Former University of Miami quarterback Kyle Wright was
Final Thoughts
Today was the last of my six days at the combine. The defensive backs were getting tested today, so I threw during their passing drills. During the first group, my arm was a little tired from yesterday. But then we got a break, and it felt better during the second group. It doesn't feel too bad now. I had to take some alleve. I never have thrown so many interceptions in one day in my life …. everything went really well though.
Getting the chance to be at the combine for six days, because I was a throwing quarterback, I really got to see a lot. I got to meet a lot of great people - coaches, players and scouts. I'm just really thankful for the opportunity. I've got my pro day on Friday, so I get another chance to go out and try to open some more eyes. Everything was fun, and meeting a lot of great players was a highlight. Hopefully I'll get to play with some of them someday.
I think being a throwing quarterback worked out as an advantage for me. I had two coaches come up to me today, and if I wasn't here (all the other quarterbacks left on Saturday), I don't know that I would have had that opportunity. They came down to talk to me while I was on the field. Being that I was here, that was able to happen. It's as simple as that. Even though I was throwing to defensive guys, I was able to go out and throw well. I was focused on trying to keep my mechanics tight and trying not to develop any bad habits. Being a throwing quarterback definitely gave me more exposure.
It was also cool to have my University of Miami teammates at the combine and be a part of this together. Watching them do well was great, and I'm expecting the pro day to be a lot of fun.
As much as we had going on at the combine, the experience was pretty laid-back. I'm probably one of the few guys who can say that, though, since I was here for six days. It was definitely what I expected, it was a great experience. I'll definitely look back on it with positive thoughts.
Thanks to everyone out there for checking out my diary.
Taking the Field
It was another early wakeup call today. Actually, I was able to sleep in compared to the last couple of days. I got going at 6:45 a.m. We had breakfast and came over to the stadium to do our photos. Once we got done doing that, we got on the field and started to warm up.
We did the vertical testing first. Everybody was off. We were all kind of baffled by what guys were jumping at. It was way shorter than what we expected and were used to. And I felt like I jumped pretty good. They measured it differently. There were a lot of guys who weren't even jumping 30 inches. We were all kind of left just standing there, looking around at each other.
After that we came over and ran the 40-yard dash. I felt like I ran pretty well.
Next we got warmed up and did our individual quarterback workouts with the position coach. It went well. I felt like I did pretty good. We did the footwork drills, and then the drills where we roll left and roll right and throw to a stationary receiver. It was very similar to what I had been practicing leading up the combine. It wasn't out of the ordinary, and I felt comfortable.
Overall, I felt like I had a good day throwing. Everybody threw a couple of bad balls but responded by coming back and throwing better. That's really what the coaches are looking for. With quarterbacks and wide receivers, it's all about timing and getting on the same page. It is pretty difficult working with receivers you don't know. You don't know how quickly the make their cuts or how fast they are. That being said, I thought we threw pretty well.
Tired. I'm tired. I'm ready to go get some ice on my arm.
We also had to throw to the running backs after the wide receiver drills were done. The group of running backs at the combine is really impressive. It's a really talented group, and they have a lot of speed. The amazing thing is most of these guys -- Felix Jones, Darren McFadden, Rashard Mendenhall, Ray Rice, Steve Slaton, Kevin Smith and Jonathan Stewart -- are juniors. They're impressive.
I'm ready for some ice, a long hot shower, something to eat and some Advil. That's like a full night right there.
Being that my stuff is basically done, for the rest of the combine we'll be spending our time throwing to the defensive guys. It's not like there will be a whole lot of timing or rhythm involved. It's more like you're playing catch in the back yard. Today was really a lot of fun. It went very well. All the guys are cool, and the coaches are great.
Right now, I'm going to get some rest.
First Impressions
I guess the combine is kind of everything I expected it to be. Seeing it on TV the past couple of years, I don't want to say that I knew what to expect, but my expectations were close with all of the drills and everything going on.
The things that go on behind closed doors and the things that take the longest are the toughest part of the combine experience. Getting up at 5 a.m. on the first day and then immediately having a drug test, and then having your height and weight and all of the testing that you do, and then going through the medical process which takes four to five hours. You kind of feel like a piece of meat.
Then you have your interviews with teams. The night before last, I was doing interviews until 11 p.m. Then I was up at 5:45 a.m. the next morning to do my psychological testing, and then took the Wonderlic test later in the day.
Being here early has helped me take in the venue and grow a little bit more comfortable. What's cool is that all of the players get along and talk and have a good time. You can hear all of the linemen over there rooting for each other. You come here and you do make friends. A lot of guys know each other. They either played with or against each other at some point during their college careers.
One downside is there has been a lot of waiting. You're busy all day doing various things, but then there are times when you don't have anything going on. I'm very anxious to get out and throw the ball. You see a lot of the coaches in the stands that you see on TV, so it will be good to get out and throw the ball in front of them.
