21st Feb2012

NFL Combine Spotlight: Dominique Hamilton

by Bobby Deren

This weekend, Missouri defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton will get a chance to shine under one of the brightest spotlights of the Draft Season as he will perform in front of coaches, scouts and GM’s at the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

“I’m getting anxious and I just can’t wait to go out there and showcase my talent,” said Hamilton. “I think I am going to perform really well in the drills. I’m going into it confident because I know I can move well at 320 pounds so I know I’ll be good.”

Hamilton breaks through the line at the East West Shrine Game

Hamilton has set a few goals for his all-important time in Indy.

“My set goal is just my speed. I want to move well at 320,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of guys lighter than me at like 300, 295 or 290. I’m trying to have better numbers at 320. So if I am moving at that speed at 6-foot-5 and a half, plus my strength is incredible, it will help out. I want to run a good 40, that’s something I’ve been working on. And I’m hoping to get 30 or above in the bench press.”

Hamilton turned heads at the East West Shrine Game in January and is hoping to take it a step farther when he arrives in Indianapolis on Friday.

He will then embark on four days of interviews, medical testing, positional work and combine events.

No matter how well Hamilton does in all those categories, his work will not be finished.

“I know after the combine I still won’t have that sense of relief,” he said. “I am a person that is never satisfied. I’ll be satisfied once I’m in the NFL and I’ve made the team and I’m starting.  And then when I start, it will be something else. I’ll want to break the tackle record and then I’ll want to break the sack record. There’s always something.”

This weekend, the interviews will be a major part of the process as NFL teams will get plenty of one-on-one time with the NFL hopefuls.

“I feel like I’m a good enough talker so I feel like I’ll be all right when it comes to the interviews.  I know my stuff,” Hamilton stated.

There will also be the chore of taking the infamous Wonderlic test.

“I actually did good on the practice Wonderlic,” said Hamilton. “I’ve taken two already. I took one at the University of Missouri when I was a senior and then I took one at the East West Shrine Game.”

Now that the Combine is quickly closing in on Hamilton, he explained what it is like to be only a few days away from that much-anticipated time.

“It’s almost surreal that I’m going to the combine. Kids dream about this since they were in middle school watching it on TV. I remember back when I was watching it like my freshman year in high school. I was watching guys throw up 225 pounds like 28 times and I could only do it like 14. I remember saying that back in high school and look where I’m at now. Going to the combine is almost surreal because a lot of guys want this and I know a lot of guys would kill to be in this position.”

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06th Feb2012

Recruiting Rewind: Dominique Hamilton

by Bobby Deren

The NFL Draft looms ever so closer as the stars of tomorrow have bid farewell to their college careers. It was not so long ago when they were high school recruits about to set foot into the world of college football.

Dominique Hamilton came to Missouri out of Chapin High School in El Paso, Texas after having moved around quite a bit during his childhood.

Hamilton as a JR in high school (Photo courtesy of rivals.com)

He finished his high school senior season ranked the No. 35 defensive tackle in the nation according to Rivals.com. But it took a little while for his first offers to arrive.

“Missouri was my first offer. Coach [Brian] Jones was trying to recruit me coming out to El Paso,” said Hamilton. “I was that frustrated kid as a junior because I didn’t have any offers. One of my best boys from down there, Cliff Tucker, had mail coming in from everywhere. I wasn’t getting anything.”

Shortly after Missouri came through with an offer, another Big 12 school followed suit and more began to pour in.

“Oklahoma gave me an offer but they wanted me to move to O-line,” said Hamilton. “Then I went to the Nike Combine out in California. I killed that and then I got about fifteen more offers. Most of the Big 12 offered me except Texas, Kansas State and Kansas. I had Arizona, Michigan State and so on. But Mizzou was my first offer and I just wanted to go to a family atmosphere where I could play so I chose Mizzou.”

That translated into a productive four years both on and off the field for Hamilton. But it wasn’t easy to get used to at first for Hamilton.

