Tag: John Perry

JaQuae Jackson picked Rutgers football over Texas A&M, Michigan State and Colorado because of his NFL draft dreams

NFL experience helped draw JaQuae Jackson to Rutgers football.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — With one year of college eligibility left, JaQuae Jackson knew that he needed to provide a compelling senior year if his NFL dreams were to become a reality. The now Rutgers football wide receiver understood that his time at a Division II program for the past three years meant that he needed film that could attract the interest of NFL teams.

Rutgers, with two members of the staff who were wide receivers coaches in the NFL, became a very enticing landing spot for Jackson.

Rutgers (3-1, 1-1 Big Ten) has surprised many around college football with their strong start to the season, which includes two wins over Power Five opponents. But the coaching staff’s biggest win came this offseason when they landed Jackson.

A talented player at Division II Cal in Pennsylvania, Jackson was heavily recruited in the transfer portal. Rutgers won out from a crowded and deep field that included Texas A&M, Michigan State, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Miami, Pittsburgh and West Virginia among others.

With speed and a fluidness to his route running, Jackson is by all accounts a technician of the game. Speak with those around the program and he is described as unique, a unicorn even. He comes in with a humble disposition and a strong work ethic, both of which blend well with a program that has a chip on its collective back this year.

He chose Rutgers because of the chance to develop under two coaches with NFL experience in Dave Brock (wide receivers coach) and John Perry (senior analyst).

“Obviously, the proof is in the pudding,” Jackson said on Wednesday.

“You know, the NFL guys that they coached in the league – you know Sanu (Mohamed Sanu) – they just had guys that just came in this weekend, had in meetings…just sit around and just soaking in knowledge from them. Just little stuff like that. I know they could if they could develop them, they could develop me so I just keep going every day.”

Brock was most recently the wide receivers coach with the Atlanta Falcons where he worked with the likes of Sanu, a former Rutgers standout, as well as perennial All-Pro Julio Jones. As for Perry, he recently spent seven years in the NFL with the Houston Texans as their tight ends coach and wide receivers coach.

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And in Jackson, Rutgers has a wide receiver who is capable of breaking big plays.

 

Jackson has done everything asked of him in the offense this season as he is second on the team in receptions (8) and receiving yards (136). He has gone deep, connecting with quarterback Gavin Wimsatt on a deep go-route in a win over Temple.

And he’s gone over the middle, taking hard hits on slants out of the slot.

He has left an impression on head coach Greg Schiano and the staff with his potential and upside to be a contributor in this revamped offense.

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An offseason injury derailed the schedule to get Big Ten ready, but Schiano believes Jackson is set to continue his development and growth in the offense.

“JaQuae is getting better every week. Unfortunately, he had a little injury during training camp that slowed him down. I wish that he had had all those practice repetitions to get in the groove with the offense,” Schiano told reporters on Monday.

“He didn’t start here until the summer, midsummer, because of the portal and his recruitment. It’s not like he was here all spring where he got cumulative repetitions. So then we get to training camp and he’s doing well, and then he has — he’s forced to take a little break because of injury. And then that — you know, I don’t think we’re seeing yet the guy we are going to see in the next four weeks.

“I think he’s going to continue to get better and better which is good, I guess. But I would have liked to have had it earlier.”

Guess who’s back? Former NFL coach John Perry is with Rutgers football once again

John Perry returns to Rutgers football.

BEDMINSTER, N.J. — John Perry is back with Rutgers football, a very under-rated (and perhaps under the radar) addition to the coaching staff on the offensive side of the ball. He is a coach with significant time spent in the NFL.

Having spent the 2021 season at Rutgers as an offensive assistant, Perry now has a role with quality control on the Rutgers staff. He had originally been hired as the offensive coordinator at Lamar, but left the program just a short time after joining the program. Now he is back with Rutgers and working with offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and wide receivers coach Dave Brock.

Perry is very much the mold of the recent hires on offense from head coach Greg Schiano. He has strong college experience at the FBS and FCS level and boasts seven years in the NFL.

Beginning in 2014, Perry spent three years as the tight ends coach with the Houston Texans. Then he was their wide receivers coach for the next four seasons.

It is quite a resume he brings as a quality control coach.

“John Perry came back. He’s in quality control, working with the offense. And he works with Dave Brock – with the receivers and you think about it… There’s not many college programs or any in the country where the receivers coach and then his QC both have extensive NFL experience in coaching receivers,” Schiano said on Monday.

“So certainly, something I think that’s helping in recruiting. But more importantly or as importantly, helping on the field. (We) Went through spring practice now we’re in summer training. And I can see that group getting better and better and better.”

