Will he catch on?
By Bill Spinks
Herald Democrat
SAN ANTONIO — The distance from Celeste to Irving is only 75 miles, but the route Jamaica Rector took to get from one to the other seems like an eternity.
Rector was a star at both Celeste High School, from where he graduated in 2000, and Northwest Missouri State, where he was an NCAA Division II All-American and broke numerous records. But now in training camp for the third time with the Dallas Cowboys, Rector is once again in a fight to make the team — and hopes he can stick this time.
“I still feel like everything’s pretty much up to me,” Rector said. “If the good Lord blesses me, I will be here.”
Rector is one of three Cowboys who played small-school ball in Texas, joining Wortham’s Leonard Davis and Italy’s Keith Davis.
Rector, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound wide receiver and punt returner, first signed with the Cowboys in 2005 as a free agent.
At Northwest Missouri, Rector left as the most productive receiver in school and conference history with 4,497 yards (second on the Division II all-time list) on 289 receptions (third all-time).
Rector also set school records for career punt return yards, punt returns, kick return average and touchdown receptions.
Rector made it to the final cut of his first NFL camp and spent the entire season on the Cowboys’ practice squad. Last year, after a solid preseason in which he led the team with 20 receptions, Rector finally made the active roster.
He returned four punts in the season opener at Jacksonville, but sprained an ankle late in the game and was inactive for four weeks, finally returning to the practice squad for the rest of the year.
Now in his third camp with Dallas, Rector knows the routine, but nothing has changed.
“I feel a little more comfortable, but still, I can’t get too comfortable,” Rector said. “I’m still antsy. I have to do everything perfect. That’s just the way it is. ‘Not For Long,’ NFL, right?”
Being perfect may not be enough to crack a squad that includes star wideouts Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn and a rising star in Patrick Crayton. Rector is also battling returnees such as Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Jerheme Urban for a job.
In all, there are a total of 11 wide receivers in camp and only a finite number of slots available.
“I’m behind everybody,” Rector said. “Everybody’s fighting for position. There’s really no set position until camp breaks.”
Rector is much more low-key than the flamboyant Owens, but has patterned his approach to the game after that of Owens and Glenn.
“They taught me a lot as far as how to practice, how to prepare for practice, (and) how to prepare for games,” Rector said. “These guys have been in (the league) for a while, and they took me under their wing.”
Coming from a Division II school, Rector’s adjustment to the pro game was more difficult than for most rookies who come in from Division I-A football factories.
“It was hard,” Rector said. “The (NFL) game is much faster. In time, with training and working out with (conditioning coach) Joe Juraszek, it’ll get you ready for it.”
Jamaica Rector is not the only member of his family playing professional football. His younger brother Andre, also a state all-star at Celeste, followed Jamaica to Northwest Missouri and is now in arena football with the Spokane Shock.
Andre was fourth on the team in catches and yardage with three touchdowns as the Shock won the afl2 Western Division championship.
Jamaica Rector has had numerous visitors from his hometown. His former high school basketball coach, Greg Robinson, is in San Antonio to visit, and members of his family have made the trip south as well.
He hopes to make them all happy by being somewhere on the field Sept. 9 at Texas Stadium against the New York Giants.
“I’ve got to take it one step at a time,” Rector said. “I’ve gotta stay healthy, then I gotta make the team.”
Herald Democrat
SAN ANTONIO — The distance from Celeste to Irving is only 75 miles, but the route Jamaica Rector took to get from one to the other seems like an eternity.
Rector was a star at both Celeste High School, from where he graduated in 2000, and Northwest Missouri State, where he was an NCAA Division II All-American and broke numerous records. But now in training camp for the third time with the Dallas Cowboys, Rector is once again in a fight to make the team — and hopes he can stick this time.
“I still feel like everything’s pretty much up to me,” Rector said. “If the good Lord blesses me, I will be here.”
Rector is one of three Cowboys who played small-school ball in Texas, joining Wortham’s Leonard Davis and Italy’s Keith Davis.
Rector, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound wide receiver and punt returner, first signed with the Cowboys in 2005 as a free agent.
At Northwest Missouri, Rector left as the most productive receiver in school and conference history with 4,497 yards (second on the Division II all-time list) on 289 receptions (third all-time).
Rector also set school records for career punt return yards, punt returns, kick return average and touchdown receptions.
Rector made it to the final cut of his first NFL camp and spent the entire season on the Cowboys’ practice squad. Last year, after a solid preseason in which he led the team with 20 receptions, Rector finally made the active roster.
He returned four punts in the season opener at Jacksonville, but sprained an ankle late in the game and was inactive for four weeks, finally returning to the practice squad for the rest of the year.
Now in his third camp with Dallas, Rector knows the routine, but nothing has changed.
“I feel a little more comfortable, but still, I can’t get too comfortable,” Rector said. “I’m still antsy. I have to do everything perfect. That’s just the way it is. ‘Not For Long,’ NFL, right?”
Being perfect may not be enough to crack a squad that includes star wideouts Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn and a rising star in Patrick Crayton. Rector is also battling returnees such as Miles Austin, Sam Hurd and Jerheme Urban for a job.
In all, there are a total of 11 wide receivers in camp and only a finite number of slots available.
“I’m behind everybody,” Rector said. “Everybody’s fighting for position. There’s really no set position until camp breaks.”
Rector is much more low-key than the flamboyant Owens, but has patterned his approach to the game after that of Owens and Glenn.
“They taught me a lot as far as how to practice, how to prepare for practice, (and) how to prepare for games,” Rector said. “These guys have been in (the league) for a while, and they took me under their wing.”
Coming from a Division II school, Rector’s adjustment to the pro game was more difficult than for most rookies who come in from Division I-A football factories.
“It was hard,” Rector said. “The (NFL) game is much faster. In time, with training and working out with (conditioning coach) Joe Juraszek, it’ll get you ready for it.”
Jamaica Rector is not the only member of his family playing professional football. His younger brother Andre, also a state all-star at Celeste, followed Jamaica to Northwest Missouri and is now in arena football with the Spokane Shock.
Andre was fourth on the team in catches and yardage with three touchdowns as the Shock won the afl2 Western Division championship.
Jamaica Rector has had numerous visitors from his hometown. His former high school basketball coach, Greg Robinson, is in San Antonio to visit, and members of his family have made the trip south as well.
He hopes to make them all happy by being somewhere on the field Sept. 9 at Texas Stadium against the New York Giants.
“I’ve got to take it one step at a time,” Rector said. “I’ve gotta stay healthy, then I gotta make the team.”
posted by The Gryphon at 6:29 PM
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