Ponds and Glenn: When Size Doesn’t Matter
The comparisons began from the moment NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Jets’ selection, No. 50 overall, in the second round of the draft last month in Pittsburgh — Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds.
Like his head coach Aaron Glenn who played 15 seasons and was often described as “undersized,” Ponds has heard the comparisons. And now the Jets’ new DC Brian Duker, 36, who was born only a few years before Glenn made his debut in green and white in 1994, is making the connection.
“First, in regard to the comparison to AG, certainly find it as amusing as everyone else,” Duker said on Wednesday. “I can’t say I watched AG’s tape coming out, so I’m not too qualified to compare the two tapes, but I understand why they say that from a measurables standpoint. That’s all I can say about the comparison. In terms of the player, for D’Angelo, been super impressed by his ability just as a football player and has shown that he can get the ball back, has shown he can be a lockdown corner.”
Ponds (5-8, 182) plays with the same tenacity and stickiness as Glenn did during his career. After transferring from James Madison to Indiana (moving there along with HC Curt Cignetti), Ponds in 15 starts last season led IU’s National Championship defense with 10 pass breakups and added 61 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 INTs (one returned for a touchdown), a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
“D’Angelo is his own man,” Glenn said after the draft. “And again, he’s a guy that we love. Man, the traits speak for themselves, when it comes to height, weight and all of that. The physical characteristics of the player overcome a lot of the traits that he has, in terms of his height. I love the player. Tough, aggressive [and] comes from a winning program.”