The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
2009 Pro Timing Day quotes
03.25.2009 | Football
March 25, 2009
DE Brian Orakpo
On how his hamstring felt today: My hamstring was good. It's all behind me. With that whole Combine incident, I just didn't stay loose and that's one thing I regret, but I came back out here and had a good showing and competed.
On if he is used to working out for NFL scouts: I'm enjoying the process. I grew up watching all these coaches and teams, dreaming to play for them. Now, to be considered by them and to be given the opportunity, I'm not going to let it just pass by me. I'm going to go out there and compete. That's another great thing about being at Texas. We play in the spotlight all the time, so I just try to come out here and have fun.
On if he ever thought he'd be considered a Top 10 draft pick: Oh, no. It's funny, because I came in as a skinny kid just trying to make a name for myself during spring ball. I can't say enough how much hard work and dedication I've put in to get to this point in my life. It's definitely a dream come through.
On if was surprised to see Roy Miller gain weight but still retain the same quickness and speed: No, I wasn't surprised at all. Roy and I have been training together since the bowl game, and I've seen the transition. He's been getting bigger and stronger without losing any speed. That just shows how much work he has been doing since the off-season and getting ready for this whole process.
On if the critics motivated Roy Miller to get bigger and better: He's been motivated since the Combine. Guys were saying that he's too small and what not. That goes for all of these guys. A lot of guys have knocks on them, and those are the things that have been driving them. They put great numbers up and were very productive throughout the season, and now, they just want to come out here and prove something to these scouts and coaches.
On what his critics have told him: I'm get knocked, too. That's the name of the game. They want to make sure that when they test drive a car that there's nothing wrong with it, and I don't blame them. You're investing someone's money in a guy, but I compete, I'm productive and I'm a leader for my team.
On if he has been questioned about his injuries a lot: Yes, you get the durability issue a lot. That's something everybody has when you play the physical game of football. Unfortunately, we all know that I've had knee injuries, so they want to make sure these knees are okay before they end up paying somebody like me. I don't blame them at all. There's nothing you can really do about it, but when they look at the film, they know that I'm doing my job, and at a very high rate.
On if he has been getting positive responses: Yes, every coach has been very positive. They really like what they see. I just have to come out here and prove to them that I'm the real deal. I want to get better when the next level comes about, and as soon as this is all over, I want to get in there, learn the playbook of that team and continue to get better.
RB Chris Ogbonnaya
On how he would compare the NFL Combine to today's Pro Day: Today was a lot easier because there's a lot less pressure, knowing I didn't have to do a lot of the things I stood out in at the Combine. At the same time, this is an interview process, and you want to impress as many people as you can. You want to make sure that you show that you worked hard during the month in between the Combine and today. I took it upon myself to do as well as I could. Me, Quan and everyone else have been standing by each other to make sure that we continue to work and that we prepared hard for today.
On how the players try to separate themselves from the rest of the pack: I would say that the most important thing is consistency and having the ability to do more things than just playing your primary position. Rak [Brian Orakpo] is a great example. He can play defensive end and outside linebacker. Quan is a great receiver and a great special teams player. For myself, I've played wide receiver, fullback and running back here. It's a great opportunity for us to showcase our talents and show the different things we can do when we have the opportunity.
On what position he expects to play if he is drafted in the NFL: I'm going to play whatever they tell me to play. The scouts have worked me out at wide receiver and running back. Honestly, wherever I can fit in is what I'm going to do. It's an exciting opportunity and something that I've looked forward to doing for many years now. Hopefully it will come true in the next month.
On if he ran the 40-yard dash today: No, I ran it at the Combine. I ran it in the 4.5's there. That number was what I wanted to stand on, so I thought it was good. I was proud of the times I had there, and I just wanted to focus on my drills here today.
On what he wanted to show the scouts today: I just wanted them to see what I could do. Whatever the scouts wanted me to do, I was going to do. I had the opportunity to run routes with Quan at wide receiver, and then I had to do a lot of running back drills with quick feet and different things like that. I just wanted to showcase my quickness and other abilities.
On Brian Orakpo's workouts: I think (the scouts) are starting to become used to the beast that is Brian Orakpo. Rak is just doing a great job. What a competitor. He's putting himself in that upper echelon of the draft. We're all excited for him. Honestly, it's a great feeling to see one of your best friends, your teammate and someone that you have known for so many years, have the opportunity to succeed.
