Uconn on Parcells Radar

[Nors]

He spent a lot of time with LB Fincher at Senior Bowl. Leads me to believe he is watching a lot of Uconn tape and see's something there.....

NFL | Perkins Pro Day Results - from www.KFFL.com
Mon, 28 Mar 2005 11:54:03 -0800

Gil Brandt, of NFL.com, reports Connecticut CB Justin Perkins ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 and 4.46 seconds during his pro day workout Thursday, March 24. Perkins also ran the short shuttle in 4.48 seconds, the three-cone drill in 7.26 and the long shuttle in 11.75. He had a 34.5-inch vertical jump, a 9-foot-11 broad jump and 15 bench press reps.


NFL | Orlovsky Pro Day Results - from www.KFFL.com
Mon, 28 Mar 2005 11:52:38 -0800

Gil Brandt, of NFL.com, reports Connecticut QB Dan Orlovsky only participated during positional drills during his pro day workout Thursday, March 24. Orlovsky had participated during the combine last month.


NFL | King Pro Day Results - from www.KFFL.com
Mon, 28 Mar 2005 11:47:11 -0800

Gil Brandt, of NFL.com, reports Connecticut DE Tyler King ran the 40-yard dash in 4.75 and 4.80 seconds during his pro day workout Thursday, March 24. King also posted 22 bench press reps.


KFFL | Looking for Writers - from www.KFFL.com

Are you interested in crafting your trade? KFFL has always been a home to volunteer writers since its inception and have helped them craft their trade as they moved upward and onward. If you have a passion for football or baseball, are interested in volunteering and writing for KFFL, please click here.


NFL | Fincher Pro Day Results - from www.KFFL.com
Mon, 28 Mar 2005 11:35:46 -0800

Gil Brandt, of NFL.com, reports Connecticut LB Alfred Fincher only participated in the long shuttle during his pro day workout Thursday, March 24. Fincher ran the drill in 11.85 seconds.


NFL | Henry Pro Day Results - from www.KFFL.com
Mon, 28 Mar 2005 11:34:01 -0800

Gil Brandt, of NFL.com, reports Connecticut WR Keron Henry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.63 and 4.58 seconds during his pro day workout Thursday, March 24. Henry also ran the short shuttle in 4.40 seconds, the three-cone drill in 7.53 seconds and the long shuttle in 11.94 seconds. He had a 34.5-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-11 broad jump.

 

[LaTunaNostra]

Well, that's comforting, Nors, hearing Bill is paying special attention to that great football powerhouse, UConn. He'd do better to be scouting a free safety, after letting both Sharper and Bashir walk on by in free agency.

Do me a favor and email me (hermsherald@hotmail.com) when you get your value board done, if you do one. I am really behind it on this year's draft info. Any Erik Coleman's out there?

 

[Nors]

Well, that's comforting, Nors, hearing Bill is paying special attention to that great football powerhouse, UConn. He'd do better to be scouting a free safety, after letting both Sharper and Bashir walk on by in free agency.

Do me a favor and email me (hermsherald@hotmail.com) when you get your value board done, if you do one. I am really behind it on this year's draft info. Any Erik Coleman's out there?

LTN: Of course I will send you my value board. There's an Erik Coleman plus out there but he will go in round 1 or 2..... Will take team with stones to do that....

Watch Fincher - Dude is for real. Odell Thurman is high on PATS BOARD....

 

[Sitting Bull]

Whachoo talkin' bout, Nors?...

Parcells talked to Fincher at the Senior Bowl, so now you've deduced that he's watching every UCONN player?

 

[LaTunaNostra]

LTN: Of course I will send you my value board. There's an Erik Coleman plus out there but he will go in round 1 or 2..... Will take team with stones to do that....

Watch Fincher - Dude is for real. Odell Thurman is high on PATS BOARD....

I ran into a Fincher story today, cortesy of Google Tuna alerts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fincher's fine future on horizon
By Mike Reiss / Daily News Staff
Sunday, April 3, 2005

Something special is about to happen to Alfred Fincher, just 20 days away.

It isn't often a player from Norwood High, let alone the Bay State Conference, is drafted by an NFL team. Yet Fincher, who was hardly recruited by Division I colleges and wasn't considered a sure-fire pro prospect at this time last year, is surging.

He's 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. A physical middle linebacker. Intelligent. Productive. And about to become the first University of Connecticut draft choice under sixth-year coach Randy Edsall. Some, such as Vikings defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell, are saying Fincher will be picked as high as the second round.



These are wonderful times in his life, no doubt.

But before peeking ahead at what is to come -- the culmination of a dream, not to mention a multi-million dollar contract -- let us first look back. To the moments.

Tom Lamb's Alfred Fincher moment came more than a decade ago.

"It was one of my first couple years (coaching) in Norwood and I was going to Pop Warner practices, working with the 'A' team backfield," says Lamb, who later coached Fincher at Norwood High. "Alfred was the fullback at the time, and I'm saying 'Wow, this kid is pretty good. He has some ability and he really hustles.'

"He was playing fullback in these pro offenses, which is kind of a thankless job. He's a blocker. You don't carry much, you do a lot of dirty work, and you have to hit it up in there really hard, which is hard to do. It takes a special kid. He was probably 127 pounds at the time and he was jumping up, very enthusiastic about what he was doing. That stood out to me at that stage."

At UConn, it didn't take Fincher long to make a similar impression on Edsall.

