2006-2009 TE - Jake Ballard (New England Patriots)

The New York Giants signed college free agent TE Jake Ballard.

Dayton

Springboro, OSU star Ballard signs with Giants

Jake Ballard had just finished working out at the Ohio State football facilities on Monday night, April 26, when he talked about his professional opportunity.

“As soon as the draft was over, the calls started coming,” said Ballard, the former Springboro High School and Ohio State tight end. “There were five or six teams who wanted to sign me.”

After consulting with his agent, the undrafted Ballard decided on Monday to sign a free-agent contract with the New York Giants. He is scheduled to leave Thursday for a rookie minicamp in East Rutherford, N.J., where he hopes to begin his work on earning a roster spot.

Ballard said his draft stock suffered after he couldn’t run for scouts at Ohio State’s pro day because of a pulled hamstring.

“If I would’ve run the 40 (yard dash), I think it would’ve really helped,” Ballard said. “But that’s the business, and I felt a lot better once I started getting calls.”

Continued...................

Scout.com (Free)

Jake Ballard up, D.J. Johnson out.......................

Focus: Jake Ballard Impresses During Giants @ Jets Game
AUTHOR: Andrew Ilnicki | IN: Focus

I know it's a little late for last game analysis, but Pro Football Focus has their weekly rewind of all the preseason games up, and something jumped out at me that I thought was worthy of another mention. Jake Ballard could be the best option at TE for the Giants.

Though it seemed like Travis Beckum would be the player to step up after Kevin Boss' departure to Oakland, Jake Ballard used this game to show the coaching staff why he may be the better option. Ballard, a 2010 undrafted free agent out of Ohio State, was extremely impressive in his ability to block effectively. On a number of occasions, he was driving defenders down the field for so long, that the running back would be tackled before he had disengaged. It wasn't just against linebackers and receivers, either, as on one play, he drove Jets' rookie defensive tackle Wilkerson five yards down the field. Ballard certainly isn't the weapon or threat that Beckum could be in the passing game, the Giants would be better off with Ballard who is definitely the better blocker of the two.

Given the fact that Beckum cannot block whatsoever, and Bear Pascoe has had an off preseason, I'll take Ballard's potential at starting TE any day of the week as one of the Giants bookends. This year is one of those seasons for the Giants where young players are going to have to make the most of their opportunities, where better to start than at TE. We know he can catch, we now know he can block, this might be the answer the Giants have been looking for.
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Focus: Jake Ballard Impresses During Giants @ Jets Game | GMEN HQ

Tuesday, September 6, 2011
BY JEFF ROBERTS
STAFF WRITER
The Record

EAST RUTHERFORD The little seed of doubt formed in the back of Jake Ballard's mind, planting itself there for the weekend.

There was no practice to occupy him, no distraction to ease his concern.

Ballard knew he wasn't going to be released last weekend. But the tight end wasn't so sure the Giants would not pick up a more experienced player at his position after Saturday's league-mandated deadline to cut rosters to 53.

"In the back of my mind I was thinking, "Maybe they'll get a tight end with more experience," the second-year player said Monday after the team's first practice of the regular season. "But I guess it shows the tight ends that are still here that they have confidence in us."

The anticipated acquisition to fill the hole left by Kevin Boss' departure never came, leaving the team with Ballard, Travis Beckum and Bear Pascoe.

Ballard will be the first-team tight end Sunday when they open the season in Washington, according to a source.
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Ballard, a 2010 undrafted free agent out of Ohio State admits he has something to prove.

The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder endured an injury-plagued camp last season that left him cut before the Giants left Albany.

"I definitely have a chip on my shoulder," Ballard said. "It started after my senior season at Ohio State. I started training for pro day and pulled my hammy. I couldn't even run at pro day. That killed me."

He again pulled his hamstring after signing with the Giants and was released.

It took a "leap of faith" for Ballard to remain with the team.

Although he was due a settlement for being released while hurt, he agreed to be waived outright when Coughlin told him they soon would bring him back. He spent a long two weeks at home waiting in Columbus, Ohio.

"I'm sitting there after the final cuts. I was like, Man I hope they're calling me." Ballard said.

They did. He joined the practice squad, an experience that made him a better player having to go against the first team every day.
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Giants stick with trio at TE : page all - NorthJersey.com

Published: Wednesday, September 07, 2011
By Mike Garafolo/The Star-Ledger

Giants stick with Jake Ballard in tight end trio despite loss of Kevin Boss
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Last summer, with Eli Manning and Jim Sorgi down with injuries, the Giants had no choice but to cut Jake Ballard to make room for another quarterback on the roster. Ballard was also hurt, so it would have made sense the team would waive him with an injury designation.

But by rule, they wouldn't have been allowed to bring him back for six weeks plus the length of an injury settlement. So Ballard agreed to be waived in the normal sense with no parting money and merely a promise he'd be back.

It was a pretty big leap of faith, the Giants' second-year tight end said on Monday, two days after he learned he made the 53-man roster. I was sitting there in my living room after final cuts and I'm like, Man I hope they're going to call me.

(Vice president of medical services) Ronnie Barnes called me up on the phone he was like, "Are you ready?" "Yes, sir."

cont...

Giants stick with Jake Ballard in tight end trio despite loss of Kevin Boss | NJ.com

Before a First Start, a Football for a Friend in Iraq
By SAM BORDEN
Published: September 8, 201

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. | Jake Ballard cornered Justin Tuck outside a meeting room at the Giants' training center here earlier this week. Ballard had a football with one panel whited out, the kind designed for autographs, and he asked if Tuck wouldn't mind giving a signature. Tuck took the ball and uncapped his pen, but hesitated when he saw that the only other signature on the ball was Eli Manning's.

"I'm not getting everyone," Ballard said. "You, Eli, I've got to get this in the mail soon."

Ballard added, "It's for someone special."

Tuck nodded and signed, and Ballard took the ball and headed out. He had little time to waste; the ball, along with a jersey and some other items, was destined for Iraq, where one of Ballard's closest friends is stationed. Andy Banks, who played with Ballard at Springboro High School in Ohio, is a member of the Kentucky Army National Guard and, as part of Operation New Dawn, is participating in the United States' withdrawal from the region. As part of that withdrawal, the communications systems for soldiers are being broken down, including operations for mail, telephones, Internet and television.

According to Banks's father, Stuart, the current deadline for sending mail to soldiers is Sept. 15 and the further along you go, the worse it's going to get in terms of communication.

"I'm really, really hoping it gets there because he's going to be in the dark for three or four months," Ballard said.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/09/sp...d-in-iraq.html

Quote:
PLAYER OF THE GAME Jake Ballard came out of Ohio State with a reputation as a blocking tight end, but he said repeatedly during training camp that he was capable of catching passes, too. Ballard proved it Sunday, catching two passes for 59 yards, including a 41-yard completion over the middle in which he ran a perfect route and pulled in the ball with a defender on his back. Replacing Kevin Boss will be difficult, but Ballard could give the Giants' offense another important element.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/sp...tml?ref=sports

Jake Ballard, TE, New York Giants: Had two catches for 59 yards in a 28-14 loss at Washington.

One of those was a huge catch. I knew this kid was a good one!