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Jordan Senn Story

Viking Profile: Jordan Senn

http://www.goviks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=19300&ATCLID=1505832

This past year was just about the perfect ending to linebacker Jordan Senn’s football and academic career at Portland State University.

On the field, he was the team’s leading tackler with 127, the most by a PSU player in 30 years. He had five tackles for loss, three interceptions, a fumble recovery, four pass breakups and was named a Big Sky Conference (BSC) Defensive Player of the Week. His career total of 320 tackles ranks second all time at PSU.

And, all this with the completely new defense instituted by new head coach Jerry Glanville.

“After having the same system for four years, I think we approached the new system with a little concern. But the coaching staff made it easy for us to adapt. They did a good job of helping us see the common ground between the two systems, which made it easier to relate,” Senn said.

Senn took to the new system readily, agreed Bobby April, inside linebackers coach.

“He’s a hard worker, a blue collar player and a little crazy (an affectionate, positive description) in the head. It’s rare to find someone as tough as he is. We’d love to have three or four more Jordan Senns on offense and on defense,” said April.

For his part, Senn listed the experience of working with the new coaching staff as one of the highlights of his career.

“I recognize that the season didn’t go as I’d hoped, but in terms of building character and what they taught me, it was a very successful year,” he said. Since Senn has signed a free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts of the NFL, he was particularly appreciative that “they gave me a preview of what it’s like to work with an NFL team, everything going full speed all the time.”

As with some of his teammates, he listed the 2007 Montana game as the season’s most challenging and fun experience.

“They were physical. We were physical. That’s what I like about football. The game was played the way I like to play,” Senn said.

Off the field, Senn earned his Public Health Exercise Science degree at the end of fall term and finished with a 3.86 cumulative GPA. For the second year in a row, he was named a second team Academic All-American, the only BSC player and one of only two from Oregon teams (the other was a UO player). That made him one of only 50 Division 1 football players from the 240 playing schools, a very select group.

His most challenging class this year was Anatomy and Physiology, a three-term course and “one of the most difficult of my entire time here. I think I liked it because it was the most challenging. There was a lot to understand.”

It also fit into his plans to become a fire fighter or EMT following what he hopes will be several years in the NFL. Those jobs are appealing because “they’re active jobs. I could be proud to do either one. They’re about helping, giving back. You play an important role.”

As to Senn’s future, April had this to say: “Jordan Senn was a very vocal leader for the team. He’s very smart. He’ll be successful at whatever he tries. Hopefully, he’ll make it in the NFL. He certainly has the tools.”
 
Jordan Senn Learning The Ropes With Indianapolis Colts

http://www.goviks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?temp_site=NO&DB_OEM_ID=19300&ATCLID=1507100

Former PSU Linebacker Jordan Senn was to know in August.

Late August was when the 5’11”, 225-pound standout expected to know if the NFL Indianapolis Colts have a place for him. Senn led the team in tackles last year with the most at PSU in 30 seasons (127) and, during his four-year playing career, he was the second-leading tackler in PSU football history.

The 24-year-old out of Beaverton High School signed a free agent contract with the Colts this spring, one of seven PSU players off last season’s squad to sign free agent contracts with NFL teams (the most Portland State players ever to sign with the NFL in one year).

If the Colts extend his contract, it will be the culmination of a dream (albeit a distant one) which began in the third grade, the first year he played football.

“This has been a dream of mine since the third grade, although I really didn’t think of it as a possibility until after last football season,” Senn said.

And, after four weeks of training with the Colts, he still shakes his head at finding himself catapulted into rarified company, the cream of college football teams from throughout the country.

“In terms of quality, it’s been a bit of an eye opener to see just how good some of these other people are. Sometimes I wonder if I can get to that level. Then, I think...yes, I can compete,” Senn said.

His confidence was echoed by PSU’s first year head coach Jerry Glanville, who Senn credits with getting him the chance to show what he can do. “Coach Glanville’s word means a lot to scouts. Just having him say I could make it was very beneficial.”

Senn has a potential future in the NFL “because of his dedication, his work ethic and his intelligence (on and off the field—Senn graduated with a 3.86 cumulative GPA and was twice a second team Division I Academic All-American). He can run, too...and he’s a great hitter,” said Glanville who had stints as head coach with the Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Oilers.

Although four teams showed interest in Senn, his first offer came from the team which was also his first choice. And his first four weeks confirmed his judgment in wanting to play for Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy.

He credits the atmosphere created by Coach Dungy for what has been a positive experience so far. “The overall atmosphere is very positive. The coaching staff is working hard to get the best from us. They aren’t yelling or swearing at us,” he said.

