In this file photo, Sidney Tarver watches for the snap of the ball during a scrimmage between Baylor and Polk County.Shortly after the NFL lockout ended, former Baylor School all-state linebacker Sidney Tarver was finally able to forget about not being drafted in April. Tarver agreed to fly to Cleveland and sign a rookie free agent contract with the Browns on Wednesday and will be in camp immediately.
"It all happened pretty fast," said Tarver, who recently graduated from Tennessee State University, where he was a two-year starter. "I got the call from the Browns and from my agent and once everything was worked out, I just had to get ready to go. It's been tough having to wait all summer but now I'm ready to show what I can do.
"I've worked out all summer with [former NFL linebacker] Eric Westmoreland and he advised me to listen a lot and give 100-percent effort all the time once I get to camp. That's how you make the roster."
Tarver, the son of former Howard head coach Alvin Tarver, had an impressive showing at a TSU pro day in April. The 6-foot-3, 236-pounder ran a 4.56 in the 40-yard dash, covered 10 feet, 6 inches in the broad jump and had a 32-inch vertical jump. With 11 pro scouts watching, he also bench-pressed 225 pounds 23 times.
While playing both outside linebacker and defense end last season at TSU, Tarver made 62 tackles, 7.5 for loss and 3.5 sacks.
"Sidney is a big, lean kid who can run really well, and all the scouts loved that," TSU coach Rod Reed said shortly after that April workout. "They've seend film of him, too, and know he explodes off the ball and he'll come up and strike you.
"He has a tremendous upside."