NFL Pro Day - Buffalo Defensive End Steven Means

This Tuesday, March 5 at 11 am the Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse UB will hold it's annual pro day. This year there are three seniors of note who perhaps have a chance to end up trying out for a professional team if they have a solid day. Over the Next Three Days Bull Run will cover those three players.

Day 2 - Means from an end?

Aside from using a red shirt during his first year on campus UB's Steven Means has never missed a Bulls Game. Through four years, two head coaches, three defensive coordinators and as many line coaches Steven Means has been as reliable as Gold. Forty eight straight games and forty three straight starts

Means is a local kid from Grover Cleveland who made a name for himself early in 2009 when he earned the starting job in week seven. His two sacks against Gardner Webb, and two more against Akron the next week established Means as a presence on the line.

The Turnover in coaching staff have forced means from a 4-3, to a hybrid, to a straight 3-4 defense. Through all the scheme changes and challenges Means has proven a supremely versatile athlete capable of inflicting damage in multiple ways.

His nineteen and half sacks tops Trevor Scott as the number two Buffalo pass rusher of all time. Those sacks are in addition to fifteen hurries, nine pass breakups, and two interceptions, taking one for a touchdown.

Elsewhere in the defensive backfield Means piled up thirty and a half tackles for loss, tenth all time among UB Bulls players.

Means developed from a pure pass rusher into a far more balanced player, eventually getting strong enough against the run to rack up almost 200 tackles over his four years at Buffalo.

On special teams Means had an incredible five blocked field place kicks. Two in his senior year, three in his senior season.

For his efforts during his senior season means was named as a member of the 2012 ALL-MAC team by the conference.

Why Means from an end

Means was ideally suited for a 4-3 defense. His speed and athleticism would be a lot more effective on the end of that defense then as a lineman on a 3-4 squad. Like former UB lineman Trevor Scott NFL teams mike look at Means as a prospect at linebacker.

As an outside linebacker Means is currently ranked somewhere in the low 60's in this years draft class. From that position Means hopes to perform his way onto some late round radars or at least play his way to a free agent look.

It's a similar position to Trevor Scott who was also a dark horse UB lineman who creeped into the seventh round when the Raiders took a chance on him. Scott had a very productive few seasons at Oakland before injuries put him on the sideline. Undaunted Scott is now a solid linebacker for the Patriots.

Whats the Moral of the story? UB Defensive ends make good NFL linebackers.