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Bart Hubbuch: Joe McKnight Motivated By Danny Woodhead

Bart Hubbuch wrote an excellent piece in the Post today talking about Joe McKnight and Danny Woodhead, the guy who frankly outplayed McKnight in camp and the preseason but still lost a roster spot.

"It's motivation," McKnight said. "I'm not trying to make people forget about Woodhead, but I'm going to make people remember what they said to me about Woodhead."

These two will probably be linked and compared for the rest of their careers. It's an easy and melodramatic storyline for writers. The small guy from the school nobody has ever heard of is outplaying the star from the USC football factory. The fact the small guy was cut to make room for the star and is now producing for a bitter rival is catnip for guys with an ax to grind against the Jets like a certain writer who thinks Woodhead is "a cross between Barry Sanders and Red Grange." You can only wonder how NFL teams haven't hired such brilliant talent evaluators.

McKnight has more natural ability than Woodhead. It seems like he has matured a lot since he first showed up in Florham Park. One thing that impresses me is the way he's tackled new positions like punt gunner and cornerback he has never played before due to the team's needs. The work he has put in has gotten him on the field and probably why Rex Ryan hinted this week that McKnight is going to see his role increased as the regular season nears its end.

McKnight has incredible athletic ability. If he keeps his head straight and continues to do the right things in practice, it's only a matter of time before the guy who dominated the Rose Bowl and took over a game in front of 100,000 at Ohio State appears.

Once again, click on the link to read Hubbuch's article. It's really good.