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Posted on Fri, May 14, 2010 : 3:50 p.m.

Former Eastern Michigan, U-M defensive back Johnny Sears signs with Bengals

By Jeff Arnold

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The long and interesting football journey of Johnny Sears now includes the NFL.

Sears, who finished his collegiate career at Eastern Michigan three years after starting at nearby Michigan, signed a free-agent contract Thursday with the Cincinnati Bengals. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Sears, who played in nine games last fall for the Eagles, was signed after participating in a Bengals' rookie minicamp two weeks ago as an unsigned tryout player.

Sears, who was dismissed from the Michigan football program after the first game of his second season with the Wolverines, played in nine games at Eastern. He made 37 tackles (23 solo) while leading the Eagles with seven pass break-ups.

He also served as the Eagles' primary kickoff returner, registering 755 yards on returns and averaging 22.9 yards per return.

He came back to Michigan after spending a season playing for the College of Sequoias in California. Eastern Michigan coach Ron English - who recruited and coached Sears at Michigan - offered the defensive back a second chance on the condition that Sears didn't get into trouble and remained eligible academically.

English initially passed on Sears but after College of the Sequoias coach Tony Perry convinced English that Sears would help his Eastern Michigan team, the first-year Eagles coach offered his former Michigan pupil a spot.

English has a long history with Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle, who has worked with several of English's former players. While Sears will have to develop an NFL mentality, English told Coyle that the 5-11 cornerback had the physical tools to play at the next level.

"We knew he was a guy who certainly had the ability to progress and be a guy who could play at the next level," English said Friday. "The talent is there but the thing is he's not polished yet. He's still a kid who hasn't played a lot of football so I think a lot of (Sears signing) was Cincinnati's ability to evaluate."

In an interview with AnnArbor.com last fall, Sears said he was immature when he arrived in Ann Arbor and didn't realize what he had in a scholarship at Michigan. He returned to Michigan at English's request determined to make the most of the opportunity English offered him.

"Coach E. gave me a second chance, and I'm just trying to take advantage of it," Sears said last September. "I'm just trying to make things better from the mistakes that I've made and try to help (English) out as much as I can for him for helping me out more than he will ever know that he did."

English said he hopes even if Sears doesn't make the team, he hopes he will make enough of an impression on the Bengals to remain - even as a practice team player. And after all the growing up English has seen Sears do, he feels like he will make the most his NFL chance.

"I know in time, he's going to be able to play in that league," English said. "The thing I know about cornerbacks is that you can be a great player but if you don't have the ability to play the position, it's hard to stick.

"You can be a good little player and not have enough ability. So I'd rather take a guy that has the ability and teach that guy to play the position. So I want to see him do his best to make the team, but if he doesn't make the team this year, he makes it next year. That's what I am hoping for for Johnny."

Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.

Comments

barnz378

Fri, May 14, 2010 : 10:47 p.m.

Nothing wrong with maturing late. It is all about timing anyways. I thought Johnny did a good job at Michigan considering all the talent that was here when he played here. Just have to keep pushing forward and try to make some money. Thank you Ron English, we could of used you around here the last couple of years.

Terry Star21

Fri, May 14, 2010 : 1:03 p.m.

What a fabulous second chance story... good for Johnny, Coach English & EMU.