CB Ryan Palmer
On if he helped his draft status today: I did. I improved on my broad jump, my 20-yard shuttle and my time in the 40-yard dash. I felt really good in all of my drills I did today. I just wanted to come out here and show the scouts what I'm capable of doing.
On if it is frustrating that he is smaller than most CBs: I'm 23 years old, so I've been living with that for the past 23 years. I was a short baby, short teenager and now a short grown up. That's just how it is -- I'm not going to grow. I take it with a light heart and just run with it. I'm going to do the best that I can and show the scouts what I can do.
On what the scouts told him today: They told me that I improved on everything and that my drills looked really good. Coming in, I knew they would look better, because I've been working hard on my drills since the Combine. That's the main thing with playing football - you're not going to be running 40's or doing a broad jump on the field, you're going to cover, catch balls and tackle. I think I did a pretty good job. I'm still in that secondary range, but if a team drafts me, I'm going to work my butt off and make the team.
On who he compares himself to in the NFL: My favorite corner in the NFL is Antoine Winfield, who plays with [former Longhorn] Cedric Griffin. I would say Ced is my favorite, but he's too big. I like Antoine Winfield and his game. I think his game is very similar to mine. He's just a tough kind of a guy and that's what I pride myself in.
On what he still needs to show NFL scouts: When I get in camp, I just have to show them that I'm able to hit and cover bigger receivers. I think I did that in the East-West Shrine Game. I have to prove myself. I need to put my football weight back on and just go out there and try to dominate the person in front of me. That's what I'm trying to do.
On if he saw any of the other Longhorns after the end of the season: I saw Brian Orakpo at the Combine and he didn't look the same. He was definitely bigger. It was good to see those guys that I've been in school with for the past five years and see the work they've put in finally pay off for them.
On how the Texas program has helped the players get to this point: That's the thing about coming to Texas. You learn how to work hard and you learn how to do all of the little things. You learn all the intangibles. That's the way we've been raised and brought up. We've learned to work really hard every day to improve ourselves.
DE Henry Melton
On if had been under the radar before today: That's what a few scouts have said. They've seen me during games and when I'm on the field, but they didn't really know what I'm actually capable of doing. They said they saw some athleticism that they didn't know I had. It's been great for me.
On what drills he participated in today: I did everything today. I felt like I did a good job, but there are always things you think you can do better. I felt pretty good in my drills and times today.
On if he feels as though he has improved his stock: All you can do is hope and pray that your name gets called when the time comes. You sit there and you watch all the other people get drafted and you just hope that your phone rings. Of course I'll be disappointed if I don't get drafted, but I just have to go out there and work hard and hopefully join a team.
WR Quan Cosby
On today's workout: It was great. The younger guys came out, Coach Brown, everybody is showing their support. It was a great showing of NFL scouts and coaches. It was a fun time.
On where his draft stock is at the moment: I think it's looking great. That's one of the main things I know my agent and people involved with that process, they try to tell me where they think I'm going to go, but I don't really worry about that. You just have to put yourself in a position to go, and that's what I'm focusing on. I think I've done that.
On how difficult today was: Today was a breeze compared to the Combine and the Senior Bowl because you wake up at nine or 10 and you get to come up here. It's about work. Anything that means a lot to you, especially for how much they're going to pay you, is a lot of work and I understand that and I'm all for it.
On his age: It could have ended up being a negative here at Texas and it ended up being a total positive, and that's the way they're looking at it. The fortunate thing about it, no one's really questioned me on it. It was mentioned once at the Senior Bowl, but other than that, no one's mentioned it. I think they realize that it's a definite positive. The reality is, most guys that come earlier don't peak until they're 24 or 25 anyway so I'm going to go in rolling. They know I'm all business. I have a family and I have things to take care of.
On if he has any private visits set up with any teams: I have another one Friday. The Broncos are coming to town and we're going to have a private workout.
DL Aaron Lewis
On injuring his hamstring: It happened today. I was on the broad jump and I guess it just landed funny. It's more of my hip; it just popped up. It kind of knotted up on me. I didn't want to finish by pulling something in the 40 or strain it real bad by not finishing out the rest of the drills. I sacrificed the 40, but I did well in the 20-yard shuttle and the other drills so hopefully that shows them that I'm still going.
On his performance today: You're always disappointed. You wish you threw up the magical numbers. You just wait and see who contacts you and you go from there. I gave it my best and I think I worked out pretty well.
