Article published February 24, 2009
LOOKING TO IMPRESS
OSU players show skills at Combine
Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman runs through a drill. He?s projected to be a mid-round pick in the NFL Draft.
( ASSOCIATED PRESS )
By
MATT MARKEY
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
Two months of waiting come next for the eight Ohio State Buckeyes who have been in Indianapolis for most of the past week, taking part in an extensive round of testing known as the NFL Scouting Combine.
The session is part marathon audition and part meat market for those players hoping to continue their careers in the professional football ranks. The regimen of physical, mental and psychological exams are carried out in advance of the 2009 NFL Draft, which takes place April 25-26 in New York City.
For Ohio State senior linebacker James Laurinaitis, working out at the Combine is essentially going through a job interview. There were more than 600 coaches, scouts, executives and doctors from all 32 NFL teams on hand for the invitation-only talent parade.
?It?s a process you gotta go thru,? Laurinaitis said during his turn at the podium at Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the Combine. ?But it?s exciting. You walk down the hall and see all the NFL teams? colors ? it?s something you dream of as a little kid.?
James Laurinaitis, another OSU linebacker, is expected to be a first-round selection
( ASSOCIATED PRESS )
Laurinaitis, a three-year starter for the Buckeyes and the two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year, said his career at Ohio State prepared him well for the intense scrutiny of the Combine and, he hopes, for the rigors of the professional game.
?I think Ohio State linebackers have a great tradition. In my eyes, it?s the best place to play if you want to be a linebacker,? he said.
After the day-long medical exam, performance tests follow in the 40-yard dash, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, shuttle run and three-cone drill, along with personal interviews and written testing. Most draft experts expect Laurinaitis to be the first or second inside linebacker picked in the draft.
Cont....
