Jets erred in announcing LI’s Victor Ochi made practice squad
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Victor Ochi isn’t a Jet, after all. At least not yet.
The team’s public-relations department admitted it made a clerical error Sunday when it announced via its official website that the former Stony Brook and Ravens edge rusher had been signed to the practice squad. Ochi visited the Jets’ facility but did not sign, the PR department clarified.
On Monday, a source said the Jets were unaware that Ochi injured his shoulder in Baltimore’s final preseason game because the Ravens waived him Saturday without an injury designation. As a result, the Jets assumed they were signing a healthy player, but the former Seawolves star failed his physical during his visit.
The shoulder injury is expected to sideline Ochi for one to two weeks, but the Jets are expected to sign him to the practice squad when he’s healthy.
The team’s equipment staff even issued a jersey to the Valley Stream Central product, and his new number — 49 — was tweeted out by the team before Monday’s practice. But Ochi never took part in practice and the jersey that had been assigned to him hung in an unmarked locker stall.
The 22-year-old pass rusher, who went undrafted this past spring, had five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble for the Ravens in the preseason.
Ochi is Stony Brook’s career leader in sacks (32 1⁄2) and tackles for loss (49).
The Jets have six of their 10 practice-squad spots filled.
