NFL Combine: Lucien Antoine interview
Oklahoma State safety Lucien Antoine, who lived in Haiti until he was 16, is projected as a late-round pick in the NFL Draft. He spoke with the media Sunday at the combine.
What are your Combine goals?
“It’s a blessing. I’m the type of player who brings a physical aspect, I play with passion, I try my best to help the team win.”
What do teams want to see out of you?
“People want to see how fast I run.” (Antoine suffered a major knee injury in 2008 that knocked him out of 10 games.)
What family do you still have in Haiti?
“One of my uncles lives in Port au Prince; he has six kids. We found out he’s OK. His kids are all alive. His house got destroyed (by the earthquake). My mom talked to him. He’s just waiting for help like everybody else in Port au Prince.”
How do the reports from Haiti make you feel?
“It really tears me up (seeing TV reports and images). That’s something I have to put behind me. You don’t get this opportunity every year. I really want to be successful. I try my best whenever I have money to send it to them through my mom in Port St. Lucie, Fla.”
Can you help by making money in football?
“That’s always been my goal and always to help not only my family, but people in Haiti.”
Do you ever find your mind drifting?
“I do a good job of staying focused, but at the same time, I’m still thinking about it every time it comes up on the news.”
You’re known as a hitter?
“One of the reasons I play the game is to hit people, and because I love the game. My nickname, the Punisher, the coaches gave me that. I first played football in 2005, my first day to practice and I hit somebody, I was like, ‘Man, it was fun.’ And it’s a man’s sports. When I keep learning about it, I like the challenge of it and the discipline of training for it.”
NFL Combine: Dom Franks interview
OU cornerback Dominique Franks left school a year early even though he is projected as a third-round pick. Here is a transcript of his media session Sunday at the NFL Combine:
What was it like going against Sam Bradford in practice at OU?
“I think it really paid off going against Sam and those veteran receivers that we had a couple years ago, going against those guys really prepared me. I always wanted to be a complete corner.”
What are you working on coming into the Combine?
“Really, I already knew. It was technique. I didn’t play with any technique back at school. I was just playing on pretty much ability. I wanted to clean that up and make sure my technique was good, I was coming out of my breaks better and everything like that that goes into your drills.”
What do you bring to NFL?
“I think a great cover corner that can come in and support the run whenever he needs to. I’m gonna play hard every snap. I’m gonna be a great player for you wherever I go.”
Is the adjustment to NFL as much mental as physical?
“Yes sir. I think it’ll be very mental. Those guys are veterans, you know, been in the league 10 or 11 years. They know all the tricks. In college, they kind of give it away a lot because they’re not veteran route-runners. When you go to the NFL, everybody’s a veteran route-runner, so I think it’s gonna be very mental, especially me playing corner, to be able to read those guys’ routes.”
Does college prepare you for NFL?
“It prepared me a lot. Me playing at Oklahoma, playing against some of the best competition that’s out there in college football, I think it’s really gonna prepare me well to go to the NFL and be able to play against those guys and do a good job.”
Did you actually face Bradford in practice?
“Yes sir, I did. Sometimes we did one on ones, where it’s the No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense. So we got to go against each other a little bit.”
Was that good prep?
Oh, it really was. Sam’s a good quarterback. In my eyes, he’s like a baby Peyton Manning, to me. So going against that guy, it was ideal for me. But I also asked him a lot of questions to be able to let me be a better cornerback.”
Was that like 2 days a week at the start of practice?
“Yes sir, it was. Two days. But even when it wasn’t doing that, I was asking Sam, ‘What are you reading before you’re hiking the ball? Are you looking at the corner?’ He’d tell me, ‘Yeah, I’m looking at the way he’s standing,’ things like that, just little things that he could tell me to help me in my game so I can be a better cornerback.”
What about your experience here so far?
“Today, I woke up about 4:30 this morning. I had a drug test, had breakfast, then we came in and weighed in. I was 5-11, 194. So it’s just been doing really a lot of tests, things like that. Now I’m done. I gotta do the media and I’ll be done for the day.”
When will you run?
“I run Tuesday morning.”
“What do you hope?”
I want to go low 4.3. Electric.
Low 4.3? Not a sub-4.4, but, just to clarify, a low 4.3?
“I want to go a low 4.3. That’s my goal.”
