01st May2012

DRAFT SEASON Recap: Vinny Curry

by Bobby Deren

Over the last few months, I have followed a few select players through the entire NFL Draft process as part of research for my next book DRAFT SEASON: Beyond the Clock. This past weekend marked the end of a long and exhausting road for these young men. Some were drafted, some signed free agent contracts and one young man joined a team he had dreamed of playing for since he was a boy.

That fortunate individual was Vinny Curry of Marshall. His boyhood dream came true when he became a Philadelphia Eagle with the 59th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.

I was not only able to follow Vinny’s journey firsthand, but I also trained alongside him during a one-week period in Atlanta during the second week of February.

Following that extraordinary week and upon the suggestion of Vinny, I wrote a short ebook on the experience. The result was DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL, which is now available HERE.

Now, as I begin to write DRAFT SEASON: Beyond the Clock, I will encapsulate Vinny’s journey from the beginning to the end of that four-month period. But more so than the x’s and o’s involved with that season, I will reveal the faces underneath the football helmets and more of the person than the player.

Vinny’s Draft Season did not end with a first-round selection like he had hoped, but one of the things I learned was that was in the game of life, he will always be a first-round pick no matter how many people would be draft eligible.

The Draft Season is truly an exhausting and stressful time for these young men and it was remarkable how Vinny handled himself through all the ups and downs.

Philadelphia Eagles fans should get ready to welcome more than just a great player. This season, they will be able to cheer for someone who is just as great off the field.

Category : Daily Journal, Draft Season News, Vinny Curry
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24th Apr2012

DRAFT SEASON now available through Barnes and Noble!

by Bobby Deren

DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL released at Barnes and Noble

Author Bobby Deren continues his DRAFT SEASON series with his second book on the NFL Draft entitled DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL. While researching the sequel to his first book this past February, Deren experienced a week of training alongside NFL hopefuls at Competitive Edge Sports in Atlanta. Deren chronicled the weeklong experience and brings it to his audience in his first e-book. Deren trained alongside players such as Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry and was coached by former Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach Pete Jenkins. Go behind the scenes as Deren brings you the real experience of what’s like to walk in the shoes of football players ready to embark on a life in the NFL. DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL also includes stories an insight from NFL Draft prospects along with former NFL players and coaches.

DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL is now available through Barnes and Noble and can be  purchased for the low price of $2.99 HERE.

 

Category : Draft Season News
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16th Apr2012

New DRAFT SEASON book available now!

by Bobby Deren

While researching my latest DRAFT SEASON book, Beyond the Clock, I decided to go through a week of training at Competitive Edge Sports and chronicle the experience in a short e-book now available on Amazon.com.

The book is entitled DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL and is available for purchase HERE

During the extraordinary weeklong experience I trained alongside players such as Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry and was coached for the week by former Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach Pete Jenkins.

DRAFT SEASON also offers a glimpse at some of tomorrow’s NFL stars as they embark on a rigorous training regimen that has quickly become a full-time job.

The experience was full of life lessons that go beyond the football field as a 35-year old writer is pushed to the limits next to colossal-sized NFL Draft prospects.

Check out DRAFT SEASON: Preparing for the NFL today!

 

Category : Draft Season News
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10th Feb2012

Draft Season Pro Day Schedule

by Bobby Deren

App State WR Brian Quick

Here’s a look at some the Pro Day dates that have been announced for the NFL hopefuls in the Draft Season:

March 8: Coloardo (Conrad Obi)

March 13: Kansas State (Tysyn Hartman)

March 14: Marshall (Vinny Curry)

March 15: Virginia Tech (Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale), Missouri (Dominique Hamilton)

March 19: Appalachian State (Travaris Cadet, Brian Quick)

March 22: Memphis (Ronald Leary)

March 28: Cal-Poly (Matt Singletary)

 

Here is a list of some other top schools Pro Day schedules:

