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http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/1974015.html
Muckelroy hard at work on hooking high draft spot
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 Comments (0) Recommend (2) Print Share Buzz up!ReprintsTopics: Colt McCoy, Lists of Olympic medalists, NFL Pro Football
By MATTHEW REAGAN
Special to the Star-Telegram
McKINNEY -- When you were a two-time All-Big 12 selection, led the Texas Longhorns in tackles for two consecutive seasons, notched an interception and a tackle for loss in the Big 12 title game and posted a 17-tackle game in conference play, you shouldn't need much training or guidance moving on to the next level of football, right?
Not even close. Every player, and that means every player from Tim Tebow to Colt McCoy, needs all the help they can get to earn that big paycheck when the NFL Draft rolls around in April.
And while Roddrick Muckelroy has the stats and has shown the prowess of a future NFL linebacker, he and several other high-level NFL prospects, including projected high first-round pick Ndamukong Suh as well as fellow Longhorn Sergio Kindle, have spent much of their time leading up to the all-important NFL Scouting Combine with former Olympic champion and Dallas native Michael Johnson at the Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney. At the combine, speed, strength and agility are broken down into a science.
Muckelroy's size, 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, and his on-field performance speak for themselves. The Hallsville High grad started all but one game at outside linebacker for the Longhorns in 2009, finishing with 96 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and 11 tackles for loss. You'd think those numbers would sound pretty mouth-watering to an NFL general manager without even having seen Muckelroy in person.
But interviewing, physically and literally, for a job in the most hallowed of leagues can be a daunting task and one that could become overwhelming without the right preparation.
The Michael Johnson Performance Center addresses every aspect and wrinkle NFL scouts, general managers and coaches could think to put prospects through.
Everything from their diet, sleep habits, workout regimens and even non-football knowledge are focused on, with an emphasis on speed. It's the athlete's home away from home in between the time they leave school and the beginning of the NFL Scouting Combine.
Muckelroy will join fellow Longhorns NFL hopefuls Jordan Shipley, Lamarr Houston, Adam Ulatoski, Kindle and McCoy at the combine, beginning Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.
Muckelroy took time in between workouts Tuesday to describe his preparations for the combine and draft.
What do you stand to gain from this training process? Going into the combine, it is about focusing on the detail of the drills, and coming here has really allowed me to become a better athlete and work on those things I need to work on to become a better player.
How do you gauge success in your training headed into the combine? It's really about seconds and shaving seconds off your 40(-yard dash) time and your 5-10-5 three-cone drill. Every second is a dollar, and I'm trying to gain as many dollars as I can.
What's the atmosphere like with all you guys living together? It's crazy. There are players from all over and we are all good friends and are always getting into a battle about SEC-Big 12 -- it gets a little heated. In the end, it's all fun. There are a lot of people I've just seen on TV play over the years and now to get a chance to be here with everybody is a lot of fun.
By MATTHEW REAGAN
Special to the Star-Telegram
What will you do with your first NFL paycheck? I'm going to send my mama and them anywhere they want to go -- just go for a week, anywhere y'all want to go, just take off. They raised me for 18 years and gave me everything I needed, and now I just want to give back to them and give them anything they want.
Is being here with Sergio Kindle something that helps you out competition-wise? We've been on the same team for five years now, and now that we are competing a little bit -- it's me against you. Sergio is a good teammate and a good friend. Some things he's better than me at and some things I'm better than him. You try and go back and forth and get yourself ready for the competition. It's like a track meet there at the combine -- the fastest person wins.
What has the transition from college to getting ready for the draft been like for you? I think I blinked twice and then I was here. But it wasn't really a hard transition. It's things I do -- working out and football -- things I love. It's the next step.
Why should NFL general managers pick you on draft day? Hopefully they look at the things I do out here [and] they fall in love with me in the interviews and hopefully I get a call from somebody on draft day.
Which [linebacker] position do you see yourself playing at the next level? Really, it is wherever they want to put me. I've showed that I can play with the best of them and now I've just got to go out there and do it.
