buckeyepackfan
a year ago



































Do you like to pull for an underdog?  Of course you do.  You’re a Packers fan.  Your team is America’s favorite underdog.  Green Bay is not just the smallest NFL city, it is the smallest by a mile.  It’s population of around 104,000 is roughly one-third of the next smallest host city, which is Buffalo.  The odds of such a modest town in a cold weather climate retaining a franchise in the world’s biggest and most profitable professional sports league are nearly impossible.   


Without a wealthy owner, owned by ordinary fans throughout the world, competing against mega cities like New York and Chicago and Los Angeles, makes the Packers the ultimate underdog.  Yet not only have they competed, they are the NFL’s all time winningest franchise.  It is the most unlikely story in all of sports. 


What better team then, for an underdog player like Dontayvion Wicks?  The fifth round draft pick is trying to break into a receiver rotation that includes projected starters Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, second year veteran Samori Toure, who is already being tabbed as one of the most improved players on the team, and this year’s second round pick Jayden Reed, whom many have penciled in as the starter in the slot. 


Then there is seventh round selection Grant DuBose, plus free agents Bo Melton, Jeff Cotton, Malik Heath, Duece Watts, and the recently signed Jadakis Bonds.  The odds of Wicks breaking through that logjam to garner significant playing time are stacked against him. 


So what else is new?  The University of Virginia product has been successfully beating the odds all of his life, starting with growing up in a small Louisiana bayou town of about six thousand residents, 27 percent of whom lived at or below the poverty line.  The crime rate in that town was 54 percent above the national average. 


Yet Wicks excelled as a three sport athlete at the local high school.  He thought of himself mainly as a basketball player, and imagined that would be his ticket to a college scholarship.  But once he began playing football in his sophomore year, as both a quarterback and a receiver, he quickly realized the gridiron would be his forte. 


Wicks’ hometown is an outlying community of Baton Rouge, in the shadow of college powerhouse LSU, but Wicks did not get much attention from them.  As a three star recruit, he had offers from smaller programs such as New Mexico and Louisiana Lafayette.  Finally, a power five conference school took notice.  The University of Virginia football progam had been working the state of Louisiana hard, and wound up signing the eighteen year old prospect.  This was the ACC, his best chance to get widespread attention.   


After playing sparingly his freshman year, Wicks was in line to be a major contributor as a sophomore.  But adversity struck.  The 6-1 pass catcher suffered a serious foot injury in August preseason workouts.  He would miss the entire 2020 season, during which the team would post a 5-5 record.  Rather than sulk and get down on himself, Wicks worked even harder to come back, and when he took the field at the start of the 2021 campaign, he was a revelation. 


He set a school record for receiving yards with 1,203.  He was first team all ACC after 57 catches and 9 touchdowns.  His average of 21.1 yards per reception led the conference and was fourth nationwide. Just as he was bursting on to the national consciousness, another tough break.  Because of a severe Covid outbreak on the team, Virginia canceled the final two games of the season, plus a berth in the Fenway Bowl, which would have been a chance for the Cavaliers star to display his talent across the country on ESPN.  Still, Wicks was among the most highly regarded college receiving prospects in the country coming into 2022. 


Then another challenge arrived.  Brock Mendenhall, under whose system Wicks thrived, unexpectedly resigned as head coach, citing burnout.  He was replaced by Tony Elliott, who had been offensive coordinator at Clemson.  Elliott brought a completely new offense to Virginia, one which required, among other things, a change in the way receivers were to run their routes.  Wicks struggled with the transition.  Then injury struck again.  He missed two games.  When he was finally able to get back on the field, his productivity had slipped.  In six games, he had 30 catches for 430 yards and two scores.  Not terrible, but not up to the lofty expectations observers had set for him.   


However, the worst was yet to come. 


On November 13, 2022, Christopher Darnell Jones, a former member of the Virginia football team, produced a gun and opened fire on students on a chartered bus, which was returning from a field trip to Washington DC.  Several current team members were on board.  Three of them were killed.  Two of the victims, Lavel Davis and Devin Chandler, were receivers, close friends and position teammates with Wicks.  The third fatality was linebacker D’Sean Parry.  Two other students, including one player, were injured.  A stunned and grieving campus canceled the rest of the season, and football faded into the tragic cloud of the incident. 


It was with that backdrop of adversity that Wicks learned he had been selected in round five of the NFL draft by the Packers.  He has dedicated his career to his fallen teammates.  "Knowing that they wanted to be in this position I'm in” he said, “I’m doing this for them, knowing that was their biggest goal, being able to be in this position, I thank God. I know they're watching over me every day." 


Wicks also hasn’t forgotten where he came from.  He beat the odds again by finishing his degree in American Studies at UVA.  “A lot of people thought I wouldn’t graduate from there, coming from where I came from” he told media gathered around his locker at Lambeau Field.  He says it was hard work, but he did it for his mother.  “That (getting his degree) was a bigger goal for her, than it was for me getting into the league.  She was more happy with that than for me getting drafted.” 


His goal is to use his degree to start his own business, one that might allow him to mentor kids who need to see a path out of poverty and crime.  “I want to help kids because I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was young....give them resources to develop faster.” 


Now there’s an underdog to pull for. 


Dontayvion faces a tough battle for playing time on this Packers team, but the staff thought enough of him to bring him in for a pre-draft interview.  Not particularly fast with a 4.62 forty yard dash, scouts say he needs work on precision route running and a propensity for drops.  But the Packers also noticed the ease with which he seems to be able to separate down the field and track the ball.  His raw athletic ability jumps off the screen.  The Packers are betting that his junior year performance is a more accurate example of his skill set.  “When you watch the ’21 tape,” Packers director of football operations Milt Hendrickson said about Wicks, “there’s a significant difference.  And at this point in the draft, when you’re taking a player like that, that’s what we’re hanging our hat on.” 