Is it true you said you would run a sub 4.0?
“What? Sub-4? Uh-uh. That’s kind of fast! I never said that. I wish I was that fast. Maybe I’d be in the Olympics if I was that fast.”
Can you walk us through your decision to leave early?
“Yes sir. I came back after my bowl game, had a talk with my mother and my uncle, and we just sat down and felt like this was the best decision for me. This is what I always wanted to do as a kid, and I felt like I had a chance to become an NFL football player, so I was just like, ‘Well, you’re not guaranteed tomorrow, so you might as well just throw your name in and see what happens.’”
Did you talk to Bob Stoops?
“Yes sir, I did. He wanted me to come back to school. Every coach is gonna tell their kid to come back to school, (that’s) coming out early. But he’s a great coach. He told me, ‘Hey, whenever you make your decision, I’m gonna be behind you, whether you come back or you leave. You have our blessings.’ So he’s given me a lot of support in making my decision coming out early. And I’m thankful being able to play for coach Stoops.”
What was the greatest QB-WR challenge you faced?
“I would either have to say Zac Robinson and Dez Bryant, or Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. Those two, you can say those are the two best receivers. Dez Bryant, I think he’s ranked No. 1 this year; more than likely will be the first receiver taken off the board. Crabtree, you know, Biletnikoff winner twice. So those guys, week in and week out in our conference, it really helps us as far as DBs as a whole in the Big 12 to really think we can be able to match up in the NFL when we get our chance to.”
How did you do?
“I did good. I didn’t give up any big plays.”
Give up any touchdowns this year?
“Just one. Texas Tech.”
What about the Miami game?
“Oh, Miami. That’s two.”
What teams have you talked to.
“Aw, I don’t want to talk about it too much. I want to keep it kind of secret.”
You want to come out of this weekend as one of the top cornerbacks in the draft?
“Yes sir, definitely. I’ve been working hard and working to get that way. Now it’s time to go out there and show everybody what I’ve been working on, how I’ve been training. I think it’s gonna pay off for me very well.”
Do you follow mock drafts?
“No, not at all. I know none of that stuff matters. The real draft happens April 22, those days. That’s the only time I’m gonna pay attention to any type of draft.”
Why don’t you want to let us know what teams you’ve talked to? The teams know.
“It’s not my place. I’d rather just keep that with them. If those guys want to tell you that they talked to me, then that’s how it’s gonna be.”
Most players talk about it. Bradford said the same thing. Is that an OU thing?
“Nah, we just want to keep it to ourselves.”
Is there anyone you watch in the NFL you’d like to pattern yourself after?
“Yes ma’m, Darrell Reavis and Nnamdi (Asomugha). Those are probably my two favorite corners. In my eyes, those are the two best corners in the NFL. Seeing how those guys lock down an NFL game, you know, that’s how I want to pattern my game after. I hope I have a little bit as much success as those guys are having right now.”
Do you see yourself as a shutdown corner?
“I think so. In my eyes. I don’t know what anybody else says, but I feel like that. Time will tell. I’ll keep working hard and keep trying to be the best I can be.”
Have you adjusted to the professional mindset of this whole process, going from being a fan of NFL corners to trying to actually be one?
“Yes sir. I’ve changed a lot. Now, you’ve really got to look at everything differently. I’m not in college. I’m not a kid any more. I’ve grown now, I guess you could say. Looking at those guys, just watching how they’re students of the game, you know, it’s like, hey, everybody has the ability and everybody’s great when you get to the NFL. Now it’s who’s gonna outsmart who, who’s gonna spend more time in the weight room, who’s gonna spend more time in the film room getting a heads-up on one another.”
NFL Combine: Eric Berry charms
The same charm we saw out of Eric Berry during the Thorpe Award banquet was on display Sunday at the NFL Combine.
When the Tennessee safety was asked if he was working out at the Combine, Berry said yes, “its the Combine, not a fashion show.”
Berry’s confidence came through. He’s projected as a top-five pick, even though safeties rarely go that high. Some compare him to Baltimore Ravens star Ed Reed. “I think it’s a fair comparison,” Berry said. “Off potential. Obviously, Ed Reed’s done a lot more in the NFL than I have. But I feel I can do some of the same things he has done. But I’m on pace to be Ed Reed or better.”
