A man on a mission
Posted: Monday February 15, 1999 05:09 PM
This is the second in a series of weekly diaries from some of the top
prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft. Look for another one each day, with a
new entry from John Tait every Tuesday at CNNSI.com.
Sometimes things happen to you so quickly that you don't have time to look
back on all the steps you took to get where you are. My path to the NFL
Draft is a memorable one, probably unlike anyone else in this year's class.
What most people know about me is that I'm a left tackle from Brigham Young
University, a big guy who left school early for the NFL. But actually, by
most standards, I'm entering the NFL a bit late.
I just turned 24, which makes me older than most prospects. When people ask
me why I entered the draft, I tell them it's part of a plan that started a
while back and makes more sense to me every day.
After redshirting my first year at BYU, I spent two years on a Morman
mission in Knoxville, Tennessee. That was two years away from the football
field, focused solely on my commitment to help people and become a better
person. Not only was I not playing football, but I wasn't even watching
games. They frown on watching TV during your mission, because it's too easy
to sit around and watch TV all day. You're focused on more important
things.
I returned to school in January 1996, and that spring, it felt weird to be
in pads again at practice. The first day we lined up for sprints, I can
remember thinking to myself, "I haven't sprinted in two years!" It all came
back really fast though, and by two-a-days that fall I had earned the
starting job at left tackle. I kept that job for three years, and I leave
school truly honored to be associated with BYU and its football program.
As I prepare for the NFL combines this weekend, I'm surprised that some
guys aren't training very hard. Some think "Oh, I've made it, so-and-so has
me going to this team in the first round." For me, when my football season
ended, that's when the real work started.
Your focus shifts in workouts, too. Instead of bulking yourself up and
lifting tons, you realize the NFL values speed, even in linemen. I'm a
little nervous about the 40-yard dash, only because it's the most important
40 yards of my life. I've worked hard enough that I'm confident. They don't
just time your start and stop -- they time you every 10 yards. I'm working
on the first 10 -- that's where you can show explosive power. It's rare
that you see an offensive linemen running 40 yards on a play, but it's a
good indicator of athletic ability.
Everything has been happening so fast -- it's pretty amazing, really. I'm a
big believer in destiny and that all things happen for a reason. I've been
lucky the way things have fallen into place -- getting to start that first
game, getting to learn in a great football program and now getting a chance
to show I can play in the NFL.
John Tait is expected to be a high first-round pick in the 1999 NFL
Draft in April. Check back each Tuesday for another draft diary from him at
CNNSI.com.
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