Dareus Story (Panthers.com)

[Mr. Scot]

Ironically titled: Dare to be Great

Excerpts:

Even though Marcell Dareus was bigger than his classmates growing up, he needed a little push on the playground before he gave football a try.

"I started playing when I was in the fifth grade. I was swinging on swings and people came up and said, 'You're a big guy, why don't you come play?" Dareus said. "So I started playing. I didn't have the money for it, but we played and we had a good time."

A decade later, Dareus is still playing football and still having fun with it.

Now, he's grown into a gentle giant of sorts, a 319-pound force ready to try to take the NFL by storm.

"I describe myself as a nice guy, a real nice guy," Dareus said. "Everybody I tackle, I pretty much help 'em up, but I'm coming after you the next play."

Early on in his pursuit of football, Dareus patterned himself after Warren Sapp, a vicious but vivacious defensive tackle known in part for his intense but mostly good-natured battles with quarterback Brett Favre.

Sapp has called Dareus the best three-technique tackle (the tackle that lines up closest to the right guard) in this year's draft.

"I like that Warren Sapp thinks that highly of me," Dareus said. "But I'm going to go out and try my best, and the teams have got to decide."

Like Sapp, Dareus has dealt with his share of controversy. He was suspended for the first two games of the 2010 season for violations of NCAA preferential treatment and agent benefits rules stemming from two trips to Miami last May. His mother died while he was on one of the trips.

"Everything that sounds good, it ain't what it's all cracked up to be," Dareus said. "I apologized to the team, I apologized to my coaches, everybody. I'm just moving on from that. You can't look forward moving back."

Dareus' suspension was big news because of the name he had made for himself the previous season, when he helped power Alabama to its first national title since 1992. In the BCS National Championship, Dareus knocked out Texas quarterback Colt McCoy with a bone-jarring hit in the first quarter and then closed the half with a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown.

"I played pretty hard the whole year," said Dareus, named MVP of the game. "But that game really put me up there."

I'd have to say that's the first time I can recall seeing Warren Sapp described as "vivacious" :sosp:

[Marguide]

Good article. It's going to fun watching him develop, wherever he ends up.

[Mr. Scot]

Carolina's definitely a possibility.

The worries about him tend to revolve around what happens when he gets a big payday.

[teeray]

Beast. I will not cry if he is clogging the middle in a Panther uniform. If my gif were at all visible you would see him putting down a mighty stiff arm.

[micnificent28]

Soild football player good at everything great at nothing. Low ceiling...I think he is already almost as good as he is ever going to be. I pray i don't see the day this team uses the number 1 pick on a guy to clog lanes and help other players make plays. the number 1 pick should be a playmaker in his own right...can't see it...just can't.

[Mr. Scot]

Beast. I will not cry if he is clogging the middle in a Panther uniform. If my gif were at all visible you would see him putting down a mighty stiff arm.

Can be seen in HD here at about the minute and a half mark.

[Mr. Scot]

Soild football player good at everything great at nothing. Low ceiling...I think he is already almost as good as he is ever going to be. I pray i don't see the day this team uses the number 1 pick on a guy to clog lanes and help other players make plays. the number 1 pick should be a playmaker in his own right...can't see it...just can't.

If he actually does turn out to be another Warren Sapp (which some have speculated, including Sapp himself) he'll definitely be worth it.

Whether or not that'll happen is the 64,000 dollar question.

[micnificent28]

If he actually does turn out to be another Warren Sapp (which some have speculated, including Sapp himself) he'll definitely be worth it.

Whether or not that'll happen is the 64,000 dollar question.

sapp was always a great pass rusher is dareus??? don't get me wrong i know we need a dt and at 5 on down i'd be all over this.

[davos]

I would probably jiz myself if we somehow ended up with both Dareus & Ellis/Powe.

[CAVSS]

I think he is going to be very solid and I wouldn't be too upset if he was our pick. (same goes for PP7 and AJG)

[mav1234]

I like dareus, and I dont' think he's hit his ceiling. But he's not a sexy pick, and I think Hurney wants to be sexy for once this offseason.

[jtnc]

I like dareus, and I dont' think he's hit his ceiling. But he's not a sexy pick, and I think Hurney wants to be sexy for once this offseason.

Why does it have to be 'sexy'?

[Bj-Monster23]

It doesnt have to be sexy. But you want to pick who will have the biggest impact on the team. My choice Cam Newton Patrick peterson and AJ Green.But Dareus still has a big chance to be the pick.

[Mr. Scot]

Dareus would likely be an undertackle in our scheme, though he could also play a 1 technique (or at least Rivera thinks so).

In the Johnson system, both tackles are primarily penetrators. They just line up over different gaps.