Eight Coastal Mississippians in NFL camps

All 32 NFL training camps will be open by Sunday, and eight players with Coastal Mississippi ties are looking to earn starting or back-up jobs.

Tops on the list is Pascagoula's Vick Ballard, entering his second year with the Indianapolis Colts. The former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Mississippi State star led the Colts with 814 rushing yards last season.

Ballard's job security got a boost earlier this week when free-agent signee Ahmad Bradshaw was put on the physically unable to perform list with a foot injury. Also fighting Ballard for the starting position is former first-round pick Donald Brown, who rushed for 417 yards last season.

Vancleave native Chris White, also a former MGCCC and Mississippi State standout, is entering his third season with the Buffalo Bills. It's a crucial camp for White, with the Bills having spent their second-round pick on linebacker Kiko Alonso and also having signed free agent linebackers Manny Lawson, Kourtnei Brown and Keith Pough in the offseason.

White has played mostly on special teams in his career, seeing time in 15 of 16 games in 2012. His rookie season was cut short due to a knee injury suffered while covering a kickoff.

Moss Point's Tom Johnson is heading into his third year with the New Orleans, after spending the last two seasons as a back-up defensive tackle. The former MGCCC and Southern Miss standout has totaled 43 tackles and three sacks since signing with the Saints following two years in the Canadian Football League.

The Saints have changed this year from a 4-3 defensive alignment to a 3-4 under first-year coordinator Rob Ryan. Johnson (6-foot-3, 288 pounds) is a bit undersized for nose tackle, so he could see more time at defensive end or at tackle in pass-rushing situations this year.

Also looking to break into the Saints' defensive line rotation is rookie nose tackle John Jenkins, also a former MGCCC standout. Jenkins, who played the last two years at Georgia, was New Orleans' third-round pick this year.

Jenkins' predecessor at Gulf Coast, Terrence Cody, is back for his fourth year with the Baltimore Ravens. Cody, who went to star at Alabama after leaving MGCCC, was a part-time starter on Baltimore's Super Bowl championship team last year.

Tramaine Brock's San Francisco 49ers faced off with Cody's Ravens in last year's Super Bowl. Brock, a Long Beach native who also played at MGCCC and Belhaven, is a part-time defensive back and special teams standout for the 49ers.

Former MGCCC quarterback Greg Jenkins is looking to make the Oakland Raiders as a wide receiver. Jenkins, a Florida native who played at Alabama State last season, signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in April.

Former St. Stanislaus standout Stephen Peterman is heading into his first season with the New York Jets. The former LSU standout was a starting guard for the Detroit Lions the last six seasons before being released in a salary-cap move in the spring.

Source: http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-sports/2013/07/eight_coastal_mississippians_i.html

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