“My redshirt freshman year was probably my hardest year,” he said. “I basically went out to Missouri alone. I had to make a whole new group of friends, which wasn’t hard especially playing sports and having all your sports buddies. It was just a brand new thing starting over but I adapted pretty well.”

Being a popular football player also made Hamilton a recognizable face on campus.

“Everybody kind of knows who you are. It’s really kind of hard not to distinguish the athletes,” Hamilton said. “They look at you and see that you can play some kind of sport. With me, everybody kind of knew I played football.”

Now, Hamilton is on new ground yet again as his future home remains uncertain. Wherever that future may take him, he knows one thing for certain.

“I’m missing Missouri a little bit right now,” he concluded.

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01st Feb2012

All-star games big for Draft Season big men

by Bobby Deren

Two of the biggest all-star games of the college post season have played out very well for two of the big men featured in The Draft Season.

The East West Shrine Game was very good to Missouri’s Dominique Hamilton and a week later, the Senior Bowl was equally as good for Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry.

Curry is held by Ohio State's Mike Adams at the Senior Bowl

Hamilton went down to St. Petersburg, Fla., for the Shrine Game week and made good use of his 6-foot-5, 320-pound frame.

“He showed he was versatile,” said draft expert Scott Wright of DraftCountdown.com. “I think his best position is going to be playing the 5-technique in a 3-4. He’s a big kid. I definitely think he’s got a chance to be drafted. He could even go as early as the fifth round.”

Wright expounded on why he believes Hamilton’s stock is on the rise.

“The reason is that versatility. He has a big frame, he’s an athletic kid and there is scheme diversity. Those three things are a good thing to have in your corner on draft day.”

Wright was able to get an up close and personal look at Curry last week in Mobile, Ala., at the Senior Bowl. Curry impressed scouts, coaches and draft gurus with a strong performance against some elite competition.

“His motor never stops. I think we saw in the game, he had two sacks,” Wright said. “He’s one of those guys that gets it done between the lines. A big reason for that is the competitiveness and a non-stop motor. He never quits. He will play to the whistle and beyond if need be.”

Curry is also rapidly gaining popularity among those who follow the NFL Draft very closely. Wright was able to elaborate a bit on the sentiment of those fans and their take on Curry.

“I know a lot of fan bases are hoping he is a target for their teams. He’s a guy that draftniks really like. He’s a guy a lot of draftniks are hoping their teams land.”

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30th Jan2012

Dominique Hamilton on the move

by Bobby Deren

To say that Dominique Hamilton has logged some miles over the past month would be an understatement. His travels began towards the end of December with a trip to the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana.

He then returned to Missouri but left shortly thereafter to begin training for the NFL Scouting Combine in Atlanta, Ga. From there it was a trip to St. Petersburg, Fla., for a week at the East West Shrine Game.

That led to a trip to the west coast as Hamilton is now doing his training out in Los Angeles.

Hamilton drew rave reviews at the Shrine Game

“Just the experience itself is fun,” Hamilton said. “But I didn’t want to move around too much, I want to just settle down and get this training going. It definitely messed up my sleep. But I’m getting back on schedule out here in California. The weather is definitely nicer.”

Hamilton’s training takes up a good portion of his time as he is out in Los Angeles for the first time in his life.

“I only know two guys out here,” he said. One of my guys, Trey Hobson, from MU is out here training too. Josh Tatum who used to go to MU is out here too. But that’s all the people I know out here. It’s a lot of relaxing time when I’m not training. It’s ‘me time’ and just concentrating on being great.”

Hamilton is used to moving around as his step father is in the Army, which meant his childhood included stops in Texas, Phoenix and even Germany.

“I’m liking L.A. now,” Hamilton said with a laugh. “Every time you leave somewhere you think you are not going to miss it. Right now, I miss Missouri a little bit.”

Although Hamilton has racked up some frequent flyer miles, it has been a productive month. The feedback has been very good following a strong week at the East West Shrine Game.

