Mike Mastovich: Greater Johnstown grad Exree Loe views NFL draft as 'opportunity'

Apr. 26—Greater Johnstown High School graduate Exree Loe will watch the NFL draft with a bit more at stake than the average viewer of the annual spectacle on ESPN.

A linebacker who played five seasons at West Virginia University, Loe might not be at the top of the pundits' numerous mock drafts, but he views the next three days as an opportunity.

"I feel like whatever happens, it comes," Loe said during a Wednesday telephone interview from his Johnstown home. "I'm good with any opportunity that comes my way. I just have to take advantage."

The NFL draft will be held Thursday through Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri. The hours and days after the draft concludes are important for players hoping to sign free agent deals with NFL teams.

"I just plan on watching it myself," Loe said of the draft. "If things work out how they're supposed to, it's time to just get back to work."

Loe joined the Mountaineers in 2017 following a stellar career at Greater Johnstown, where he was named Tribune-Democrat Offensive Player of the Year in 2016.

The versatile 5-11, 214-pound Loe battled adversity throughout his college career, undergoing surgery three times and contending with the disruptions created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, Loe finished with 117 solo tackles and 184 career stops, playing at linebacker and in the Mountaineers' secondary.

"He's a tough kid. Being from Johnstown, you've got to be tough," said Greater Johnstown graduate and Cambria County Sports Hall of Famer Geroy Simon, the assistant general manager of the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League. "He's a former wrestler. Anybody that wrestles, that translates very well to the football field."

'He's a hybrid'

The CFL's all-time leading receiver and a Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductee, Simon had an opportunity to evaluate Loe during a recent workout at the University of Maryland.

"He's got to work on his explosiveness," Simon said. "He's not the biggest guy that plays linebacker. He's a hybrid — safety-linebacker. He's got to be able to cover a little bit with safety help, but he's also got to be able to play in the box and make tackles near the line of scrimmage."

Simon saw plenty of positives in Loe, who also participated in a pro day at West Virginia University on March 27.

"I would just say to him, 'Be more explosive and work on your coverage,' " Simon said. "The good thing about Exree that I really liked is he knows how to play the game. He knows how to get into position when he's covering, especially when he has safety help. He keeps himself in good position and good space."

During the West Virginia pro day, Loe posted a 4.75 in the 40-yard dash; 2.75 in the 20-yard split; and 1.59 in the 10-yard sprint. He had a 30-0 1/2 vertical jump and an 8-11 broad jump, as well as a 4.31 20-yard short shuttle.

"I've just been working out, staying in shape and just waiting for the time to come," Loe said. "I just feel like I always tried to find ways to get better every year. That's something I still focus on, the little things — find a way to get better."

As a senior, Loe made 33 solo tackles and 53 stops overall, with two passes defensed, including a big breakup near the end zone in the season opener against Pittsburgh, the program he initially committed to in 2015 before choosing West Virginia.

An all-state selection as a star on both offense and defense at Greater Johnstown, Loe adapted throughout his college career, moving from the defensive backfield to the "Will" linebacker position. He contended with ankle (2021) and pectoral (2018) injuries.

"My three surgeries — I had two ankle surgeries and a pectoral surgery — taught me a lot," Loe said. "The time to get back from those things really affects you mentally. You just have to stay strong, keep your energy and positivity up so you don't get down on yourself. It's easy to get down on yourself."

While the Elks' heavy use of man-to-man coverage on defense isn't best suited to Loe's game, Simon believes other CFL teams that use a zone-oriented defense could benefit from a player such as the former Mountaineer if his NFL aspirations don't materialize.

"He could probably play 'Will' linebacker in the CFL," Simon said. "He can also play the 'Sam' nickel spot in the CFL, where you cover a little bit and also play more around the box."

The CFL will hold its Canadian player draft on May 2 and free agent deals are being made. Simon has attended workouts throughout the United States the past few weeks, including stops in Las Vegas and Detroit, and one coming up this weekend in Los Angeles. CFL training camp opens on May 2 and the regular season begins on June 8.

Loe recently earned his degree in sports management with a minor in communications. He's been working out at Greater Johnstown with another former Trojan, Austin Barber, a Lock Haven University graduate.

Loe's former coach at Greater Johnstown said the odds might be stacked against the linebacker on draft day, but Tony Penna Jr. also is accustomed to Loe achieving what had been considered unattainable.

"I think he has a great chance as a free agent," Penna said. "I learned one thing a long time ago, never count out Exree Loe in a competition. He had a real tough road at West Virginia, moving around positions and he fought through injuries. He's a special player."