Long shot or not, I wouldn’t count him out.  He’s not afraid of a challenge.  He has overcome a lot to get here.  Wicks is my pick to be the surprise jewel of the 2023 rookie class. 


 





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[URL=/blog/category/green-bay-packers-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Green Bay Packers[/URL]

[URL=/blog/category/featured" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Featured[/URL]

[URL=/blog/category/authors/kenn-lass" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Ken Lass[/URL]

[URL=/blog/category/columns-and-features/the-lass-word" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]The Lass Word[/URL]




Ken Lass is a former Green Bay television sports anchor and 43 year media veteran, a lifelong Packers fan, and a shareholder.


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[URL=/taxonomy/term/12336" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Green Bay Packers[/URL]




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[URL=/blog/category/green-bay-packers" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Green Bay Packers[/URL]

[URL=/tag/dontayvion-wicks" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="]Dontayvion Wicks[/URL]











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CheeseheadTV wrote:


I was addicted to The Hokey Pokey, but I turned myself around!
Fan Shout
beast (6h) : Yeah, but also some of the wording suggestions Jax only pranked called the QB, not the others... and if he had an open spreadsheet & 3 calls
beast (6h) : Thank goodness he's not leaving the Turtle in the Red Tide
Mucky Tundra (6h) : Cowboys 1st round pick Tyler Booker will indeed be bringing his pet turtle to Dallas with him
Mucky Tundra (7h) : that contained all prospects info and contact
Mucky Tundra (7h) : beast, according the Falcons statement Jax came across it on an ipad. If I had to guess, probably an open spread sheet or something
Zero2Cool (7h) : Simmons put up an emoji with cheese.
beast (7h) : Not sure anyone is interested in Isaiah Simmons... Collin Oliver might of taken his potential slot
beast (7h) : I'm going with Jax Ulbrich is not telling the whole truth... he accidentally came across it? Why would a defensive coordinator have a QB #?
Zero2Cool (8h) : He's not that great, but final piece of the script.\
Zero2Cool (8h) : If we add Isaiah Simmons, book your Super Bowl tickets
Mucky Tundra (8h) : Colts 1st round TE Tyler Warren also got prank called, was that Jax Ulbrich as well?
Zero2Cool (8h) : Jax Ulbrich, Jeff Ulbrich’s son, released an apology for his role in the Shedeur Sanders prank call.
Martha Careful (8h) : apparently he did not participate in practice or play on the east west shrine game nor the NFL combine. The kid was a mediocre spoiled brat
Mucky Tundra (9h) : Yeah that one that was a super wounded duck that Sanders supporters are highlighting to prove a point
Zero2Cool (9h) : Shough is the guy who missed guys at combine isn't he?
beast (10h) : It's not official until I'm dead! I have a chance still! (Not really)
Mucky Tundra (19h) : I could feel my body decomposing in real time when I read that
Mucky Tundra (19h) : @MIKEYSAINRISTIL Tyler Shough will officially be the last person drafted to the NFL born in the 1900’s
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : saw the tweet, he meant the city
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : Was that for the team or the city?
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter · 3m Draft grade is in: Green Bay gets an A. The people, the city, the venue were all superb. NFL Draft’s next
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matt LaFleur says Jaire Alexander is participating in #Packers offseason program, which has been conducted virtually during this first week
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : ✅ ...
buckeyepackfan (26-Apr) : Check
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Matthew Golden cahanged 81 to 22??
TheKanataThrilla (26-Apr) : Sam Howell to Vikings...guess no Aaron
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : 1 round 7 min, with one extra minute if there is a trade. 2nd round 4 minutes, 3rd -3, 2 thereafter IMO
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Agree
dfosterf (26-Apr) : Great idea imo
dfosterf (26-Apr) : 1st round to 7 minutes with one extension
dfosterf (26-Apr) : NFL comissioner wants to shorten the 2st
Mucky Tundra (26-Apr) : @jalenreagors They’re discussing if Sheduer can go back to college on NFL Network LMFAOOOOO
beast (26-Apr) : Great point Martha
beast (26-Apr) : Buddy Ryan used to say if a candy bar goes missing, there are two to blame, Rex and Rob 🤪 jk 😁
Martha Careful (26-Apr) : Bum Phillips used to say there are two ways to get better. Get better players or get players to play better. We have a new DL coach
Zero2Cool (26-Apr) : Yes. Look at the losses last year. They can win.
beast (26-Apr) : Can Packers win with their current DL?
bboystyle (26-Apr) : waiting for a pass rusher.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes between picks in the 3rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 3rd. Hate this phone
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 4rd
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 5 minutes in the 4
dfosterf (25-Apr) : 7 minutes between picks in the 2nd round
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : Sorry to bitch, but the headline writers in that section absolutely mislead, or don't know how to read. It is maddening
Martha Careful (25-Apr) : No thanks. Not a dependable guy to be in the right place and run the right route. Dumb as a box of rocks.
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : Losing 2nd round pick for a one year rental, not ideal. Especially a headcase.
TheKanataThrilla (25-Apr) : Pickens for Jaire may be interesting. Definitely not sure we want Pickens long term.
dfosterf (25-Apr) : No.Absolutely not
Zero2Cool (25-Apr) : NO NO NO NO NO NO!!1 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
dhazer (25-Apr) : scenario: Our main prospects are off the board when our pick comes around, do we just throw a 2nd round pick at Pittsburgh for Pickens
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