Cal Football: Tight End Jermaine Terry II Draws Comparison to Young Draymond Green
Cal tight ends coach Geep Chryst coached the position for seven seasons in the NFL, but it’s not Travis Kelce or George Kittle or Rob Gronkowski he mentions when asked for a comparison to Bears sophomore Jermaine Terry II.
“The one comparison that I would actually make to him is the way Draymond Green looked as a freshman at Michigan State,” Chryst says in the video above, referring to the Golden States Warriors star. “He was a little roly poly and (basketball coach Tom) Izzo worked to get him in great condition and now we know him as a first-ballot Hall of Fame basketball player.
Draymond Green, left, and Jaylen Brown dispute a referee's call.
Photo by Darren Yamashita, USA Today
The comparison amuses Terry, who played his freshman season at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds. But like Green, who was worked into shape early in his college hoops career, Terry shed 20 pounds and developed more muscle mass this offseason.
“He has discussed this with me, actually,” Terry acknowledged. “Just looking at Draymond, what he does on the basketball court might not be a lot from a stats standpoint, but him just being a great leader, being a great teammate is something I try to be.
“Showing great footwork in the post is something I try to show in and and out breaks. So I feel like me and Draymond might have similarities. When he first told me, I just kind of laughed. But if Coach Geep says it, it has to be right.”
Chryst said Terry is his own man, explosive and physically imposing for his age, which is still just 19.
“JT is a natural team leader. That happens sometimes when you’re well-liked and well-respected by the team,” Chryst said. “As a true sophomore I think he’s one of the team leaders.”
But maybe not entirely in the style of Draymond Green. While Terry appreciates the comparison, he is not the volatile personality that Green has become.
“That’s where we split right there. On the field and on the hardwood we might be a little similar,” Terry said. “But when we get out of there I don’t know if we are. He might have some takes I don’t agree with.
“All I know is he isn’t better than LeBron James.”
Coach Justin Wilcox said the staff has seen “significant improvement” from last season, when Terry arrived as one of the nation’s top prospects at the position but played sparingly behind three now-departed seniors.
“We’ve got a lot of hard-working guys but I don’t know that there’s anybody who works harder than him,” Wilcox says in the video above. “He’s committed to the game It really, really, really matters to him. He wants to be great and he works that way.
“His running, his blocking, all that Geep has worked on with him, he’s really made great strides in just a year. I think the sky’s the limit for him.”
Terry says in the video below that he dropped the weight when he realized he doesn’t need to be bigger than everyone to compete in college. And he sees the benefits in terms of his speed.
He’s willing to go to whatever lengths are necessary to improve his game. That includes something he tried in high school and dismissed.
Marcus McCardy, a trainer he had while at Kennedy High in Richmond, had him try yoga. “I hated it,” Terry recalled. “It was hot and it was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I had people in there three times my age stretching way farther than I did, making me feel bad and look like a fool.”
But in the spring he and three teammates — defensive back Raymond Woodie, running back Damien Moore and wide receiver J.Michael Sturdivant — began a routine of doing yoga and pilates together a couple times a week.
“It’s helping my flexibility coming off an ankle injury last spring,” he said. “I work on my balance and it helps me shape my body and become more flexible.”
All of it figures to add up to a prominent role this season. It would have been easy for Terry to become over-eager or even frustrated by his limited action as a freshman, when he caught just one pass. But the coaching never saw that reaction from Terry.
“I was able to get on scout team, which I loved and was very excited about. I was able to go against the 1s. Get good work in and really develop,” Terry says in the video above. “I feel that was where I was able to find myself and I was able to show what I can truly do.
“Sitting back, it was a learning experience for me. I wouldn’t change it if I could.”
Cover photo of Cal sophomore tight end Jermaine Terry II
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
