Mitch Petrus

Mitch Petrus had to fight for everything he has earned on the football field. He was not regarded as a college prospect after his career at Carlisle High School and had to fight for an opportunity to even join the Arkansas team.

In 2005, Petrus arrived at the Razorbacks' fall camp as a walk-on. At best, he was hoping the coaches would at least offer him a position on the scout team. But his tenacity and desire earned him a spot on the kick coverage unit at first. His hard hitting in practice earned him notice by several position coaches.

Petrus volunteered for duty at tight end and was later moved to offensive guard. After sitting out the first two games of his freshman campaign, the staff finally relented and gave this ball of energy a varsity jersey. He would go on to see action in nine games.

Versatility and a love for the game have always been his strong suits. Petrus lettered as a tight end, fullback and linebacker at Carlisle High. He was the recipient of the Class AA Conference Lineman of the Year Award and was named All-Conference and All-State as a senior.

As a tight end, Petrus hauled in 40 receptions for 750 yards and eight touchdowns. During his junior season, he broke the state record for tackles in a game with 39. He recorded 306 tackles, including 145 solo tackles, his senior year and led the state. He also lettered in basketball and track and was an All-Conference and All-State performer in basketball.

When no major colleges made him a scholarship offer, Petrus headed to Arkansas, determined to prove recruiters wrong. In nine games, he competed on the kick coverage team, tight end and later backed up Robert Felton at right offensive guard in 2005. His first experience at offensive guard came in the Louisiana-Monroe game when he registered a 91 percent grade for blocking consistency.

Petrus expected to compete for a job on the offensive line when 2006 preseason drills began. Instead, he was moved to fullback, where he was one of the Hogs' most effective blockers out of the backfield and on special teams. He appeared in all 14 games, logging time as a blocking back and on the kickoff return and PAT/field goal units.

Petrus helped clear the way for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers (Darren McFadden and Felix Jones) and the 2006 Doak Walker Award winner (McFadden). He did get a chance to touch the ball once, gaining one yard on a rushing attempt vs. Southeast Missouri.

In 2007, Petrus continued his "traveling road show." He reported to preseason camp as a fullback, but by the time the season opener rolled around, he was shifted to left offensive guard, starting all but the Chattanooga contest. He was named All-Southern Conference second-team by the league's coaches. He helped Arkansas' line pave the way for an SEC-leading and school-record 3,725 rushing yards, and an average of 286.5 yards per game, which was fourth in the nation. Arkansas also generated a school-record 5,850 yards of total offense and scored a school-record 485 points.

That season, Petrus cleared the way for two All-American running backs -- Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden, who led the SEC and ranked fourth in the nation in rushing (140.8), and Felix Jones, who ranked fifth in the SEC and No. 43 in the country (89.4). His overall grade for the year was 83.46%, as he finished third on the team with 54 knockdowns.

Petrus was expected to emerge as one of the nation's offensive guards in 2008, but he was forced to sit out the season after switching majors and falling a few credits short of NCAA academic eligibility guidelines. He blamed the mistake on himself, but added that it was difficult to watch as the Razorbacks struggled to a 5-7 season in 2008.

It didn't take long for Petrus to realize the academic mistake also proved to be a blessing in disguise. He spent the 2008 campaign digesting Arkansas' complex offense, learning the ins and outs of new head coach Bobby Petrino's system. He credited former Arkansas quarterback Alex Mortensen for helping him along, giving him one-on-one lessons.

"He would come in and meet with me over at my house two and three times a week and go over things," Petrus said. "He would grab a dry erase board and we would watch film of the other team we're about to play. We'd break it down and know the tendencies. I really realized then how much you know pre-snap can really be beneficial to you as a player."

Petrus used that knowledge to his benefit since stepping back on the playing field. He also improved his classroom skills to the point that he was named to the Razorback Honor Roll for the 2008-09 semesters.

Back in the lineup for the 2009 campaign, Petrus made up for lost time, securing a first-team spot on the All-SEC squad. While he started all year at offensive guard, he was moved to the right side in fall camp after playing on the left side in 2007. He led the team with 113 knockdowns, ranked second in the league among interior blockers with twelve touchdown-resulting blocks and graded 85.69% for blocking consistency.

Arkansas offensive line coach Mike Summers said the lineman showed plenty of growth. "He's really made as big a transformation as anybody on our team from when I first got here, just in his dedication to his craft of being an offensive lineman," Summers said. "He has become really technically sound. I think he understands football and understands our scheme really well, and I think that was a struggle when we first got here."

Petrus would follow his banner senior campaign with an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl, where his raw power made him a standout in one-on-one drills. He further established his ranking at the recently held NFL Scouting Combine. In the weight room, he tied the Combine record by lifting 225 pounds 45 times. He would later be forced to shut down in the agility tests after pulling a hamstring running a 40-yard dash.

Petrus characterized his sudden explosion to 45 repetitions as a mixture of adrenaline and the can-do attitude that he'd learned as a walk-on. "It's not luck, I can tell you that," he said. "I'm not being the biggest, baddest guy on the field, I had to be the hardest-working guy on the field. It is what got me through the 45 today. I didn't wake up this morning feeling like a totally different person. I'm not a freak of nature. I weighed 230 in high school. I weigh 310 now. I do whatever it takes. You reap what you sow."

Pass blocking: Rare overall athleticism for the position. Can mirror the pass rusher due to his balance and lateral agility. Is improving hand punch and upper-body strength. Quicker, more powerful hands as a senior. Natural knee bend and balance help him anchor surprisingly well for his lack of bulk, but this is an area of concern. Will struggle against powerful DTs' bull rushes.

