For small school players like Steelers’ Arthur Moats, combine is an opporunity
PITTSBURGH 无毛视频� Not every prospect dreads the thought of participating in the NFL Combine. Not every player backs out of an event for fear that it might hurt their draft stock.
When you come from one of college football无毛视频檚 FCS programs, as Arthur Moats did, it无毛视频檚 a welcome chance to show the world what you can do.
Seven years ago, Moats was one of the 330-plus players invited to the 2010 Combine in Indianapolis. For a player from James Madison University, a school that doesn无毛视频檛 attract many more eyes than the 24,000 who cram Bridgeforth Stadium, it was his first time in the national spotlight.
Despite his small school background, the Steelers linebacker says he was always confident in his ability, didn无毛视频檛 feel the least bit out of place going up against players from Division I powerhouses.
无毛视频淚t was a chance to have a level playing field, that was the biggest thing,无毛视频� Moats said Wednesday while representing the Steelers for the Penguins无毛视频� NHL Stadium Series game at Heinz Field. 无毛视频淚 know coming out, people would say 无毛视频楬e had a lot of numbers but what was the competition level he was playing against? Would you take him over a guy from Michigan or Oregon State?无毛视频�
无毛视频淲hen you come to the combine, we无毛视频檙e running on the same field, running the same 40 times, running the same drills, doing the same interviews. Now it无毛视频檚 nothing that you can say that his 40 time was faster because of this or that. It无毛视频檚 like, no, you无毛视频檙e a faster guy or a better athlete than that guy.无毛视频�
While some players from programs like Michigan or Oregon State might not want to expose their weaknesses and thus their draft position, Moats said he embraced everything about the combine. Really, he had little to lose.
无毛视频淚 looked at it, like I have nothing to hide,无毛视频� Moats said. 无毛视频淢y athletic ability was going to stand out regardless of whatever I was doing in the combine or my pro day. My thing was, I wanted to participate in everything. It无毛视频檚 the best platform. There无毛视频檚 no guarantees that all those coaches, GMs, scouts were going to be at your pro day. So I was like if we get this opportunity to do it, let无毛视频檚 do it, and it was on TV.无毛视频�
A dominant defensive end who recorded 29 sacks at JMU and was the Colonial Athletic Association无毛视频檚 defensive player of the year in 2009, Moats acquitted himself quite well in the 2010 Combine. He clocked a 4.66 in the 40, registered a vertical leap of 36.5 inches and did 24 reps (of 225 pounds) in the bench press.
After his performance in Indianapolis, Moats and others felt he had improved his draft stock.
无毛视频淢el Kiper is talking it up, I could go late third, fourth round or the fifth round 无毛视频� and I don无毛视频檛 go to the sixth,无毛视频� Moats said. 无毛视频淪o I don无毛视频檛 know.无毛视频�
While slightly disappointing at the time to go 178th overall (to the Buffalo Bills), Moats has gone on to enjoy a solid NFL career, spending the last three seasons in Pittsburgh. Moats was the 22nd of 29 linebackers selected in the 2010 draft but has enjoyed the 10th highest weighted career approximate value, according to ProFootballReference.com.
As Moats and others have found out, when it comes to a strong combine showing, the draft and how a career unfolds, you just never know.