When the Green Bay Packers used a fifth-round draft

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GREEN BAY , Wis. (AP) —Cole Madison last year, there was optimism that the former Washington State standout would be able to fill an opening at right guard.Madison didn’t report for training camp. He put football on hold to focus on his life.“I love football, but, at that point, it was my health and my life was on the line,” Madison said. “I had to go help myself before my football career. If I didn’t get my chickens in order back then, I don’t think I’d be here right now.”After sitting out his entire rookie season, Madison joined the team for the start of offseason workouts in April and was expected to be on the field this weekend for the Packers’ rookie camp.Madison would not detail exactly what had gone wrong, only saying that his issues had deep roots and were exacerbated by the suicide of Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski in January 2018.“I was going through some stuff for a long time that I was putting off and they caught up to me with the decisions off the field I was doing. I wasn’t making good decisions and it led to bad thoughts,” Madison said. “Tyler, if anything, helped me with knowing that other people go through things, too. It was a little light at the end of the tunnel — light in a dark area.“It was a first beginning step of a wakeup call for me , how I needed to handle my mental health, was after that entire situation. Me and him were great friends. I would have never known any of that was going on or vice versa. I had my demons going on and no one had any idea what was going on. It’s just one of those things of taking that step when you’ve got those things and not to just bat them down and talk to someone and opening up.”Through those conversations, things improved. By November or December, he said, he began to feel like his old self.“After that, it was getting over the hump, that period of, ‘I feel like me again,” Madison said. “I haven’t felt like me in God knows how long and I finally started to feel positive, feel like, ‘Hey, I can do this’ and no second-guessing myself.”With that, Madison began to think about football again; he didn’t even watch football last year. He began to focus on getting ready physically. He’s listed at the same 6-foot-5 and 308 pounds as he was at the scouting combine in 2018. He called his stamina “great.”“I’m ready to roll ,” Madison said. “Took a year off, twiddling my thumbs, now I’m back and letting it loose.”The Packers are eager to see if Madison can reach his potential. There remains a hole at right guard, though they fortified the offensive line with free agent Billy Turner and second-round draft pick Elgton Jenkins.“It was great to see Cole back in the building and doing some football things again,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “That was a really, really pleasant surprise. I think he was very appreciative about the way we handled things last year. We’re excited to see what he can do for us because he had a really good offseason last year before everything transpired. Very optimistic.”New coach Matt LaFleur is implementing an outside-zone running scheme that is fueled by linemen with a blend of athleticism and power. Gutekunst called Madison an “absolute fit” for what LaFleur is trying to build.“We were really high on Cole when he was coming out,” LaFleur said, thinking back to 2018 when he was offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. “So, we feel like he adds a lot of value to what we can do with him in our system.”Madison’s return will be a day-by-day process. He hasn’t put on pads or blocked somebody since the Senior Bowl in January 2018.His football comeback, however, is secondary to his personal comeback.“I can’t remember the last time I’d wake up and feel positive and not go into bed with negative thoughts in my head,” Madison said. “Just living life and being happy doing it, it’s a blessing.”NOTES: The Packers announced Friday the signings of six draft picks , including linebackers Rashan Gary (Michigan) and Ty Summers (TCU), defensive backs Darnell Savage (Maryland) and Ka’dar Hollman (Toledo), defensive lineman Kinglsey Keke (Texas A&M), running back Dexter Williams (Notre Dame), and 11 rookie free agents. SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP)Forty-four points against the team with the league’s stingiest defense. MVP chants for the quarterback who has single-handedly changed the mood around the San Francisco 49ers. The legend of Jimmy G is showing no signs of slowing down. Jimmy Garoppolo threw two touchdown passes and ran for a third score against the defense that allowed the fewest points in the league, and the 49ers won their fourth straight behind their new quarterback, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 44-33 on Sunday.Article continues below ... ”It’s awesome. Things are going good right now,” Garoppolo said. ”There’s a buzz in the air. You can feel it as soon as you walk into the stadium. The crowd’s going nuts just in pregame. It’s exciting. It’s a nice thing to be a part of.” Garoppolo has been the major reason for the turnaround for the 49ers (5-10) since being inserted into the starting lineup earlier this month following a midseason trade from New England. He has led San Francisco to four straight wins, but this one might have been the most impressive, considering the quality of Jacksonville’s defense. The Jaguars came into the game having allowed the fewest points and yards passing in the league, while making the most sacks. ”Since Jimmy G got here things have been a lot different,” running back Carlos Hyde said. ”Things have been feeling really good around here. It’s been a good vibe. That energy in the locker room right now is really good. Guys are teeing off that and ready to play.” Garoppolo carved Jacksonville up , completing 21 for 30 passes for 242 yards with TD throws to George Kittle and Trent Taylor as San Francisco pulled away in the second half. Garoppolo improved to 6-0 in his career as a starter. The day wasn’t a total loss for the Jaguars (10-5), who clinched their first division title since 1999 earlier in the afternoon when Tennessee lost at home to the Rams. But the defeat dealt a big blow to Jacksonville’s hopes for a first-round bye. The Jaguars need to win next week and hope Pittsburgh loses twice to get a bye. They were in no mood to celebrate after the game. The frustration boiled over into sideline arguments and several personal fouls, and the Jaguars had little to feel good about after the game. ”I still wanted to win this game and come in here and celebrate, but we’ve earned everything we’ve got to this point,” said cornerback Aaron Colvin, who got into a heated argument during the game with teammate Malik Jackson. ””We put ourselves in this position, but it’s not over. It’s cool and all, but we have bigger goals. Blake Bortles threw three interceptions for the Jaguars, including one returned for a touchdown by Dontae Johnson in the first half, after going three straight weeks without one in the best stretch of his career . Bortles threw for 382 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough for the Jaguars. ”Very weird feeling. Any time you lose, especially the way we’ve been playing, it’s tough ,” Bortles said. ”But it’s also kind of in the back of your head that we won the division. So that’s pretty cool, but I don’t think anybody’s happy with what went on today. We wanted to win the division by winning today. We weren’t able to do that, so that’s tough.” FAST START Garoppolo got San Francisco off to a fast start by completing 5 of 6 for 75 yards on the opening drive that was capped by his 1-yard TD sneak . That marked the first time the Niners scored a touchdown on their opening drive since Dec. 11, 2016 against the Jets and the first time Jacksonville allowed one this year. BAD TEMPERS San Francisco scored on its first two drives, leading to the argument between Jackson and Colvin. Jacksonville then committed two personal fouls by Myles Jack and Yannick Ngakoue on a TD drive in the second half. Jackson then committed a personal foul with 1:43 remaining to give the Niners a key first down. ”Controlling our emotions when we’re on the field, that affects the team and that’s what we have to do a better job of,” coach Doug Marrone said. MOMENTUM CHANGER The 49ers appeared in control when Johnson returned a deflected interception 50 yards for a TD to put San Francisco up 16-0. But the Jaguars blocked the extra point attempt and Colvin returned it for two points. Bortles then led two straight touchdown drives to close the half, while Garoppolo was intercepted in the end zone by Barry Church after getting hit on the pass to leave the game tied at 16 at the half. INJURIES Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson (abdominal strain) and linebacker Blair Brown (concussion) left in the first half and didn’t return. … 49ers LB Reuben Foster left the game with a stinger. UP NEXT Jaguars: Visit Tennessee on Sunday. 49ers: Visit Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. —

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