Powerful statement, but maybe it’s true. Berry is a safety who might can play any position in the secondary. Strong safety, free safety, nickle back covering slot receivers, even cornerback.
“If you want a complete defensive back, a complete player, look at my resume’,” Berry said. “I bring a lot to the table. I’m that guy that can do whatever the coach asks.”
NFL Combine: Perrish Cox interview
Oklahoma State cornerback Perrish Cox was suspended for the Cotton Bowl after missing curfew two nights before the game in Dallas. He talked Sunday to the NFL Combine media about his draft status and how the suspension will affect his future.
What experience did you get from playing in the Army All-American game?
“It says a lot. You basically got picked among some of the top high school football players in the country. That was the start of my career.”
Do you still see a lot of those guys here?
“I do. I do. A lot of ‘em. We’ve got a good relationship. During our college careers, kept up with each other. The Facebook thing that’s going on. We’ve got a good relationship going.”
How much do they ask you about the suspensions?
“That’s one of the main things they harass with me. It’s kind of tough. I’m used to it. It was a mistake. Something I did wrong. I shouldn’t have left in the first place. I’ve gotten used to it. I kind of knew that was going to happen.”
What do you do to ease their concerns?
“I tell them straight up, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have left. I take all the blame for it. Coach did what he had to do. He wanted to suspend me for the game. I had to accept it. If I wouldn’t have left, it wouldn’t have happened. I take all the blame for it.”
What is your response to their response?
“Half of them give me a hard time about it. It gets kind of tough whenever they give me a hard time. I listen to what they have to say, because I know they ain’t doing nothing but telling me right. Some of ‘em, they tell you, you accepted the punishment. Next time, you know, it won’t happen, well, there won’t be a next time. They just remind me of the whole situation.”
How do they harass you?
“They kind of harass me a lot. They say if you was to come, would you be able to help us out, would you be able to do that for us. But they kind of say it in a tough way. I know they do it to see how I react to it. I’m kind of used to it.”
Does that make you mad?
“I don’t get angry at all. I gotta accept the punishment. My punishment, if you want to argue about it, I can live with it.”
Did you play press coverage at Oklahoma State?
“It depended on the play call. We kind of mixed it up a lot, playing man coverage, cover four. I’m in the lot call. Just mix it up. 50-50.”
Can special teams separate you from other players?
“You could say that. These days, special teams wins games for you. It’ll change the game. Change the whole aspect of a game. Gets your team going. Gets your team pumped up. I think it does.”
(inaudible question; I think it was about what other players he looks up to)
“My team. Other 10 guys around me. It all starts with them. Without them, it wouldn’t have happened at all.”
What teams have talked to you?
“Actually, I’ve met with five teams. Baltimore, 49ers, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis. And also, one more, I can’t think of it right now. The Saints.”
What has Green Bay talked to you about?
“They need a corner. Special teams guy also. They tell me to keep my head up, stay focused. Don’t make no mistake like I did in the bowl game. That’s something easy I learned from. It happened.”
Where do you think you’ll go?
“I really don’t know yet. My options is still open. I really don’t know. I guess I’ll find out more after the combine.”
How was it practicing against Dez?
“Oh man, it was spectacular, man. I really can’t explain it. It’s tough. He is the best receiver I ever picked on, since I’ve been in college football, hands down, I can actually say that. It’s tough. Bring a crowd. Hyper excitement. All of the above. He gave me a bad attitude. He gave me an attitude, when I go in on Saturday, what are you going to do differently that I stick on every day.”
What did Baltimore say to you?
“I think they were one of the ones that harassed me, gave me a hard time about the curfew thing.”
Was that Ozzie?
“Yeah it was. I kind of listened to him, took in whatever he was telling me.”
Did you actually get busted twice for curfew at the Cotton Bowl?
“I did. That happened twice. I think that’s why our head coach made the decision he had to make. It happened, first time we got there that Sunday. Me and a few other guys on the team, we decided to go out, didn’t have practice the next day. We came in after curfew that day. Got caught. Got suspended for it, well, didn’t get suspended that time. He gave us other punishments. We actually went in the next few days and talked to him, got punishments, and he gave it all back. Happened again on New Year’s Eve. I went out again and got caught on curfew.”
What did you do on New Year’s Eve?
