Senior Bowl Interviews 1/23
by Mike Daneshgar
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
At Senior Bowl media night, I caught up with a few athletes. Here are the conversations:
Georgia Offensive Lineman Cordy Glenn
How was your first day of practice?
Good. Pretty good, I thought I did pretty good for not knowing what to expect. I was just trying to pick up on some of the things the coaches wanted out of us. I think this next practice I’ll be more prepared and more ready to know exactly what’s going on and what we’ll be doing.
You were at left tackle in practice today, is that where you see yourself in the NFL?
Honestly man, I just wanna play for a team and get drafted. I can play left tackle or guard, I’m pretty good at both.
You don’t have a preference?
Nope.
Is there a specific defender who has stood out to you yet as a really tough matchup?
(Pauses) Specificly? Well, everybody here is good, I don’t know.
What are your goals this week?
Just get better at everything, doing what the coaches say. Just take in the teachings and try and get better.
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Meet and Greet: Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis
by Matt Deem
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011
At first glance Lewis might not look like the prototypical NFL running back, but that is nothing new to his ears. Coming out of high school, he was the 20th ranked running back in the country, with only three offers; Tulane, Miami (OH), and Pitt. Entering his freshman year at Pitt, he had big shoes to fill with LeSean McCoy leaving for the NFL draft. That hole was filled quickly when Dion started the opening game of the 2009 season with 129 yards, two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown against Youngstown State. He followed that up with 9 more games of at least 100 yards rushing including 159 yards in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against North Carolina. I had an eye witness account to his best game that year in the final game of the regular season against Cincinnati where he had 47 rushes for 194 yards and 3 touchdowns. His big game included a stretch where he ran the ball 11 straight times and caught a pass on a 12 play 56 yard drive that ended with a four yard touchdown run by Lewis. Neither the Bearcats nor the snow that day could stop him. He finished the season with 1,799 yards and 17 TD’s which earned him Big East Player of the Year along with Big East Rookie of the Year and was unanimous first team All-Big East selection. He earned second team All-America from AP, SI.com, Sporting News and both Rivals and Scout.com.
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Ronald Johnson – New & Improved
by Evan Davis Jr
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
One can’t open a magazine, skim a website or watch the daily news, and not hear of another celebrity having to “re-invent him/herself”. This usually comes after a movie that bombs, an album that does the same, or even upon release from rehab. Stars have to almost go through a “re-birth”; urging the public to forget what it already knows and accept a new direction.
Being in LA, it’s commonplace for actors, singers, talk show hosts being forced to do this, but rarely does an athlete have to. Such is the case in USC’s WR, Ronald Johnson. He went from being a highly recruited high school All-American to virtually forgotten in just 4 years. Yet, he has battled and fought through frustrations and injuries, to being a player that everyone must watch for come USC’s Pro Day and NFL Draft in April. Rojo is in the midst of re-inventing himself into a draft steal.
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Meet and Greet: Cameron Jordan
by Ryan Lownes
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Lownes: Accurate height/weight, bench reps, and your 40 time from the recent Combine.
Jordan: 6’4 287, 25 reps at 225, 4.71 unofficial and 4.78 official.
You’re an NFL scout with the task of breaking down Cameron Jordan, what are the pros/cons?
Other than I’m quick out of my stance, I have long (35”) arms that I create leverage with by locking out on an Offensive Lineman creating a hard point at the end of the line.
Cons- If any, it would be that I need to further refine my technique of after extension while playing the run to not be too quick to shed blocks.
Since you stepped on campus at California, in what area(s) have you experienced the greatest improvement?
At Cal I’ve learned to multi task. Before I could focus on one thing at a time; I can text, walk, talk, and read notes at the same time while grasping the key concepts of everything that I’m doing.
By all accounts, you had an absolutely dominant week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. Describe the benefits of that week and a couple things you took from your first taste of NFL coaching.
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Martez Wilson – Standing Tall and Strong
by Evan Davis Jr
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
One of the many overused sports-related catch phrases that are haphazardly thrown around is “mental toughness”. It’s used when an athlete needs a little something more to overcome adversities; when his/her body breaks down, the weather is unbearable or circumstances may point to defeat, “mental toughness” is employed to rise above these hardships. Most times, coddled and protected collegiate football players never get to experience hard times, so their mental toughness is never developed. When they are then thrown into a playoff game in a snowstorm, with a sore knee and asked to lead a 4th quarter comeback and fail, there are then called “mentally weak”.
Are they really? How can we grade someone on a test that we didn’t prepare them for?
Enter Martez Wilson. He stands tall not because he’s a lean 6’4″ 250lbs., but because he overcame a crippling injury, 2 surgeries, media assassination and sentiments of being a “bust” to being a projected 1st round draft pick.
Highly recruited out of Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois, Wilson enjoyed all the accolades and awards one could handle. He was a USA Today All-American, #6 on ESPN’s Top 150 and was a 5 Star Recruit on Rivals.com, just to name a few.
