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April 18, 2008
Q&A with DA
I caught up with the fast one, Donnie Avery, who is shooting up the NFL Draft charts. Originally projected as a third-round pick at best, Avery has been wowing teams at his workouts, and some analysts have him projected as perhaps going in the first round.
With that in mind, I tracked down the man who's faster than a speeding bullet and asked him a few questions...
Q: So, you're impressing the NFL scouts. What's that been like?
DA: Yeah, I heard that. That's a good thing. I've always felt that I was supposed to be up there (a high draft pick), but I guess I'm just now showing that to everyone.
Q: Let me get this straight -- you went to a high school (Hastings) where they barely threw the ball? How in the heck did you get recruited?
DA: That's true. I played 14 games, and I think I had something like 25 receptions in those 14 games, and I didn't even play varsity ball my junior year. I had a little over 500 (receiving) yards (as a senior). I got recruited off special teams. I had no receiving touchdowns my senior season, but I had four punt returns for touchdowns and something like six kickoff returns for touchdowns. That's what got everybody's attention. Everybody wanted to recruit me off special teams. That's it.
Q: You strained your hamstring just prior to the NFL Combine, so you weren't at your best there. What's been the biggest factor in impressing all these NFL scouts?
DA: I told those guys when I was doing interviews at the Combine that I had a pulled hamstring. But I still went out there and tried to run (clocking a 4.40 40-yard dash despited the hammy), which I guess they liked because it showed my competitiveness. They told me that I really didn't need to run because they already knew how fast I was on the field. I've been having good interviews, and I finally got healthy. Everything at my Pro Day turned out really well. I think I broke the record for the three-cone drill (6.30 seconds). They (NFL scouts) are looking for guys who can move, who are real shifty and have that good footwork. I think I showed that.
Q: Was it hard to dispel the notion that you're a "system" guy?
DA: I think I helped myself at the Senior Bowl. I showed the NFL coaches and scouts there that I could run (NFL) routes, and they were pretty excited about that.
Q: What has the experience been like?
DA: This is amazing. I still think I'm dreaming sometimes. But I'm taking it all day by day and not getting a big head. I'm still out there working hard and working out every day. I'm loving it. I'm flying everywhere, meeting great NFL coaches and GMs. I'm just having fun.
Q: Is the world out there anything like you thought it would be?
DA: It's different. You're used to seeing these guys on Sundays, but then there you are, watching them (at practice). You're like, 'Man, I can come in here and get one of these positions.' While I want one of their jobs, I still have great respect for those guys (NFL players) and I still want to be a student of the game and learn from those guys. That's what I'm going to do my first year going into it. I'm going to be a student of the game and soak up all the information I can from these guys who have been doing it on Sundays.
LINK
Q&A with DA
I caught up with the fast one, Donnie Avery, who is shooting up the NFL Draft charts. Originally projected as a third-round pick at best, Avery has been wowing teams at his workouts, and some analysts have him projected as perhaps going in the first round.
With that in mind, I tracked down the man who's faster than a speeding bullet and asked him a few questions...
Q: So, you're impressing the NFL scouts. What's that been like?
DA: Yeah, I heard that. That's a good thing. I've always felt that I was supposed to be up there (a high draft pick), but I guess I'm just now showing that to everyone.
Q: Let me get this straight -- you went to a high school (Hastings) where they barely threw the ball? How in the heck did you get recruited?
DA: That's true. I played 14 games, and I think I had something like 25 receptions in those 14 games, and I didn't even play varsity ball my junior year. I had a little over 500 (receiving) yards (as a senior). I got recruited off special teams. I had no receiving touchdowns my senior season, but I had four punt returns for touchdowns and something like six kickoff returns for touchdowns. That's what got everybody's attention. Everybody wanted to recruit me off special teams. That's it.
Q: You strained your hamstring just prior to the NFL Combine, so you weren't at your best there. What's been the biggest factor in impressing all these NFL scouts?
DA: I told those guys when I was doing interviews at the Combine that I had a pulled hamstring. But I still went out there and tried to run (clocking a 4.40 40-yard dash despited the hammy), which I guess they liked because it showed my competitiveness. They told me that I really didn't need to run because they already knew how fast I was on the field. I've been having good interviews, and I finally got healthy. Everything at my Pro Day turned out really well. I think I broke the record for the three-cone drill (6.30 seconds). They (NFL scouts) are looking for guys who can move, who are real shifty and have that good footwork. I think I showed that.
Q: Was it hard to dispel the notion that you're a "system" guy?
DA: I think I helped myself at the Senior Bowl. I showed the NFL coaches and scouts there that I could run (NFL) routes, and they were pretty excited about that.
Q: What has the experience been like?
DA: This is amazing. I still think I'm dreaming sometimes. But I'm taking it all day by day and not getting a big head. I'm still out there working hard and working out every day. I'm loving it. I'm flying everywhere, meeting great NFL coaches and GMs. I'm just having fun.
Q: Is the world out there anything like you thought it would be?
DA: It's different. You're used to seeing these guys on Sundays, but then there you are, watching them (at practice). You're like, 'Man, I can come in here and get one of these positions.' While I want one of their jobs, I still have great respect for those guys (NFL players) and I still want to be a student of the game and learn from those guys. That's what I'm going to do my first year going into it. I'm going to be a student of the game and soak up all the information I can from these guys who have been doing it on Sundays.
LINK