“I went out, met up with my girlfriend at the time. It was a bad choice at the time. Couldn’t make it back on time.”
How do you convince teams that won’t be a problem?
“Really ain’t convincing them any. I tell ‘em straight up. I tell ‘em it was a stupid mistake. I learned from it, it won’t happen again. I don’t want to get suspended again, get harassed like I’ve been getting harassed. It’s something I’ve learned from. It’s done, I can’t get it back. Just move on.”
You’re letting teams get in your pocket.
“I can’t let anybody get in my pocket.”
What will you bring to the NFL?
“Physical. Excitement. Just a lot of things that I love to do. Gotta wait and see so I can show you better than I can tell you.”
What’s the biggest adjustment facing you?
“Biggest adjustment, college to NFL. Just being consistent. College, really didn’t get too much action sometimes. At times, where I would catch myself trying to help out someone else, so I was inconsistent. NFL, not going to happen like that. They find your weakness. Kill it. Keep going at it. That’s one of the thing I’ll work, just being consistent. Continue making plays.”
Big group of corners projected late first, second round. What sets you apart?
“Hopefully special teams. Hopefully that suspension thing doesn’t take away from anything.”
Bill Hancock’s Olympic adventure: Day 19
Old pal Bill Hancock, executive director of the BCS, on his 19th day in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics, where he is a media volunteer:
“In the three-block walk from Canada Line station to the office this morning, I saw: Three children wrapped from head to toe in rain gear, with only their eyes and noses visible, just about the cutest things I’ve seen here … a man sitting on the curb with his hat out, his blue eyes pleading … the woman volunteer traffic-directing volunteer, still smiling … no hotdog vendor … three very bleary-eyed teenagers who clearly had not been to bed … dozens of Canadians walking in the rain toward the Olympic cauldron
“Breakfast: Cookie. Whole cookie. Entire tasty week-old chocolate chip cookie. Reminded me of basketball season. Factoid from Olympic historian extraordinaire Jim Constandt: Benjamin Spock, 1924 rowing Olympian, became a pediatrician and knew a thing or two about child care.
“I wish you could be here to watch this USOC staff at work. Amazing. I’m not good at trading pins, but Nicki Hancock did bring our ‘trader’ varieties here in the silly hope that I would work up the courage to dive into the mosh pit. It never happened, but we gave my pins to the volunteers in our office and said, ‘get what you can for them.’
“The Olympics is a remarkable venue for bonding and team work. Folks are thrown together in a strange country for a month, with no choice but to work it out. A friendly smile can mean more than all of the chocolate sundaes in the world. I have invited at least 1,000 people to visit Nicki and me in Kansas City. Will someone please tell her?
“Lunch: Leftover Chinese noodles. Weather: Drippy morning. Smell of piney woods and the ocean all rolled into one, like Wyoming meets Waikiki. No seagull. That window shade was low over the mountains today. High 49, low 46.
“Sat at the desk and distributed tickets all day, greeting friends and promising to stay in touch. Oh, forgot to tell you that we get NBC and CBS from Seattle at the hotel. I kinda prefer to watch Canada’s networks, including its weather channel. But I’m lousy at converting Celsius to Fahrenheit when the Celsius is below zero.
“Dinner: Chicken in wok. Spoon of ice cream. At Cordero’s, the restaurant on the water front, near the marina where the sea planes take off. A young woman gave me a hug in Hudson’s Pub last night. ‘Do you remember me?’ she said, while my friends looked on in curiosity. ‘You gave me the last opening-ceremonies ticket in Beijing. It was the greatest entertainment event in the history of the world and I got to go!’ I THINK I remember.
“A young Washington, D.C., reporter is from Oklahoma City. He showed up today in a Sooners sweatshirt.
“The attention devoted to tomorrow’s hockey game is, well, it’s Super Bowl-esque. Volunteer du jour: Pamela, plump and pretty in her parka, perky and perhaps 55 years old. From North Vancouver, bus depot monitor. ‘This is my favorite moment,’ she said as the time came for us to depart. And then she paused and grinned before saying, ‘gentlemen, start your engines.’
“The volunteers each got a parka, two t-shirts, a fleece vest and a toque, all bright blue. They call themselves Smurfs. If you need something at the venue, the proper response is, ‘I don’t know, let’s ask a Smurf.’ Usually the Smurf can give the answer. These volunteers made the Vancouver Olympics successful.
