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http://www.jbscouting.com/index.php/blog/480-pauline-interview
Player RatingsContact JB ScoutingMedia Interview: Tony Pauline, SI.com and TFYDraft.com
Written by Admin
Friday, 05 February 2010 12:20
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Tony Pauline of SI.com and TFYDraft.com to talk about the upcoming draft and more topics. Pauline has been around cover the draft since the 1980s and is one of the most connected members in the media. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Pauline to discuss what he loves the most about covering the draft, sleepers for this year's draft, who he would select #1 overall for this year's draft, and much more!
First, thanks for taking the time to chat with us Tony.
JBS: You have been covering the draft for a long time. How did you get in to this business and was it your dream as a young child?
Tony: I've been in the draft game since the late 80's. I would assist the New York football writers with player evaluations leading up to the draft before branching out on my own. My dream was actually to make it to the Olympics- I competed in the decathlon for more than a decade and went through college on a track and field scholarship. It was a natural switch to scouting as scouting is as much about finding good athletes as it is finding good football players.
JBS: What is the thing you most enjoy about covering the draft?
Tony: It's never ending. Once the 2010 draft is over there will be 100's more players to evaluate for the 2011 draft.
JBS: What has been the most memorable moment during your career?
Tony: Lots of them- first time I got on TV. Seeing my name on Sport Illustrated for the first time. Even last week at the Senior Bowl one of the head scouts from the Tennessee Titans, who I've known for years, asked for my opinion on certain players. That's always nice when the people in charge value your opinions.
JBS: What is your favorite time of the draft season? Regular season, all-star games, combine, draft day?
Tony: Regular season. The January and February are a never ending grind with the work load. By draft day I'm exhausted.
JBS: Do you read other draft analysts or try to stay away from knowing what others are saying and where they are ranking the players?
Tony: No- I am very friendly with most of them and talk with many of them when I get the chance to see them. I also like to sit with most of them at some of the post season All Star games and watch the players. Try not to look or be influenced by their rankings as I always found my first instinct is usually the best one.
JBS: Who was the most impressive player you saw at last week’s Senior Bowl?
Tony: There were several but I'd have to say Alex Carrington of Arkansas State because he delivered a lot more than I expected. It's all relative to what you expect from a player entering the process- people hammered Tim Tebow but I did not think he would be NFL ready for a while and I didn't expect much from him. I hammered Taylor Mays because here was a guy who many thought was worthy of being a top five pick in the draft last September and he looked rather ordinary on the field. I knew Carrington was a terrific athlete but his power and strength shocked me.
JBS: Who would you select number one overall this year and why?
Tony: Easy, Ndamukong Suh- he plays a priority position, he plays all out, he's a difference maker, he's got great upside and he can be used in a number of defensive systems. Unlike recent years when teams did not want the top pick in the draft because they did not want to pay out a $60mill contract, they won't mind it at all this year because of Suh.
JBS: We cover the small schools exclusively so we have to ask who is the top rated small schooler in your mind and who is a sleeper that is not getting much attention that you like?
Tony: In December of 2008 when we did our small school rankings Vladimir Ducasse was our third rated non IA player behind some highly rated small schoolers available in the '09 draft. He's now number one and I can say I have talked up Ducasses since the beginning of 2008. People were talking about a UMass tackle named Ben Coblyn but the more film I watched the summer of '08 the more I realized Coblyn was nothing and Ducasse looked like the real deal.
As far as pure sleepers people may not be familiar with I like Arthur Moats of James Madison, Terrell Hudgins of Elon, Darryl Jackson of Kean, Michael Hicks of Tennessee Martin and Noah Shepard of South Dakota.
JBS: You appear to be dead on picking Vladimir Ducasse so who are your top 2-3 names for the 2011 Draft?
Tony: I've been following Christian Anthony of Grambling for two seasons now. He was a senior entering the '09 campaign but was able to get another season on the college field and will be returning to school in 2010. He reminds me a lot of DeMarcus Ware when the former number 1 pick was at Troy State; athletic, fast and deceptively strong. An impact player on the front seven.
Marcus Broxie of Tennessee State, former South Carolina defensive tackle Kendrick Ellis who now plays for Hampton, Colorado School of Mines defender Marc Schiechl and defensive end Jayson Ayers of South Carolina State are a few more non-IA players I like for the next level.
JBS: Also, how far ahead do you scout? Just juniors and seniors or do you look heavily at sophomores and freshmen or just peak at them to have names but don’t really write in depth notes on them?
