor was always a RT prospect and that is why he dropped.

Is that why the bengals are going to move Jonah to Center?

[T0mShane]

1 minute ago, Gastineau Lives said:

Which way was yours?

When my brother was living with me, his girlfriend had two chihuahuas and she brought over some disgusting chihuahua rash and gave it to my brother. And even though I bought him his own towels to use, he would continue to use mine and I got this rash on my chest and had to go see a dermatologist, who recommended Herpecin and some pill. A year later, I go for a yearly physical and my doctor brings in this hot nursing intern to help him and what’s the first thing she see when she pops open my chart? Herpes meds. Disgusting 

[RobR]

3 minutes ago, Philc1 said:

Is that why the bengals are going to move Jonah to Center?

Huh?

[Beerfish]

The biggest impressive stat he has going for him?  6 forced fumbles.  This is why it IS important to get sacks and get to the player you are pursuing instead of 'oh almost got to him, got a pressure' stat

[Dcat]

38 minutes ago, Philc1 said:

Neither Taylor nor Jonah were great OT prospects

I wanted Dillard 1st.  I figured mid 1st round.  If they traded lower I was thinking Ford.  I assumed Taylor and Jonah would have been off the board

[jetscrazey]

His actual pass-rush moves are better than Josh Allen's right now.  Allen is the monster prospect because of his size and speed off the snap combo, but he doesn't have crafty moves.  If Allen develops those moves he'll be a monster with his size and get-off.

Polite probably has a higher floor though and will be a better day 1 NFL player.  He could be a beast if he works on those moves more.  I really like his up-and-under move when rushing the edge.  See this play:

https://youtu.be/LqggMXbcmaM?t=135

[Warfish]

Is it so hard to reserve judgement till we see him actually play?

Why does anyone have to decide now about this player?

Just wait a while, then we'll all know.