San Diego Chargers GM AJ Smith has a history of selecting players out of Northern Illinois, selecting LB Larry English and RB Michael Turner in previous drafts. There is another player that has Smith’s attention out of NIU.
Smith went out to NIU’s pro day on Thursday and watched RB Chad Spann closely in the workouts. The former Huskie running back ran a 4.52-second dash which was almost one-tenth of a second faster than the expected 4.6 time.
Spann said there are many teams that have shown interest, including his hometown Indianapolis Colts. But he was impressed with (AJ) Smith, and he hopes the Chargers GM felt the same way.
“It makes me feel great,” Spann said. “The Chargers have been a team known to select guys from NIU. It shows a lot about the program here, and what [Smith] thinks about the type of players at Northern Illinois.
“The Chargers kind of stepped up (their interest) a little more today with their showing.”
The Chargers will be looking for a backup running back in the draft since Darren Sproles will probably be sporting a different uniform next season. Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert will be the top 2 backs on the depth chart and Chad Spann could be a possibility to compete for the 3rd spot on the depth chart.
Spann is expected to be available late in the draft, possibly as a 5th or 6th selection. He finished the 2010 season with 1388 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He is not much of a threat in the passing game, finishing the season with only 9 receptions for 45 yards. He did not fumble the ball once in his entire tenure with NIU.
Original Story:
http://boltbeat.com/2011/03/11/aj-smi...
