"I trained this hard, and something like this happens." (HA)
About suffering his hamstring injury while running the 40-yard-dash, John Estes said:
"I'm very disappointed." (HA)
HA Note: "Of the 22 former Warriors who participated in yesterday's Pro Day, Estes, a center who started every game during his four-year UH career, and Soares, a hard-hitting linebacker, were the most highly regarded pro prospects. Both believed they could use the combine-like event — in which prospects go through a series of disciplines testing strength and speed — to fill the voids in their portfolios. Once considered a lock to be drafted, Estes had drawn concerns since the end of the Warriors' disappointing 6-7 season. Although he played both guard and center at UH, National Football League analysts believe Estes is suitable only for snapper. In the NFL, where teams often only have eight offensive linemen on their game-day rosters, a one-position blocker has less value."
About wanting to show what he could do at Pro Day since he wasn't one of the 5 centers invited to the NFL combine, Estes said:
"I wanted to show I could run, and I wanted to do the (position) drills." (HA)
About how the NFL has set a reach of 30 inches to be the minimum for a center, with Estes' reach measures at 29.5 inches last year, Estes' agent Kenny Zuckerman said:
"They feel there's some merit to it." (HA)
HA Note: "The belief, Zuckerman said, is that a center's long reach is needed to fight off bigger nose tackles attacking out of a 3-4 defensive scheme. Estes appeared to be somewhat tense when his arm reach was being measured yesterday. But he showed a slight smile when his reach was announced at 30fi inches."
About the importance of that extra inch of reach to Estes, Zuckerman said:
"That inch plus (from the previous measurement), in the grand scheme of things, probably means more than what John runs in the 40. That was an important inch." (HA)
HA Note: "But Soares believed he needed to prove he was fast enough to play at the next level. He spent the past three months training in Arizona. His goal was to run the 40 in under 4.6 seconds. A few days earlier, a contingency plan was finalized in which the running portions — 40-yard dash, pro-agility drill and L-test — would be moved to an indoor facility in Redondo if rain forecasts were accurate. As it turned out, the mercury, which was at 49 degrees in the early morning, had gone up to the high 70s when the field testing began. There was no rain, so the event remained on the Home Depot property. Maybe it was the rush to go through each event, or maybe it was the change in weather, but several former Warriors were concerned they were not properly warmed up."
HA Note: "Estes had an impressive start in the 40-yard dash. He covered the first 10 yards in 1.80 seconds, and was at 3.06 at the halfway point. But in the final 10 yards, he felt pain in his left hamstring, the one he injured two years ago."
About his hamstring injury, Estes said:
"I tweaked it. I'm disappointed because I wanted to do the next two events." (HA)
About feeling a "pop" in his right hamstring at the 10-yard mark, Blaze Soares said:
"I don't know what happened. Luck of the draw, I guess. I did everything possible to get ready for this day. I felt my strength was all for the running events. For this to happen, this really sucks." (HA)
HA Note: "Two scouts, who requested anonymity because of their teams' policy on commenting publicly about a prospect, said Estes and Soares will be hurt by not having 40-yard times."
About how his injury hurt his NFL chances, Blaze said:
"To be honest, it probably will hurt me." (HA)
HA Note: "Estes might be able to absorb the setback better because he has a larger body of work for scouts to access. Before suffering the hamstring injury, Estes bench-pressed 225 pounds 25 times, also a benchmark for prospects."
About the importance of the bench-press reps for OL in the draft, Zuckerman said:
"It's really a pass-fail test (for offensive linemen). If you're 25-plus, you can play right now. If you're under 25, they don't think you can play right away." (HA)
Feeling that the bench press gets too much attention from scouts, Zuckerman said:
"the bench is not necessarily a functional strength. John has great functional strength on the field. He has great athleticism and balance, and good body lean, which enables him to use his hands in a powerful way." (HA)
About how he'll arrange for a retired NFL scout to coordinate a 40-yard dash in Hawaii if Estes or Blaze want to run it before the NFL draft, Mack said:
"We're here to help them any way we can." (HA)
About Estes and Blaze suffering hamstring injuries, Rich Miano said:
"They were both doing real well. I don't think they hurt themselves, but they didn't help themselves as much as they could have if they had finished." (HSB)
HSB Note: "Miano said about 50 scouts attended the annual event allowing former UH players to work out for NFL personnel in advance of the draft, set this year for April 22-24. Soares, a linebacker, posted a vertical jump of 34 1/2 inches and a broad jump of 9-7 and bench-pressed 225 pounds 26 times. But he pulled up as he ran the 40."