That atmosphere might also tighten up a little as it gets closer to decision time, said Glanville.

“I think Jordan will find that the biggest difference between college and the pros is patience. There’s more patience on the college level. In the pros, there’s no patience. If you make a mental error or don’t get to the right place at the right time, you’re in trouble.”

Still, he doesn’t think that should bother Senn too much because “he made few errors anyway.”

Senn has found his introduction to the pros interesting.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re drafted, are a veteran or come on as a free agent, we all do the same stuff. We’ve spent the last four weeks working out, sometimes full workouts, sometimes walking practices,” said Senn when he was home for a week in early July.

At this point, almost no one involved in the workouts has a guaranteed spot and Senn said the team let go a veteran fullback the week before he returned.

If there has been a surprise so far it’s that “even though everyone is competing, everyone has been very helpful. I thought there would be a lot more ‘every man for himself’, but at this point, everyone is trying to help make everyone else the best he can be,” Senn said.

As the team gets closer to making cuts in August, he expects people “will probably be a little more withdrawn, a little more closed off.”

Senn is trying to be realistic about his chances of making the Colts 53-man active roster.

“My goal is to show the coaches how hard I’m willing to work. I certainly don’t expect to start and I may not even make the active roster. My immediate goal is to be one of the nine players on the practice squad, which would give me more time to show the coaches what I can do,” he said.

A practice squad player can be activated. And once a player is on the active squad, he’ll be helping out somewhere...if just on special teams.

Senn is a goal-oriented person and says that working to achieve a goal makes the goal more valuable. “I know nothing will be given to me. I’m really motivated by working to obtain a goal. My parents and coaches have always rewarded me for working hard,” he said.

If he could have it his way, Senn would follow in the footsteps of linebacker Gary Brackett, who began his Colt career as a free agent six years ago out of Rutgers. Today he is a starting linebacker and a co-captain on the team. “In six years, if I’m in that spot, I’ll be able to say I did what I wanted.”

Although he’s been impressed with the overall talent of the Colt’s rookie crew, Senn doesn’t believe coming from a Championship Division, rather than Bowl Division team is any handicap.

“We talked a little about where we played college ball at the beginning, but we never mention that stuff any more because it doesn’t make any difference. Everyone here is a top notch player,” he said.

Also competing to make the Colts squad are a defensive end from Idaho State, who Senn played against, a linebacker from Cal Poly and a Division III player.

So far, his friends in Indianapolis include Jamie Silva, a cornerback from Boston College and Adam Tafralis, a quarterback from San Jose State, who have a lot of the same interests.

“We hang together and have had time to play golf. We don’t hang out in the bars like a lot of the others do...it’s just like at Portland State, you hang with people who like to do the things you do.”

When this was written, Senn’s future with the Colts was still undecided. But as his PSU position coach Bobby April said: “Jordan Senn was a very vocal leader for the team. He’s very smart. He’ll be successful at whatever he tries. Hopefully, he’ll make it in the NFL. He certainly has the tools.”
 
As Ian reported in his blog--11 tackles for Senn and 4 or less for everyone else. That has to impress the coaches enough to help him make the squad, at least as a special teamer.
 
Someone on o-live said Jordan started today for the Colts and had 5 tackles. I don't know if that's true or not, but here is his player profile from the Colt's website:

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=bio&player_id=522

It would be great if he made the team.
 
forestgreen said:
Someone on o-live said Jordan started today for the Colts and had 5 tackles. I don't know if that's true or not, but here is his player profile from the Colt's website:

http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=bio&player_id=522

It would be great if he made the team.

In the box score he had a total of five tackles, all of them solo tackles.

I saw that same post, said he played with the starters on the Colt's defense. Wow. How sweet would that be if he makes the team and is in the mix this year.
 
In the depth chart of the Colts, he's listed as #3. In the first pre-season game he's listed as having 11 tackles. I'd guess this has something to do with his status. Today's five solos doesn't hurt.
 
Colts LB Senn's glass is half empty, but he's hard at work to fill it


http://blog.oregonlive.com/nfl/2008/10/colts_lb_senns_glass_is_half_e.html
 
Jordan is now a Panther:

TO REPLACE JOHNSON ON THE 53-MAN ROSTER, the Panthers signed linebacker Jordan Senn, a second-year player most recently with the Indianapolis Colts. Senn was primarily a special-teams contributor in 15 games in 2008 and two this year for the Colts; he logged 16 tackles on kickoff and punt coverage last year and played this season against Arizona and Seattle before being released.