“Oh, the crowds downtown tonight! Amazing. Yes, there are young people who’ve had too much alcohol. They don’t seem to be causing trouble, they’re mostly walking around and singing ‘Oh Canada’ poorly. The authorities are handling it very well. There are police every 20 yards or so. I think open containers are against the law, because the police frequently are seen pouring beer into the gutters. One reporter said her chief memory of the Vancouver games will be the tipsy people downtown. Not me; it all seems pretty harmless. Heck, I was 19 once. 39 once.
“My memory? The way the Canadians have embraced the games. Tonight we saw a crowd of fans around a vehicle near the International Broadcast Center. We thought rock stars must be in the white van. And we weren’t far wrong: the Canadian men’s curling team members stepped out and the fans went nuts. They high-fived the crowd and posed for photos. It was all quite happy, pretty much summarized the locals’ love for sports and for the Olymics.
“Vancouver Fact that surely must be true because somebody told me: That cannon in Stanley Park has been fired every night for 90 years and more. I think Canadians don’t have curtains. At night you can see right into many houses and condos. It’s like at the zoo.
“These people are SO friendly. A young woman gave me her seat on the train this morning. I guess I was the ugly American, because I took it. What a privilege to be here! Every day is an adventure. With glowing hearts, eh?”
NFL Combine: OU’s Brown desires heavy load
Chris Brown says he can carry the load at running back. Not that he ever has. Or not that most NFL teams want a full-load tailback. Not even Adrian Peterson’s employer relies on a single-back system.
“I’ve always shared time,” Brown said of his Oklahoma days, when he backed up Adrian Peterson and shared time with Allen Patrick and DeMarco Murray.
“It’s always sub, sub, sub, sub. In, out. In, out. Complementary back, that’s what people think of me. My plan is to prove people wrong.”
Brown measured in at 5-103/4, 210 pounds. He’s projected as a middle- to late-round pick.
“I’m just hoping to open someone’s eyes,” Brown said. “Showcase my ability. I think I’m prepared for it. It’s a big challenge.”
NFL Combine: Colt measures 6-11/4
Colt McCoy was measured at 6-foot-11/4. “I’d like to say I was 6-4,” McCoy said.
It could be worse. McCoy could be in the NFL Draft in a year in which the Super Bowl hadn’t just been won by a 6-foot quarterback.
Drew Brees — who didn’t play at Texas but grew up in Austin — has become the patron saint of short quarterbacks. McCoy, projected as a late first- or second-round pick, shrugs off his height.
“My height’s a knock, but that’s what God gave me,” McCoy said Saturday at the NFL Combine.
Comparisons with Brees are “great,” McCoy said. “Drew’s a tremendous quarterback. If my name’s mentioned in the same sentence, that’s great.”
McCoy won’t throw at the Combine, because of the nerve injury suffered in the national title game. “I’m bummed out,” McCoy said. “I would love to throw. I would love to get out there and compete.”
McCoy said his injury is healing up and he’s throwing every day. “I’ll be 100 percent in a couple of weeks,” he said.
NFL Combine: Suh wants to be No. 1
Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamokung Suh wants to be the No. 1 pick. “I just like to be No. 1,” Suh said.
The Rams hold that fate in their hands. Barring a trade, St. Louis will choose between Suh and a couple of Sooners, Gerald McCoy and Sam Bradford.
There is growing momentum for McCoy over Suh, due to a perceived better pass rush. Suh, speaking Saturday at the Combine, said not so fast.
Suh said Nebraska’s read-and-react defensive philosophy makes it more difficult to showcase pass-rushing skills. “Gerald had that opportunity a little bit more,” Suh said. “He had the freedom” to head upfield immediately.
Suh said he and McCoy are friends — they met after the OU-Nebraska game last season — and that he’ll be happy for McCoy if McCoy goes No. 1.
But Suh isn’t lacking for confidence. “I laid a great foundation” at Nebraska, Suh said. “I won’t take all the credit, but I will take some credit. I definitely feel I laid it all on the line.”
Suh said he had brunch with officials from the Detroit Lions, who hold the No. 2 pick, and plans to meet with the Rams tonight.