About Blaze's injury, his agent Wynn Silberman said:
"It was a minor setback. The teams that I talked to liked what they saw. His vertical and broad jump showed his explosiveness." (HSB)
HSB Note: "Silberman said he heard from six teams interested in taking another look at Soares prior to the draft, depending on how his hamstring recovers. Estes, a three-time All-Western Athletic Conference offensive lineman, started every game in his four-year career. While the center's 40 time likely wasn't going to factor into his draft status, the injury prevented him from taking part in the position drills. Estes wasn't invited to the NFL Combine, and not completing the drills at pro day could hurt his stock, but his agent is confident he'll get a shot to play in the league."
About how Estes will get a chance in the NFL, Zuckerman said:
"He's coming from behind the pack. (But) John's a good football player and he's going to find a home." (HSB)
About benching the most reps during UH's Pro Day (36 reps of 225 pounds), R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane said:
"Between 36 and 40 is a good number, but I'm disappointed. I've done more in the past." (HA)
About how the NFL does not like that he's just 5'11" and 226 pounds, RJ said:
"I'm under-sized, underweight (for a linebacker). I have to make up for things by jumping higher and running faster. There has to be something outstanding in my performance." (HA)
HA Note: "Running back Daniel Libre did especially well, leading the way in the vertical jump (36 1/2 inches), broad jump (10 feet 7) and pro-agility drill (4.01 seconds). The 5-foot-7 3/4, 197-pounder also had 22 bench reps. Wideout Jovonte Taylor had the fastest time in the 40-yard dash (4.34 seconds). Most remarkable, he ran it with a tight left hamstring."
About the tightness in his left hamstring, Jovonte Taylor said:
"It could be that I didn't drink enough water. That could have had a lot to do with it." (HA)
About how he had difficultly with his grip while running the pro-agility drill and L-test, Taylor said:
"It's like a different kind of turf. I don't usually slip. I'm used to running on turf. But for some reason, I couldn't plant." (HA)
HA Note: "And offensive linemen Aaron Kia, Raphael Ieru and Ray Hisatake impressed scouts during the position drills."
About getting permission from his wife to try out at UH's Pro Day, Nate Ilaoa said:
"That was tough. But I'm trying to do this for both of us, and the kid." (HA)
HA Note: "Ilaoa completed his UH eligibility in December 2006, and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the sixth round of the 2007 draft."
About being cut by the Eagles, Ilaoa said:
"I got a fair shot. I thought I did OK. Obviously, I wasn't good enough." (HA)
HA Note: "A year later, Ilaoa signed with an Arena Football League team. But his season was cut short because of a shoulder injury, and at the end of the season, the AFL shut down operations."
About not playing last year, Ilaoa said:
"I got married and had a kid. I put everything on pause to get it situated." (HA)
About how he did not retire from football, Ilaoa said:
"I can't retire unless I'm in, and I was never in." (HA)
About training Nate to prepare for the draft, Chad Ikei said:
"I knew Nate could play. It was him getting mentally ready." (HA)
HA Note: "Ilaoa, who is 5 feet 8 1/2, weighed 272 when he reported to Ikei's facilities."
About how Nate had to work hard during his time with him, Ikei said:
"It was a lot of hard work, a lot of diet, and him being disciplined. He went through some good Warrior workouts." (HA)
HA Note: "Ilaoa weighed 245 yesterday. He had 32-inch vertical jump and bench-pressed 225 pounds 23 times."
Hoping for another shot at football, Ilaoa said:
"I'm hoping somebody gives me an opportunity." (HA)
About running the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds (one scout had him at 4.59 seconds), Brashton Satele said:
"I wanted to do a lot better." (HA)
HA Note: "One of the surprise participants was cornerback JoPierre Davis, who was suspended for the 2009 season after facing seven criminal charges. Davis said he accepted an agreement in January in which pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault charges in exchange for a year's probation. The sentence will be reduced if he stays out of trouble for the first six months."
About how he behaved well since his suspension, JoPierre Davis said:
"I kept it solid the whole time. I kept my head in the books." (HA)
HA Note: "Davis said he trained on his own. He is taking 18 credits this semester, and is expected to earn his bachelor's degree next month."
About Taylor's fast 40-yard time, Miano said:
"(The scouts) were asking, 'Who's this guy?' and we talked about him and showed them the tape and he backed it up." (HSB)
HSB Note: "Running back Leon Wright-Jackson and offensive lineman Aaron Kia also had solid days. Wright-Jackson ran the 40 in 4.56 seconds and covered 9-11 in the broad jump."
http://www.starbulletin.com/sports/sportsnews/20100402_soares_estes_tripped_up_at_pro_day.html
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