Getty Rock Ya-Sin of the Temple Owls breaks up a pass against Tulsa.
After popping onto the national scene as a senior transfer at Temple, Rock Ya-Sin shot up draft boards on the back of his physical play. While he doesn’t have the largest sample size at the D1 FBS level, Ya-Sin showed that he could dominate and the fact that he only started playing football as a junior in high school is extremely promising for the development of the talented defensive back.
Despite being listed on rosters and in the draft as Rock Ya-Sin, Rock is only a nickname. So just what is Rock Ya-Sin’s real name?
What is Rock Ya-Sin’s Real Name & How Did He Get Nickname?
Rock Ya-Sin’s real name is Abdurrahman Ibn Ya-Sin. Ya-Sin says that there really isn’t much of an exciting story behind his nickname.
“‘Rock’ was a nickname I got growing up,” Ya-Sin told Philly.com. “One day, people started calling me Rock. It just stuck.”
Like fellow defensive back Greedy Williams, his nickname is fitting for an NFL defensive back, especially one as physical as Ya-Sin is. With some of the best pure strength at the DB position, ‘Rock’ has the potential to be a force at the next level.
Rock Ya-Sin’s College Stats & Accolades
Rock Ya-Sin started his college career at Presbyterian College after getting a late start at football due to the fact that he was a state champion wrestler in high school. However, after three dominant years, he was able to transfer to Temple following the demotion of Presbyterian College to division 2.
His junior season saw him put up a Presbyterian College record five interceptions and ended his three-year stint with the program tied for the most passes defended in PC history. However, Ya-Sin’s excellent play wouldn’t be enough to keep Presbyterian at the D1 level and they stepped down to become a D2 NCAA program. As a result, Ya-Sin was able to transfer without penalty.
Once joining Temple, Ya-Sin would post an incredible year that put him on the map of NFL GMs. Despite only posting two interceptions, he would defend a total of 12 passes and repeatedly establish himself as a defensive back happy to step up and help stop the run. Ya-Sin projects to be a gritty and tough defender at the next level.
Ya-Sin has seen himself slip a bit in mock drafts due to his relatively slow cone drill time. However, Ya-Sin has proven time and time again that when forced to go head to head with another receiver, he is up to the task of sticking with his man. As the highlight of the senior bowl practice week, Ya-Sin should still find himself going off the board at the end of the second round at the absolute latest.