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I would much rather be the hammer than the nail. – Miles Killebrew
Teams around the NFL held rookie minicamps over the weekend, and while numerous squads have players who competed collegiately in the Beehive State, the Cincinnati Bengals are home to three who made headlines for different reasons at the team's camp.
• Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis raved about former Utah State linebacker Nick Vigil, who Cincinnati chose in the third round of the NFL Draft.
• As told in a story by Jay Morrison of the Dayton Daily News, Lewis said Vigil looks "like he’s been the MIKE linebacker the entire time.”
• Former Utah quarterback Travis Wilson got attention for a more negative reason, as he hit Bengals defensive coordinator Paul Guenther in the back of the head with a pass during a drill.
• "Guenther, who was squatting with his back to the line of scrimmage, watching the defense, joked about the incident about practice, but it could have been serious. It was a hard shot that sent his sunglasses flying," Morrison wrote in that same story.
• Another former Ute, linebacker Gionni Paul, made a strong impression both with his play and his fashion. Paul was one of four Bengal rookies to sign with the team as a free agent after joining the squad on a tryout basis.
• Though Paul's play on the field is surely what impressed Cincinnati coaches, his unique footwear couldn't have hurt.
Dante Exum hangs out with countryman, top draft prospect Ben Simmons
The Utah Jazz will likely pick 12th in the June NBA Draft and therefore won't have a shot at selecting top prospect Ben Simmons of Australia.
Jazz fans were given a chance over the weekend to dream about what it might be like to have the talented forward on the roster though, as he posted a photo on Instagram of himself with countryman and Utah point guard Dante Exum.
Former SUU safety Miles Killebrew featured
Elsewhere as it relates to locals participating in rookie minicamps last weekend, a lengthy feature was written about former SUU safety Miles Killebrew, now of the Detroit Lions, by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
The story focuses on Killebrew's reputation as a hard hitter, and how he hopes to carry that into the NFL.
“I would much rather be the hammer than the nail,” he said. “And I love it, I love it. I mean, it’s football. It’s football and in its purest sense, football is a collision sport. And as long as I’m doing it safely and legally, I enjoy it.”
Ryan McDonald is a sports reporter at DeseretNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanwmcdonald.