Feb. 28, 2008
Former San Diego State quarterback Kevin O'Connell met with the local media Thursday at the Aztec Athletics Center to talk about his experiences at this past week's NFL Combine and about the upcoming pro day at SDSU and this year's NFL Draft.
On his experience at the NFL combine:
"I couldn't have possibly imagined the type of schedule that it would be and just the grind that it is. Coming from the west coast, you're waking up every morning at 6 a.m. four days in a row and staying up until 11 p.m. In between those times, there's not a second to kind of catch your breath. But, it was an unbelievable experience and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life."
On where he thinks he stands after the combine:
"Just talking to teams and quarterback coaches, I think I was a five/six type of guy going into it and I think I left maybe a couple positions earlier. It is just about getting three or four teams to really like you and fall in love with you and think that if they don't take you, someone else will."
On the interview process:
"I met with 28 quarterback coaches and had 10 formal interviews, which is with the owner, general manager and the head coach. That is an experience in itself. You do (interviews) in their suites and they try to get you in and out of the room as fast as they can so people don't really see you going in and out. It is an interesting deal. They know they are competing with somebody and they might take their guy."
On the process of the combine: "On my flight from Arizona to Indianapolis, there were probably about 25 of us on the flight and none of us really knew what to expect. We got there and checked in, and the first night you're kind of on your own for dinner and everything. The next morning at 6 a.m., I was up and it didn't stop until my workout finished at about 3:30 p.m. eastern time on Sunday. Then I was on a plane at 4:30 p.m., so they get you out of there pretty quickly."
On the NFL team he would like to play for:
"There are certain circumstances that go with everything. It's always been a dream to play (in the NFL), but you don't want to count your eggs before they hatch. One thing that I have learned talking to a lot of guys that have played and are playing right now, is that you want to get into the right situation. That doesn't always mean playing for the Chargers or the Giants. You just have to get in a situation that works best for you, where you can learn and become a better player, and help that franchise win."
On what he has planned next:
"We have our pro day here next Saturday. Probably all I will be doing is throwing, but one of the things I said all along that I want to do is to create a little bit of a reason for more coaches than usual to come out. I've been taking calls the past two or three days and it looks like there's going to be about 15-20 quarterback coaches coming out, as well as some coordinators, and hopefully some head coaches if we're lucky enough to do that. That's a big deal around here, because I remember watching Kirk Morrison and those guys going through their pro days, and there were some linebacker coaches and coordinators here. It was fun to watch those guys get up for that. More than anything, I am excited that guys like Chaz (Schilens), Brett (Swain) and Lynell (Hamilton) and our offensive linemen are going to get some solid looks, so getting a chance to do your thing in front of the right people is all you can really ask for in this process."
On whom he was most impressed with at the combine:
"To tell you the truth, I was impressed with it all. Of course you're there with guys like (Darren) McFadden and Jonathan Stewart. I actually sat next to Jonathan Stewart on the plane ride there and back and it was interesting talking to a junior, a guy two years younger than me, who came out and had a tremendous workout. The juniors have it tough though because I at least had the all-star games to go through the initial interview process and kind of get a feel for it. The (combine) was the teams' first crack at the juniors, so as busy as I was, those guys were 10 times busier. But, I was standing there when McFadden ran his 40-yard dash. He just took his sweatshirt off, put his hand down and ran. Guys like that can roll out of bed and run a 4.28. It just makes you realize how athletic some of these guys are. I was impressed more so with some of the coaches and their personalities and the types of guys they are. It just gets me excited to have the possibility of maybe working with some of them."