Joe Horn Story

Bill Carroll wrote this following story. Bill Carroll will be providing us with a few articles from time to time when he’s not doing his work at consensus draft services. Let us know your thoughts.

With so much hype given to the top prospects in April’s National Football League (NFL) Draft, it is easy to forget about small-school stars like former Ashland University wide receiver Joe Horn. For athletes like Horn, they have to compete at pro days on bigger campuses with the hope that they gain enough attention to merit a contract as an undrafted free agent. However, due to the NFL currently undergoing a lockout, undrafted free agents might not exist this year. The best-case scenario for players like Horn is if a team decides to use a late-round draft choice to select them. To help ensure that happens, Horn has worked out at Ohio State University’s pro day and competed at the pro day at the University of Cincinnation Monday, March 28th . Horn’s training has increased his strength, weight and speed. He now can bench 225 pounds 10 times, has increased his weight from 177 pounds to 192 and posted a 4.46 40-yard dash at the Ohio State pro day. While Ashland University might be under the radar for many NFL teams, playing there was a major step up for the former Cincinnati Christian High School student. As a sophomore and junior, Horn played quarterback, safety and cornerback on a team that consisted of only 20 players. His dad, Jay, actually was the head coach of his son’s sophomore year team, which was the first ever at Cincinnati Christian. Then, before his senior year, Horn moved up to his father’s hometown where he attended Waynesfeld-Goshen High School. He played wide receiver and graduated in a class of 40, as his father Jay Horn served as the school’s offensive coordinator. He was a track standout In HS he won state in the 100, 200, 400, and 4X200 his senior year. Horn’s best times at Ignition APG in Cincinnati during his training for the pro day are 3.89 in the SS, 6.33 in the 3-cone, and 4.42 in the 40, along with 10’1″ in the BJ and 36″ in the VJ. Earlier this month, Horn found himself at a pro day working out with OSU players Horn was one of roughly a dozen invitees included in the workout, which ran 8-8:45 a.m. — prior to a workout for 17 former Buckeyes including Ray Small, Dane Sanzenbacher and Brandon Saine. He was one of 12 ‘non-OSU’ participants at the Buckeye pro day, Horn was one of just 4 athletes invited to stay for position drills with the Buckeyes in front of scouts from 29 NFL teams (Arizona, Seattle and Washington did not attend.), he attracted the attention of numerous teams. He has already received a lot of interest from the Jacksonville Jaguars and has been invited to participate in a private workout for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Washington Redskins have conducted a phone interview, while both the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts have recently requested game film. He did post a 34 ½” vertical, a personal-best 10’1” effort in the broad jump, and put up 10 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press. At Ashland, Horn played extremely well and finished his career as the school’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions. In one game he ‘pulled a Gale Sayers’ he scored 6 TDs in final collegiate game to tie GLIAC single-game TD and scoring records. During his three years as a starter, Horn caught 163 passes for 2,620 yards and had 28 touchdown receptions. He makes soft hands-catches away from his body, plucks ball from the air, his hand span is 9 ¾” and he is becoming a more precise route runner with his excellent speed into and out-of cuts. He has begun to set-up defenders with head and shoulder feints to create separation. He is a versatile and elusive playmaker who can find the sticks or the end zone; he is bright, has solid lateral quickness and has reliable hand still he is longshot to be drafted. If the lockout continues through the NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 28-30, Horn is considering signing a free agent deal to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL). Once his playing days are over, Horn would like to eventually follow in Jay Horn’s footsteps and become a coach.

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