APfan

Vikings learn interviews often a key piece of NFL combine

from: news.postbulletin.com

By Judd Zulgad

Minneapolis Star Tribune

MINNEAPOLIS -- Adrian Peterson's workout at the NFL scouting combine last February confirmed for the NFL exactly what type of athletic talent the Oklahoma running back possessed.

But what mightily impressed Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress wasn't what he saw on the field but what he observed during a 15-minute interview session. Peterson and his million-dollar smile bounded into the Indianapolis hotel room occupied by members of the Vikings brass, energy overflowing.

"From the handshake on," Childress said, recalling the positive impression Peterson made. "He was the same in that room (as he always is). Big, bright-eyed. Sitting there and asking questions. You felt like you knew some things about him where you could just see crystal clear. The enthusiasm for the game gushed without him having to say much, where you could see the sparkle. Where you kind of know, this is real."

The Vikings would have taken Peterson with the seventh pick last April without that interview -- questions about the Peterson's suspect collarbone were the only nagging issues -- but it solidified their belief that this extremely talented player also embraced the opportunity to play the game.

Combine starts Thursday

As vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman, director of college scouting Scott Studwell, Childress and others get ready for another combine to kick into full gear Thursday, they again are preparing to end their days by sitting through numerous interviews.

They are not as glamorous as the workouts -- or written about as much as the Wonderlic test -- but these evening chats provide valuable insight into a player's character.

"They are important," Childress said. "A lot of times we're dealing with somebody that we want to clarify an issue that we're trying to get to the bottom of -- whether they didn't play good their senior year or whether it was some kind of incident that took place. You can just check the veracity of what you're feeling, and there are a lot of eyes on them."

Childress said another player who impressed him was second-round choice Sidney Rice. Rice was only 20 years old last February, but Childress liked how the receiver from South Carolina handled himself.

The interview process isn't structured to be easy on either the draft prospect or the team. At the end of a long day, the setup gives officials from each club limited time with players in what Childress jokingly refers to as "the Texas death march."

Arduous process

"I just got the list of who we're requesting -- and they'll come back and say, 'Here's who you get,"' Childress said. "There are nights you go from 6 to 11 (with interviews) every 15 minutes. There are nights that you don't start until 9:30 and you go until 11, and there are nights that you start at 7:30 and go to 9:30, then have a lapse and go another hour."

In some cases, these are follow-up interviews. Vikings executives and coaches already had a chance to talk to a long list of players last month in a more informal setting at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. Answers in that setting might be much different than they are at the combine.

"A lot of the agents have gotten pretty good at coaching the kids (on what to say), and 15 minutes is a pretty short amount of time to try to get to know a kid," NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock said. "What's frustrating is that kids are being coached so well it's difficult to get to know them."

Childress admitted that players get "refined as they go" through this process but said the Vikings make the most out of the opportunity to get the sit-downs. "In some instances we do talk to kids (we've spoken with before), but more often than not we're trying to get another bunch of kids," he said. "And then another 30 kids when we have our visits (for college players at Winter Park)."

__________________
-Corey
UltimateAdrianPeterson.com