Every Tuesday over the summer, The Juice Online is going to highlight individual players on the 2012-13 Syracuse football team. This week, we’re profiling defensive tackle Jay Bromley.
On a team with offensive talent such as Ryan Nassib and Marcus Sales, it was defensive tackle Jay Bromley that provided the impetus to all the points during Syracuse’s annual spring game.
Bromley’s safety on backup quarterback Charley Loeb and strip sack of John Kinder, accounted for all nine points scored.
“I was watching the ball as it rolled and I was like, ‘Please let somebody from my team pick it up,'” Bromley said.
His request was answered by teammate Brandon Sharpe, who scooped up the ball and rumbled down the field for a defensive touchdown.
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“It was just a good play call,” Bromley said. “I got through the blocker and I was surprised that the quarterback held onto the ball, so I just ran after him and tried to tackle him and the ball just came out. I was watching it roll and just hoped that someone picked it up and then Sharpe was right there for the touchdown.”
It was the only score in an otherwise disappointing showing.
Then again, disappointing is a relative word, because while the offense struggled, the defense shined.
“I just thought it was a good overall effort by the defense,” Bromley said. “We tried to play the best we could. Defense, we really had a lot going for us.”
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Inside Slant: Syracuse’s defense allowed 28.5 points per game last year, which ranked 73rd in the NCAA. The Orange also had trouble getting to opposing team’s quarterbacks, registering just 28 sacks on the season. Four and a half of those sacks came from Chandler Jones, who was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots. The Orange will need plenty of performances like the one Bromley had in the spring game if they want to make up for Jones’ absence.
Vitals:
- Birthdate: May, 1992
- Hometown: Jamaica, NY
- High School: Flushing High School
- Position: Defensive Tackle
- Class: Junior
- Height: 6’3″
- Weight: 280 lbs
Career Highlights: Bromley played in all 12 games in the 2011 season, finishing with 18 tackles and 1.5 sacks. In 2010, he was one of just 15 true freshman to play, finishing the season with five tackles.
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