The Portland State product saw action at linebacker in two games with Indianapolis last year, logging three tackles against Cincinnati on Dec. 7 of last year and two stops against Tennessee three weeks later.

http://www.panthers.com/news/article-1/Minutes-Parade-to-injured-reserve-continues/c5954239-e805-48ad-9cf2-0ae948f29de5
 
Senn works hard, play hard

In analyzing the play of Jordan Senn following his first extensive action at linebacker as a Carolina Panther, head coach John Fox described how Senn threw his body around.

Teammate Marcus Hudson simply described Senn as a "baller."

There are countless ways and words to describe the mad-dog mentality that Senn brings to the football field, but there's only one apt description of why he plays that way....................


http://www.panthers.com/news/article-1/Senn-works-hard-play-hard/47fc2cf1-2a69-4b98-968b-927df4201f42
 
Former Viking Jordan Senn Works Hard, Plays Hard In The NFL

http://www.goviks.com/news/2010/12/21/FB_1221104148.aspx

Former Portland State linebacker Jordan Senn was recently featured by the Carolina Panthers on their website. As the 2010 season has progressed Senn has taken on a larger role with the Panther team.

Senn, a native of Beaverton, OR, played at Portland State from 2004 to 2007, earned All-Big Sky Conference honors, Academic All-American, and finished second all-time in tackles at PSU (320).

Click here to see the Jordan Senn story.

Video Feature
 
To Keep or Not To Keep: LB Jordan Senn

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2012/2/17/2802661/to-keep-or-not-to-keep-jordan-senn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

With all of this "Linsanity" going on (couldn't help it), I decided to do an article on undrafted free agent Jordan Senn. Senn was one of the pleasant surprises of the 2011 season, making a few memorable plays in key situations for us. Jordan Senn was an undrafted free agent out of Portland State, and was signed by the Indianapolis Colts in 2008. Senn was brought in on November 24th of 2009 as a special teams ace, after racking up 16 special teams tackles as a rookie. Jordan Senn was one of the many special teams signings we had made at that point. He made 12 special teams tackles in 2009 and 9 in 2010, with a few snaps on defense here and there, but had never started a game at linebacker in the NFL at that point.

Jordan Senn's stats are very impressive, including a quarterback pressure, one pass defensed, and three forced fumbles (two on defense, one on special teams). Jordan Senn also had eleven special teams tackles, which ranked second on the team. Not bad for a guy who only started seven games for us this year.

This season showed us how bad a defense can be, as we lost two starters to injury early on, and lost many other over the course of the year. After having lost both Jon Beason and Thomas Davis to season ending injuries, we saw many different linebackers take the field for us. Jordan Senn got his first opportunity at Detroit, where he took the field at Middle Linebacker for an injured Dan Connor. After that game, Senn started the remaining games at weakside linebacker after our core had been all but depleted by injuries.

Season Highlights

1. Jordan Senn levels Randall Cobb on special teams early on against Green Bay, forcing a fumble and setting up a field goal in what would be a very close game with the Super Bowl Champs.

2. In his first start ever in the NFL (and at Middle Linebacker no less), Jordan Senn records six total tackles, and forced a fumble from Keiland Williams, which resulted in a touchdown for Carolina.

3. Recorded 11 tackles (a team high) in the Carolina Panthers win at Indianapolis, his former team.

2012 Outlook
Free Agency:
Jordan Senn's contract is up, leaving him as a free agent. However, at 5-11 and 224 pounds, he is very undersized for any team looking for anything more than a special teams player. Plus, one of the consensus needs that we have is depth at linebacker. Jordan Senn is exactly what a team would want as a backup. He has great value on special teams, and has shown he can be a solid substitution for injury. He isn't great against the pass, and his size has hurt him before in the run. But he is one of the better guys we had on the field this past season after being bit hard by the proverbial "injury bug".

Plus, Ron Rivera seems to like him! "I think he's a very smart and talented young man," Rivera said. "And I think he has a lot of football savvy and he's a great athlete. ... If he continues to play like this it's going to be hard to justify not having him on the field." (Quote taken from Rotoworld.com)

In conclusion, I don't see why we wouldn't try to keep Jordan Senn. There aren't many backups in the NFL you can find with talent as a defensive player and value on special teams. He is going to contribute, and will maintain average play no matter what linebacker position you put him at. As Bill Belichick says, "Just do your job". We can win games if we have more people like Jordan Senn, who simply do their job to the best of their ability. No matter what job we give this guy, he's going to give it 100% of his effort. Jordan Senn is truly an embodiment of what you want every player to be like.
 

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