On if he expected the numbers he put up: They were right along with what I was targeting. I wish my hamstring felt a little better today so I could throw up some higher numbers, but there's nothing you can do about that. If you tweak your hamstring in the game, you just keep going. I'm proud of what I did and I hope it works out well for me.
On if his versatility is one of the things that NFL teams like about him: I hope it is. I can play any position on the line. I was able to do that here at Texas, so hopefully they can see that and see my athletic ability. Hopefully it shows in something.
DT Roy Miller
On his workout today: Today was good. Some say I ran a 4.88. I ran a 4.90 on electric time, so that was real good. I strained my hamstring two weeks before the Combine and still did well at the Combine. I was glad to be able to come out here and show that I'm kind of fast.
On weighing in at 313 pounds: I played at 290. I gained 23 pounds up to now and still being able to run a 4.8, I think that's really good. It's been a long offseason working towards this point, and I'm just glad I have it out of the way.
On why he wanted to gain the weight: I wanted to gain the wait to show that I could run and still be athletic at 313, and I did. I think I did very well today.
On what times he ran at the Combine: I ran 4.98 the first time and 5.09 the second time. I strained my hamstring two weeks before the Combine, so I was just kind of babying it, didn't run, didn't condition, didn't do anything and just hoped that I'd do well at the Combine. Coming out here today, I was pretty healthy.
On why he didn't bench press today: There are big guys in the NFL, and I have to get my strength up, so I have been doing a lot of heavy benching, so I didn't compete in the 225 today.
OG Cedric Dockery
On preparing for Pro Day: I've lost body fat. I've really worked on getting my body fat down. I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought I looked pretty good. I dropped two percent. I mean two percent body fat is a noticeable difference.
On his performance at Pro Day: I always want to do better, but I was satisfied with the day. I know I can still get better and do more. After all this is done, just go back to my home and work out more.
LB Rashad Bobino
On his performance at Pro Day: I think the thing that stood out most was my quickness, which is what everybody wants to see from a middle linebacker. My fastest 40 [yard dash] was 4.7 [seconds]. My shuttle was the one that really put me on the map and that was a 4.1 [seconds], so I did really good on those. On the LB drills, I think really showed everybody I could move and my quickness and what I've been doing the whole time I've been here.
On working out in front of NFL scouts: It's kind of like pressure, but at the end of the day, you have to have fun with it. It's like lining up on Saturday, preparing for everything and it's really like a game. You've got to go out there and focus and do the best that you can do. Whatever comes up, the adversity that does come up, which I had a little bit of, you just shake it off and just step up.
On what he's hearing from NFL scouts: They're telling me I just need to get in and when I get my opportunity to go in, to take full advantage. My open door is going to be on special teams, and that's where you start your career and end your career. That's what's going to be my best bet. When I get into camp, no injuries and just go full temp like I've been doing, just looking for a chance. My thing is just, "Get me into camp and I'll show you what I can do."
HEAD COACH Mack Brown
On Roy Miller gaining weight and looking like a true NFL player: He looks like an NFL nose tackle right now. He's very much like Casey Hampton, who has been as successful of a nose tackle in the NFL as you can get. I think what he heard at the end of the year is that teams wanted him bigger, so he got bigger. It's really the reason why he chose to run the 40 today. He had the same time as he did in Indianapolis for the Combine, but he's a lot bigger today. It sounds like to me that all the guys improved their status today, and that's what they came out here to do.
On if he has ever seen a player gain that much good weight in a short period of time: What happens with these guys after they are through with school is that they don't have class and they get on a very strict diet to know exactly what they are trying to accomplish. They're like Olympians. They start working out three to five times a day and that's all they do. So, you're going to see significant weight gain with those types of situations and that's what Roy did.
On if Roy Miller helped his draft status today: There's no question he did. Roy is not a guy who is as tall as [the scouts] want and he's a guy that is not as fast as they want sometimes, but when you watch his film, he's as productive and tenacious as anybody in the country. He's also a great leader. Whoever gets Roy Miller is going to be really lucky.
On if highly-projected players like Brian Orakpo have to participate at a Pro Day: He does not have to. Rak is one of those great leaders that have never dodged a question or a workout. He ran so well in the 40 in Indianapolis that he didn't want to run today, but he wanted to come out and jump and do the bench again for them. He made sure to come out here and do drills, because some of the guys might have had a couple questions still or wanted to see him in a different light. They are looking at him as either a 4-3 guy or a 3-4 guy who can drop and rush. I don't think there's anybody better in the country that can do both of those.
