Virginia ties helped forge bond between Jets GM Joe Douglas & Mekhi Becton
New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas and former Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton formed an instant bond during the pre-draft process, thanks in part to their ties to Virginia, the state in which both grew up in.
"When he said the street names, I knew what street names he was talking about," Becton said to reporters following his selection by the Jets with the No. 11 overall pick. "It was a great bond knowing that he's from the same area I'm from. It was a great connection when I figured out he was from Richmond."
Not only are both from the same area, the high schools in which they attended are separated by less than 10 miles. Becton grew up in Highland Springs while Douglas was born and raised in Mechanicsville, both of which are suburbs of Richmond, VA.
"He went to Highland Springs HS which was a crosstown rival from where I grew up and we played that high school every year," Douglas said to reporters following the conclusion of the NFL Draft's first round. "We were in the same district. It's a great program."
Douglas attended Lee-Davis HS, just a 15 minute drive down I-295 from Becton's alma mater of Highland Springs HS. He also went onto play offensive tackle for the University of Richmond, starting in 45 consecutive games for the Spiders.
"I was able to have a great conversation with their head coach leading up to the draft - Coach [Loren] Johnson. That was a great conversation," Douglass said. "He played at Virginia Tech with one of our coaches on staff - Todd Washington. It was a great conversation with him."
Virginia & Virginia Tech were in play to land Becton before he committed to the Cardinals, as well as Michigan & Oregon.
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