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Meet and Greet: Brooks Reed
by Ryan Lownes
Friday, February 25th, 2011
One player that is gaining momentum going into the draft process is Arizona defensive end, Brooks Reed. Ryan Lownes sits down with the pass rusher before the NFL Scouting Combine.
Lownes: What is your accurate height/weight?
Reed: 6′ 1/2 260lbs
You’re an NFL scout with the task of breaking down Brooks Reed, what are the pros/cons?
Pros: hard working, hard playing, instinctive, pass rusher
Cons: undersized as a 4-3 DE, played limited stamd up backer is college
Since you stepped on campus at Arizona, in what area have you experienced the greatest improvement?
My instinctiveness, speed, and strength.
Many are projecting you to make the switch from college Defensive End to NFL Linebacker. Why is this a good fit for you? In a 4-3 front, do you think you function well as a two-down Strong-side LB and third down edge-rusher at DE?
I have prototypical size speed and strength to play that position and I am athletic enough to make the transition from a 4-3 DE to a 3-4 stand up linebacker. Yes, or I could be seen as a situational 4-3 DE, especially on passing downs.
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Meet and Greet: Jeron Johnson
by Gil Alcaraz
Sunday, January 9th, 2011
Meet Jeron Johnson, strong safety from Boise State (BSU).
Currently ranked the 21st overall safety by Scout Inc.’s draft board on ESPN.com, Johnson is looking to prove that there is plenty of value in this supposedly weak safety draft class in 2011.
Johnson is a 5’10’’, 200lb player who runs the 40 in approximately 4.5 seconds. He has solid speed for a defensive back, and it should continue to improve as he trains for the draft down in Dallas, Texas. The thing that makes him so good out on the football field is his balanced style of play, highlighted by exceptional intelligence and strength. “I’m a smart player with defensive knowledge, situational awareness and physical presence,” said Johnson. “I’m a pretty well-rounded player, but there’s always room for improvement.” Although T.J. Ward reminds him most of his style of play, he tries to model his game most after the healthy version of Bob Sanders.
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Meet and Greet: Stephen Franklin
by Gil Alcaraz
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
Meet Stephen Franklin, inside linebacker from Southern Illinois (SIU).
Currently ranked the 30th overall inside linebacker by Scout Inc.’s draft board on ESPN.com, Franklin is hoping to shed the Division 1AA label and prove that he can be an NFL-caliber player.
Franklin is a 6’0’’, 237lb player who runs the 40 in approximately 4.5 seconds, impressive speed for a linebacker. This speed, along with agility and quickness, makes his athleticism the most impressive facet of his game. “Athleticism is my biggest thing,” Franklin said. “It allows me to be able to put myself in position to make plays by breaking blocks and closing space down in a hurry.” Despite being a big fan of NFL linebackers like Jon Beason and Patrick Willis, Franklin says that the tenacity and athleticism of Bart Scott most reminds him of the way he plays.
Even with his outstanding athleticism, Franklin sometimes struggles because he has a tendency to over-think things while reading and reacting to plays as they unfold. “I think too much and don’t always trust my instincts,” he said. “Sometimes I try to sit back and dissect things instead of just playing.” That may be a speed bump due to the speed of the NFL, but nothing that Franklin can’t overcome.
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Meet and Greet: Isaac Odim
by Gil Alcaraz
Sunday, January 2nd, 2011
Meet Isaac Odim, running back from Minnesota-Duluth (UMD).
Currently ranked the 61st overall running back by Scout Inc.’s draft board on ESPN.com, Odim is hoping to get a shot in the NFL and prove that playing for a Division 2 team can’t keep him from being a professional athlete.
Odim is a 5’11’’, 210lb player who runs the 40 in approximately 4.5 seconds. His speed is solid for a runner, but his best attribute is his outstanding ability to run hard and break tackles. “I pride myself on never giving up on a play, not letting the first person tackle me, and fighting for extra yards,” said Odim. According to him, he tries to emulate Adrian Peterson’s physicality by always fighting to keep the play alive while picking up more yards.
One thing that he feels could use some work is his pass blocking abilities. “My blocking has not been an issue at the Division 2 level, but it will be a big difference going up against NFL linebackers,” Odim said. “Scouts have pointed it out as an area to work on.”
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Interview: Kent Richardson
by Rob Engle
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010
Draft Breakdown was able to get out to the West Virginia Pro Day this year, and a player that caught our attention was cornerback Kent Richardson. Kent had a great workout and spent some time talking to NFL scouts afterwards. With his physical skill set, he’s certainly someone that needs to be on the radar of all NFL Draft followers. Rob Engle took a few minutes to talk with Kent about his career at WVU.
Engle: Hey Kent, thanks for taking the time to do this interview. What did you study at West Virginia?
Richardson: I studied Marketing.
Engle: What is your accurate height, weight, 40 time and bench press?
Richardson: My accurate height is 5’11 3/4, bench press is 435 and 20 reps at 225, and my 40 is a 4.46.
Engle: Who is the best player you’ve ever played against?
Richardson: The best player I’ve ever played against is Calvin Johnson, by far.
Engle: What was your role at West Virginia?
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