Tony: The summer before they become draft eligible. For instance, I will start to re-watch the game film from 2009 in May to build a foundation for the 2010 season. If there are any players who are red-shirt freshman or true sophomores that will be draft eligible in 2011 and stand out on film I always take notes. It always helps me to get a foundation on a players skills but also in case a player may transfers, gets hurt, etc, it could be a life saver.
Abe Koroma of Western Illinois is a perfect example. He was out of place and not very good last season in the WIU defense, so a judgement on Koroma based solely on the '09 campaign is not really fair. Thankfully I have a boatload of notes I took when watching him play at Penn State in 2008!
JBS: With players like Johnny Knox, Joe Flacco, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Pierre Garcon, etc. all excelling who is the most surprising star at the next level based on what you projected when they were coming out?
Tony: Mike Devito of the New York Jets- undrafted player that's really done a terrific job.
Non-Football Six Pack
JBS: What is your favorite food?
Tony: well- with a name like Tony you could guess it's anything Italian. I cook a lot and am pretty good so I like my lasagna, baked ziti or pasta with broccoli rabe. I also like anything chocolate.
JBS: What is your favorite movie?
Tony: hmm...haven't been to the movies in years....I like American military movies based on history so number one would be Saving Private Ryan...
JBS: What is your favorite color?
Tony: Green...used to be blue.
JBS: What is your favorite TV show?
Tony: I never watch TV- I watch college game film 11 months a year. Every April when the draft rolls around I say, "I'll watch TV with my wife." Then, after 15 minutes of scanning through 100 channels I say "what is this crap??" then go to my office to brush up on some game film....that said I like watching reruns of Seinfeld.
JBS: What are your hobbies?
Tony: Watching college game film, watching college game film and, oh yeh, watching college game film!!
Otherwise I work out seven days a week, cook when time is allotted and I love open wheel racing, specifically Formula 1. In the summer I also take my daughter (6 years old) to New York Mets games. Not much of a baseball fan but we have a ball!!
JBS: Last but not least, if you had to pick another profession what would it be?
Tony: I'd like to say adult movie actor, but this is a family friendly site!!! Just joking- if I could sing or play guitar I'd want to be a rock star- still have some Led Zeppelin posters hanging around!!
Thanks for taking time to speak with us!
Player RatingsContact JB ScoutingMedia Interview: Tony Pauline, SI.com and TFYDraft.com
Written by Admin
Friday, 05 February 2010 12:20
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Tony Pauline of SI.com and TFYDraft.com to talk about the upcoming draft and more topics. Pauline has been around cover the draft since the 1980s and is one of the most connected members in the media. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Pauline to discuss what he loves the most about covering the draft, sleepers for this year's draft, who he would select #1 overall for this year's draft, and much more!
First, thanks for taking the time to chat with us Tony.
JBS: You have been covering the draft for a long time. How did you get in to this business and was it your dream as a young child?
Tony: I've been in the draft game since the late 80's. I would assist the New York football writers with player evaluations leading up to the draft before branching out on my own. My dream was actually to make it to the Olympics- I competed in the decathlon for more than a decade and went through college on a track and field scholarship. It was a natural switch to scouting as scouting is as much about finding good athletes as it is finding good football players.
JBS: What is the thing you most enjoy about covering the draft?
Tony: It's never ending. Once the 2010 draft is over there will be 100's more players to evaluate for the 2011 draft.
JBS: What has been the most memorable moment during your career?
Tony: Lots of them- first time I got on TV. Seeing my name on Sport Illustrated for the first time. Even last week at the Senior Bowl one of the head scouts from the Tennessee Titans, who I've known for years, asked for my opinion on certain players. That's always nice when the people in charge value your opinions.
JBS: What is your favorite time of the draft season? Regular season, all-star games, combine, draft day?
Tony: Regular season. The January and February are a never ending grind with the work load. By draft day I'm exhausted.
JBS: Do you read other draft analysts or try to stay away from knowing what others are saying and where they are ranking the players?
Tony: No- I am very friendly with most of them and talk with many of them when I get the chance to see them. I also like to sit with most of them at some of the post season All Star games and watch the players. Try not to look or be influenced by their rankings as I always found my first instinct is usually the best one.
JBS: Who was the most impressive player you saw at last week’s Senior Bowl?
