A.J. Nicholson

The linebacker tradition continues in the Nicholson family. Nicholson's father, Darrell, was a standout performer at that position for the University of North Carolina, playing alongside Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. Darrell was drafted in the sixth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played one season in the league before heading north to play in the Canadian Football League, where he helped Toronto win the prestigious Grey Cup, the CFL's version of the Super Bowl. Nicholson's younger brother, Derek, was a teammate at Mount Tabor High School and joined Nicholson in the Florida State linebacker unit in 2005. Nicholson was a highly recruited linebacker at Mount Tabor High School, where he was named a Parade and Prep Stars All-American. He added USA Today All-USA second-team honors and was rated the third-best middle linebacker in the nation according to Max Emfinger. He was rated the eighth-best linebacker in the nation according to School Sports and selected to the Athlon Sports Top 100 High School Seniors and the Alliance Sports Top 100 lists. The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Super Southern 100 team choice recorded 147 tackles as a senior and made 170 tackles with 23 stops for losses as a junior. Nicholson selected Florida State over Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida and Texas. He played in every game as a true freshman, recording 23 tackles (14 solos) with a sack in 2002. Nicholson started three of 13 games in 2003. He posted 55 tackles (36 solos) with three stops for losses and recovered three fumbles, advancing one 23 yards for a score. He took over weak-side outside linebacker duties as a junior, leading the team with 88 tackles (39 solos), including four sacks and 11.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage. He caused a fumble, recovered two others and intercepted a pass. Nicholson again led the team in tackles in 2005, posting 100 hits (53 solos) with 10 stops for losses and 12 quarterback pressures. For that performance, he was awarded second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors. In 50 games with the Seminoles, Nicholson started 27 times. He finished his career with 266 tackles (142 solos) and six sacks for minus-19 yards. He totaled 25.5 stops for losses of 63 yards and 21 quarterback pressures. Nicholson caused three fumbles and recovered five others, returning one 23 yards for a touchdown. He also deflected six passes and had three interceptions for 59 yards in returns and a touchdown.

lacks ideal foot speed to cover receivers outside the short area...might be better suited for middle linebacker due to his straight-line speed and ability to make plays in front of him, as he will lose relationship with the opponent when having to cover much ground...struggles to stack and shed when working inside the box...when offensive linemen get into his body, the battle is quickly over (poor hand usage to disengage)...lacks natural hands for the interception (several opportunities resulted in deflections, as he dropped a few and let others absorb into his body)...best when protected by his defensive tackles, as he is not stout vs. the inside run and gets engulfed too often by offensive linemen...has major off-field issues that need further examination...does not have the foot speed to match up with slot receivers and some backs in the passing game.

Nicholson is an aggressive tackler who does a good job in run containment, but due to a lack of ideal size, he can be engulfed by larger blockers when trying to slip through traffic. He has a quick short area burst to push the pocket, but is best when his defensive tackles are occupying blockers so he can take a clear lane into the backfield.

positives

Has solid overall muscle tone, well-built upper body frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk, good bubble and thick legs and thighs...Shows adequate flexibility and change of direction agility working down the line...Does a decent job of slipping off and avoiding blocks when working in-line...Aggressive athlete who plays with good emotion...Does a good job of reading blocking schemes and scraping to the ball...Downhill type who is better when avoiding blocks than when taking them on...

nicholson shows good effort chasing down the ball. he can deliver enough pop to stop the ball carrier and has the hand strength to drag the opponent down. he has the loose hips to change direction and move laterally, demonstrating the vision to recognize underneath routes. he gets good depth dropping back in the seam, but just does not have the foot speed to stay on the receiver in long routes.

His off-field issues continued to mount in 2005. He was involved in two alcohol-related offenses and was also sent home from the Orange Bowl after a woman accused him of sexual assault. While he is a good tackler and a vocal team leader, he does talk a lot of "trash" on the field. With his off-field issues, lack of ideal size and speed, his struggles trying to shed blocks and possible durability questions (right knee), he could slip right out of the draft's first day after being projected as a very early round pick prior to the 2005 season.

nicholson relies a lot on his read-and-diagnose ability to get a jump on the ball, as his speed is only average and he lacks the sudden burst to surprise linemen coming off the edge. he is effective at timing his jumps into the backfield, but if he has to run long distances, he fails to seal the deal and get to the passer (better at applying pressure than making the sack).

His big problems occur in traffic, as he does not keep his hands active to prevent blockers from attacking his body. He is not the type who will stack and control and while he has strong legs, he will get pushed back when he gets too narrow with his base.

delivers solid tackles and has the functional strength to bring down ball carriers on contact...has the lateral range to chase down plays along the sidelines...plays until the whistle...has the loose hips needed to get depth in his pass drops and shows a short area burst to close on receivers vs. plays in front of him...times his leaps well to deflect passes and can close on the ball in a hurry once he locates it...slippery through traffic, showing good urgency closing on the pocket...does not have the strength to create piles, but attacks fullbacks with good pop in attempts to clog the rush lanes.

Negatives

2005: Underwent surgery in May to repair a right knee torn medial collateral ligament.

Campus: 4.7 in the 40-yard dash

386-pound bench press

458-pound squat

357-pound power clean

28-inch vertical jump

10'0" broad jump

32-inch arm length

10 5/8-inch hands

Right-handed

13/32 Wonderlic score.

Attended Mount Tabor (Winston-Salem, N.C.) High School, playing football for head coach Bob Sapp

The highly recruited linebacker was named a Parade and Prep Stars All-American

Added USA Today All-USA second-team honors and was rated the third-best middle linebacker in the nation according to Max Emfinger

Also rated the eighth-best linebacker in the nation according to School Sports and selected to the Athlon Sports Top 100 High School Seniors and the Alliance Sports Top 100 lists

The Atlanta Journal Constitution's Super Southern 100 team choice recorded 147 tackles as a senior and made 170 tackles with 23 stops for losses as a junior.

Sports Management/Social Science major

Father, Darrell, was a standout performer at that position for the University of North Carolina, playing alongside Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor. Darrell was drafted in the sixth round of the 1982 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played one season in the league before heading north to play in the Canadian Football League, where he helped Toronto win the prestigious Grey Cup, which is the CFL's version of the Super Bowl

Nicholson's younger brother, Derek, was a teammate at Mount Tabor High School and joined Nicholson in the Florida State linebacker unit in 2005

Born 6/25/83

Resides in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. BACK TO TOP PROFILE GAME ANALYSIS PLAYER NEWS PLAYER STATISTICS Expanded & Classic Player Profiles Are OFFICIAL NFL RECORDS by Scout Dave Te' Thomas, NFLScouting, NFLDraftScout.com © Copyright - The Sports Xchange , My Sports Daily . All Rights Reserved Home | Contact Us | About Us | Privacy Policy