On if jaws drop when scouts see Orakpo work out: They do, but you have to understand that these scouts see everybody work out in the country, so they're not comparing them to kids in the Big 12 or the kids at Texas. They're comparing them to the best in the NFL right now if they're going to be a first-round pick, which Rak is going to be in our estimation. But, what they ask about is the attitude and the work ethic. They take them to dinner, they shake their hand and they want to see how they respond to people. They also want to see how they handle the media. There's so much more to them outside of football and that's what the interviews are all about.
On if it is better for players to get drafted late or become a free agent and pick the situation: We really have told them that it is what it is. So, if you get drafted, be happy to be drafted, because it's a great honor and you'll have a chance to make that team or else they wouldn't have picked you, but if you don't get drafted, just look at Lyle Sendlein. He had the second-most plays of any NFL player last year and he didn't get invited to the Combine. He didn't even get drafted. We kept telling people that we didn't know what they were looking at, but they were missing it. I do think there's hope for everybody. What we've told our guys to do in this situation is to do the absolute best they can do every day they are here, so they won't have to change at Pro Day or at the Combine. You just continue to be who you are and if they want you, they'll take you. If they're not going to take you, you shouldn't go. So, they shouldn't mope about it and go ahead and start planning out their future.
On how the players felt after seeing so many scouts from the NFL: Well, it's exciting for them. It's kind of a remake for the guys who were at the Combine, because they have already been through this, but for the guys who weren't invited to the Combine, this is a huge day for them. This is their Combine. So, it's even bigger for them than it is for Rak, Roy or Chris Ogbonnaya who are just cleaning up some things. This is their shot. The pros have two years of film on the guys, so they know how they play on the field. They just want to get a feel of who they are and what they're doing. It is huge for them, but the good for us is that we have scouts around every day, and they've seen them for the three years they have been here. People talk about family and our program all the time, so it's great to see the ex-Longhorns come back and support the current guys. So, the family continues to grow and they can tell them what it's like. Cedric Griffin signed a $25 million contract two days ago and now he's out here talking to the young corners. Aaron Ross is also out here. At the same time, we also had Will Muschamp talk to all the guys right before we got started today to tell them that he was at a Pro Day several years ago with the Miami Dolphins. We want our guys to have every advantage in the world.
CURRENT PLAYERS
WR Jordan Shipley
On having a Pro Day at Texas: It's just kind of a fun day for us to get to come watch these guys. I've been here the whole time these guys have been here, so it's been fun to get to see them develop and progress. They get to come here and put it all together for one day and just show the scouts what they've got. It's a neat day and fun atmosphere for everybody to get to be a part of.
On what he gets out of seeing Pro Day: It's nice because you get to kind of see what's going to be expected of you. You get to see all of the drills that they're going to have you do, see all the ways they're going to measure you and stuff like that. It's nice to kind of get another look at that and see what you're going to have to be able to do next year.
On who impressed him today: It was really impressive watching Henry Melton run the 40. He looked great running. Also, [Brian] Orakpo looked great doing the jumping stuff. He didn't run, but the jumping stuff looked great. Everybody looked really good to me.
On what Pro Day offers for NFL scouts: It shows what they [the players] can do. Obviously, a lot of the stuff doesn't exactly equate to football. It gives them a general baseline, just information that they can look at and see what, generally, these guys can do physically.
QB Colt McCoy
On watching Pro Day: It's just fun to watch the guys you competed with and played with the last three or four years come out here and show their skills, to see them compete on the bench press, the 40 [yard dash] and all that they've been training for the last six months. It's fun to come up here to watch and support them.
On how seeing Pro Day will help him next year: I think it gives you a good experience, just watching and learning how the process goes. It's pretty intense. Being able to watch is fun. It's a good learning experience. Obviously, all of our goals are to go to the NFL someday, so being able to come watch and support our teammates gives us something to look forward to and lets us know how it works.
On what Pro Day means for the Texas Football program: It's good for our program. It's good for the university. It's good for the guys on our team who are looking forward to taking their game to the next level.
On who impressed him today: I think they're all doing a good job. A lot of guys aren't doing some things because they did them at the combine. For the most part, everybody's been doing well.
