BUSHROD
lifted from BAYO1 1 ‘*
SUPER BOWL
File photo by Patrick Smith/ The Towerlight
David J. Phillip / The Associated Press (Below)
Jermon Bushrod
has stressed
hard work and
preparation
ever since
setting his
sights in
college on
the NFL.
PETE LORENZ
Sports Editor
When Garrett Hartley's 40-yard
field goal split the uprights in the
Superdome in New Orleans last Sunday,
Jan. 24, Super Bowl-bound offensive
tackle Jermon Bushrod wasn’t quite
sure where to go or what to do, so he
sprinted toward the end zone.
“I looked to my left and looked
to my right and no one was there,
so I looked back and everyone was
gathered around the fleur-de-lis on
the 50-yard line," Bushrod said. “I
sprinted back and just enjoyed the
moment with my teammates."
Bushrod, who graduated from
Towson in 2007 and was drafted that
April by the New Orleans Saints in the
fourth round of the NFL Draft, quick¬
ly got used to celebrating. In a city
known for its laid-back atmosphere
and party-oriented culture, Bushrod
said the people have been even more
jubilant after seeing the franchise earn
its first ever Super Bowl berth.
"After the game, it was great around
the city," Bushrod said. "People were
out, people were happy, and it cer¬
tainly put a smile on people’s faces.
Everybody’s happy around here.
Everybody’s excited.”
The 315-pound, 6-foot 5-inch
Bushrod was the second-string left
tackle going into the season. But after
starter Jammal Brown suffered injuries
early on, Bushrod was thrust into the
starting role. Brown was placed on the
injured reserve in Week 3, and Bushrod
was charged with protecting four-time
Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees dur¬
ing a season in which the Saints would
start 13-0 but drop the final three
games before beating the Arizona
Cardinals in the NFC Divisional Round
and then Minnesota in the conference
championship game.
First, though, Bushrod had to
go from an Football Championship
Subdivision college in a Baltimore sub¬
urb with almost no history of pro foot¬
ball success to the National Football
League.
Towson offensive line coach John
Donatelli said that Bushrod knew early
in his Towson career that he wanted to
make it to the pros.
"Sometime just before his redshirt
sophomore year, I asked them all to
give me their goals,” Donatelli said.
"He put down that his goal was to
play in the NFL. So we sat down and
talked about it, we mapped out a plan
and we followed that plan for the next
few years."
Donatelli, who coached Bushrod
through all five of his years at Towson,
said that Bushrod’s success comes
from a balance of preparation and
talent.
"It’s not just one thing about him
that makes him special," Donatelli
said. "Obviously he is extremely ath¬
letic, extremely flexible, extremely
twitchy - what we call twitchy - which
is very explosive and has the ability
to cover space in a very short time.
He definitely has a lot of God-given
ability."
Donatelli said the two of them still
talk about his game plan for his next
opponent in the NFL.
"We talk about his opponent,"
Donatelli said. "We talk about his
preparation, and what Jermon feels
he needs to do to attack and defend
against their moves. So Jermon is
definitely extremely cerebral about his
See BOWL, page 23
