March 3, 2006

By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - Back in his comfort zone, Omar Jacobs put on an accurate passing display Thursday for approximately 20 NFL scouts.

Jacobs, the former Bowling Green Falcons' quarterback, threw for almost an hour at Perry Field House on the Bowling Green campus. Scouts attending BG's Pro Day included representatives from the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions. Approximately 15 players participated in the workout.

"It felt good. I got into a little groove ... I felt I had a pretty good showing," Jacobs said.

Jacobs spent last weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis where he said it was "hurry up and wait," for everything from blood tests to interviews.

Also because there were so many quarterbacks at the combine, it was hard to get into a rhythm when throwing the ball.

"In Indianapolis, you only got two throws (each round) and you were out ... If you make a bad throw on your last throw, then you're thinking about it for another eight guys," Jacobs said.

Jacobs did attract attention with his passing at the combine.

"For such an unorthodox push delivery, he delivered it real well today, highly accurate," said NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock, one of the few media members allowed to watch the drills. "He had a little more juice on the ball and a better touch on the deep balls than I expected."

On Thursday throwing to his former teammates, including Charles Sharon, Steve Sanders, P.J. Pope and Cole Magner, Jacobs was at ease. He also threw some balls so the defensive backs could be evaluated and he worked on hand-offs with Pope and B.J. Lane.

"Here if you mess up once, you're going to get another time to redeem yourself," Jacobs said. "It was good right after the combine, instead of just sitting around ... I've still got some of those juices going.

"It's good to come back and throw to those guys again. A lot of guys did well."

Among those watching Jacobs' workout Thursday was Ken Anderson, a former quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, who is now the quarterbacks coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"The thing you like as much as anything is that he's a great kid," Anderson said. "He's personable, he's intelligent, he communicates well. People here have nothing but good things to say about him.

"That's fun to get to know the kid a little bit better off the field."

Anderson also watched Jacobs at the combine.

"When you're at the combine ... you're throwing at receivers, you don't know how they're going to come out of the break," Anderson said. "When you go see a kid on his campus, he's always going to perform better than they would at the combine."

At the combine, Jacobs ran a 4.77 40-yard dash, which was in the middle of the pack of the 25 quarterbacks. He did not run a 40 on Thursday.

In Indianapolis, Jacobs had formal meetings with Arizona, Baltimore, Indianapolis and St. Louis and spoke unofficially with Miami quarterbacks coach Jason Garrett.

Jacobs has signed with Athletes First, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based agency. He has been living in California and training daily with strength coach/nutritionist/sports psychologist Chuck Williams. About four times a week he worked with quarterbacks coach Bob Johnson, father of former NFL quarterback Rob Johnson.

Because of NFL rules, a player must now work out at his college or near his home, Jacobs said.

Jacobs, who turns 22 years of age today, plans to stay in the Bowling Green-area as he continues to prepare for the NFL draft in late April.

"I might as well be around my school so if guys want to come in, I can be accessible to anybody," Jacobs said. "I may go out (to California) for a weekend if the agency has something that I need to go to or some kind of charity event."

And even though he's under a microscope while auditioning for a job, Jacobs is having fun.

"This whole experience, this whole ride, it's your dream and it's actually happening right now," he said. "It's still a game."