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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Patton Signs Contract With Pittsburgh Steelers
April 27, 2004 | Football
April 27, 2004
By JACK CARLE, Sentinel Sports Editor - Bowling Green's Janssen Patton has signed a free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He will report to a team mini-camp next week.
"I've been talking with them pretty much the whole weekend," Patton said Monday afternoon. "They told me they wanted to draft me, but they felt they had some other team needs that might come up in the draft.
"It was a team that I knew wanted me and that was the best opportunity."
The Steelers drafted cornerback Ricardo Colclough from Tusculum in the second round. He was the 38th pick overall.
Patton is listed as a safety by the Steelers after seeing the majority of playing time during his Falcon career as a cornerback. The Steelers also signed Penn State's Yaacov Yisreal as a safety on Monday.
"Janssen has a real shot at being a contributor at the next level because of his great instincts," said BG head coach Gregg Brandon. "He has a nose for the football and consistently was able to come up with big plays throughout his collegiate career. That's not something you can teach."
Patton, 5-feet-11, 191 pounds, led the Mid-American Conference last season with seven interceptions. He is the first player in NCAA Division I-A history to record three interceptions in a game twice in one season and three times in his career.
"Throughout my career, I can say I've definitely been a playmaker. I've been out there making plays on the football," Patton said. "Obviously, they saw something that they liked and I'm going to try to bring it to them whether it's actually out there on the field playing or through special teams.
"I'm going to be a guy who is going to give them 100 percent in everything that I do."
In addition to his seven interceptions this season, Patton finished with 57 tackles and 12 pass deflections.
Patton had 18 career interceptions which ranks second all-time at BG and third in MAC history. He made 202 tackles in his career while making 40 starts.
An assistant coach on the Pittsburgh staff is a good friend of BG offensive coordinator Greg Studrawa and Patton said the Steelers' coach saw him play in six games in the last two years.
"They have pretty much been there from the start," Patton said about the Steelers.
If Patton makes the team, he'll be in the same division as Josh Harris, BG's standout quarterback, who was drafted in the sixth round by the Baltimore Ravens Sunday.
"That could be an experience because we've played together for so long," Patton said about the prospect of facing Harris. "It could feel a little strange, but at the same time I know he wants to win and he knows that I want to win, so we'll both compete against each other.
"We're still good friends and it will be fun. But once we get out there on the field, all that will take a backseat."
(Note: This article appeared in the April 27 edition of the Sentinel)
