Hoosiers Eye NFL Draft Opportunity

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - It was time. Jamar Johnson knew it. Team and individual goals had been met. Not all of them, but enough for the now ex-Indiana safety, an All-Big Ten choice last season, to make the move that had always driven him.

Now here he is, the NFL draft on the horizon, committed to a future of possibilities.

"It was me feeling ready physically and mentally," he says about skipping a final year of college eligibility. "I had goals and I accomplished most of them. It was time to take it to the next level."

Johnson projects as a late second-round pick in the draft, which will run April 29 through May 1 in Cleveland. That's the best of any Hoosier in the mock drafts.

Center Harry Crider, defensive lineman Jerome Johnson, receiver Whop Philyor, running back Stevie Scott III, defensive lineman Jovan Swann, and punter Haydon Whitehead hope to hear their names called as well.

"It's pretty wild," says Crider, who grew up an Indianapolis Colts fan in general, center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning in particular. "A year or so ago, I didn't know if I'd be in this position. I'm happy with how far I've come. I'm excited to take the next step."

As for the steps Indiana has taken as a program, which including last season's 6-2 record and final No. 12 national ranking, Philyor says, "We changed the culture. We're leaving IU in a winning situation. We're some top dogs."

Jamar Johnson did much of his pre-draft training in Arizona. Aaron Wellman, IU's football performance director, took the time to visit and work with him, which reflects the Hoosiers commitment to players even after they're gone.

"We fine-tuned little things I needed to work on, like my running mechanics," Johnson says.

At IU, Johnson played husky (a hybrid linebacker-safety) as well as safety. It helped him develop pass-coverage and run-support skills that could prove invaluable in the NFL, where defensive versatility is crucial against stretch-the-field offenses.

"It will help me tremendously at the next level," he says. "Not many guys in this year's draft are able to do that. My man coverage is pretty good. I can go in the slot and cover fast short guys. My range back at free safety gives me leverage so I can attack the ball and get the ball back to the offense."

Johnson came to IU after an all-state Florida high school career. He came because of head coach Tom Allen and the opportunity to turn around a perennially struggling program.

"I was up for the challenge of changing the culture," he says. "People didn't want me to come here. They'd say, 'Hey man, you had better offers. You should have gone somewhere else.'"

Johnson became a Hoosier and helped deliver an 8-5 record and a TaxSlayer Gator Bowl bid in 2019, and then last season's surge into the Top 10 and an Outback Bowl appearance.

"I'm most proud of us being ranked," he says. "That was one of my goals. I always wanted to have a number by my team's name. To be a part of that was the biggest thing."

It wouldn't have happened, Johnson adds, without Allen's program philosophy of LEO (Love Each Other).

"I came here at 18 thinking I knew everything. I had a lot of maturing to do.

"LEO is very important to me. Where I come from, we don't get much love. It's survival mode. Here everybody loves each other. That was a big part of our success. We see it from Coach Allen. Because of him and LEO, the success will keep building."

Philyor vouches for Allen and his program.

"Words can't describe what he means to me. He believed in me. He took a chance on me. He made me feel wanted. I thank him for giving me the shot and have a chance for the NFL. He's my guy."

As for LEO, Philyor adds, "It's a way to live your life. Love everybody. Don't hate. The lifestyle is a good way to live your life. There's too much bad in the world."

Philyor led IU with 54 catches last season. They were good for 495 yards and three touchdowns. That followed a 1,000-yard receiving season that made him a focus of every defense.

Philyor credits receivers coach Grant Heard for developing him.

"Coach Heard is like a father figure to me. He coached me hard. He made sure my mind was always right. He coached me up. He wasn't mad at me. I love that dude to death. He made me a better person."

At 5-11 and 180 pounds, Philyor says he sees himself playing inside and outside receiver in the NFL, as well as special teams.

"Whatever a team needs me to do, I'll do."

He says NFL scouts have told him, "They like my playing style, my toughness, and grit. That's what we appreciate at Indiana, toughness and grit. I'm not easy to bring down."

The 6-4, 311-pound Crider trained in New Jersey, with much of his focus on agility drills. He hopes NFL scouts see him as a "consistent, tough, smart player who is a hard worker and dependable." He says he thinks he can play center or right or left guard in the NFL, and credits offensive line coach Darren Hiller for developing him.

"He did a great job of bringing me up."

Crider, a team captain last year, was part of consecutive 5-7 seasons in Allen's first two years before the Hoosiers made their move.

"It's awesome to see that turnaround led by Coach Allen and the culture he instilled," Crider says. "The whole experience, with the football program on the rise, it's awesome to be part of that."

Indiana University Athletics

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Harry Crider

Jamar Johnson

Jerome Johnson

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Haydon Whitehead

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