Tony: There were several but I'd have to say Alex Carrington of Arkansas State because he delivered a lot more than I expected. It's all relative to what you expect from a player entering the process- people hammered Tim Tebow but I did not think he would be NFL ready for a while and I didn't expect much from him. I hammered Taylor Mays because here was a guy who many thought was worthy of being a top five pick in the draft last September and he looked rather ordinary on the field. I knew Carrington was a terrific athlete but his power and strength shocked me.
JBS: Who would you select number one overall this year and why?
Tony: Easy, Ndamukong Suh- he plays a priority position, he plays all out, he's a difference maker, he's got great upside and he can be used in a number of defensive systems. Unlike recent years when teams did not want the top pick in the draft because they did not want to pay out a $60mill contract, they won't mind it at all this year because of Suh.
JBS: We cover the small schools exclusively so we have to ask who is the top rated small schooler in your mind and who is a sleeper that is not getting much attention that you like?
Tony: In December of 2008 when we did our small school rankings Vladimir Ducasse was our third rated non IA player behind some highly rated small schoolers available in the '09 draft. He's now number one and I can say I have talked up Ducasses since the beginning of 2008. People were talking about a UMass tackle named Ben Coblyn but the more film I watched the summer of '08 the more I realized Coblyn was nothing and Ducasse looked like the real deal.
As far as pure sleepers people may not be familiar with I like Arthur Moats of James Madison, Terrell Hudgins of Elon, Darryl Jackson of Kean, Michael Hicks of Tennessee Martin and Noah Shepard of South Dakota.
JBS: You appear to be dead on picking Vladimir Ducasse so who are your top 2-3 names for the 2011 Draft?
Tony: I've been following Christian Anthony of Grambling for two seasons now. He was a senior entering the '09 campaign but was able to get another season on the college field and will be returning to school in 2010. He reminds me a lot of DeMarcus Ware when the former number 1 pick was at Troy State; athletic, fast and deceptively strong. An impact player on the front seven.
Marcus Broxie of Tennessee State, former South Carolina defensive tackle Kendrick Ellis who now plays for Hampton, Colorado School of Mines defender Marc Schiechl and defensive end Jayson Ayers of South Carolina State are a few more non-IA players I like for the next level.
JBS: Also, how far ahead do you scout? Just juniors and seniors or do you look heavily at sophomores and freshmen or just peak at them to have names but don’t really write in depth notes on them?
Tony: The summer before they become draft eligible. For instance, I will start to re-watch the game film from 2009 in May to build a foundation for the 2010 season. If there are any players who are red-shirt freshman or true sophomores that will be draft eligible in 2011 and stand out on film I always take notes. It always helps me to get a foundation on a players skills but also in case a player may transfers, gets hurt, etc, it could be a life saver.
Abe Koroma of Western Illinois is a perfect example. He was out of place and not very good last season in the WIU defense, so a judgement on Koroma based solely on the '09 campaign is not really fair. Thankfully I have a boatload of notes I took when watching him play at Penn State in 2008!
JBS: With players like Johnny Knox, Joe Flacco, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Pierre Garcon, etc. all excelling who is the most surprising star at the next level based on what you projected when they were coming out?
Tony: Mike Devito of the New York Jets- undrafted player that's really done a terrific job.
Non-Football Six Pack
JBS: What is your favorite food?
Tony: well- with a name like Tony you could guess it's anything Italian. I cook a lot and am pretty good so I like my lasagna, baked ziti or pasta with broccoli rabe. I also like anything chocolate.
JBS: What is your favorite movie?
Tony: hmm...haven't been to the movies in years....I like American military movies based on history so number one would be Saving Private Ryan...
JBS: What is your favorite color?
Tony: Green...used to be blue.
JBS: What is your favorite TV show?
Tony: I never watch TV- I watch college game film 11 months a year. Every April when the draft rolls around I say, "I'll watch TV with my wife." Then, after 15 minutes of scanning through 100 channels I say "what is this crap??" then go to my office to brush up on some game film....that said I like watching reruns of Seinfeld.
JBS: What are your hobbies?
Tony: Watching college game film, watching college game film and, oh yeh, watching college game film!!
Otherwise I work out seven days a week, cook when time is allotted and I love open wheel racing, specifically Formula 1. In the summer I also take my daughter (6 years old) to New York Mets games. Not much of a baseball fan but we have a ball!!
JBS: Last but not least, if you had to pick another profession what would it be?
Tony: I'd like to say adult movie actor, but this is a family friendly site!!! Just joking- if I could sing or play guitar I'd want to be a rock star- still have some Led Zeppelin posters hanging around!!
Thanks for taking time to speak with us!