March 1, 2013
Tell us the routine for you at this year’s NFL Combine?
Basically you fly out there and then get your equipment and a bunch of free gear. The first day is pretty chill with orientation and all that, so that’s good. But after that it’s grind time. You wake up near 5 a.m. every morning. There is always something you have to be doing whether it’s medical exams, or team interviews, getting an MRI, or a drug test. Stuff like that. It’s just a grind. Then every night there’s this thing called “the bullpen” where you go in a big room and there is personnel from every NFL team. Once you get done with one team you go talk to another team. The whole process was chaotic, but it was definitely a good time.
Why weren’t you able to work out at the Combine?
I took a cleat to the hip during the Senior Bowl. Then I got a really deep muscle bruise – a contusion. It’s pretty good right now though, nothing too serious. Just nagging a bit. So I’m hoping to get it back to 100 percent so I can go out there and do my thing at Pro Day.
What was your training leading up to the Combine?
I was in California. I was training at a place called Velocity and just doing specific training. So specifically working on my bench press. Or specifically working on my hip, to get my hip right. Just a lot of stuff like that to prepare for the Combine.
What will you be doing between now and Texas’ Pro Day?
I’m going to spend a couple of days here then I’m going to head back out to California to finish my training. Since I didn’t work out at the Combine I don’t have any time to waste. So I have to get right back out there.
Did any of the media training and experience at Texas make you more comfortable doing interviews at the Combine?
It made talking to the media a lot better. I saw other guys from other schools that had no media training, just talking crazy in front of the cameras. But Texas definitely helps you prepare to talk to the media at the next level.
Overall, did your time at Texas prepare you for the Combine and ultimately the NFL?
Yes, it definitely did. Every day here it’s 100 percent. That’s the biggest thing I carried over to the training in California. You learn here to go 100 percent every single play, every day. Some guys out there that I’m training with take days off, or they don’t give it all every day. But here and being in this atmosphere, Texas prepares you to go out and work hard every day.
What are you looking forward to about draft day?
I have enjoyed this process, but it’s stressful. So when draft day comes I’ll just be looking to see which team takes me. I’m just blessed and grateful for the opportunity and ready to take the next step in my life.
Did you speak with any former Longhorns in the NFL during this process?
Yes, a lot of guys reached out to me actually after the bowl game. [Arizona Cardinal LB] Sam Acho reached out to me, [Minnesota Vikings DE] Brian Robison, [free agent LB] Sergio Kindle, [Cleveland Browns LB] Emannual Acho – I could name a whole long list. So we’re one big family here and that family never disappears. When somebody is trying to take that next step, everybody really helps out with that, and I really appreciate that.
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