Over the course of his four-year career at San Jose State, Jarron Gilbert was considered to be a defensive sensation.
The praise was largely due to his senior campaign where the 6-foot-5, 288-pound defensive end totaled 46 tackles (22 of which were tackles-for-loss) and nine-and-a-half sacks which earned him co-defensive player of the year honors in the WAC Conference.
But after a 24-second video filmed by his Spartan teammates at a local apartment complex pool before the start of the season, Gilbert has become a whole different kind of sensation – the infamous YouTube sensation.
After the Spartans strength and conditioning coach told his players how former NFL star Adam Archuleta could jump out of a pool, Gilbert decided to give it a try.
Upon discovering his ability to leap out of the shallow end of a pool (roughly three-feet deep) and on to the deck, Gilbert had his teammates record to video and post it on YouTube for the world to see. The video has also been featured on several prominent sports shows like ESPN's First Take.
So far, the video has had over 679,000 views.
"Jumping out of the pool is cool and everything, but being a good player is a little more important than that," he said at the NFL Scouting Combine.
In addition to his pool-leaping escapade, Gilbert also has a video posted of him squatting 635-pounds.
I
n this day and age where technology is your best friend, Gilbert has used his resources to sky-rocket his draft stock. Once considered to be a second to third-round pick, the athletically gifted defensive lineman is now being discussed as a late first-round pick.
Not only has his internet visibility helped him be discovered, but Gilbert performed considerably well at the East-West Shrine game.
"I showed people I could play at the next level, I believe it did," he said. "I felt successful that week at the East-West game."
Gilbert used the momentum he had picked up from the video and his performance in the Shrine game to showcase his talents at the combine. The athletic big man, who was measured as having a 7-foot-1 wingspan, ran a 4.87, 40-yard dash, put up 28 reps on the bench press and showcased a 35 and-a-half inch vertical jump.
At the combine Gilbert said almost every single scout had asked about the YouTube video.
"That's been the most popular topic in all of my interviews," he said.
Another trendy discussion related to Gilbert, is where he's best suited to play in the NFL.
Gilbert arrived on campus as a 240-pound freshman, but eventually put on 40-pounds in the weight room over the course of his career. While he played the majority of his career at defensive end, Gilbert feels he's ready to play any position on the defensive line.
"I think I can play it all, honestly," he said. "I was a 4-3 end for three years and a 4-3 d-tackle my senior year. I felt good playing each one. I've never played in a 3-4 system before, but I feel I could be successful there."
No matter what defensive scheme he ends up playing in, Gilbert is ready to get better from day one.
"I'm a worker and that's all I know," he said. "I just try to get better."
