BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF. - It's the tried-and-true cliché about a guy overcoming his shortcomings to excel. J Leman has done that and earned a variety of All-America honors as a senior linebacker at Illinois. And after almost having to take an offer from Illinois State, he's in the discussion about NFL draft position.
"People questioned my speed and said I wasn't that big," Leman said. "But there's some stuff you can't measure -- effort, heart, the way you approach the game. Just a lot of things don't show up on paper."
Leman has transformed himself by adding 35 pounds the past five years to his previously non-Big Ten body and by working longer hours than most in the weight room.
Still, he played in the shadow of two other Big Ten linebacking standouts: Penn State's Dan Connor and Ohio State's James Laurinaitis.
But USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is well aware of the guy with the long hair.
"He's smart, he's tough and he anticipates things," Sarkisian said. "He's the epitome of what you want at that spot. He can do it all. He doesn't have to be the prettiest thing in the world."
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