March 2: Cincinnati

March 6: Arkansas, Auburn, UCLA

March 7: Alabama, Oklahoma State, USC, Wisconsin

Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead

March 8: Mississippi State, Northwestern

March 9: FIU, Tulane

March 12: Pittsburgh, Central Michigan

March 13: Florida, La-Lafayette

March 14: Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Florida State

March 15: Virginia

March 16: West Virginia, Temple

March 20: South Florida, Texas

March 21: Rutgers, Boston College, San Jose State

March 22: Stanford, Baylor

March 28: South Carolina

Category : Draft Season News
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05th Feb2012

Drafts of Super Bowl past

by Bobby Deren

Today will mark  a historic day for more than 100 NFL players as they take will part in Super Bowl XLVI. Many of the paths that have led those players to the NFL were very different ones.

For some, it was a smooth road into the first-round of the NFL Draft. For others, it was a path filled with obstacles through the uncertainty of free agency.

Wilcox stretches during his time as a Baltimore Raven

Tight end Daniel Wilcox treaded through those waters of uncertainty and ended up with an eight-year NFL career that included a Super Bowl victory as part of the Tampa Buccaneers in 2003.

Wilcox went undrafted out of Appalachian State but went on to have a productive NFL career with the Buccaneers, New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens. Even though he did not hear his name called on Draft Day, Wilcox would not be deterred.

“If you want to be great, you have to outwork everybody else,” Wilcox stated. “And if you do that every day on a consistent basis, it’s going to eventually add up and you’re going to be that guy up front. You’re going to be the starter and everybody is going to be trying to catch up to you.”

The first hurdle for Wilcox was just making a roster. He did that in 2001 with the Jets and then moved on to the Bucs for the next couple years.

“I slowly built up the confidence to fight for a starting position,” Wilcox said. “It took me two or three years to really get it. But once I got it, there was no looking back.”

Wilcox truly hit his stride during his five-year stay with the Ravens.

“It was an amazing experience,” Wilcox said. “I got married on the football field. I got married at Ravens Stadium on the 50-yard line. Football has been my life since I was five. There is no other greater experience professionally than playing in the NFL. The experience is amazing. It’s something guys will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Looking back, there is no record of Wilcox being drafted although he did leave his stamp on the NFL. His eight year journey through the NFL did not begin with a first-round selection but it ended with a triumphant finish that he will remember for the rest of his days.

“There are millions and millions of people who wished they had the opportunity to play in the NFL. The NFL is in a whole class of its own. Once you get a taste of it, it makes you want to taste it for the rest of your life.”

Category : Draft Season News
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29th Jan2012

Clocking combine times

by Bobby Deren

With so much emphasis on times in various combine events in the football world, fractions of a second are often a determining factor. In the world of the NFL Draft, times are taken in events such as the 40-yard dash, short shuttle and three-cone drill in order to better evaluate players.

The days of someone simply holding a stopwatch and pressing a button are quickly being replaced.

Laser times in combine events now get a more accurate reading and there is a growing company which specializes in that exact science.

NFL hopefuls at CES prepare to use the Get-N-10s testing system

Get-N-10s is a company based out of Strongsville, Ohio specializing in recording times through a unique method.

“It’s the most accurate timing device out there now,” said Steve Caruso, founder of Get-N-10s. “It’s accurate to one millisecond. It’s fully administered by the athlete.”

What Caruso is referring to is the fact that the timing starts when a player lifts his hand off a small start pad on the ground. From that instant, recording begins as the player runs through a specific combine event.

“We use a start pad, so when your hand comes off it, that’s the start time,” Caruso said. “When someone is timing with a stopwatch, there is a delay with the human reaction. We take that human element of error out of it.”

Players are also given a small bracelet which contains a computer chip that automatically records the data into a computer. In just a few seconds, that data is available on-line.

“I can have a coach at Florida, Michigan and USC see the times coming in instantaneously on their computer,” Caruso explained. “If they are looking for a linebacker or a defensive tackle, they can look specifically at them and see the times coming in.”

Caruso and company have partnered up with CES Sports in Atlanta, using their system to test athletes training for the NFL Scouting Combine and their respective Pro Days .