Muckelroy hard at work on hooking high draft spot
Posted Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 Comments (0) Recommend (2) Print Share Buzz up!ReprintsTopics: Colt McCoy, Lists of Olympic medalists, NFL Pro Football
By MATTHEW REAGAN
Special to the Star-Telegram
McKINNEY -- When you were a two-time All-Big 12 selection, led the Texas Longhorns in tackles for two consecutive seasons, notched an interception and a tackle for loss in the Big 12 title game and posted a 17-tackle game in conference play, you shouldn't need much training or guidance moving on to the next level of football, right?
Not even close. Every player, and that means every player from Tim Tebow to Colt McCoy, needs all the help they can get to earn that big paycheck when the NFL Draft rolls around in April.
And while Roddrick Muckelroy has the stats and has shown the prowess of a future NFL linebacker, he and several other high-level NFL prospects, including projected high first-round pick Ndamukong Suh as well as fellow Longhorn Sergio Kindle, have spent much of their time leading up to the all-important NFL Scouting Combine with former Olympic champion and Dallas native Michael Johnson at the Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney. At the combine, speed, strength and agility are broken down into a science.
Muckelroy's size, 6-foot-2, 235 pounds, and his on-field performance speak for themselves. The Hallsville High grad started all but one game at outside linebacker for the Longhorns in 2009, finishing with 96 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, an interception and 11 tackles for loss. You'd think those numbers would sound pretty mouth-watering to an NFL general manager without even having seen Muckelroy in person.
But interviewing, physically and literally, for a job in the most hallowed of leagues can be a daunting task and one that could become overwhelming without the right preparation.
The Michael Johnson Performance Center addresses every aspect and wrinkle NFL scouts, general managers and coaches could think to put prospects through.
Everything from their diet, sleep habits, workout regimens and even non-football knowledge are focused on, with an emphasis on speed. It's the athlete's home away from home in between the time they leave school and the beginning of the NFL Scouting Combine.
Muckelroy will join fellow Longhorns NFL hopefuls Jordan Shipley, Lamarr Houston, Adam Ulatoski, Kindle and McCoy at the combine, beginning Feb. 24 in Indianapolis.
Muckelroy took time in between workouts Tuesday to describe his preparations for the combine and draft.
What do you stand to gain from this training process? Going into the combine, it is about focusing on the detail of the drills, and coming here has really allowed me to become a better athlete and work on those things I need to work on to become a better player.
How do you gauge success in your training headed into the combine? It's really about seconds and shaving seconds off your 40(-yard dash) time and your 5-10-5 three-cone drill. Every second is a dollar, and I'm trying to gain as many dollars as I can.
What's the atmosphere like with all you guys living together? It's crazy. There are players from all over and we are all good friends and are always getting into a battle about SEC-Big 12 -- it gets a little heated. In the end, it's all fun. There are a lot of people I've just seen on TV play over the years and now to get a chance to be here with everybody is a lot of fun.
By MATTHEW REAGAN
Special to the Star-Telegram
What will you do with your first NFL paycheck? I'm going to send my mama and them anywhere they want to go -- just go for a week, anywhere y'all want to go, just take off. They raised me for 18 years and gave me everything I needed, and now I just want to give back to them and give them anything they want.
Is being here with Sergio Kindle something that helps you out competition-wise? We've been on the same team for five years now, and now that we are competing a little bit -- it's me against you. Sergio is a good teammate and a good friend. Some things he's better than me at and some things I'm better than him. You try and go back and forth and get yourself ready for the competition. It's like a track meet there at the combine -- the fastest person wins.
What has the transition from college to getting ready for the draft been like for you? I think I blinked twice and then I was here. But it wasn't really a hard transition. It's things I do -- working out and football -- things I love. It's the next step.
Why should NFL general managers pick you on draft day? Hopefully they look at the things I do out here [and] they fall in love with me in the interviews and hopefully I get a call from somebody on draft day.
Which [linebacker] position do you see yourself playing at the next level? Really, it is wherever they want to put me. I've showed that I can play with the best of them and now I've just got to go out there and do it.