Brent Celek

Celek emerged as the Bearcats' clutch receiver during his last three seasons. Hard work in the team's off-season training program saw Celek add close to 15 pounds of muscle to his frame before the 2006 season opener. That added bulk was evident on his sensational 83-yard touchdown catch-and-run against Rutgers, as he dragged several defenders along the way while breaking several tackles. Celek was a two-sport standout at LaSalle High School, excelling in football and track. He earned first-team All-District honors as both a junior and senior. Celek caught 19 passes for 384 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a school-record 89-yard scoring grab during his final season, earning team MVP accolades. The three-year starter twice earned All-League recognition. He lettered twice in track, owning a personal best of 49'6" in the shot put. Celek enrolled at Cincinnati in 2003, seeing action in 12 games as a true freshman. He started three contests, but was used mostly as a blocker, finishing with 39 yards on a pair of catches. In 2004, Celek started 11 of 12 games. He garnered second-team All-Conference USA honors as he caught 22 passes for 254 yards (11.5 avg) and set a school single-season record for tight ends with eight touchdowns. He also assisted on one tackle. The All-Big East Conference Academic Team choice was named the Bearcats' Most Outstanding Receiver. His 32 receptions for 361 yards (11.3 avg) rank third on the school's single-season record list among tight ends. He scored three times, posted three solo tackles and had a 10-yard kickoff return. Celek started every game in 2006. He ranked third on the team with 35 catches for 481 yards (14.8 avg) and three touchdowns. He also extended his streak of at least one catch in a game to 25. In 48 games at Cincinnati, Celek started 38 times. He ranks third all-time among Bearcats tight ends with 91 receptions for 1,135 yards (12.5 avg), while his 14 touchdowns are tied for third on the school's all-time list. He registered five tackles (four solos) and gained 10 yards on one kickoff return.

positives

Added close to 15 pounds of needed bulk before the 2006 season, and the additional weight has helped him generate a stronger base to sustain when blocking...Has good straight-line speed, showing the initial quickness to surprise a lethargic defender and get a decent release off the line of scrimmage...Demonstrates good hand placement and arm extension to compete for the ball...Has good short-area speed and knows when to convert routes vs. man coverage...Has an effective swim move and hand strength to defeat the jam...Used mainly on shallow crossing routes and in the flats, but does a nice job of settling underneath and has the natural hands to field the ball outside his frame...Maintains good ball concentration working through trash and is a tough, durable receiver who demonstrates good courage competing for the ball...Used often in motion and can line wide due to his straight-ahead speed...Smart and alert to blitzes and has a good eye for finding the clear lanes...Hard worker in the training room and puts in extra hours studying film...More effective as a cut blocker than when working in-line, as he takes good angles to get out and stalk second-level defenders...His straight-line burst prevents safeties from cheating along the sidelines.

compares to

DESMOND CLARK-Chicago...Celek is quite effective getting a clean release and into his routes in the short area. If used mostly in the flats or on crossing routes, he could gain valid yardage. But he has thin hips, marginal leg drive and runs with a choppy stride that prevents him from accelerating into the second level. He makes a good effort to block, but will get walked back at the line of scrimmage. Like Clark, he is better served being used on shallow routes and working underneath rather than sending him up the seam. He has natural hands and will field the ball cleanly, but except for some occasions, he won't be able to separate after the catch.

negatives

Has added bulk, but still has adequate muscle definition...Appears very thin in his hips and has marginal lower body muscle tone...Lacks the loose hips to change direction smoothly...His running stride is choppy and because of his tight hips, he fails to get turned around properly to snare passes behind him...Shows good hand placement, but needs to get more aggressive as a drive blocker (does not lock on and sustain for long)...Weight room strength does not translate to the football field...Has a good, quick release, but his running stride prevents him from reaching top acceleration...Lacks the lower leg drive to generate movement in attempts to neutralize defenders when blocking in-line...Does not show the second gear to separate from defenders after the catch...Will turn it up with some power after the catch, but lacks the hip shake, head fakes and moves to set up the defender...When blocking, he needs to keep his head up better and maintain a wider base to prevent from being walked back into the pocket...Has good vision, but fails to generate the burst needed to take the ball up the seams...Takes too many false steps after planting and driving to be clean in and out of his breaks....Must improve his leaping and timing to compete for the pass at its high point...Doesn't show the agility to jab in one direction and break off the route squarely.

No injuries reported.

Campus: 4.75 in the 40-yard dash

370-pound bench press

485-pound squat

290-pound hang clean

29-inch vertical jump

31 3/8-inch arm length

10 1/8-inch hands

Right-handed

24/28 Wonderlic score. Combine: Did not receive an invitation.

Attended LaSalle (Cincinnati, Oh.) High School, playing football for head coach Jim McQuaide

Two-sport standout, excelling in football and track

Earned first-team All-District honors as both a junior and senior

Caught 19 passes for 384 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a school-record 89-yard scoring grab during his final season, earning team MVP accolades

The three-year starter twice earned All-League recognition

Lettered twice in track, owning a personal best of 49`6" in the shot put.

Business Marketing major, earning Academic All-District IV second-team honors in 2006

Oldest of five children of Debbie and Steve Clark

Born 1/25/85 in Cincinnati, Ohio.