Teams eye Olympian Jeff Demps
The New York Jets have shown interest in Olympian Jeff Demps, league sources told ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini on Wednesday.
A team source told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio that the Jets are one of seven teams interested in the running back, who was a teammate of Tim Tebow at Florida.
Demps went undrafted after he told NFL teams he planned to pursue track fulltime.
Yasinskas: Demps a Buc?
The Bucs signing former Florida Gator Jeff Demps wouldn't simply be a PR move as the Olympian could supply Tampa Bay's offense with the big plays it covets, Pat Yasinskas writes. Blog
He won a silver medal at the 2012 London Games as part of the men's 4x100 relay team. He didn't run in the 4x100 final, where the U.S. team finished second behind Jamaica, but still received a medal for competing in the qualifying round.
Demps' agent, Daniel Rose, told the Tampa Bay Times that interest in the speedster is high.
"There's a lot of interest," Rose told the newspaper. "We talked to some teams before the Olympics, but we wanted him to concentrate on the Olympics. Preparing for the Olympics is a very regimented process, and he needed to focus on that.
"At 22 years old, how could you tell a kid not to go to the Olympics?"
Rose told the Times that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were among "a lot" of teams interested in Demps.
He said Demps hopes to make a decision soon.
Demps finished his Florida career with 2,470 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns. He had 569 yards rushing and six touchdowns last season. He also was a dangerous kickoff returner, averaging 28.8 yards per return in his four-year career.
Information from ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio and The Associated Press was used in this report.
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