I might be the biggest fan of New England Patriots second-round draft pick Gabe Jacas alive. Every single new piece of information that comes out about the Patriots' 55th overall selection is better than the last.
The latest scoop came from the Boston Herald's Doug Kyed, who revealed that the Illinois coaching staff connected Jacas with all-time great pass rusher Justin Houston over the offseason.
"When I got him in front of somebody that’s a positive influence, like Justin Houston, and he invested the time to go train with him, he came back with a whole different outlook of, ‘What do I put in my body? What’s my workout plan? What’s my skill development plan every day? What am I going to do during training camp?" Illinois' Skill Development Coordinator Joe Kim told Kyed.
Jacas reportedly spent a week down in Atlanta working with Houston, who, lest you forget, is one of the greatest edge rushers in the history of the NFL.
In 2014, Houston had one of the best seasons ever from a linebacker. He recorded the third-most sacks in a single season with 22 in just 16 games. He also forced four fumbles, made 69 tackles, including 23 for loss, and was voted a first-team All-Pro.
Houston ended his NFL career as a four-time Pro Bowler with 112 career sacks and more than 500 tackles in his 13 seasons.
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