The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Greetings from Mobile: Aaron Ross
01.26.2007 | Football
Tell us about your Senior Bowl experience. Now that the week is finishing up, have you had a good time? It's been a great week. I've learned a whole lot of stuff and met a bunch of people. I'm so glad I came up here and had a chance to see all of the NFL coaches. Getting that one-on-one attention with the NFL teams is a great experience, but it also takes a lot of pressure off of the combine next month. When I go there now, I know a lot of the faces and have been through all of the interviews, so I can really focus on my workout there. I took so many tests and did so many interviews that it kept me really busy down here, but that will save me a lot of time at the combine. It really was pretty nice getting to meet all of those guys.
You've had your first chance to be around NFL coaches on the field, how has that transition been? Mike (Griffin) and I were talking about that the other night. We were so lucky to have Coach Akina, because he definitely has us ready for the NFL. With some of the guys here, the coaches are changing everything and working extra with them to get them ready for the game. They are just tweaking things with us. They're telling us little thing like staying lower in our back pedals and stuff like that. I give Coach Akina all the credit in the world for that because he works really hard with us and has a great reputation with all of these NFL guys.
How many NFL teams have you had a chance to talk to? I talked to 31 teams. I didn't get a chance to talk to the Colts because I missed their call when I was talking with another team, but I'm sure I'll catch up with them at the combine. The meetings are pretty thorough. They really want to get to know you and checkout your background. I've been through so many interviews at Texas that it was pretty easy for me. I think I made a good impression.
What was the thing most of them asked you about? Other than the basic questions, every one of them talked about me and Sanya (Richards). That was a big plus because they all really respect what she's accomplished too. So I had to tell them how long we've been dating, where we met, all of that stuff. They also talked about how well Mike and I were doing and that they were really impressed with Ced (Griffin) at the Senior Bowl last year and (Michael) Huff at the combine last year. They were really high on how Coach Brown and Coach Akina have their players prepared for the NFL. I always thought I knew how much people respected the Longhorns, but they really look up to UT, even the players on other teams. Everyone has a lot of respect for the Longhorns.
What do you have left before the game? The week is wrapping up tonight. We have a big autograph session and then we get relaxed and ready for the game. All of the meetings with the teams are done, some of the scouts are headed out, so now we're just getting prepared to play. We'll have a meeting to go over some final things for the game and then get a good night's sleep. I'm looking forward to the game tomorrow.
How have the practices been? Practice has been great. The first day was pretty rough because I was so excited. Mike and I both were really out of breath and tired afterwards. I guess going against all of the top receivers and with all of the NFL scouts here, we were pretty anxious. After the first day, it slowed down and things went smooth. The receivers here are really good and I've enjoyed hanging out with Dwayne Bowe from LSU off the field as well. Dallas Baker from Florida is really good too. Mike and I are lucky because we've had a chance to cover great receivers at UT, so we're prepared to go against the best, otherwise these guys down here could make you look pretty bad.
Has everything you accomplished this year and the success you're having sunk in yet? I can't help but think about how crazy this year has been. I've really been blessed. When I think about where I am -- playing in this game, going to the combine and all of that -- it's pretty amazing, to tell you the truth. I always had faith, but it happened so fast that it really hasn't sunk in. I would tell anyone that the most important thing is to listen to your coaches, be patient and never give up. Don't let anything hold you down no matter what situation you are in.
It's amazing to think that I'm so close to reaching my dream of playing in the NFL. Seeing all of these coaches and having them tell you that they respect your game makes you feel really good. All of the hard work has definitely paid off, but it's still crazy to think, even after winning the Thorpe, that I was just hoping for a shot at the NFL and now the NFL guys are telling me they hope I'm still on the board when they pick. That's the great thing about being at a place like UT. When I was in practice I just kept reminding myself to just relax and keep doing what I did at UT, and I'll be fine. They have so much respect for the program and what it takes to succeed here that if you put in the work, you'll definitely get noticed. I can't thank Coach Brown and everyone at UT enough for everything they did for me.
How has it been to have three teammates there with you? We've been taking pictures and doing interviews together all week. It's nice having guys around that you've been friends with for four or five years. Mike and I are rooming together, so we've hung out a lot and had a lot of fun. Mike of course is stealing the show everywhere we go. He's taking the mics from the TV guys during interviews and doing the interviews, talking all the time and just having fun.