“Our system doesn’t lie,” Caruso stated. “The times are accurate, so you get an accurate reading when they come in. Then, three to four weeks later, we test them again and gauge the improvements.”

As these combine times become more and more important, more of the football world is starting to upgrade their methods of recording times which is turning out to be favorable for Caruso.

“We have great partnerships in line, we’re working with colleges, we’ve done some things with NFL teams and we’re just looking to grow the company.”

To find out more about Get-N-10s, visit www.GetN10s.com.

Category : Draft Season News
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25th Jan2012

The ups and downs of The Draft Season

by Bobby Deren

Yesterday marked two very different times for a pair of players hoping to make a future for themselves in the NFL. For one of those young men, it was a day of extreme happiness while the other experienced an extreme low.

Wake Forest offensive guard Joe Looney arrived in Mobile for his first day of Senior Bowl practice on Tuesday, eager to show that he was deserving of the late invitation.

Looney works out a couple weeks before the Senior Bowl

But fate stepped in and wouldn’t even let him finish out the day.

After starting 41 games during his four-year stint at Wake Forest, Looney finally fell victim to injury. He went down early in practice with a torn ligament in his foot.

Just a week ago, Looney was hoping to make it to the Senior Bowl for a chance to he improve his draft stock. But he also seemed to want a Senior Bowl invite for simpler reason.

He just wanted to play one more game of football.

“Football is awesome,” said Looney. “You have your ups and your downs. You have to face a lot of adversity. It’s kind of like life.”

As much of a down day as it was for Looney, it was the complete opposite for California (Pa.) guard Rishaw Johnson.

Looney’s departure opened up a roster spot which will now be filled by Johnson.

Johnson recently received a late invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine and he will now try to pick up where he left off at the East West Shrine Game with a strong week of practice.

“I’m happy with how everything went at the Shrine, but I wish I would have gotten that Senior Bowl invitation,” Johnson said on Sunday night. “I know I could prove myself against those guys.”

Johnson will now get his chance as he hustled to board a plane from Florida on Tuesday night, feeling ‘blessed’ for this opportunity.

Where opportunity began for Johnson, it ended for Looney.

Johnson will practice at the Senior Bowl today

Coincidentally, both players begun their Combine-prep training alongside one another at CES Sports in Atlanta. Little did they know how much one’s fate would affect the other.

And so goes life in the NFL where injury can rear its ugly head at any given moment. But don’t count Looney out just yet.

“If the injury is something that’s going to be better before training camp, I think it’s going to have a lot less of an effect on his draft stock,” said NFL Draft expert Scott Wright of DraftCountdown.com. “I think he was going to be a mid-round pick. This could cost him a couple of rounds, but he is going to get into a training camp either way. If he goes undrafted, he could be a steal for someone.”

Very soon, there is a real possibility that Looney and Johnson will put their signatures on NFL contracts. But their futures are waiting to be written and the next few months will provide what will be some very telling ink.

Stay tuned to The Draft Season for more on these extraordinary journeys as they unfold.

Category : Draft Season News, Joe Looney, Rishaw Johnson
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24th Jan2012

LIVE Senior Bowl practice updates

by Bobby Deren

The top seniors in the country will be in Mobile, Ala., this week to take part in the Senior Bowl in what is the most revered collegiate all-star game of the post-season. Legions of NFL Scouts will also be on hand to get an up close and personal look at some of the top players eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft.

TheDraftSeason.com will bring live updates of all the action on the practice field. Today’s North practice will begin at 9:30 a.m. CST and the South Squad will kick things off at 1:45 p.m. CST.

Click HERE to follow all the live updates from right down on the practice field in Mobile.

For a look at the Senior Bowl Roster click the following link: SENIOR BOWL ROSTER

Category : Draft Season News
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21st Jan2012

Turner working towards the NFL

by Bobby Deren

The dream of playing professional football is still very much alive for Pierre Turner. He remains hard at work building up his chances for the opportunity to one day find a home in the NFL.