The Rutgers football head coach spoke at his annual Greg Schiano Charity Golf Classic, The Monday event, held at Fiddler’s Elbow, raised funds to benefit Chop4Change, Athletes in Action and the Robert E. “Bob” Mulcahy Football Scholarship Fund.

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Following his one season at Rutgers as an offensive assistant, the 53-year old Perry was the offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State, whose head coach is the legendary K.C. Keeler, one of the most successful head coaches in FCS history.

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Texans’ numbers game is keeping WR Keke Coutee from seeing the field

Third-year receiver Keke Coutee has not been able to see the field for the Houston Texans due to a numbers game on the roster.

Keke Coutee was very promising for the Houston Texans in his rookie season, catching 28 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown in just six games of work.

The theory was that if Coutee could ever solve his injury problems, he would be a productive wideout for Houston.

In 2019, an ankle injury in preseason affected his start to the season, and the 22 catches for 254 yards through nine games, while almost identical to what he had produced in his rookie year, were seen as a stagnation. Throw in a game-losing interception that Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard ripped from his grasp in Week 7, and a fumble, and Coutee was in then-coach Bill O’Brien’s doghouse.

Though O’Brien has been fired since Oct. 5, Coutee is still not seeing the filed, active only for two games, and playing in one with two catches for 11 yards and a fumble against the Baltimore Ravens in a 33-16 loss in Week 2.

According to offensive coordinator Tim Kelly, is is a numbers game that keeps Coutee from seeing any action.

“Obviously it’s a numbers game, right?” Kelly said. “You can only have a certain amount of people on the field at a certain time, a certain amount of people active. With how we’re structured, it’s difficult to carry that many receivers.”

A more telling reason for why Coutee isn’t seeing the field is one that could have been ascertained as far back as March during free agency. When the Texans signed Randall Cobb to a three-year, $27 million contract to play the slot, that took away Coutee’s onramp to playing time. Cobb has also been productive with 30 catches for 372 yards and two touchdowns in seven games.

“He’s being productive, he’s getting open when [quarterback] Deshaun (Watson) needs him to get open,” Kelly said. “They’re starting to build a relationship. Nothing that Keke has done or is not doing. It’s just kind of a numbers game at this point in time.”

Receivers coach John Perry is confident that if Coutee can get back on the field and have his number called, he will make plays for the Texans’ passing game.

“I’m sure his opportunity will come again,” Perry said. “When it does, there’s no doubt in my mind he will do what he’s done in the past, be successful doing it.”

Until then, Coutee is on the losing end of the numbers game.

Texans WR Keke Coutee sporting ‘great attitude’ in Year 3

Houston Texans receiver Keke Coutee has not let his trials from the first two years get his hopes down as he enters 2020.

It would be understandable for Keke Coutee not to be fully engaged or have a cantankerous demeanor heading into his third season.

The former 2018 fifth-round pick from Texas Tech has battled injuries through his first two seasons that limited his playing time to 15 games. Coutee has flashed potential, but it has never materialized consistently when on-field for the Houston Texans.

Last year was a time when Coutee may have fallen into coach Bill O’Brien’s doghouse. In Week 8’s 27-24 win over the Oakland Raiders, Coutee, though active, did not see one play during the game. Then, Houston signs a veteran slot receiver in Randall Cobb in free agency.

Anyone would be sympathetic to Coutee being disgruntled with his piece of the action getting smaller in the Texans’ offense.

However, according to receivers coach John Perry, the 23-year-old from Lufkin, Texas, has brought a positive approach to his third training camp.

“Keke has come back with a great attitude and you can tell he’s ready to work,” Perry said. “You can tell, just like a lot of the guys in the group, he took an approach, obviously, in the offseason when he couldn’t be here to really take it upon himself. That’s going to be a huge step for him because when you take ownership of who you are and what you’re all about, that’s where your improvement comes from.”

Whereas Coutee before may have been a part of the Texans’ passing game, he is now battling with DeAndre Carter, Steven Mitchell, Chad Hansen, Isaac Whitney and even rookies Isaiah Coulter and Tyler Simmons.

Perry doesn’t expect the competition to drag Coutee down.

Said Perry: “He’s got such an internal fire. I expect he’ll just keep getting better every day, just like I know he wants to.”

Coutee set an NFL record for catches in a first career game with 11 in the Texans’ Week 4 win over the Indianapolis Colts in 2018. The 37-34 overtime win cracked Houston’s goose egg in the win column and sparked a nine-game winning streak that was the foundation for their 11-5 finish and AFC South crown.

If Coutee can provide that type of output over a more consistent stretch of games, everyone will start to have a great attitude at NRG Stadium.

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