Maybin has a lot to play for
Penn State All-American inspired by two influential women in his life
Aaron Maybin was surrounded by family members when the Buffalo Bills selected the Penn State defensive end with their first pick in the first round. Amidst the celebration, Maybin's thoughts turned to someone who was there only in spirit.
Maybin's mother, Connie, died at age 40 while giving birth to his sister when he was 6. As Aaron's younger sister Constance entered the third trimester inside her mother's womb, a condition called preeclampsia developed. It's marked by high blood pressure and a high level of protein that can prove toxic.
"It was a very emotional situation ... knowing that she's somewhere up there looking down," Aaron Maybin said Saturday. "Hopefully she's as proud of me as the people down here say that they are."
Maybin said he has always been inspired by the memory of his mother, who encouraged him to be the very best he could be.
Maybin's support system didn't stop there. When he was 7, his father, Michael, married the former Violette Grant, who ably filled the void in young Aaron's life. Their relationship flourished to the point where Aaron doesn't refer to her as his stepmother. She is Mom.
"Me and her are as close as close can be," Aaron said.
With so much support, Aaron was confident that he could do anything he set his mind to do. That is why he had no qualms about entering the NFL draft after just three seasons at Penn State and only one as a starter.
Maybin, a redshirt sophomore, started only 10 of 26 career games. But he made the most of them, recording 61 tackles, 12 sacks, 20 tackles for lost yardage and three forced fumbles last season to earn first-team All-America honors.
Maybin wasn't even a starter when the season began. He was second behind preseason All- American Maurice Evans on the left defensive end depth chart. But opportunity knocked three games into the season when Evans was suspended for three games after a marijuana possession charge.
Maybin went on to lead the Big Ten and rank seventh in the nation with the fifth-highest single-season sack total in Penn State history. He recorded at least one tackle behind the line of scrimmage in all 13 games and his 20 stops for losses were the sixth best by a Nittany Lions player.
Maybin felt the time was right to head to the NFL, but disputes the notion that Evans' suspension had anything to do with his breakout season.
"I had planned on from last season and the offseason this being a big year for me," Maybin said. "I had a good game to start off the year [four tackles and two sacks in the opener] and we just built momentum from that."
Some pro scouts and draft analysts felt Maybin should have stayed another year at Penn State because he had only one productive season.
But the Bills don't agree with the one-year wonder tag.
"I think we were all very comfortable in the production the kid had," said Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon. "He is a rare athlete who provides us with an opportunity to add to our defense. We talked about it at the conclusion of the season that we have to make the quarterback uncomfortable, and he gives us an opportunity to do that. With the rotation that we run and the athletes we have, we feel that we have upgraded."
After playing all season in the 230-pound range, Maybin added 20 pounds of muscle to his 6- foot-4 frame. The Bills said that hasn't hurt his speed.
Add that to the fact that Maybin is only 21, and the Bills believe he has plenty of room to grow.
"Fortunately, that arrow is going in the right direction and he's getting better and better; we think that's going to continue," said Tom Modrak, the Bills' vice president of college scouting. "As he matures as an athlete and adds to his game, we think he can be better and he's very good right now."
Drafting a player 11th overall means a team expects him to play immediately. Maybin has his own expectations, but only his play will determine if he meets them.
"All I can do and all I plan on doing is just coming in and working as hard as possible and letting my play speak for itself," he said. "I'm a guy who likes to keep his mouth shut and let his game do the talking on the field. So I'm going to come in with a humble mind-set ready to work hard and ready to get a lot of work done."
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