Turner came out of the University of Richmond where he lined up all over the field on defense. But when the time came for the 2010 NFL Draft, Turner did not hear his name called.

Turner takes part in one of his daily workouts

“I didn’t get any calls and it was kind of depressing especially with other guys I know getting on teams,” said Turner. “I knew that was definitely a possibility. My NFL Draft stock was supposedly going up, but it didn’t happen.”

That didn’t deter Turner.

“I just could not quit off that,” said Turner. “I have a passion so I just had to keep going.”

Turner looked to catch on anywhere he could and an opportunity finally arose the following season in the Arena Football League. Turner signed with the Cleveland Gladiators and then finished out the year with the Orlando Predators.

After a solid season with the Predators, Turner will begin training camp in mid-February for yet another team when he suits up for the San Antonio Talons.

But his ultimate goal is to find a way into the NFL.

“I’ve been getting nothing but positive feedback from everyone that has seen me,” said Turner, who is now a chiseled 230-pound linebacker. “A lot of people will say they cannot believe I am not playing in the league. And I’m only 24, so I am still young.”

If Turner had the opportunity to sit down with an NFL scout, he knows exactly what he would say.

“If a scout was here right now, I would tell him to put me through whatever you want me to go through. I don’t care how tired I get, I’ll do whatever it takes. Just give me a chance. I’ve been an asset on every team I’ve been on and I guarantee that will continue.”

Work ethic is not something that would come into question as Turner’s days are jam-packed with one task after another. His day begins by training NFL Draft hopefuls in CES Sports’ combine-prep program in Atlanta, Ga.

“My day starts around 7:30 training guys for the NFL and that goes until about noon,” Turner explained. “Then, I do my own training and then train high school kids from four to eight. And when I get home, it’s study time. I’m currently working to get my MBA in Health Care Management.”

That routine will continue for the next month until Turner arrives in training camp to start another season in the AFL. And he will bring with him a work ethic that he hopes will enable him to realize his dream of playing in the NFL.

“In this business, nothing is given to you. You have to work hard to get what you want. I’m just going to keep on working.”

Category : Draft Season News
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20th Jan2012

Final Shrine Game practice observations

by Bobby Deren

Now that the week of Shrine game practices are over, here’s a rundown of my final observations from St. Petersburg, Fla.

East head coach Bobby Ross definitely dialed up the practices a lot more than West head coach Brad Childress.

Coastal Carolina CB Josh Norman

Offensive guards Rishaw Johnson and Desmond Wynn are names people will hear a lot more in the future. Both handled themselves well all week in the trenches.

There was a surprising amount of small school players. There were players from schools such as Merrimack, South Dakota State, Regina, Laval and even one from the University of Skasatchewan. Nice to see small school guys get a shot, but it seemed like they were out in abundance.

Speaking of small schools, Coastal Carolina cornerback Josh Norman was easily the best cornerback of the bunch. He is someone Draftniks should get to know as he had a very good all-around performance.

To be an NFL scout, you have to wear shades.

Tennessee running back Tauren Poole proved you don’t have to be an underclassman to be considered one of the better backs in the Draft. Poole ran tough all week and while some may question his speed, he did a good job of finding daylight.

Bigger is better. Some of the biggest defensive linemen were the tops for their respective squads. South Carolina’s Travarian Robertson did it for the East while Missouri’s Dominique Hamilton got it done for the West.

Big school tight ends showed up. Miami tight end Chase Ford had a huge practice on Tuesday while Michigan’s Kevin Koger was solid all week. Both players have boosted their stock according to a couple of scouts on the sidelines.

Rutgers’ Justin Francis was the most explosive defensive lineman. From his d-end spot, Francis was a terror all week and drew a lot of attention from scouts. Francis could be one of the sleepers in this year’s draft and will look to prove his worth again at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The quarterback contingent was a bit disappointing as some of the QB’s settled for shorter routes in many of the 7-on-7’s and live sessions. However, Tenn-Chatttanooga’s BJ Coleman had his moments on the practice field.

Category : Dominique Hamilton, Draft Season News, Rishaw Johnson
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