“My agent is hearing a lot of good things. Everybody is saying I’m a really big versatile guy. They feel like I could play nose, 3-technique, 5-technique. They feel like I could do a lot of things, whatever they want me to do basically. I’m just having fun with it.”

Before long, Hamilton will be on the road again when his journey will take him to Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine in late February. Then it will be back to Columbia where Hamilton will return to his apartment and await Missouri’s Pro Day in mid-March.

All the time in between will be spent in similar manner no matter where Hamilton may be.

“I’m attacking every day and I don’t want to waste a single day because each day is going to be crucial. My only rest day is Sunday, that’s it. Every other day, I’m doing something. I’m out here working hard and trying to pursue my dream.”

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22nd Jan2012

Dominique Hamilton Shrine Game Photo Album

by Bobby Deren

Missouri defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton spent the past week practicing in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the East West Shrine Game and here is a look at him in action.

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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.

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18th Jan2012

Hamilton faring well at Shrine Game practices

by Bobby Deren

Three days into the East West Shrine Game practices and Missouri defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton is making a strong case that he should be moving up NFL Draft boards. He has enjoyed a solid showing during his West team’s intrasquad showdowns.

“It’s just a bunch of hungry guys out here ready to do some stuff,” Hamilton said after Tuesday’s practice. “Everybody was competing in 1-on-1’s, pass rush, they were competing in the team stuff and in the 9-on-7’s. Everybody is hungry, we’re all try to make it to the next level.”

Dominique Hamilton beats Colorado's Ryan Miller during Tuesday's practice

The practices are as much a benefit for the players as they are for the massive contingent of NFL scouts on hand.

However, it is not the first time scouts have gotten a close look at Hamilton.

“Last year at Mizzou, we use to have like three scouts a day come to practice,” Hamilton said. “I’m talking about every day. I’m used to them but I haven’t been used to this magnitude. There are a lot of scouts out here. They look like they brought in an entourage.”

The pressure to perform in such a setting  may inflict some players with a case of the jitters.

But not Hamilton.

“When I play a game in front of 70,000 or 80,000 people, I block them out and don’t even notice that they are there,” he said. “I’m just worried about doing my assignment and doing it right.”

The game of football has suddenly turned into more of a job for Hamilton and the Shrine practices are the first step in what will be a more than three-month long job interview.

“I look at it as work,” said Hamilton. “I’m having fun in the process but I’m looking at it as work. I’m coming out and competing on every play. You have to.”

Not only has this week included  practices, team meetings and film study, but there is an added chore for every player. They are required to meet with NFL scouts, coaches and GM’s for interview sessions throughout the week in a process that seems never-ending.

So what does Hamilton do and roommate Dajohn Harris (USC) do with their very limited amount of free time?

“We basically sleep,” said Hamilton. “We are asleep by 10 o’clock. My sleep schedule is still a little messed up because I’m coming from Missouri to Atlanta to here. The time difference is a little crazy but I’m getting used to it.”

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15th Jan2012

Pool training photos

by Bobby Deren

Here’s a look at one of the more unique training programs as NFL Draft prospects go through a rigorous midweek pool workout in Atlanta.

Wake Forest OG Joe Looney out in front

Players finish up the pool workout

Missouri DE Dominique Hamilton

Marshall DE Vinny Curry

Marshall DE Vinny Curry

Memphis OL Ronald Leary

California (Pa.) OG Rishaw Johnson

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15th Jan2012

Not just another workout

by Bobby Deren

Training differs from season to season but certain regimens stand out from others. This past week, a band of NFL Draft prospects underwent one of the more unique training regimens.

In Atlanta, Ga., Wednesday meant a dip in the pool for the NFL Draft prospects training at CES Sports.

But it was no ordinary swim.

Players from top colleges across the country underwent a rigorous workout that included resistance training as part of their combine-prep program.

