PRO PROSPECT
Former Lobo Teriyon Gipson looks forward to the next phase of his football life
Will Teriyon Gipson hear his name called during the upcoming NFL Draft? Maybe.
“We really think that’s a big possibility,” the former UNM running back said in a phone interview, speaking for himself and his agent.
But if not, Gipson is virtually certain to sign a free-agent contract with an NFL team.
And Gipson needs to look no further than his own family to understand the potential value of a free-agent contract.
In 2012, Gipson’s older brother, Tashaun, signed a free-agent contract with the Cleveland Browns after an outstanding career as a defensive back at Wyoming.
Last August, after having intercepted 14 passes during his four seasons with the Browns and making the Pro Bowl in 2014, Tashaun Gipson signed a five-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars worth a reported $35.5 million.
Of course, Teriyon Gipson is not a 5-foot-11, 205-pound cornerback like his brother. He’s a 5-8, 182-pound running back — small even by college standards, let alone the NFL.
Nonetheless, Gipson has made a powerful case for himself the past eight months.
Last fall, as a UNM senior, he rushed for 1,269 yards and 13 touchdowns. His average per carry of 8.8 yards led the nation. At the end of a season in which the Lobos went 9-4 and beat UTSA in the Gildan New Mexico Bowl, he was named the team’s most valuable player.
After the season, in January, Gipson rushed for 64 yards and caught passes for 32 more — and a touchdown on a 13-yard reception — at the NFLPA Bowl all-star game in Carson, Calif.
In April, at UNM’s Pro Day, Gipson ran a 4.45 40-yard dash — a time that would have ranked him fourth among running backs at the NFL Combine. His marks of 4.28 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, 36½ inches in the vertical jump and 10 feet even in the broad jump would have ranked him in the top half of the combine participants.
At UNM, Gipson consistently lobbied to return punts and kicks. Because of his work load at running back, and in the interests of keeping him healthy, the coaches chose not to do so.
But at Pro Day, Gipson fielded punts and kickoffs flawlessly.
The interest from NFL teams,
Gipson said, has increased accordingly.
“Everything’s on the uprise,” he said. “I’ve been talking to the coaches and the scouts through the NFL. .... Everything’s been pretty positive, so it’s just a waiting game now.”
Since Pro Day, Gipson has worked out for the Dallas Cowboys.
“That most definitely went well,” he said. “They said I was one of the better guys out there, so that was good.”
A Dallas native, Gipson said being drafted or signing with the Cowboys as a free agent would be a dream come true.
“I was a Cowboys fan growing up and watched them my whole life,” he said. “... It was a dream come true just being able to participate (in that workout).”
Other teams, though, are in the mix.
“I’ve had a lot of phone calls, almost every team in the NFL,” he said. “I’ve talked to the Jets a lot . ... I’ve talked to the San Francisco running backs coach (Robert Turner Jr.). We’ve pretty much stayed in contact.
“I’ve talked to the Broncos, the Cowboys. I’ve talked to a whole bunch of teams.”
Gipson said he has talked with his brothers, Tashaun and Marcell, another former Wyoming defensive back who signed as an undrafted free agent with Minnesota as a free agent in 2011.
Their advice, he said, has been basic.
“(They just said) it’s out of your hands,” Gipson said. “There’s nothing you can really do but just wait.
“So just stay ready.”