Pierre-Paul’s first college coach: ‘He’s a freak of nature’

Posted Feb 18, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Feb 18, 2010 at 12:06 AM

Former USF defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is one of the most talked about players in this year’s NFL draft. No player in the country has climbed the draft board as quickly as Pierre-Paul.

“Jason Pierre-Paul from South Florida, top 10 to 12,’’ ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. said during a national teleconference Wednesday. “Right now, I have Pierre-Paul going 8 to Oakland.’’

How did that happen? How does a player who focused on basketball in high school, starts his college career at a school called College of the Canyons, become a draft sensation?

It’s not that difficult to imagine if you’re College of Canyons coach Garett Tujague, a former offensive lineman at BYU when Ty Detmer starred for the Cougars.

“He’s a freak of nature,’’ Tujague said Wednesday. “When one of my assistants first showed me film on him, I watched three plays, and I’m like, ‘are you kidding me?’ Some of the things I was able to witness him do firsthand were unreal. You don’t get to coach too many kids like that.’’

Pierre-Paul spent just a season at College of the Canyons, located in Santa Clarita, Calif. That’s a long way from Deerfield Beach where Pierre-Paul grew up. Homesick, he transferred to Fort Scott Community College in Kansas as a sophomore, and then to USF for his junior season.

Next stop for Pierre-Paul is the NFL, where he should be able to use his 6-foot-5, 265-pound frame and enormous athletic ability to cause offensive linemen headaches.

How would Tujague have tried to block Pierre-Paul?

“He’s so athletic, he’s fast, he’s strong, he’s resilient,’’ Tujague said. “Getting him to use his hands at first was real difficult. Since he was a basketball player, he didn’t really like people putting hands on him.

“If I was to go against him, I would try to get his arms down. His arms are so freaking long. You have to do everything you can to stay him in front of him.’’