After months of training and waiting, former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga defensive linemen Derrick Lott and Davis Tull finally get to step into the spotlight of the NFL Scouting Combine today. The weeklong NFL audition is separated by position and today is set aside for defensive linemen and linebackers, beginning at 9 a.m.
Both former Mocs, who are in an exclusive group of about 300 draft-eligible college players taking part, will be tested mentally and physically by coaching staffs, general managers/executives and medical personnel from all 32 NFL teams.
Lott and Tull both will work out with the defensive line group, and Tull also will take part in linebacker drills since he is projected by some teams to play that position.
“Derrick is a freak physically,” said UTC assistant head coach and defensive line coach Marcus West, who along with receivers coach Will Healy will attend today’s workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium. “He’s rare because he’s so big and powerful and explosive and is that prototype specimen NFL teams are looking for up front.
East defensive lineman Derrick Lott and linebacker Cole Farrand practice in this Jan. 13, 2015, file photo.“But Davis is the guy who’s going in there with the same chip on his shoulder he’s always played with, and that will help him, I think. He’s lived his whole life with people doubting him, and that has driven Davis to become a very special player, and I’m betting he’ll be a workout freak at the combine and open a lot of eyes.”
According to several former NFL players from the Chattanooga area who took part in the combine following their college careers, the two former Mocs can expect to have every aspect of their physical and mental makeup scrutinized.
“Those guys have to understand it’s the job of everybody they’ll come in contact with to break them down and find flaws,” said former McCallie and UTC quarterback B.J. Coleman, who was with Green Bay for one season. “They’re going to poke and prod on you to see if any body parts squeak or don’t look right or if they can test you mentally.
“The combine for all college players is that measuring stick for where you are against your competition and how scouts regard you. It’s an extensive deal and can rattle some guys, especially the ones who aren’t real good at the one-on-one interviews, because some of the questions make you feel like they’re looking for dirt on you. At the end of the day you’re being looked at as an investment.”
The players’ day will begin by being looked over by medical trainers from each team, followed by taking the comprehensive Wonderlic test and personal interviews with team representatives before finally taking the field to work out, including being timed in the 40-yard dash, 3-cone drill and 20- and 60-yard shuttles to test speed, quickness and lateral movement. They also will be tested in vertical and broad jumps as well as how many bench-press reps they can complete at 225 pounds.
There is also the added pressure of having the NFL Network having 17 cameras and 26 analysts, former players and hosts broadcasting much of their workout.
“Just how long the day was is what sticks out in my memory,” said former South Pittsburg and Tennessee linebacker Eddie Moore, who was the first pick by the Dolphins and 49th overall selection in 2003. “You’re already pretty worn out before you ever get to the field to do your physical workout. And I remember sitting on the trainer’s table and some guys finding out they had injuries they never knew they had. One guy ahead of me had two massive hernias; another had a fracture in his foot and thought it was a bruise.
“It’s the most intense interview you’ll ever go through. And the players are being interviewed and evaluated every moment, even when they are walking around the hotel lobby. Teams will have spies watching to see how you carry yourself in public or how you interact with other players. The tape has already spoken for itself; now they’re evaluating your personality and character. They’re about to invest a lot of money, so they want to know about every part of you. It’s like the stock market and they’re making sure they know you’re a good bet.”
Lott and Tull are two of 27 FCS players invited to this year’s combine, and UTC is one of only three FCS programs with multiple participants. This is the first time the Mocs will have two players at the combine in the same year.
The 6-foot-4, 303-pound Lott earned All-Southern Conference honors twice. Last season he had 51 tackles, 13.5 for loss and six sacks. He played last month in the East-West Shrine Game, where he had three tackles, an assist and two tackles for loss.
Tull (6-3, 245) is the first player in nearly 20 years to be the SoCon defensive player of the year three consecutive years and was also a three-time All-American. He is the conference record holder for career sacks with 37, which ranks fourth all-time at the FCS level, and last season he had 10.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hurries.
“I’m constantly having to prove myself, since day one,” Tull said. “Most football players are. If you’re a five-star or no-star, you have to prove yourself again at the combine and show how athletic you are. I have to prove that my production wasn’t a fluke. That’s definitely a driving force for me.”
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.