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How one player is turning heads, and pulling SUVs, for the NFL draft
He didn't go to a known college. And he's had his share of troubles. Now Ryan Del Rosal is getting attention from NFL scouts.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/story/1009453.html
Photos
Related Content
•Stuck with NFL Draft's top pick, Detroit in tough spot •Complete NFL Draft coverage
•Video profiles of draft prospects BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN
[email protected]
For every NFL draft hotshot, there are far more guys like Ryan Del Rosal. He's a six-foot-five and 311-pound offensive tackle from Miami who didn't play organized football until 11th grade and played college ball at Division II Dixie State in Utah.
Now he's finally getting noticed by league scouts. And not just because of his arm-length patriotic tattoo or his long, flowing hair. It's because of his agility, his speed (just under 5.0 seconds in the 40), and his ability to bench-press 225 pounds 35 times in a row with relative ease. His best lift is 455 pounds.
Del Rosal, a 2002 graduate of Dr. Michael M. Krop High School in Northeast Miami-Dade, is wise enough not to have any expectations heading into Saturday's draft, but he has reason to be hopeful. He has heard from Tennessee, Green Bay, San Diego and Baltimore and was one of about 20 players invited to work out for the Dolphins on April 10.
''It was a bit overwhelming to be in the Dolphins locker room,'' he said. ``It was an honor just to see Bill Parcells and Coach Sparano. Chad Pennington was real nice. He asked me about my tattoo. It was a dream come true for a Miami kid. I think it went well. I ran fast, and I think I did well in my position drills.
``But I'm not hung up on the draft, because I don't want to be disappointed. I just want a shot, even if it's as a free agent.''
That Del Rosal is an NFL prospect at all is remarkable, considering his background. He skipped so many classes and got such bad grades as a freshman at Palmetto High School that his mother, Myra Porter, owner of a spa and hair salon in South Miami, shipped him off to North Miami Beach to live with his father, Tim Del Rosal, who owns Downtown Towing.
His father, who is six-four and 330 pounds, put the kid to work in the towing business and urged him to take up a sport to stay out of trouble.
Del Rosal, more of ''a skateboarding kind of dude,'' was spotted by Krop football coach Joe Mira and invited to join the team. He was six-four and 240 pounds at the time.
''I had a big frame, was filling out, and I excelled right away,'' Del Rosal said. ``Being on the team forced me to go to class and keep my grades up. I still hated school, and wasn't a good student, but I kept a 2.0 GPA to stay eligible.''
He didn't have any college scholarship offers upon graduation, partly because of his borderline grades, so he went to Miami Dade College for a semester. He signed with FIU under then-coach Don Strock but landed on academic probation and left the team.
''I was too immature, and FIU was too close to home and friends, so it didn't work out,'' he said. Del Rosal gave up on football, returned to work for his dad for nearly three years, and then got the itch to play again.
``I'm a huge NFL fan, and I was watching Miami guys I played against on TV, guys like Antrel Rolle, Max Jean-Giles, Elvis Dumervil, and I thought, wow, those guys are really successful. I could do that. I don't want to live the rest of my life wondering if I could have made it.''
So, he went back to school in 2006. He chose Dixie State in St. George, Utah, because it had a good reputation as a small school that got players into the NFL. He persuaded his girlfriend Tracey to go with him. They are getting married this summer.
''It's a beautiful small town, and it was perfect because I could focus on football and school with no distractions,'' he said of St. George.
In preparation for his big NFL chance, he has been going through a grueling six-week training course with fitness guru John DiFede. In addition to weightlifting, Del Rosal runs with parachutes -- and pulls a 5,000-pound Chevy Tahoe down the street with a harness attached to his back.
Del Rosal last month attended Pro Day at the University of Miami, where scouts come to audition UM players and local players who might not get a look otherwise. He came down with the flu a few days prior, lost 6 pounds, was dehydrated, and was not at full strength. He still did 26 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, but he worried that things didn't go as he had hoped.
''I was kind of bummed, because that was my chance to catch an audience, but I guess I did good enough because I did hear from some teams,'' he said. ``All I want is a chance to prove I belong. If I don't make it, at least I know I tried.''
No matter what happens, his mother is proud of her eldest son.
''Ryan has overcome a lot,'' Porter said.
``He was always much larger than his peers, which was not the advantage it is today. When Ryan was in elementary school, some of his teachers were less than kind. They looked at his size and assumed he was two years older than he was. They made him feel as if though he weren't smart, which made him pull back and withdraw. It took a lot of years to undo that early childhood damage.
``Now, a week away from the draft, I'm thrilled to see Ryan feeling good about himself. At 25, he has realized hard work will get him where he wants to be.''
