Jets' Pouha organizes workout in NJ
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- They weren't that far away from the Jets' training facility, yet they seemed to be in an alternate universe.
Sione Pouha, Mike DeVito, Jamaal Westerman, Ropati Pitoitua and Muhammad Wilkerson made their way to a Morris County high school Thursday, essentially going back to their roots. They were trying their best to get some much-needed work and knock off the rust that has built up during the NFL's 83-day lockout.
They worked out using training equipment, such as blocking sleds, provided by the high school. Pouha, the organizer of the one-hour workout, which featured four defensive linemen and a linebacker, actually plucked a football from their 2010 game against the Ravens off his trophy shelf for his teammates to use.
It didn't exactly mirror the spread Mark Sanchez put together for his "Jets West" camp last month, but such is the life for a collection of players Pouha jokingly dubbed the "Florham Park Jets City Club League."
"Usually, this is not my role type of thing," Pouha said. "But me and DeVito just talked about it. A couple of weeks ago, I called him up and we just said hopefully something comes out of it . . . But getting together is the main goal."
First-round pick Wilkerson has been in lockout limbo for weeks, mostly working out on his own. This was his first true opportunity to meet Pouha, Pitoitua, Westerman and DeVito.
"It was exciting," Wilkerson said. "It was nice to get out here, do some drills and go through some of the techniques. It's kind of a difficult situation. Pouha got in touch with me and some of the other D-linemen and it's cool for them to take the time out and show me some things."
Apparently, Wilkerson showed them a few things, too.
"He's a natural athlete, man,'' DeVito said. "Just from the little bit that we did today, you can tell he's going to be really good. So that's a great sign. I'm excited to work with him and that he's on our team."
DeVito was equally thrilled to get that camaraderie going again.
"That's what we are missing right now," he said. "Everybody is going to be running and lifting, but the team unity and bonding is the stuff that you miss during this time period. So to try to get it any way we can, even if it was just the D-linemen out here getting work in, I feel like it's going to help us out in the future."
Sanchez, at Justin Tuck's celebrity billiards tournament in Manhattan, said he was impressed that the defensive players had their own workout.
"Absolutely,'' Sanchez said. "I know Sione had quite a bit to do with that, and he's done a great job. Whether it's working out or taking those guys out to dinner for pizza, that's the kind of team and the kind of chemistry we have. We're fortunate that way, and he did a great job of taking the initiative to do it."
Pouha said the plan is to meet four times a week and increase the workload each day. There's no telling how long they'll be forced to go this route, and they aren't getting their hopes up just because the NFL's owners and players have re-opened negotiations.
"You kind of just expect the worst and hope for the best," Pouha said. "You don't know what to expect at this time. All I know is I've just got to be ready. You control what you can control, and that's the ability to be here today, to make sure that when the gates open, we are ready to roll."
With Tom Rock
