Jermaine Whitehead among top safeties in NFL Combine tests
AUBURN –Jermaine Whitehead posted strong results across the board in the on-field tests at the NFL Combine.
The former Auburn safety was in the top five among safeties in the vertical jump, broad jump, three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle on Monday.
Whitehead leaped 128 inches in the broad jump, second only to Mississippi State's Justin Cox's 129 among safeties, and tied for ninth best by a safety since 2006.
He achieved his goal of being in the "high 30s" of the vertical jump with a 37-inch leap, tied for fifth in the position group.
Whitehead ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds (12th), but showed better change of direction speed in the three-cone drill (6.95 seconds, tied for fourth) and 20-yard shuttle (4.11 seconds, fifth).
Whitehead had six interceptions last season, including four after returning from his four-game suspension and two games of special teams only for his verbal altercation with safeties coach Charlie Harbison.
The Mississippi native felt his "ball skills" were his strong point.
"I got quite a few turnovers this year," Whitehead said. "I made that a premium coming into this year and hopefully made me a more marketable pro."
Though at least one team has said it will not overlook Whitehead's exchange with Harbison, those willing to take a player who is currently seen as a late-round pick or undrafted free agent can find one with physical talents and a mouth willing to lead on the field.
"I'm a ball hawk, I like to go get the ball," Whitehead said. "I'm a guy that was very talkative, I have fun, I interact with the crowd."
Whitehead was among several former Auburn players to play for three different full-time defensive coordinators during his college career. While he wouldn't say the teams he was meeting with while in Indianapolis, Whitehead wanted to stress his learning of different schemes as a positive.
"Being consistent and being able to learn systems fast," he said, "those are things I think will help me."