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Combine a chance to impress scouts
Updated: Friday February 23, 2001 2:41 AM
Former Missouri defensive end Justin Smith is expected to be a top-10 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft on April 21. Smith recorded 22 1/2 sacks and 53 tackles for a loss in his three years in Columbia. This is the second in a series of Draft Diaries from Smith. Check back weekly for another NFL Draft Diary from him at CNNSI.com. I'm flying to Indianapolis on Friday for the Scouting Combine. It's a little nerve-racking to train all this time for two days, but you have to be prepared for it and just relax. I'm going to try to go in knowing that I have to do some drills the best that I can and let the chips fall where they may. I just want to hurry up and get it all over with so that I can start playing football again. I'm already mentally prepared for it being a meat market. These guys are going to invest a lot of money in what you are physically, so they want to see what you are made of. And I understand that, so it's not going to be a problem.
I don't think the personality test will be a problem. It'll be kind of a hassle taking all these tests, but it's something you have to do. And considering the amount of money you could make, it's well worth it. Some of the questions on the tests are pretty ridiculous like, "What would you rather be, a dog or a cat?" Just stuff like that -- it's just ridiculous. I really can't see how some of this is related to football. Maybe they'd rather want you to be a dog so that you are more aggressive or something -- I have no idea. On Friday, I'll just have some meetings with people. You meet with a lot of people, take a lot of personality tests and psychiatric tests. Saturday morning I'll get up about 7 a.m. and get my height, weight and hand span measured. Then we'll go over and take our physicals. After that, we come back and do the IQ test, the videotaped interviews and individual interviews with every team. Then we do the bench press of 225 lbs. as many times as you can do it. And finally, you go back over to the hotel and meet with people that night. It'll be a long day, with interviews taking place until probably 10 or 11 p.m. I figure that this has a huge influence on where I'll get picked and what team picks me, so just for two days of it, I don't think it's that big of a sacrifice. And then on Sunday, I'll wake up about 7 a.m. and go over to do all the position drills that I'm going to do. I'm not going to do the three cone, shuttle or 40-yard dash. I'll do all the drills in my individual workout on March 14 in Columbia, Mo. It's more of a chess game at the Combine. My agents thought I'd be better off doing those drills at home, so I just went off what they told me to do. Anything bad could happen to you there. The rumors are that the track in Indianapolis is slow, so I think it plays a little bit of a role in me not running there. That's just the overall consensus that I've heard from it. We just know that it's going to be a meat market and that you've got to go in there positive. You can't get worn down. You have to have fun doing it and do your best, and hopefully from that, everything turns out good. Of course it's going to get frustrating, but you just have to keep your head on straight and realize that it's going to be over in two days and just go with the flow. My main goal for the week is to increase my stock in the NFL Draft and make teams positive that I'm a great pick. I want to come across as a confident guy that goes out every game and tries to win football games.
Draft MailbagWhat team do you see yourself with this upcoming season and why? Supposedly the Cardinals and Bengals are both high on you -- would you like to play for those perennially bad teams or would you prefer to slip into the lower half of the first and play for one of the potential playoff teams? -- Sammyslam, San Francisco, Calif. I could see myself playing for any and all teams. As far as going to a bad team, that's why they are drafting me, to help me make them better. And that's what I'd go there to do. Would you prefer playing in a small-market city like Green Bay or a bigger city like New York or Chicago? -- Jim, Waupaca, Wis. Preferably I'd like to play in a small town, but usually the way NFL teams are set up, you're going to be in a big city. So I'm definitely prepared to be in a big city. I grew up in a small town, so that's just what I'm used to, but I'm ready for a little change. If the Rams and Kevin Carter part ways, and they pick up an early first-round pick, how would you like being teamed up with Grant Wistrom as Rams defensive ends? -- Gary Wolf, St. Louis, Mo. I think it would be great. I think he's a great player and has a lot of things going for him. I think we'd probably be a good mix together. I've been compared to him ever since my freshman year at Mizzou. I think we both have good motors and a lot of people say we are similar in that sense. I've heard of college athletes buying insurance to cover their future income in case of collegiate injury. Is this an option you considered, and if so, is the cost prohibitive to the normal college athlete? We'll miss you in Columbia but root for you in your future endeavors! -- Kevin Perkins, Kansas City, Mo. I had insurance last year, so I already went through the insurance process. The premiums aren't too high. You can always find a way to pay for it. Usually they'll know if you're good enough and approach you to see if you want to get insurance. I think I had a $1 million policy and it cost about $6,000.
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