bodi
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 5,676
- Reaction score
- 3,134
nice Article
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...kie-on-murder-investigation-and-draft-plummet
CLEVELAND — Dallas Cowboys rookie offensive lineman La'el Collins went through one of the strangest experiences in the history of the NFL draft.
Projected to be a first-round pick, he went undrafted after Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police asked to question him about a murder case just days before the draft.
Collins knew the woman who was killed, but he was never officially a person of interest. Still, with even a whisper of any sort of connection to such a crime, teams steered completely away from drafting him. After he was questioned by police and cleared of any wrongdoing or involvement, at least 25 teams called with interest in signing him.
He eventually agreed to a fully guaranteed three-year, $1.65 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys. In terms of guaranteed money, that's roughly equivalent to a late second-rounder, and the signing bonus of $21,000 is less than any drafted player, according to Spotrac
B/R: You are joining an offensive line that is extremely talented. That was your intention. You want to play around good people. That helps you look good as a player. But that adds pressure for you to play to their level.
Collins: Definitely. For me, either way that it would have went, I was expecting to play at a high level. So it only helps me that I'm around better players. When I go to work with Pro Bowlers, guys who have played a long time, who are extremely smart and have had success at a high level, it only makes me better.
These guys have already shown me things that have elevated me. It's great for me. I'm in a great situation because I know what kind of player I want to be, I know where I'm going to be, and I know what I have to do to get there and I'm around the right guys. I'm around guys, people who know how to work and prepare themselves and put themselves in the right position year in and year out.
Every day I go out to work it inspires me to be around great guys who don't just go through the motions. They go to practice every day with the intention of getting better and work every day. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
B/R: Tyron Smith has the kind of work ethic you're talking about.
Collins: Tyron is a beast. He's the best, and I asked him the question: "How long did it take for you to get to this point?" It takes time and it takes repetition, and that's all I need to know. If I put the time in and put the reps in, I know that at some point I will be the best I can be.
He's the best at what he does, and he continues to work at it every day. You stack the days on top of one another, and that's how you get better at this game. That's what makes me want to be great. It fuels me.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...kie-on-murder-investigation-and-draft-plummet
CLEVELAND — Dallas Cowboys rookie offensive lineman La'el Collins went through one of the strangest experiences in the history of the NFL draft.
Projected to be a first-round pick, he went undrafted after Baton Rouge, Louisiana, police asked to question him about a murder case just days before the draft.
Collins knew the woman who was killed, but he was never officially a person of interest. Still, with even a whisper of any sort of connection to such a crime, teams steered completely away from drafting him. After he was questioned by police and cleared of any wrongdoing or involvement, at least 25 teams called with interest in signing him.
He eventually agreed to a fully guaranteed three-year, $1.65 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys. In terms of guaranteed money, that's roughly equivalent to a late second-rounder, and the signing bonus of $21,000 is less than any drafted player, according to Spotrac
B/R: You are joining an offensive line that is extremely talented. That was your intention. You want to play around good people. That helps you look good as a player. But that adds pressure for you to play to their level.
Collins: Definitely. For me, either way that it would have went, I was expecting to play at a high level. So it only helps me that I'm around better players. When I go to work with Pro Bowlers, guys who have played a long time, who are extremely smart and have had success at a high level, it only makes me better.
These guys have already shown me things that have elevated me. It's great for me. I'm in a great situation because I know what kind of player I want to be, I know where I'm going to be, and I know what I have to do to get there and I'm around the right guys. I'm around guys, people who know how to work and prepare themselves and put themselves in the right position year in and year out.
Every day I go out to work it inspires me to be around great guys who don't just go through the motions. They go to practice every day with the intention of getting better and work every day. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
B/R: Tyron Smith has the kind of work ethic you're talking about.
Collins: Tyron is a beast. He's the best, and I asked him the question: "How long did it take for you to get to this point?" It takes time and it takes repetition, and that's all I need to know. If I put the time in and put the reps in, I know that at some point I will be the best I can be.
He's the best at what he does, and he continues to work at it every day. You stack the days on top of one another, and that's how you get better at this game. That's what makes me want to be great. It fuels me.
