For all the negative attention that former Michigan State players Plaxico Burress (whom we have elevated to starting WR on the All Gridiron Pen Team), Charles Rogers and Mark Ingram have ascertained in the last year, one former MSU star is doing nothing but drawing rave reviews not only for his ability on the field, but the way he carries himself off it.

Javon Ringer is currently fighting for a roster spot on the Tennessee Titans, and it is beginning to look like he will wrap up the 3rd running back position before the season begins.  He has impressed his teammates with his ability to be patient on cutbacks and waiting for the play to develop:

“He is a good football player,” quarterback Kerry Collins said. “Some guys are just football players, and Javon Ringer is a football player. He is patient, remarkably patient for a rookie running back. He sees blocking schemes well and has a good feel for when to cut back and when not to cut back. He has shown a lot of moves. I think the kid has a bright future.”

As impressive as he has been in camp and in limited action in preaseason games, it is how Ringer carries himself that might be the most impressive thing about him:

“He’s a character guy, and you could tell that from the start,” fullback Ahmard Hall said. “He’s the total package. You rarely get that combination of humility and natural athletic ability and I think he has that great combination. You combine those two and you get someone who could be unstoppable.”

Yep, this is Javon Ringer in a nutshell. Great football player, even greater young man. With his dedication to be the best in what he does, I would not be surprised to see him take carries away from Chris Johnson and LenDale White as the season progresses. The only thing that could stop Ringer are his knees, as he has had multiple surgeries to repair them since high school. However, no one else can stand in his way.

Ringer wasn’t necessarily humbled by how low he was drafted, but he is using it as fuel to push him even harder. He was passed over by other big schools when he was in high school, some say because of academics, others say by his knee injury. He became an afterthought as the season went on last year, as his dominating stats grew smaller, even though he was playing with an injury and defenses were stacking 8 guys in the box. Javon always plays as if he has something to prove, and he is doing so now in the NFL as a Titan.

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