via farm4.static.flickr.com

From Bryant-Jon Anteola at the Fresno Bee (Thursday):

'A chance. That's all Jason Shirley wants. A chance to get selected this weekend during the NFL draft.

A chance to keep playing.

But the former Fresno State football player knows he severely hurt those chances in October when he was charged with three misdemeanors, including driving under the influence.

The incident led to Shirley's third suspension of the season, and essentially ended his senior year.

"I know NFL teams frown upon those types of incidents," Shirley said. "It's always a big deal when you did something like I got involved in.

"They don't want guys who get in trouble. I just tell them: 'It was a mistake; it's unfortunate. I've moved on, and I've learned from it.' "

Most mock drafts project Shirley as a late-round selection or a free-agent signee.

At 6 feet, 5 inches and 329 pounds, and capable of running a 40-yard dash in 5.02 seconds, Shirley is one of the biggest and fastest defensive tackles in the draft.

He ranks 22nd overall at his position, according to NFLDraftScout.com, which cites his size and potential as positives but his stamina, off-the-field issues and maturity level as negatives.

Shirley said life hasn't been the same after his senior season was limited to three games because of the suspensions.

Shirley was suspended the first two games for conduct detrimental to the team. Stripped of his starting role, he returned to play three games and contributed immediately as the Bulldogs' primary run stopper.

He was suspended a second time after he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Police say he crashed a car into an apartment complex on Oct. 8. Shirley was charged with three misdemeanors: driving under the influence, driving with a blood-alcohol content of .08% or higher, and hit and run.

Shirley appealed the suspension and provided medical documents that detailed a concussion he received days before the car crash. He soon was back on the team.

But a few days after he was reinstated, Shirley was charged with driving with a suspended license and expired registration. He was suspended again, this time for the remainder of the season.

Shirley said he became depressed, embarrassed and confused. The structure of football always had helped him manage his time, forced him to stay disciplined with his grades, and most importantly, gave him a sense of belonging and camaraderie.

When around his teammates, Shirley often pulled little pranks, like the time he sprayed a water bottle all over fullback Reynard Camp.

"Do you ever stop playing?" Camp yelled at his teammate.

Without football, Shirley was distant and kept to himself.

During his suspension, Shirley didn't watch another Fresno State game until the Bulldogs' Humanitarian Bowl victory.

"Watching them play was like putting salt on the wound," said Shirley, his eyes filling with tears. "I was proud of my former teammates. They showed a lot of heart. I just wish I could have been a part of it."

Shirley said he snapped out of his funk when he began playing football again in two senior all-star games: the Hula Bowl and the Texas vs. The Nation Bowl.

"I felt good to be back in pads, be back around the guys," he said.

Shirley took this semester off from school to prepare for the draft. He performed well last month at Fresno State's Pro Day, where NFL hopefuls run drills in front of scouts.

Among Shirley's more impressive marks were his 40-yard time, vertical jump (35 inches) and broad jump (9 feet, 10 inches). In comparison, USC's Sedrick Ellis, considered the second-best defensive tackle available, ran the 40 in 5.26, had a vertical jump of 26-1/2 and a broad jump of 8-7.

Still, ESPN NFL draft expert Mel Kiper called Shirley an enigma.

And then there are Shirley's court issues.

Shirley appeared before a Fresno County Superior Court judge Wednesday for his DUI case, with his lawyer ready to go to trial. But the prosecutor from the District Attorney's Office asked for a delay, and the trial start was pushed to May 21.

Shirley's lawyer, Charles McGill, said a handful of NFL teams have called his office to find out details of Shirley's case. McGill said he couldn't recall how many teams or which specific teams called, except for the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I have a good feeling that Jason's going to get drafted," said McGill, who is representing Shirley in his legal case, but is not his sports agent.

Shirley said he plans to watch the draft from his parents' home in Fontana.

"Life is good," Shirley said. "I feel blessed. I'm excited. I'm a little nervous about this weekend. I'm not depressed anymore.

"I'm just ready to move on with everything, get back to playing football."'

I'm ready to give this guy a shot because he could really wreak havoc at the point of attack and lord knows we need that.