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Getting technical on running
Updated: Friday March 09, 2001 10:42 PM
Former Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft on April 21. Seymour recorded 9 1/2 sacks and 25 1/2 tackles for loss in his career with the Bulldogs, and was named a 2000 first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation and the AFCA. This is the second in a series of Draft Diaries from Seymour. Check back weekly for another NFL Draft Diary from him at CNNSI.com. Since I work out in Athens, Ga., next Tuesday, this week has been kind of a teaching stage. Speed coach Tom Shaw has been teaching us -- we really haven't been doing much physical activity, we've been going over more technical stuff. We've been working on things like starts and hand placement -- little techniques for when we run the 40 and also when we're doing our drills. Some of the things we've been doing are not flexing the hand back when we're running, keep your elbow frequency -- the faster you move your elbows, the faster your feet will run. Just little technical things like that. And how we should run the 40, always staying low and always be driving, leaning forward. Because if you stand straight up, you maintain the speed, and if you lean back you lose the speed, so we want to stay forward and always increase our speed.
I never thought much about running the 40 before this. But now I know how much emphasis the teams put on it. I thought they would look at a whole lot more film and just see what type of player you are, but they do put a lot of emphasis on the 40 and it's important if you run a good one. It can take you up the draft board or down the draft board, so I definitely want to get a good time. I think Tom Shaw has a good plan for what we need to get done, and I'm just basically listening to him, because he has more experience than I have at this. I'm going back to South Carolina for the weekend, and I'm going down to Athens on Monday. I'm not going to do anything on Sunday, and just loosen up a little bit on Monday to be ready to roll on Tuesday. I've talked to a lot of teams that say they're going to be there, so I'm just looking to put on a good show. The last time I was at home was the week after the bowl game. I came down here (to New Orleans) on Jan. 8, so after the Oahu Bowl I spent Christmas at home and all the way up until the 8th, so it is about time to get home.
Draft MailbagDo you think you would be better suited to play tackle or end in the NFL? -- David Heraty, Buffalo, N.Y. I think I'd be a better tackle, because that's what I really know. I've been playing tackle all my career. I could learn end as well, and I think I will play it well, but I'm a tackle right now, so until somebody converts me to end or has me play both, I'm just going to focus on playing tackle. Richard, I'm a huge Georgia fan and I wish you the best of luck in the NFL. My question is, what are you going to miss most about playing at Georgia, and what do you look forward to most about playing in the NFL? -- Brett Miolen, North Attleboro, Mass. As far as leaving Georgia, I'll miss the college atmosphere, and all the friends I made at Georgia. But it's been a childhood dream of mine to play in the league, so I definitely want to fulfill that. Richard, I watched you play for four years in Athens. Thank you for your hard work and for representing the university well. What is your biggest fear about the upcoming draft? Where would you like to play the most? -- Chad Norris, Spartanburg, S.C. I'll play anywhere, to tell you the truth -- it really doesn't matter. I don't know if I have a biggest fear, but I am kind of nervous just to see how the draft is going to pan out and what team is going to take me. I'm ready for all of this just to be behind me and to know where I'm going to be so I can get set up to go to that city. First, I just wanted to say congratulations on a great college career. Second, I was just wondering if anything has surprised you about the process of getting ready for the draft thus far? Thanks, and good luck! -- Andy DeVooght, Peoria, Ill. I didn't know there would be so many teams after you at the Combine, wanting you to sit down for interviews and doing so many background checks and that sort of thing. So the Combine was a different experience for me. Over the three days I was there, I maybe got about five hours of sleep. Do you think Quincy Carter is going to excel in the pros? -- Brandon Anderson, Stone Mountain, Ga. I definitely think he will, because he definitely has the talent, and once he gets in and learns a system and has a coach that can stay on him and push him to do the best he can do, he'll be able to do it. He's definitely one of the top athletes out there. Are your workouts now harder than the spring workouts at Georgia, or about the same? I know [former Georgia strength coach] Eric Fears was well known for really pushing the team during the spring, and I wondered how this matched up. -- Justin Michels, Athens, Ga. Actually, I'm really not trying to get in shape at this point, I'm really just working on speed-type drills. I guess it wouldn't be as hard as working with Coach Fears -- just different. Who do you look up to in the NFL right now? -- Matt Leavey, Owings Mills, Md. I don't want to say I look up to anyone in the NFL. I do admire the way some of the people in the NFL play the game -- one of those players would be Bryant Young of San Francisco. And everybody likes Deion Sanders. But they're players just like I'm a player. I don't want to say I look up to anyone, just like I don't want anyone to look up to me. Have you had any contact with Georgia alums in the NFL? If so, what advice have they offered you on what to expect? -- Mike, Wilmington, N.C. I've talked to Robert Edwards and Hines Ward. They've told me that the speed of the game is picked up, but playing in the SEC -- we played in one of the toughest conferences -- we played against a lot of good athletes. They just said to be prepared mentally and focus on what you have to do.
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