Run blocking: Needs to add strength, especially in his lower body, to be a drive blocker. Relies on turning the defender away from the hole and sealing him off, as he struggles to physically uproot the defender. Marginal hand placement and will allow his hands to get outside the frame as a run blocker.

Pulling/trapping: Best attribute might be his quickness and agility to pull and get to the second level as a run blocker. Good straight-line speed to get around the tackle and out into the open field. Can break down and adjust on the fly to hit the moving target.

Initial Quickness: Good-to-very good quickness off the snap. Often the first off the line of scrimmage and gets good initial movement as a run blocker.

Downfield: Good effort to block downfield. Not a dominator, but consistently gets to the next level to block linebackers and even defensive backs.

Intangibles: Suspended for the 2008 season due to academics. Allowed to practice with the team last season despite the suspension and had time to acclimate to the new offense. Spent some of his time learning to box, improving his hand speed and strength. Impressed with his ability to adjust from the run-heavy offense Houston Nutt used to the pass-heavy attack favored by Bobby Petrino. Looks lighter on film than listed. Some feel he is maxed out at this weight and doesn't have the frame to add the weight and strength to be an effective guard in the NFL.

NFL Comparison: Eric Steinbach

Petrus appeared in 49 games at Arkansas, competing as a fullback, left offensive guard, right guard, tight end and on the kick coverage unit … Started his final 25 games as an offensive guard -- 12 at left guard in 2007 and 13 at right guard in 2009 … Recorded 167 knockdowns/key blocks with 21 touchdown-resulting blocks as a starter on the offensive line … Recently timed the NFL Scouting Combine bench press record with 45 repetitions, a mark first set by Mike Kudla of Ohio State in 2006.

Earned All-Southeastern Conference first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report and the league's coaches, adding second-team accolades from the Associated Press … Named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week vs. Eastern Michigan … Returned to action and shifted to right offensive guard, starting all thirteen games … Registered 113 knockdowns/key blocks with twelve touchdown-resulting blocks and five blocks downfield, as he paved the way for the Razorbacks' revived aerial attack, as Arkansas led the SEC and ranked tenth in the nation with an average of 295.54 yards per game passing … The Hogs finished 20th in the major college ranks in total offense (427.31 yards per game) and led the conference while placing ninth nationally in scoring (36.00 points per game) … Was penalized three times and allowed only two quarterback pressures, but no sacks on 439 pass plays … Also recorded a solo tackles in the Louisiana State clash.

Petrus was ruled academically ineligible for 2008, but practiced with the team while redshirting.

Petrus earned All-SEC second-team honors from the league's coaches … Shifted from fullback to left offensive guard in fall camp, starting all but the Chattanooga contest …

Cleared the way for two All-American running backs -- Doak Walker Award winner and Heisman Trophy runner-up Darren McFadden, who led the SEC and ranked fourth in the nation in rushing (140.8), and Felix Jones, who ranked fifth in the SEC (89.4) … Graded 83.46% for blocking consistency, as his 54 knockdowns/key blocks ranked third on the team … Paved the way for a running attack that ranked fourth in the nation with an average of 286.54 yards per game, as the Razorbacks tallied a school season-record 3,725 yards on the ground … Also advanced a short kickoff 10 yards vs. Tennessee.

When Petrus reported for preseason camp, he was expected to compete for a starting job at one of the offensive guard spots, but the coaches decided to move the 288-pounder to fullback … Did not start any of the fourteen games he played in, but was a vital cog to the team's ground game success … Helped clear the way for a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Darren McFadden (1,647 yards) and Felix Jones (1,168), marking only the third time in Southeastern Conference history and 38th time in college football annals that a team had two players rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season … Had just one carry for the year, gaining one yard on that attempt vs. Southeast Missouri … Part of a blocking unit that finished second in the nation in fewest sacks allowed per game (0.64), yielding only nine sacks in 14 games … The Razorbacks had the SEC-leading and the nation's fourth-best rushing attack, averaging 228.5 yards rushing per game.

Petrus joined the team as a walk-on and was scheduled to red-shirt, but the staff activated him for the final nine games of the schedule … Utilized as a member of the kickoff return team and a reserve tight end and offensive guard … Made his debut in Louisiana-Monroe game, as he graded 91% for blocking consistency, coming up with three knockdowns.

2009: Suffered a hamstring pull running the 40-yard dash and was unable to complete the agility tests at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Campus: 5.09 in the 40-yard dash … 1.79 10-yard dash … 2.88 20-yard dash … 4.54 20-yard shuttle … 7.59 three-cone drill … 26-inch vertical jump … 8'3" broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 35 times … 490-pound bench press … 33 1/2-inch arm length … 9 1/2-inch hands.

Attended Carlisle (Ark.) High School, playing football for head coach Jamie Jones …

Lettered as a tight end, fullback and linebacker … Recipient of the Class AA Conference Lineman of the Year Award and was named All-Conference and All-State as a senior … As a tight end, Petrus hauled in 40 receptions for 750 yards and eight touchdowns … During his junior campaign, he broke the state record for tackles in a game with 39 … Recorded 306 tackles, including 145 solo tackles, his senior year and led the state … All-Conference and All-State performer in basketball … Also lettered in track.

Agricultural Business major, enrolled in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences … Was named to the Razorback Academic Honor Roll (2008-09) … Son of Sue and Phil Petrus … Born Jonathan Mitchell Petrus on 5/11/87 … Resides in Carlisle, Arkansas.