Training like cats and dogs
Posted: Tuesday February 23, 1999 03:49 PM
Click here if you
have a question for John Tait. He'll answer a question or two in each
week's diary entry.
When I first got to Indianapolis this weekend for the NFL combines,
everyone was a little nervous -- a little stand-offish. You don't know who
most people are, so it's only natural to keep to yourself. So at the
airport and at the hotel, there were a lot of guys standing quietly,
minding their own business.
The coolest thing about the whole weekend was that by the time it was over,
you were among friends. Everybody started to feel comfortable, so we were
talking and just hanging out. At workouts and drills, we were actually
pulling for each other.
The weekend was really a whirlwind. It started as I was checking in -- you
have to sign all sorts of things and even release the right to have your
background checked. The medical tests took a couple of hours, and I felt so
lucky I've never had any major surgeries. Doctors are drawing blood, giving
X-rays, actually tugging on your body. If there's anything wrong with you,
they're going to find it. I missed two games my sophomore year with a
pulled hamstring, but that's been it -- nothing serious.
I enjoyed all the interviews, in part because I'm comfortable talking with
people. Going on a mission really helps your people skills, and the coaches
don't run into too many missionaries, so it's a big conversation piece. One
person I was impressed with was Rams assistant Jim Hanifan -- he's a legend
as far as offensive line coaches go. While we were talking, Jackie Slater
and Eric Dickerson came up and talked with us -- Dickerson's a Hall of
Famer now, and it's just a formality for Jackie. I thought it was really
neat to have the chance to talk with them.
I survived all the psychological tests -- and there were some weird
questions in there. One asked if I would rather be a cat or a dog. I
answered "dog" -- I just like them more than cats. I'm not sure how that
helps the NFL, but I guess they can find something out about me from that.
I think some questions are just to check if you're actually doing the test.
"True or false," one asked. "I feel uneasy indoors."
I thought the workouts went well. I bench-pressed 225 pounds 26 times --
pretty solid, though I was hoping to get a few more in. They say unless you
get a real low (or real high) number there, it's not a big deal. I came
into things pretty highly rated, so for me to move up, I would have had to
get like 50 reps.
I feel good about my 40-yard dash -- it's hard to tell because they don't
tell you your time. I'm used to hearing it right after I run. Instead, I'm
thinking, "Was that fast or slow?" I wish I could have run one more, but
I'll have a chance to run again later.
One thing I was proud of was that I did all the tests. Some of the teams
said they were surprised -- many of the top prospects skip the tests and
save them for personal workouts. As a junior, it's important for teams to
see me. I want to be accommodating -- I'm not trying to trick anyone, and I
don't have anything to hide. I just want to show teams everything I can.
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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