Vladimir Ducasse can look back at training camp now and realize how overwhelmed he was as a rookie trying to hold his own among a veteran offensive line.
"I feel like I kept making the same mistake over and over again," the second-round pick said. "Every time I made a mistake, I would go back and keep thinking about it, instead of focusing on the next play. Now if I make one mistake, I just keep on going. Don't worry about it; we'll fix it later."
Jets T Vladimir Ducasse learning from sideline, not offensive line
Published: Tuesday, October 12, 2010, 5:00 AM
Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger 
Rookie Vladimir Ducasse did not earn a starting spot in training camp. Now, he waits his turn. Vladimir Ducasse can look back at training camp now and realize how overwhelmed he was as a rookie trying to hold his own among a veteran offensive line.
"I feel like I kept making the same mistake over and over again," the second-round pick said. "Every time I made a mistake, I would go back and keep thinking about it, instead of focusing on the next play. Now if I make one mistake, I just keep on going. Don't worry about it; we'll fix it later."
Second-year pro Matt Slauson beat out Ducasse for the starting left guard job in the preseason and has kept it, taking the immediate pressure off the rookie. Now, Ducasse is taking advantage of the added time to learn the Jets' scheme and hone his technique after leaping to the NFL from Division 1-AA UMass.
"Right now, Matt is doing really good; he's doing really, really good," Ducasse said. "The only thing I can do now is just be ready to go in. If someone goes down, I have to be ready to step up."
Ducasse, who was a left tackle in college, has been splitting his time between guard and tackle in practice this fall. He worked with the first-team line at right tackle before the Buffalo game when Damien Woody missed two practices for personal reasons, and Wayne Hunter was sidelined with a difficult shin injury.
Ducasse's only game action so far this season was two series at right tackle late in the Bills blowout, after quarterback Mark Brunell replaced starter Mark Sanchez. His future on the team could be at either position, as he works on translating his physical gifts to the football field.
One turning point, Ducasse said, came during training camp when coach Rex Ryan pulled him aside. In his head, after every play, Ducasse said he would ask himself, "Was that good, or was that bad?" On the next snap, he would wind up hesitating.
"I didn't notice I was doing that until (Ryan) told me, 'I just want you to go out there and play football. Stop thinking. Be physical,' " Ducasse said. "Then I went out there, and I did what he told me to do. It felt different compared to what I used to be feeling before."
One play of the preseason stuck in Ducasse's mind more than the others. In the third exhibition game, Redskins defensive end Kedric Golston beat Ducasse inside and drove Sanchez -- and his shoulder -- into the ground.
"I know I did give up a hit," Ducasse said. "That was frustrating. That is the starting quarterback. It didn't happen in a while for me to give up a hit like that in the game. But all I can do is fix my mistake, that's it."
Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan is a technician of the position, putting a premium on his players' technique. Ducasse has also had plenty of help from Slauson, and defensive linemen Mike DeVito -- with whom he sometimes stays after practice for extra work.
"All I can do now is just keep on getting better, now that I don't have too much pressure on me," Ducasse said. "I still get my chance to go against the ones on defense. That's helping me, because that's probably the best defense I'm going to be facing all year. Every day I go out here and just keep getting better."
Leave a comment