NFL Combine: Dillard seeks a job
Nebraska linebacker Phillip Dillard, a Jenks High School graduate, comes across as a guy. Says he’ll come across as a nice guy when talking with NFL officials at the Combine.
But on the field, Dillard plays mad. “Whenever I step out on that field, I take it personal,” Dillard said. “Like the other side is trying to show us out.”
Dillard said he didn’t take it personal against OU last season, when the Huskers beat the Sooners 10-3 and Dillard had eight tackles, a sack and an interception.
Dillard said he was recruited by OU, but “I wasn’t recruited as hard, because I was an in-state guy. That’s the way it seemed.”
Dillard is projected as a late-round pick.
NFL Combine: Sam Bradford interview
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford met the media Saturday at the NFL Combine. Here is a transcript of that interview.
How did two days worth of medical tests come out? What are they telling you, what are they asking you?
“Well, obviously there’s a lot of questions about my shoulder. I think it checked out really well yesterday when I went through the team physicals. No one found anything they weren’t expecting to find. I’m in a great rehab program right now; my throwing sessions are really starting to pick up in intensity. My last throwing session consisted of over 100 throws. My arm feels great after I throw; it hasn’t started to get sore yet. It feels great and I’m really happy with where it’s at.”
Are they mostly testing the strength and range of motion?
“Yeah, a little bit of both. They’re looking for strength and they’re looking for how much range of motion I have in it.”
How long did it last?
“I was there for a while. A couple hours.”
What was the shoulder process?
“It was a reconstruction of the AC joint. They just went in and pretty much with like a nylon braid and put the clavicle back in place and pretty much resecured the joint.”
Did you second-guess yourself for trying to come back after it was initially injured?
“No, I don’t second guess that decision at all. I think if I wouldn’t have tried to come back, there’s no way I could have lived with that decision. Everyone I talked to at the time said that I could come back and play. No one thought I needed surgery after the first injury. So I don’t think I made the wrong decision at all with that.”
When’s your pro day?
“March 25.”
Gonna do everything there?
“Yes.”
How important is it for you to do everything there?
“Extremely important. Obviously it’ll be the first time that I’ve thrown in front of pro scouts since they’ve seen me play since Texas, when I got injured. So I think everyone’s really anxious to see my arm and how it looks after surgery.”
What was the actual injury and did you really need the surgery?
“It was a grade 3 separation and from what I’ve heard from doctors, after the second time, for my long-term health, if I wanted to continue playing football and get stronger in the weight room, I needed to have the surgery.”
As far as being the No. 1 quarterback taken, how important was that to you, and was this done on purpose; Jimmy Clausen’s pro day is in April and yours is the end of March?
“No. I think we scheduled ours without knowing when his was. I can’t answer that. That’s when we planned to have it.”
Does that give you any advantage?
“No, I’ve still got to come out and perform well. I’m really not concerned with what he does at his pro day. I know I’ve got to come out and perform at mine.”
How about wearing that No. 1 jersey? Prophetic at all?
“No. It’s alphabetical and mine happens to be the first name. So it’s nice.”
How important would it be for you to be No. 1?
“I think everybody dreams about being No. 1. Through this process, I’m preparing myself. I’m gonna show those teams everything I have. But at the end of the day, it’s up to them. So I’m really not worried about what I can’t control.”
Do you feel like you’re the best QB in the draft?
“To be honest, I haven’t seen all the other quarterbacks play. I’m not gonna compare myself to them. I know that I am a good player. I have confidence in my ability, and I feel like that when teams see me throw on the 25th, they’ll really see what they’re getting.”
You came in at 236, was that a priority?
“Yeah, especially coming back from the injury. I wanted to get in the weight room, put some weight on. I came in at a good weight yesterday. There were some questions about my weight last year. People thought I was too small to come out. So I wanted to answer those questions this year, and it’s something I put a lot of work into.”
Which NFL teams have you talked to?
“I really don’t think that needs to be out there.”
How much weight have you added since the last time you played?
“Since the last time I played, I’ve probably put on about 12 pounds.”
What did you measure?
“Yesterday, I was 6-4, 236.”
Do teams question Oklahoma’s system?i
“Maybe behind closed doors, but it’s not come up with me.”
What are some of the things, when you’ve talked with teams, what do they like about you and what do they want to see improvement on?
