Topless Tiger for Raiders?

By Os Davis  |   Thursday, March 12, 2009  |  Comments( 11 )

Oakland Raiders
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To describe the NFL news flow as “slow” at this point would be like calling Tiger Woods “dominant," Manny Ramirez “eccentric” or the Denver Broncos’ Jay Cutler situation “messed up.” Nevertheless, with the NFL draft upcoming, reading between the lines in the strangest places can get the hardcore addict some information. Or at least a nibble for speculation.

Case in point: Reportage of a topless Tez Doolittle on niche Web site OutSports.com and a few other outlets. Under the headline “NFL draft prospect asked to pose shirtless,” intrepid blogger Jim Buzinski tells a brief story of Doolittle having some shots taken during the University of Auburn’s pro day on Tuesday. An Oakland Raiders scout was the Annie Liebowitz in question, and Doolittle unhesitantly complied: “They just told me to take my shirt off and took two pictures. No questions. Just do it.”

As a result, OutSports posted some heavy-on-the-beefcake photos (none of Doolittle, unfortunately) that straight and gay boys alike will not be inviting their significant others to be checking out, unless of course you’d prefer her/him to be ogling the absolutely ridiculous physiques of Adrian Peterson and high-ranking DE prospect Aaron Maybin. (Although Tom Brady’s pose in boxers from 2000 is priceless; how did this dude ever get drafted?)

The important news for the Raiders here, though – for those of us more, ahem, focused on the game – is the obvious on-field interest the team has in Doolittle, a Tiger who was not invited to the combine in February.

Doolittle played nose guard for Auburn in 2009 in a sixth year of eligibility that finally got the “undersized” 6-foot-2, 295-pounder onto the radar of any NFL team with either a flexible enough system or enough desperation to give an athletic big man a shot at another position.

Few NFL scouts will fail to be impressed by Doolittle’s story, to be sure. Originally cracking the Auburn roster as a redshirt in 2003, Doolittle then rode the bench from 2004 to 2006. In those three seasons, he totaled 19 tackles, 22 appearances and three painful injuries resulting in a dislocated kneecap and two rounds of surgery on a shoulder.

Doolittle was primed to start in 2007 regardless before blowing out an Achilles tendon in an August workout. Finally getting a couple of breaks – in the literal, positive sense of the word – the NCAA first granted him a sixth year of eligibility after he had completed his undergraduate degree and Doolittle was granted the first start of his career in September. Newspapers proclaimed his comeback complete after he was on field for 30 plays on opening day, but Doolittle went on to become “one of the most productive players at his position in the league,” contributing to the Auburn line and special teams, and even notching a blocked field goal against Georgia.

Defensively, Doolittle and Auburn were impressive enough in 2008 despite an incredibly disappointing 5-7 season. Saddled with a low-watt offense (How low-watt was it? The Week 3 win at Mississippi State showed the final score of 3-2, and thereafter the Tigers topped 22 points in a game once), Auburn sunk from a preseason poll ranking of 11th to a 36-0 drubbing in the traditional Iron Bowl closer to Alabama.

But the defense did its part throughout the season (well, until that last game). Only in games against No. 6 LSU and at West Virginia did an opposition offense truly get the better of the Auburn ‘D’, and both times the Tigers wilted against pass-happiness.

Tez Doolittle: Remember the name, Raider Nation, ‘cause this scrappy, intelligent, hardworking guy might just be getting his name called on draft weekend by your team. (After all, they’ve got pictures of him!) The only question thereafter might be where to play the man ... right, back to the surfing, then!
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About Os Davis

Os Davis has taken a twisted route to get to RealFootball365.com in his nearly 17 years in professional writing, working in any number of capacities in the sportswriting, news reporting and film criticism worlds. In print media, Os has served as editor at a few publications, including Albuquerque's...
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