NFL is Quincy Black's reward

Quincy Black has dealt with his parents' deaths, three schools and a position change.

By RICK STROUD
Published May 6, 2007

TAMPA -- Temperatures inched toward 90 degrees on the second day of rookie minicamp Saturday, unseasonably warm even in a state known for its heat and humidity.

If that were not enough, Bucs coach Jon Gruden had used the postpractice huddle to scold his young Bucs for not being in shape.

The last one off the field was linebacker Quincy Black.

When you have spent so much of your life chased by clouds, a few extra minutes in the sunshine is nothing to run from.

"You kind of fall in love with some guys and have your favorites before the draft," special teams coach Rich Bisaccia said of the third-round pick from New Mexico.

"His story talks a little bit about his perseverance and what kind of kid he is."

Childhood 'lessons'

Black's story begins in a tough neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, where he lost both parents during high school. His father, seduced by drugs, died of an overdose. His mother had a heart attack just a few days before his graduation.

"It definitely was a lesson. It was very hard going through the whole situation with my father, " Black said. "I was a freshman in high school, and it was very difficult. It's something I learned I could get through. You can't let those things hinder you from doing what you want to do. You have to move forward."

But Black's path to the NFL was filled with obstacles. He was an all-city performer at Kenwood High but began his career at a junior college in Kansas.

It was a chance to honor his mother's dream of getting a degree and earning the attention of a Division I-A program. But when he quickly discovered the school didn't share those priorities, he transferred to Harper College, a community college in the Chicago suburb of Palatine.

He began at defensive end. When he arrived at New Mexico a year later, coaches moved him to linebacker.

During his junior season, Black's grandfather died. He missed a week of practice leading up to a key Mountain West Conference game against Colorado State game to attend the funeral but returned in time to start.

"I think I grew up gradually. There wasn't a catastrophic event," Black said. "Death is part of life."

The abruptness of death, visiting Black three times before his 21st birthday, only hardened his resolve. He did the same with his body.

In the middle of the night, while his roommates slept, it wasn't uncommon for Black to take out a jump rope and work himself into a lather.

His 6-foot-2, 240-pound body is proof of his hard work. At the scouting combine, Black finished first among linebackers in the 40-yard dash (4.42 seconds), vertical leap (3 feet, 5 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches).

"He's built like Mr. T or Apollo Creed," Gruden said.

The new Urlacher

Black proved to be a good linebacker with nearly 70 tackles as a junior. But because of his speed and ability to make plays in coverage, coach Rocky Long moved him to the position made famous during the 1990s by current Bears star Brian Urlacher.

Black, of course, grew up a Bears fan. But he grew to hate the comparisons to Urlacher, although he has calmly answered those questions thousands of times.

Black was naturally suited for what amounted to a shallow safety or deep linebacker. Last season, he had 114 tackles, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) and a forced fumble.

Those were eye-popping numbers to the Bucs, who invited Black to a meeting in Tampa a few weeks before last weekend's draft.

"It was great. It gave me the opportunity to show all the different things I can do," Black said. "I loved the time with the Lobos coaching staff. I appreciate the time and energy they put into developing me into a player."

Black, 23, gathered his family and friends in a Chicago hotel to watch the draft but admittedly grew extremely nervous by about the start of the second round.

It passed without him being picked.

Then with the Bucs on the clock with the 68th overall pick (the fourth of the third round), Gruden telephoned Black and asked if he would like to come to Tampa Bay.

"A dream come true," Black said.

The Bucs believe Black is more of an outside linebacker, but they hope to find creative ways to utilize his athletic ability, even as a pass rusher.

"He's an athletic player ... who played in an unorthodox scheme, but he's very fast, very physical, " Gruden said. "He can rush the passer as a blitzer. He's a guy who has played in space and has been very effective at times.

"We've got a very fast, explosive athlete who will be a linebacker for us."

[Last modified May 5, 2007, 22:54:43]