04/29 — It's been a quiet Day Two for the Green & White so far. But the quiet ended a few minutes ago when the team took the latest player to have core Jet values stamped all over him.

Jacob Bender, the sixth-round pick on Sunday afternoon, was a team captain at Division I-AA Nicholls State in southeastern Louisiana.

And he's a self-made, blue-collar guy. One memory he has from growing up in Maryland, according to HometownAnnapolis.com, is digging post holes to help his father install pipe and chainlink fencing

"There's no doubt I learned the importance of hard work from my parents," Bender said. "My father has driven a truck for Giant for 22 years and worked two or three side jobs. My mother would work all day at DeMatha [High School], then drive the teams to games in the afternoon and evenings. My parents made sure we never wanted for anything and always took good family vacations."

Bender almost had a scholarship offer to Hofstra before moving to Nicholls State. He had trouble finding a scholarship because he graduated from the legendary Maryland high school at 225 pounds. You'd think he'd have been able to bulk up, coming from a hometown by the name of Mayo, Md.

But his weight-training came down south, and now he's a self-made 315-pound offensive line prospect for the Green & White.

"Those college recruiters," said high school coach Bill McGregor, "didn't understand this kid's drive, determination and desire."

One seventh-round pick to go (barring a player trade) for the Jets, No. 235 overall.