“They really don’t tell you. They ask you those questions. So I’m still trying to get a feel for it. I’m sure once I find out the team I’m with, they’ll tell me what I do well and what I need to improve on.”
What was it like throwing to Jermaine Gresham?
“Yeah, he’s a great player. He was a great target to have in the middle. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury this year and didn’t get to play. His rehab process went well and he’s running real well. I can’t say enough good things about him. Any time I saw him out there with a one-on-one matchup, I wanted to take it because he was gonna beat whoever was guarding him.”
In your rehab, how often do you throw in a week?
“I throw every other day. That’s the schedule I’m on right now. When I get back from the combine, I’m hoping to finish that rehab schedule and get to throw every day.”
Billy Devaney said he heard it was 20-40 yards, but he didn’t know if you were soft-tossing or really zipping it.
“They’re 20-40 yards, and I’m putting as much as I can on it. I feel like if you want to get your arm stronger, that’s what you’ve got to do. I’ve gotten stronger every time that I’ve thrown, and it feels really good right now. No discomfort.”
A lot of teams talk intangibles; what do you bring to the table as far as leadership?
“I think I am a great leader. I think if you ask any of my teammates here that played with me at Oklahoma, they’ll tell you that I was one of the leaders on our team at Oklahoma. I can be vocal. I think a lot of people questioned that. They don’t see our practices. They don’t see what I do in the locker room. I am vocal. I’ll get after guys when I need to. I also like to lead by example. That’s something I believe in. If you don’t practice what you preach, then no one’s going to follow you. I believe I have all the different leadership styles that you need to be a good leader.”
With the OU-Texas rivalry, is it funny you and Colt McCoy are vying for draft position?
“No. I mean, I’ve never really thought about it like that. Obviously, there is a huge rivalry between Oklahoma and Texas. But me and Colt, we’ve gotten to know each other; we’re good friends. So I think it’s good that you actually have someone that you can talk to about this whole process and go through it together.”
Do you fit the West Coast offense?
“I feel like my style could adapt to any system. I think people look at what we did (in 2008) at Oklahoma and just see a spread offense. But if you look at my first year at Oklahoma, we were under center a lot. I believe it was 50-50. We were more of a conventional, two-back, pro-style. So I feel like I have the skills to adapt to any system.”
You being a Native American, would you have reservations about playing for the Redskins?
“No.”
Would that present problems if they draft you?
“You know, I’m not gonna address that issue. That’s not something I’m gonna worry about now. If that’s something I have to face later on down the road, I will, but there’s really no reason to address that right now.”
But you wouldn’t ask them to not draft you for that reason?
“Um, no. (Laughs)”
Rams will meet with you tonight, what do you expect?
“I expect it to be like all the other meetings. I’m sure they’ll ask me some questions about myself, my background. I’m sure they’ll turn on the tape, watch some of the things I’ve done at Oklahoma, try to figure out how I process different things. I don’t expect it to be any different than any of my meetings with the other teams.”
Are you like Peyton Manning, where you say if they don’t draft you, you’ll make them pay?
“(Laughs) I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”
Did you ever think after the injury that you might have hurt your 2009 draft stock?
“No, I never thought that way. I know a lot of people thought that, But I knew nothing changed. The player I was, just because I got hurt, doesn’t change anything. I knew I had to work that much harder to get myself back in a position to have that opportunity. I feel like I’ve worked extremely hard. But like I said, it’s not up to me. I don’t get to pick. I know on March 25th when I throw for everyone, I’m gonna put on a great show and show everyone what I have.”
Jimmy Clausen just stood here and answered questions on character and maturity and leadership. Why’s that so important for a QB and do you have those characteristics?
“I think if you look at just everything I’ve done at Oklahoma, not only on the field but off the field, the things I’m involved with — I think a lot of times, people look at what you say and how you handle press conferences, and obviously that’s a big part. But if you really take a look at how I interact with people just on a daily basis, the things I do in my own personal life, I think you’ll see I put the effort into everything. Academics has always been a huge part of my life. It’s something I put a lot of effort into. Everything I do, I give my best. I think football’s no different. I’m gonna do my best, whatever team takes me.”
Did you like how Mark Sanchez handled his rookie year. Will you reach out to other rookies?
