ALUMNI
What's in a name?
The strange looks don't faze Joachim
Weinberg anymore. In the summers, for
example, he would apply for jobs, his name
would be on the interviewers' list, he'd show
up and....
"I walk in and they go,X>h, OK,'" Wein
berg says. They see that name and they're
expecting to see a white guy, especially a
Jewish guy."
The startled looks occur because Wein
berg is black (and he's Baptist). Yes, he
knows what's in a name. His first name is
pronounced "Jo-a-Kim," although it's often
written erroneously as Joaquim, such as on
the draft list when he was selected by the San
Diego Chargers in the annual draft in April.
"Sometimes people use the Hispanic
spelling," he says. As a result, Weinberg
simplifies things by abbreviating his first
name ? just call him Joe. At this point,
Weinberg, an 11th round pick from Johnson
C. Smith, is hoping to avoid summer mter
views by making the Chargers roster as a
wide receiver.
Weinberg's late father, Joachim Sr., who
was Jewish, was born in Berlin. His mother,
Eve, is black and Baptist. Weinberg's pres
ence in the Chargers mini -camp is part of
San Diego's star search efforts to discover a
second wide receiver to help take some of the
heat off of stand-out receiver Anthony Miller.
It's interesting that the three wide-outs
the Chargers drafted in '91 all went to pre
dominantly black schools. Aside from Wein
berg, San Diego selected Yancey Thigpen of
Winston-Salem State in the fourth round and
David Jones of Delaware State in the seventh
round.
"The thing I like about Joe is his hustle,
his enthusiasm, his stamina," says Charlie
Joiner, Chargers receivers coach. He has
good hands. He has speed. I liked a lot about
him in the short period of time we were in
mini-camp. He's a bright kid.
"And yes, I was surprised by that
name."
Weinberg, 6-1, 190 lbs., has been timed
at 4.4 in the 40, which is a good size-speed
ratio. But one negative for him is that he did
n't attend the scouting combine in Indianapo
lis in February. Coming from a small grid
program wasn't a big help either.
"I didn't get the exposure, especially
coming from a small, black school," Wein
berg says. "Tm thankful that I was drafted at
all."
Weinberg's performance in mini-camp
had its good moments, he explains. "It went
fairly well. I think I did some things pretty
well. They give you a lot of stuff. But I was
n't pleased because I bruised my ribs."
In case Weinberg doesn't make it in the
NFL, he plans to utilize his degree in market
ing to pursue a career in advertising.
But when it comes to his geneology,
Weinberg is sensitive. He goes as far as
expressing his iimers feelings through art He
writes poetry "centering sound how whites
treat blacks, how N<Hcs treat each otter and
how blacks treat whites." He's also an accom
plished paimei; creating figures ranging from
clowns to landscapes to "weird things like the
Twilight Zone.'*
Tve sold a few," he points out.
In terms of racial geneology, Wembc#
and Nebraska linebacker Mike Croel (who
was selected fourth overall by the Denver
Broncos) may be the most interesting players
in this year's draft Croel, who is blade, was
aooptea Dy white parents and lived in several
cities before attending high school in Sud
bury, Mass. near Boston.
Says Weinberg, "I'm pretty sure if a
white guy with the name Muhammad was
?flMMfrfthat would be an interesting story
too. Wouldn't it?"
More post-draft notes
Here are some comments concerning
black collegians who were not mentioned in
detail in Black College Sports Review's May
issue.
? Franklin Thomas, 6-3, 255 lbs. tight
end from Grambling was the Detroit Lions'
seventh roundflEw**?
"The scouts were impressed withhis
blocking ability, his size and strength," says
James Fetrylka, Lions assistant public rela
tions director. "We made some changes in the
run-and-shoot. We have a new offensive
coordinator and the run-and-shoot will be our
basic offense. But well add some formations
for short yardage, running out the clock, that
kind of thing."
? Todd Woulard, a 6-1, 230 lbs.
linebacker from Alabama A&M was chosen
by the Los Angeles Raiders in the eighth
round. "He's a young man who played out
side linebacker," says Art Shell. Raiders head
coach. "He'll have an opportunity to make
nnr team as either an inside or outside
linebacker. He's a tough guy who can run."
? Darryl Milbum, a 6-3, 285 lbs. defen
sive end from Grambling was selected by the
Lions in the ninth round. "Our pass rushing
defense has been one of our biggest needs the
past few years," Petrylka says. "We felt Dar
ryl might help us in rushing the passer. He
could be a situation substitution." As a
college senior, Milbum had six sacks.
? Rapier Porter, 6-3, 275 lbs. tight end
from Arklansas Pine-Bluff was selected by
the Green Bay Packers in the 10th round.
Considered a good blocker, Porter is battling
Ed West, Jackie Harris, Keith Neubert,
William Harris and Brian Kinchen for play
ing time.
? Andrew Glover, 6-6, 225-lbs. tight end
from Grambling was chosen by the Raiders
in the 10th round. "He's a big, tall, rangy
guy," says Shell. "We feel he can possibly put
more weight on. He runs pretty good pat
terns."
? Antoine Bennett, Florida A&M cor
nerback was picked by the Cincinnati Ben
gals in the 12th round. "He's one of the
fastest kids we've ever brought in," says
Frank Smouse, Bengals assistant director of
player personnel.
"He's fast, fast In his first three years at
Florida A&M, veterans played in front of
him. He only played as a regular for one year.
He's very quick-footed and he's got the cov
erage mobility people are looking for. If he
has ball awareness and can support on the
nm, play off tackles and play off blocks, he
has a chance. He's as fast as anyone coming
into the league."
? Dennis Johnson, 6-1, 200 lbs. defen
sive back from Winston-Salem State was
taken by the Raiders in the 12th round. The
Raiders like his speed (had 40 times erf 430,
432 in work-outs). Johnson impressed the
Raiders staff with his speed and cover ability
in mini-camp. Hell get his shot at being a
bump-and-run comerback in LA's defensive
set
- G.D. Clay
BCSR staff photo
Weinberg, formerly of Johnson C. Smith, was taken by the Chargers in
the 11th round of the pro draft