"My moment was when we brought him up on a recruiting trip," says Edsall. "On Sunday morning, I always meet with each kid individually in my office. From the moment I talked with him and his mother, the way he was answering the questions I threw at him, I knew right then and there the kid was something special.

"That day, I always have a staff meeting and I remember telling the staff 'We have a special young man here, someone who will be a captain and leader for us before all is said and done.' Well, we were going through some trying times his freshman year and we had a team meeting. Players were speaking. And all of a sudden, Alfred, as a freshman, gets up to speak in front of the whole team. He said all he wanted to do was win and it was up to each player to do what they were asked to do. He dared to be different."

Freshman usually aren't so bold.

But talk to those close to Fincher, and even those just getting to know him, and the picture starts to become clearer. He's rare in many ways.

Fincher file

Fincher is indeed special, make no mistake. But his NFL career was anything but a given.

"Alfred is a self-made man," Edsall says. "He's not the most athletic linebacker in the draft this year, but the one thing is he's the hardest working. That's the thing that separates him from a lot of people. He's outworked people."

The 2004 season was Fincher's coming out party.

He led the Big East with 140 tackles and was a first-team all-conference selection, with his 11.67 tackles per game ranking sixth in the nation. He also called the defensive signals and adjustments, a sign of his on-field intelligence.

All of this resulted in an invite to the Senior Bowl, the first-ever for a UConn player. It was there, in Mobile, Ala., where Fincher tells one of the greatest stories of his life. It went something like this: Cowboys coach Bill Parcells was standing nearby and Fincher wanted to meet him, so he built up the courage to approach the Big Tuna. Fincher was stopped in his tracks.

Did he make a mistake? Should he have kept his distance? Was the Tuna on the attack?

Hardly.

As Fincher extended his hand, Parcells told him he knew exactly who he was, and that he'd be a fine NFL linebacker. Soon enough, Parcells was telling Fincher stories about some of the linebackers he'd coached with the Patriots.


Any wonder why the last few months have been extra special for Fincher?

"It's very rewarding," he says. "A lot of the hard work has paid off."

Still, he knows he can't lose the edge that helped him arrive at this point.

"I wasn't highly recruited. I wasn't a pro prospect until late in my career. So I know I have to continue to work hard."

Overlooked recruit

After playing both ways and leading Norwood High to a Super Bowl title in his senior year, Fincher still wasn't receiving much attention from Division I-A colleges. How could such a special kid, who was also president of his class and speaking at graduation, be overlooked?

Lamb thinks size was the reason.

"As a three-sport athlete, he went right from football to basketball, and sometimes it's hard to gain weight with that transition," says Lamb, who tutored Fincher through the recruiting process. "He only weighed 190 pounds and maybe was up to 195 by the end of the winter. But to be a serious Division I linebacker recruit at Boston College, 6-2, 195 was a little light. When he went to BC's camp, he wasn't weighing a lot. He went to the UConn camp later in the summer, and he had gained back the weight. He was up to 210, and they ended up taking him.

"It's ironic that the timing of those summer camps, and 10-15 pounds difference, made the difference between UConn or BC."

Fincher is now 240 pounds, the result of ... what else, hard work.

"I put in a lot of hours to be where I am right now," says Fincher, also crediting UConn's strength program. "I try to put on a show on Saturday, but that's the final product. A lot of people don't see what goes into it."

Fincher ran a 5.1 in the 40 coming out of high school. Now he runs a 4.6. He used to bench press 300, now he's over 400. He used to squat less than 400, now he's up over 600.

"I looked at every area I had to work on, and went to work," he says.

As for the BC-UConn connection, there's another special Fincher moment here. It came in a game between the teams and Fincher had just raced to the sideline to make another solid tackle. It just so happened to occur in front of the BC bench.

One of the Eagles coaches was helping him up, and Fincher told him "Hey, I should be playing for you."

The response: "Yup, we missed on that one."

When Lamb hears the story, he says it sums up Fincher's unique mix.

"He's so competitive," Lamb says, "yet such a wonderful kid."

Future is bright

Edsall says UConn couldn't have asked for a better ambassador for its program, with Fincher likely to be the first Husky drafted in his tenure.

"I'm elated for him," he says. "Here's a kid who came here, and he didn't have any other I-A offers. Northeastern was looking at him, but that might have even been a half scholarship. But he believed in himself, he believed in his coaches, and he did the right thing -- he worked his tail off to be the best he can be. That's a great example to others.

"Nobody has given him anything. This isn't a can't-miss type of guy. He's made himself into what he is today."

As for what NFL team might call Fincher's name on April 23-24, wouldn't it be something if it was the hometown Patriots?

"I have talked with (New England scouts), but they haven't shown interest like other teams," says Fincher, who realizes clubs often disguise their intentions. "Although one Patriots guy said I fit their system."

He'd also fit the Patriots profile, because in addition to being a fine player, Fincher is a model citizen. He's finishing up classes toward his degree and also has made an indelible mark off the field.

"He's very community-oriented, he's given back to the community," Edsall says. "To me, he's the ultimate student-athlete, the ultimate team player."

Lamb takes it one step further.

"When I say special, I compare him to Doug Flutie," says Lamb, who coached Flutie at Natick High. "They're not only special from a physical standpoint, but they're special personalities and special emotionally."



http://www.milforddailynews.com/sportsNews/view.bg?articleid=68675

 

[Nors]

I want Fincher a Cowboy....

Also - he blows people up like Roy does. Very physical tackler.

We need to trade down and free up picks for a kid like this. I would NOT be suprised if we take him at #42 if we can't add a 3rd....