He didn't go to a known college. And he's had his share of troubles. Now Ryan Del Rosal is getting attention from NFL scouts.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/colleges/story/1009453.html
Photos
Related Content
•Stuck with NFL Draft's top pick, Detroit in tough spot •Complete NFL Draft coverage
•Video profiles of draft prospects BY MICHELLE KAUFMAN
[email protected]
For every NFL draft hotshot, there are far more guys like Ryan Del Rosal. He's a six-foot-five and 311-pound offensive tackle from Miami who didn't play organized football until 11th grade and played college ball at Division II Dixie State in Utah.
Now he's finally getting noticed by league scouts. And not just because of his arm-length patriotic tattoo or his long, flowing hair. It's because of his agility, his speed (just under 5.0 seconds in the 40), and his ability to bench-press 225 pounds 35 times in a row with relative ease. His best lift is 455 pounds.
Del Rosal, a 2002 graduate of Dr. Michael M. Krop High School in Northeast Miami-Dade, is wise enough not to have any expectations heading into Saturday's draft, but he has reason to be hopeful. He has heard from Tennessee, Green Bay, San Diego and Baltimore and was one of about 20 players invited to work out for the Dolphins on April 10.
''It was a bit overwhelming to be in the Dolphins locker room,'' he said. ``It was an honor just to see Bill Parcells and Coach Sparano. Chad Pennington was real nice. He asked me about my tattoo. It was a dream come true for a Miami kid. I think it went well. I ran fast, and I think I did well in my position drills.
``But I'm not hung up on the draft, because I don't want to be disappointed. I just want a shot, even if it's as a free agent.''
That Del Rosal is an NFL prospect at all is remarkable, considering his background. He skipped so many classes and got such bad grades as a freshman at Palmetto High School that his mother, Myra Porter, owner of a spa and hair salon in South Miami, shipped him off to North Miami Beach to live with his father, Tim Del Rosal, who owns Downtown Towing.
His father, who is six-four and 330 pounds, put the kid to work in the towing business and urged him to take up a sport to stay out of trouble.
Del Rosal, more of ''a skateboarding kind of dude,'' was spotted by Krop football coach Joe Mira and invited to join the team. He was six-four and 240 pounds at the time.
''I had a big frame, was filling out, and I excelled right away,'' Del Rosal said. ``Being on the team forced me to go to class and keep my grades up. I still hated school, and wasn't a good student, but I kept a 2.0 GPA to stay eligible.''
He didn't have any college scholarship offers upon graduation, partly because of his borderline grades, so he went to Miami Dade College for a semester. He signed with FIU under then-coach Don Strock but landed on academic probation and left the team.
''I was too immature, and FIU was too close to home and friends, so it didn't work out,'' he said. Del Rosal gave up on football, returned to work for his dad for nearly three years, and then got the itch to play again.
``I'm a huge NFL fan, and I was watching Miami guys I played against on TV, guys like Antrel Rolle, Max Jean-Giles, Elvis Dumervil, and I thought, wow, those guys are really successful. I could do that. I don't want to live the rest of my life wondering if I could have made it.''
So, he went back to school in 2006. He chose Dixie State in St. George, Utah, because it had a good reputation as a small school that got players into the NFL. He persuaded his girlfriend Tracey to go with him. They are getting married this summer.
''It's a beautiful small town, and it was perfect because I could focus on football and school with no distractions,'' he said of St. George.
In preparation for his big NFL chance, he has been going through a grueling six-week training course with fitness guru John DiFede. In addition to weightlifting, Del Rosal runs with parachutes -- and pulls a 5,000-pound Chevy Tahoe down the street with a harness attached to his back.
Del Rosal last month attended Pro Day at the University of Miami, where scouts come to audition UM players and local players who might not get a look otherwise. He came down with the flu a few days prior, lost 6 pounds, was dehydrated, and was not at full strength. He still did 26 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press, but he worried that things didn't go as he had hoped.
''I was kind of bummed, because that was my chance to catch an audience, but I guess I did good enough because I did hear from some teams,'' he said. ``All I want is a chance to prove I belong. If I don't make it, at least I know I tried.''
No matter what happens, his mother is proud of her eldest son.
''Ryan has overcome a lot,'' Porter said.
``He was always much larger than his peers, which was not the advantage it is today. When Ryan was in elementary school, some of his teachers were less than kind. They looked at his size and assumed he was two years older than he was. They made him feel as if though he weren't smart, which made him pull back and withdraw. It took a lot of years to undo that early childhood damage.
``Now, a week away from the draft, I'm thrilled to see Ryan feeling good about himself. At 25, he has realized hard work will get him where he wants to be.''
