More from the Q&A: Zac Robinson
By Brandon Chatmon
bchatmon@opubco.com
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson has spent his days preparing for the NFL Combine in California with several big names including Texas’ quarterback Colt McCoy, Texas safety Earl Thomas and Missouri linebacker Sean Witherspoon.
The Oklahoman talked to Robinson last week about his arm strength, dealing with injuries during his senior year and the NFL combine.
How are your workouts going?
It’s going pretty well. We have a good group of guys out here. There’s 15 guys out here, we all signed with David Dunn and Athletes First. Colt McCoy, Shawn Canfield, Sean Witherspoon, Earl Thomas, Aaron Hernandez. It’s really good to compete with those guys. It’s been a lot of fun.
I’m sure it gets competitive in workouts.
We compete in everything we do. It’s so much fun, that’s what brings out the best in me. Whether it’s 40-yard (dash) starts or throwing on the field, there’s always competition.
Take me through the week at the Senior Bowl.
It was fun, a really hectic week but I had fun with it. With this process, if you’re not having fun with it, you probably aren’t going to do very well, you probably won’t enjoy it. I have really enjoyed the process. At the Senior Bowl, I felt like practices went well, the game went well. I had really good days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday I was a little up and down but still a good day. Overall it was a very good week and I felt the game went really well.
Tell me about it game, it looked like you came in right away and played well.
It was cool. Anytime in all-star games, it’s random how you play. I happened to be the third guy in, it was a really cold day and I was just trying to keep myself loose on the sideline. Our offense was struggling so I knew once I got the opportunity I tried to lead us down the field and do everything I could. I was calling my own plays a lot of the time and I felt really comfortable in the Dolphins system. The coaches were awesome all week. I enjoyed being in a pro system and learning the terminology.
When you have so many scouts around do you get nervous?
Honestly I didn’t really get nervous. I was just having fun with it and being loose, being myself. That was the main thing when you’re having fun, that’s when you’re going to play the best. I didn’t feel added pressure, even though you look up and Mike Tomlin is right in front of you watching the drill. I don’t think of it like that, I was just out there trying to show what I can do.
What are your goals for the combine?
To run a really good 40 time. I know for quarterbacks it’s not that big but I want to run a good 40. I want to test pretty well and throw as well at the combine as I have the last few weeks. Hopefully I can throw well and test well. The interviews are a huge part. I want to enjoy the process and enjoy getting to know some of the coaches.
As a quarterback how do you approach the combine? Because you can really make a mark with the interviewing.
You can gain so much from a good interview, if a team likes you, your personality and how smart you are. They get you in front of a board and run you through your offense. You have to teach them different stuff like what’s you’re favorite third down pass and what coverages you saw this year. Bob Johnson is our quarterbacks coach, his son is Rob Johnson who played in the NFL for 10 years, he’s a good source to learn from.
What are teams saying they like about you?
At the end of the season, I wasn’t healthy and it hurt from a performance standpoint. My shoulder just was not as strong as I would like. Hopefully, I proved my toughness. I think I’ve surprised people with my arm strength, I feel like I have a strong arm and can make all the throws. I just started feeling good a couple weeks ago. It feels great now, my arm feels good so that and my accuracy and mobility. And being able, when a play breaks down, to make something happen.
How much did (the injury) hurt you, because you were out there but you weren’t 100 percent?
Nobody really knows, they think you’re out there so you’re totally fine, you’re 100 percent. But I wanted to be out there for my team and try to win some games, unfortunately it didn’t work out that way. But they know I’m tough and play through injuries, I hadn’t really been injured my whole career so it was something new for me. It was tough but I learned from it and they know what the circumstances were.
Was there any point (when you were getting criticized) when you wanted to say “Hey, I’m not 100 percent?” Was that frustrating?
I did a little bit but I wanted to play. I only had a few games left in my senior season ad I wanted to be out there. It was frustrating at times but I just wanted to be out there.
Have you even looked at the Cotton Bowl?
I haven’t even looked at it. I was a weird game, we had a lot of turnovers and offensively we didn’t play well at all. I was able to forget about that quickly because I was really excited about this process.
When you’re talking to NFL team were you able to express that you weren’t 100 percent?
Most of them know about it but they want to hear you talk about it. First of all, I would have liked to be more consistent. They want to hear you own up and say you could have played better but I didn’t really have to explain it much. It wasn’t a big issue and now it’s 100 percent.
What are you hearing as far as where you might go?
It’s really wide open. Nobody has set themselves apart. Obviously Sam (Bradford) and (Jimmy) Clausen are the top guys after that we don’t know. I’m not paying attention to it, it’s a long process with the combine and pro day and workouts. You really just don’t know, if you try to dive in and say, “I’m going to go here” you’ll probably be completely wrong, It could be a team you haven’t talked to the whole time that ends up drafting you. I really don’t pay attention to any of it, only control what you can control and keep working hard to perform as well as you can at the combine and pro day.
It’s a long process. It’s that stressful?
I don’t look at it as stressful. It’s a long process but I’m having fun with it. I’m learning a lot and meeting a lot of great guys.
Did you have fun throwing it around with Dez (Bryant)?
Yeah we had a good time. I hadn’t seen Dez since the season, it was awesome to see him. When we got teamed up I knew we had to win it. It was fun hanging out with Dez for a couple of days and hearing how things are going for him.
Where you like, “I forgot how much I missed this guy’?
Yeah (laughing) he was in good shape and being Dez. It was good throwing it around with him.
What would be the best case scenario for opening day 2010?
Being on a team and competing for a spot, wither it’s a backup spot… I know it’s very hard to start in this league as a rookie but I feel like, talent-wise, I belong in the NFL. So just being on a team and trying to learn the offense.
Does it get frustrating when people knock your arm strength?
The A.C. injury takes away a lot of arm strength. I think if somebody watched me throw right now, arm strength is not a issue at all. At the Senior Bowl and right now, I’m healthy, I’m back to my old self and feeling good.
Well JaMarcus Russell can throw it 80 yards, that doesn’t mean you can play.
Exactly. Arm strength is just a little part of the game. If you look around there are guys who don’t have a lot of arm strength who are extremely successful. Fortunately I do have some and hopefully I can put it all together.
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