The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Players' Pro Day quotes: March 24
03.24.2015 | Football
Former Longhorns give their thoughts on their Pro Day performances on Tuesday.
DT Malcom Brown
On Pro Day: It was great. I was a little tired, but I pushed through it and just kept working.
On how it feels to be supported by teammates and former players: It was great just seeing the guys you work with every day at practice and two-a-days, and seeing the work translating into the little drills out here.
On deciding to participate: I was kind of bored and sitting here watching other guys and I was like, 'Man I want to be working already. I've been waiting for this day to come.' After the Combine it's all I was working for, and it was finally here and all I had to do was sit around and wait all day for other guys to go. I was just waiting on my turn.
On the importance of doing this for his family: It's good. It's me accomplishing my goals, financial support, and being able to look at me and be like, 'Oh yeah, daddy's working and my husband or my daddy is doing this.' It just motivates me in every single way to do better and do great things for them.
DE Cedric Reed
On being limited during Pro Day: I just wanted to show up and show the scouts my body and let them size me up and talk to them and shake their hand. I was just trying to show them what kind of guy I am. I think I accomplished that today.
On going through Pro Day with your teammates: It was great seeing the class with the guys that made it. Just seeing them out there doing what you know they can do since day one as freshman and just seeing them having fun. We haven't had the best years here, but when it comes to Pro Day, they get to do the individual stuff and have fun out there.
On how he feels: I feel good about the process. Like I said, I'm able to do everything, jump, cut, do everything that I can on my knee. It's just I didn't feel 100 percent with my explosiveness and that comes with time. I wasn't going to put any more bad film on myself.
WR John Harris
On goals for Pro Day: Biggest goal was speed for me. I wanted to show that I could compete at the next level and have the speed to compete at the next level and have the speed to separate at the wide receiver position.
On if Pro Day was important because he only had one year of production: Definitely. I definitely think today was important for me. I feel like I went out there and had a really great day in front of the scouts. I got a lot of really positive feedback.
On who he models his game after: If I did, I would say Dez Bryant. Similar body type, fight for the ball the same way, big-body receiver and aggressive when he goes out there and competes, and I think I'm that type of person.
On participating in Pro Day after watching for four years: It's a dream come true. Every guy at Texas looks forward to this moment. Coming out here and performing for NFL teams, my teammates, a lot of friends; it was a surreal moment, and I'll cherish it for a long time.
On goals heading into Pro Day: I think I hit most my goals that I had coming in. I came in wanting to run – people probably thought I was going to run a 4.6 something but I ran faster than that so that's good. All of my other stuff, overall, felt like a really good day.
On running through drills in front of teammates: It's guys that we came in with freshman year, so they're guys that we have really grown close with. To be able to have support and be able to have them rally around me when I'm doing stuff really helps you out and gives you some adrenaline.
On former players, including brother Jordan Shipley, in attendance: It was very special to have a ton of guys out here. I couldn't even count how many there were out here just supporting us. This is the start to hopefully a career in the professional leagues. Those guys are supporting us and kind of leading us along the way.
On what he was trying to show the scouts: I showed a lot at the Combine so I wanted to run another "40" and do some drills to show these guys that I can run routes and catch balls out of the backfield.
On how Pro Day went: It went pretty good. I didn't have any drops in the main routes, and that was my goal for sure.
On what it feels like to participate in Pro Day after four years at Texas: It's crazy and a dream come true. It's been a blessing to spend my years at Texas. I've had fun.
On if he feels like he has a fresh start: Oh yeah, I definitely feel like it's going to be a fresh start for me. I'm ready for it. I feel like I have a lot to prove, and I feel like I have a lot to show people that I haven't been able to show these past couple of years due to injuries and things didn't go completely my way. So I'm definitely ready to go to the next level with a fresh start.
On what it means to have guys come back to cheer them on through the day: It's cool. I have so much respect for those guys and all the things they did here. They really created a legacy here and kept it going. Any time those guys make comments or give advice, or say anything, even if they're talking to someone else, I'll listen in because I have so much respect for them and I want to pick their brains and listen to each and every word they're saying because they've been there. They've won championships, and they've played in the NFL. It's just 110 percent respect for those guys.