“I haven’t reached out to those guys yet. I think it’s something I definitely will do when I get farther along in the process. Especially the closer the draft comes and the closer I come to entering a rookie camp, just to understand what it’s gonna be like. Probably before the draft, I will talk to those guys because I could learn a lot from them just because they have gone through this whole process before.”
No. 1 is you or Suh, what do you know about him?
“He’s a great player. We saw him this year. I didn’t play. I was on the sideline for that game, so I got to watch him. He’s a great player. But I think we’ve got a great defensive tackle at Oklahoma as well. I think Gerald McCoy’s a great player, too, so I wouldn’t rule that out.”
Have you talked to McCoy about being No. 1?
“No. I actually saw Gerald last night for the first time. We don’t talk about that stuff. I wish Gerald the best. He wishes me the best. We’re gonna be happy for each other no matter what happens.”
You worked much on drops from under center?
“I think people get this misconception that if you play in the spread or play in the shotgun, you don’t know how to take a drop. It just shortens your drop. When you’re in the gun, you still take a three-step drop. When we were at Oklahoma, at practice every day, our first drops were under center. Our coach made us take drops under center. If you threw two out routes, the first one was under center, the second one was in the gun. So I’m very comfortable with throwing under center. It’s something I’ve done since I’ve been in college, going back to high school. It’s nothing new to me. I’m very comfortable under center.”
When these teams ask you what your assets are as quarterback, what do you tell them?
“I think I’m extremely accurate. I think you have to be accurate to be successful as a quarterback. You can be smart and make all the right reads, but if you can’t deliver the football, you’re not gonna be successful. I think I have great feet. I make a lot of athletic throws. I throw on the run really well. I have a great presence in the pocket. I’m able to sit in there and deliver the ball under pressure while taking a hit. And I’m a competitor. I love to compete. I love to win. I’ve loved to win since I was little, and that’s not gonna change.”
How do you feel about being the face of a franchise?
“I really don’t think one single player is the face of the franchise. It’s still a team game. There’s a bunch of guys who people look to when they think of that franchise. If people want to put that on me, though, it’s something I’ll embrace. It’s something I’ll have to grow into it, but I’ll learn the ropes, just like I did when I was at Oklahoma.”
Can you explain how you got hurt against BYU?
“Yeah, they brought pressure from the back side and I really tried to roll out. The guy just wrapped me up and unfortunate and I landed on my right shoulder and ended up separating my shoulder right there.”
Have you reached out to Alex Smith?
“Yeah, I actually talked to him before I had the surgery. I know that he had the same procedure by Dr. Andrews. From what I understand, it was pretty successful. He just told me what to expect from the rehab standpoint, kind of what he went through when he went through the whole process, trying to decide if he should have surgery or not.”
Although you got hurt, what did you gain most by returning to school?
“Mentally, I think I made leaps and bounds. Just another year in school. It was another year to mature both on and off the field. I think when I got hurt, when you step away from the game and you’re not playing, it really allows you to look at the offense from a different perspective. I think I was able to do that. Sometimes when you’re on the field, the coach just calls a play and you just run it, and then afterwards you look back and you’re like, ‘Well, why’d we run that?’ But when you’re on the sideline and you see the play come in and see the call come in, you’re really able to slow things down, you understand why we’re calling that into certain defensive looks. So I think mentally, I gained a lot from this year.”
Are you confident the arm is strong?
“Yes. I think Dr. Andrews is extremely happy with it. He says I’m ahead of schedule right now, the velocity I’m putting on the ball, some of the throws I’m able to make right now. I feel like with another month’s work, by the time my pro day gets here, I’ll be able to make all the throws I was able to make before, with probably some more arm strength I had before I got hurt.”
How healthy are you right now?
“I would say right now it’s close to 85 percent.”
The Rams have said besides Andrews and their own, they want an independent doc to check you out. You OK with that?
“Yeah, that’s fine. I have nothing to hide. My shoulder’s fine. They can get whoever they want to to look at it, and I don’t think it’s gonna change. I think they’re gonna see it’s strong, it’s healthy and it’s better than ever.”
Is the shorter hair permanent?
“For now, yes it is.”
As a high pick, any reservations about playing on a bad team?
“No, I think it’s a great opportunity just to have the opportunity to play for a team in the NFL, whether they’re rebuilding or real successful. To be a part of an organization and to get to play on Sundays is something I really look forward to.”