Prospects undergo the last part of the pool workout this past week in Atlanta

“It’s tough. After a tough workout Tuesday, you get into the pool and get your heart pumping and it gets you breathing hard,” said Wake Forest offensive guard Joe Looney. “Afterward, you feel a lot better, but it’s definitely a rough workout.”

The system was developed by CES founder Chip Smith many years ago.

“About twenty years ago, I had some pro baseball guys I was working with,” Smith said. “They were coming of injury so I decided to put them in the pool for rehab. I gave them a bat and I had them swinging in chest-deep water. I started seeing the resistance in the water so I started adding to that and I realized recovery in the middle of the week in that pool was paramount to their success. So I started building on that.”

The workout is quite rigorous as prospects have to swim attached to a long band that builds resistance. However, the results speak for itself.

“It was great for recovery,” said Missouri defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton. “I was actually fatigued beforehand but it really helped my muscles recover.”

After two full days of training to start out the week, the pool workout is strategically positioned on Wednesday mornings.

“The cold water is great on your body for recovery,” said Smith. “It’s a great aerobic day to get your heart rate up and then we finish with some band work just to get a good flush, a good muscle pump. It’s a pretty unique concept.”

For those draft prospects who wake on Wednesdays thinking that a day at the pool will be a leisurely part of their training, they are sorely mistaken.

“The pool workout it something serious,” said Memphis offensive lineman Ronald Leary. “It’s worse for me because I don’t know a lick about swimming. Some people might look at it as a day off because we don’t lift weights, but it’s definitely not a day off. I was exhausted but my body felt better working in the water. And I went right to sleep as soon as I got home.”

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13th Jan2012

Hamilton playing with a purpose

by Bobby Deren

Each time defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton took the field at Missouri, he had more than football on his mind. And now that his college career is over and he is ready to leap into the NFL, that same powerful thought remains with him.

“My mom passed away in 2006 of cancer so it’s been a drive for me ever since,” said the 6-foot-5, 305 pound Hamilton. “It was real tough. She got to see my whole junior season in high school then she passed away. I went through my whole senior year with her on my mind.”

Hamilton drew inspiration from his mother and went on to finish up his career at Missouri this past year by earning first-team All-Big XII honors.

Hamilton has received an NFL Combine invite

But the dream of playing in the NFL began when Hamilton was just a youngster on the move. Having a step-father in the Army caused Hamilton to change locations quite a bit.

“It was a fresh start. I was a new kid every time,” Hamilton said. “I think I just got used to it. Now, I like traveling. I want to be that guy that travels. I want to see all those things out in the world.”

Growing up, Hamilton spent some time in a part of the world where football is very different. And it was there that he got his first start on the gridiron.

“I started off at center when I was ten. I was playing flag football when my family was living in Germany,”  Hamilton explained. “It was different. They wouldn’t allow the younger kids to hit. They didn’t have Pop Warner, they just had flag football. It was really different. Germany itself was a different place. They try to make it as American as possible on the Army base but once you leave there, it’s a German crowd.”

Hamilton also spent time living in Arizona, Atlanta, El Paso and now resides in upstate New York.

But he will gladly welcome a new location later this year, a location he hopes to learn during the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft.

“When I was little I always said I wanted to do this, but I’ve always been big on focusing going to the NFL,” said Hamilton. “I really took it serious when I went into high school. I just kept excelling and working on different stuff and made it to college. Hopefully, I’ll keep going. But I don’t want to just go to the NFL, I want to be good.”

Hamilton will take another step towards realizing that dream next week when he travels down to St. Petersburg, Fla., for the East West Shrine all-star game. And when Hamilton takes the field, he will be playing with the same inspiration that has already gotten him this far.

“My mom was a person that really harped on me to do good. When I was in middle school and in high school, she was a mom figure saying ‘I need to go run or get in shape and do this.’ She would say ‘your coach said you need to work on this so you need to do this.’ She was really a motivating factor so when she died I know that she really wanted this for me.”

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