The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Pro Day with Dibbles
03.22.2006 | Football
DT Larry Dibbles is another in Texas' long line of NFL-caliber defensive tackles. He has been a mainstay for most of the past three seasons and has earned various all-conference honors over the past two seasons. The 6-1, 290-pounder finished his career at UT with a National Championship and 107 tackles to his name, but now it is time to move on. Dibbles decided to remain in Austin to work out because of the bond he has built with the coaching staff, the strength staff and the city. He trusted the people and felt that they would be the ones to help him to the next level. But, the day to prove himself has finally come. It's been three solid months of hard work since Texas won the National Championship, but Dibbles and the rest of the Texas Longhorns got a chance to show the fruits of their labor to 130 representatives from NFL teams, 85 media members and plenty of other friends and family at Texas' Pro Day on March 22. The following is a blow-by-blow account of Larry Dibbles big day.
7:00 a.m. - Wake-Up Call
"I've been getting up at 6 a.m. for a while now so this was kind of a break. Plus, we were getting up at 5 a.m. last summer to get our workouts in, so a 7 a.m. wake-up call is nothing."
7:30 a.m. - Breakfast
"I had the usual, eggs, ham, toast, and orange juice."
8:30 a.m. - Arrive at Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletic Center
"I got here at 8:30 a.m. and have just been getting ready. I'm getting excited to see what's going to happen."
11:02 a.m. - Arm/Hand Measurement
"We kind of went through the same thing at the Hula Bowl. The scouts at that game were interested in our specific information so it was the same kind of thing here. Just get some numbers and move on."
11:03 a.m. - Height and Weight
"I was absolutely pleased with my height and weight. They got me at 6-1 and 290 pounds. I could probably get heavier but I am really pleased with where I am right now physically."
11:17 a.m. - Vertical Jump
"I'm going up there trying to get 40" (laughing). I think I got in the 27' area so I'm happy. It is the best I've ever done here, so I was happy with it."
11:20 a.m. - Broad Jump
"It is always a little weird jumping forward and trying to keep your momentum, especially when you are a big guy, but it was all right. It's just a broad jump. It kind of felt like field day back in elementary school."
11:42 a.m. - 40-Meter Dash - First Attempt
11:52 a.m. - 40-Meter Dash - Second Attempt
"I think I did a pretty good job, but I thought all the guys did a good job in the 40 today. They got me at a 5.2. I was relaxed and I feel like I did well. I've been working on trying to gain ground on the track. I didn't want to focus too hard on form, but I knew it would help me to move quicker. I'm happy, but I'm far from satisfied, so I'll keep working. If I do a 5.2, I think I can do a 5.1, so I just want to go out there and keep getting better."
12:08 p.m. - Short Shuttle - First Attempt
12:20 p.m. - Short Shuttle - Second Attempt
"I felt pretty good about the shuttle. I was looking forward to the shuttle. I've got a low center of gravity and I change directions pretty well. I've got good footwork and am pretty explosive, which I think was a plus for me."
12:38 p.m. - Bench Press (225 Lbs.)
"The bench press is always tough especially after you have already put some time in working out. I recover pretty good, so I felt good going into it. I think I took three bad reps, which left me at 19. But, I'll keep working in the weight room to get even stronger. In my eyes, I should definitely be getting over 20. I'm satisfied with my effort, I thought it was great, but I'm not satisfied with the results so I'm going to try and keep climbing up that ladder."
12:45 p.m. - Move from Moncrief-Neuhaus Athletics Facility weight room to the bubble at the Denius Practice Fields
1:11 p.m. - Three-cone/"L" drill
"I felt very comfortable. I didn't go into any of the drills hesitant about anything. I wanted to go 100 mph in everything. That "L" drill is tough, but I gave it my best effort and that is all you can do."
1:17 p.m. - Warm-up for position drills
1:24 p.m. - Ladder Drill
1:30 p.m. - Quick Feet Drill
1:34 p.m. - Snap Count Drill
1:39 - Technique Drill
"We worked with a couple different coaches who ran us through some drills and pretty much what these drills boil down to is being able to take coaching on the run. They came out here and taught us some different things and we had to make adjustments quick. They want to take the things that we know how to do and tweak them so that we do them the way they would like them to be done. To me, it's not a problem. You have to be able to make the conversion and move forward. I feel like listening and being able to take coaching will take you a long way. I may not have had that same belief a few years ago when I was still hard-headed, but now I understand that athletic ability will only get you so far."
1:44 - Pro Day Complete
"I felt like overall it was a pretty good day. I did some things really well and I feel like I could do some things better. I'm not a complacent person so no matter what I would have done today I wouldn't have been satisfied. I know I have some things I can improve on, but I'm going to keep working. It was a tough day today with a lot of people around, but when you play at Texas, that's something you come to expect. I had a great time today and I just want to let all the Longhorn fans know that I'm going to keep on working and hopefully, you'll be seeing me again on Sundays."