On goals for Pro Day: I just wanted to compete and show people my footwork and show people what I do best. I think I have some of the best feet in the draft; I think I am the most physical guy in the draft. I think I had a real good day. It was good to be back around my teammates and just getting back with that camaraderie.
On if the last four years have gone fast: No doubt. It feels like just yesterday I was a 17-year-old guy getting onto campus with my mom bringing me up. It's definitely a different feeling not being a student and not being a current athlete here. At the same time, it's time for a new journey in life.
On what's the biggest thing he wanted to show people today: I just wanted to show them how fluid I am, how quick. I'm a quick-twitch athlete. Put me in the slot, go out and do those things, special teams, all those different things. I just want to show I have great footwork, and that's what I did.
LB Jordan Hicks
On what he was trying to show the scouts: Just showing them my movement and my ability to be a smooth linebacker. A big thing now is being a three-down linebacker, and that's something I'm trying to show that I can play every single play, play the run, play the pass, and can show my ability to move.
On how he thinks he did: I think I did well. Obviously not perfect, but I feel like I did a really good job and was able to show what I wanted to show.
On looking back at his time at Texas: It's obviously crazy to be at this point in my career. It feels like just yesterday I was walking on this campus as a young, 220 pound freshman not knowing anything. After five years just to be here and to be going through this process, it's really rewarding for all of us.
On what impressed him of his teammates: Where do I start? You know what I'm saying, every single one of them. They've worked their butt[s] off to get to this point and you can tell.
On how he felt it went: It went pretty good. It feels good to be back here on the gridiron with my brothers grinding and all working for the same goal. Overall, I think I did pretty good.
On what he was trying to show: Just athletic ability and show them that I can move. Coming off of an ACL tear and everything, I just wanted to show them that I am back moving and everything.
On supporting the other linebackers participating: It felt good because it was just really an up-tempo practice. You had everybody there with you, just motivating you.
LB Steve Edmond
On how Pro Day went: I did alright with some drills especially coming off of an injury. I wasn't expecting to be at my best today. I just am trying to get back to my old self. I showed some of it in some drills, especially the "L" drill. I was getting out of my cuts good. Other than that I was pretty happy with my performance.
On support of the linebacker corps at Pro Day: Having them is like a relief. They are who you work out with every day in the summertime. Pretty much you feel comfortable because you see them doing it and think "if he can do it, I can do it" because we've been doing it together for so long.
On his performance today: Overall I think I did pretty well. I wasn't as conditioned as I would have thought about me being during the DB drills, but overall, my pro day went pretty good.
On what he was trying to accomplish today: Just to turn some heads. Try to run the fastest 40 as I can, do as many reps on the bench that I can and show them I've got what it takes.
On how it felt to have former Texas DBs cheering him on: It's always good. It's a brotherhood. DBs always come back and always root you on. It's a fraternity so everybody always comes back and roots you on. They want to see the best that you can be.
On if the time spent at Texas flew by: Yes, it sure did. They always say you just have to sit back and try to think about what you've accomplished and you look up and it's already gone. Four years went by so fast.
On how he felt about his time here and earning his degree: I'm just grateful that I had the opportunity to come here. It's a great school and of course, getting a degree was the number one thing. And just to say I was part of The University of Texas football team is a great accomplishment in itself.
On if today was a special day in moving on to the next level: Yeah, it was very special. I feel like I wasn't really able to show my athletic ability with injuries, battling back and forth, but coming out here 100 percent healthy, I feel like I had a good day and showing the scouts what I can do.
On how he's expecting the process to go: With my injuries and everything playing a big part of my playing time here and having to battle back from that, I think as far as the process goes, I'm hoping to be acquired as a free agent and a team picks me up. All I need is a shot. I get that shot, and I have to take advantage of it. Just waiting on that phone call.
On what it's like to have a lot of former Longhorns watching: It feels good because I played with a lot of these guys. They're supporting me. My best friend, Adrian Phillips, has been through this process before, and I was able to get a lot of feedback from him leading up to this.
