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Mountaineers' Jorden loves to both catch, block
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Published: October 1, 2008
Ben Jorden welcomed the workout he got Saturday night in Appalachian State's 48-14 victory over Presbyterian.
Jorden, a 6-2, 240-pound tight end and a redshirt freshman, figured prominently in the Mountaineers' attack. He was part of a two tight-end set that helped produce 349 rushing yards in the second half, and he wound up leading all receivers with three catches for 97 yards.
The Mountaineers took to the air for most of the first half and led just 17-14 at halftime. They got back to basics in the second half with zone running plays and a lot of blocks by Jorden and Orry Frye, another redshirt freshman and converted offensive lineman.
"We had a lot of two tight-end sets to get the running game going, and with that, it can open the passing game," said Jorden, who caught a 58-yard pass from backup quarterback DeAndre Presley.
Jorden is as comfortable catching passes as he is blocking.
"I was actually a wide receiver in high school and never blocked before I got here," he said. "So I love to catch the ball, but I love to block, too. Any time I can get in the game, I'll do whatever they need me to do."
Jorden helped Charlotte Latin to an independent-schools state title as a high-school senior in 2006.
His father, Jim, was an All-America receiver for Wheaton College in the early 1980s, and his grandfather, J.T. Martin of Advance, played major-league baseball from 1959 until 1974 and was on the 1969 New York Mets team that won the World Series.
Jorden was recruited by the Mountaineers as much for his sure hands as his large frame, and he has stepped in as a receiving threat to replace Nic Cardwell, who is now coaching tight ends.
"I take pride in that, that's something I work hard on," Jorden said of his receiving ability. "I catch a lot of balls. Nic Cardwell really has us do a lot of catching drills in practice…. It's great having a coach that played here last year because he knows all the tricks of the trade. He played here four years and was just a great tight end."
Coach Jerry Moore of the Mountaineers said that the same goes for Jorden.
"He's a terrific receiver," Moore said. "You get the ball around him and he's probably going to catch it. He's one of the best receivers we have."
■ Tommy Bowman can be reached at 727-7320 or at tbowman@wsjournal.com.
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