The NFL Draft is one of the most important days for a player’s career. The New York Jets have an unusual way to prepare their team in case of emergency during this draft that no other team has tried before, reports say.
The “nfl interception leaders” is a list of the most interceptions in each NFL team’s season. The list includes the number of interceptions and the players who made them.
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Mike Tannenbaum is a writer and entrepreneur. ESPN
Note from the editor: This article was first published in March 2021. For the 2022 NFL combine, it has been revised and published.
The NFL Scouting Combine is a historically important part of the pre-draft process since it allows NFL club coaches and staffs to meet prospects in person for the first time, which is frequently the case. The 15-minute interview between organizations and prospects is also an important but underestimated element of the combine.
After shifting to virtual engagement and pro day exercises at each institution at COVID-19 in 2021, the combine has reverted to its traditional in-person format this year in Indianapolis. In subtle ways, combination interviews may have a big influence on the assessment process. I’ve seen it all as a general manager and football operations executive for NFL clubs with more than a decade of expertise. Based on such encounters, a coach may fall in love with a potential. With poor responses or lousy body language — or both — a prospect may sometimes alienate a coach.
But what takes on in the room? What exactly do such interviews entail, and what kinds of questions and responses do you hear? Here’s what I remember from my time with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets after sitting in on so many of these meetings. Let’s take a peek behind the curtain at the pre-draft team-prospect interview rooms.
To begin, what kind of questions are often asked?
The interviews are usually divided up into many sections. We’d start with a fast round of biographical questions and answers. We would often begin by attempting to learn about a prospect’s past, from their outside activities to their family and upbringing. They spend a lot of time talking about their football history, including where they’ve played and who they’ve played for throughout the years. It’s really basic material, but having the prospects walk you through it is helpful.
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Following that, we prefer to have the prospect review footage and discuss their duties and responsibilities with a position coach. Following that, we’d ask a battery of behavioral-based questions to assess mentality. For example, we can inquire about a setback that the possibility had to overcome. Other favorites include:
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When you’re having a horrible day, who do you call?
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If you could alter one thing about yourself, what would it be?
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What is something you tried your hardest to achieve but couldn’t?
Both watching footage and asking questions about attitude and makeup are considerably more common now than they were in the past. The sessions used to be more shallow and biographical, and they didn’t provide us with any insight or useful information. However, the line of enquiry has progressed considerably.
What are the lessons that the teams are attempting to take from all of this?
A key factor is how enthusiastic the prospect is in football knowledge. But we’re also interested in how well they remember material from previous seasons. Is this a player who can be coached? Will he be able to pick up a new plan quickly? Finally, does he possess the necessary mental fortitude and attitude to succeed in the NFL?
Is there a deeper significance to questions that seem to be superficial?
Experience has taught me that a player’s, coach’s, or staff’s mentality is crucial. The line of inquiry often aids us in determining a player’s thinking, as well as their coachability and selflessness.
“If a guy is a jerk in college, we can anticipate him to be a greater jerk when we give him more time and more money in pro football,” New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick said during draft meetings. It’s a significant red flag for us if a player points out another player’s mistakes when studying footage with a coach during an interview. We want players to accept responsibility for their errors and not blame others.
From your time as a GM, how would you classify yourself as an interviewer? And who has been the most difficult interviewer you’ve ever encountered?
I was constantly trying to get the player to answer questions that were not on the script and that they couldn’t anticipate. Shane Day, the current passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, is perhaps the hardest interviewer I’ve ever seen in person. I felt he was intellectually scary when he was the tight ends coach at Miami.
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What are the methods used by teams to prepare for the interviews? What about the future?
Teams come into these situations with a wealth of knowledge on each player, which comes as no surprise. The scouts in the region are looking for information on intangibles like how athletes learn, how they interact with teammates, and how coachable they are. Before you even enter the room, a lot of what goes into the interview is about asking the correct questions to the appropriate individuals.
Prospect preparation, in general, left me feeling underwhelmed. Many players are surprised to learn how little they know about the NFL. However, there are two critical points to remember. To begin with, it’s difficult to know anything about all 32 teams, much alone half of them. These students aren’t just preparing for one job interview; they’re preparing for almost three dozen. Second, most college football teams practice on Sundays throughout the season, which means that many top prospects don’t have time to watch the NFL every week.
Is every prospect questioned in the same way, or are the interviews personalized to the individual?
It is debatable. Is it possible that the athlete changed schools or had numerous coaches? Did he have to cope with any serious injuries? Was he ever benched, or was there any worry about his performance consistency throughout his collegiate career? And, of course, has he dealt with any troubles off the field? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’ll want to go further to get some answers. It is critical to devote some more attention to such specific instances.
What was the most bizarre interview you’ve ever had?
When staffers and coaches, as well as the prospect, are crammed into the cramped interview rooms in Indianapolis, there isn’t much additional space. And the interviews tend to be stacked on top of one other. As a result, when anything occurs in the room, it instantly affects everyone in the room.
We were dining on the fly in the hotel one year. We had a lot of chicken wings, and Rex Ryan, our head coach in New York at the time, was devouring them (though he wasn’t the only one). Crumbs were strewn around the room, and the whole room gradually became aware of an ant mountain developing on the floor. They were all over the place. With all of that going on, it was difficult for any of us to retain our cool and maintain a professional demeanor, and the poor draft prospect we were chatting with was trying to figure out what to make of it all.
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What are some of the strangest replies you recall hearing in the interview room?
Back when I was with the Jets in 2006, we had just hired Eric Mangini as our new head coach. So when we asked roughly a dozen prospects at that year’s combine who the team’s head coach was, none of them pointed to Mangini or mentioned his name. Seriously. I remember our director of player development, Jerome Henderson (currently the defensive backs coach for the New York Giants), and our assistant defensive line coach, Bryan Cox Sr., receiving some recognition.
Then there was the occasion when we were just given one question to answer. We asked a defensive talent (who went on to be drafted in the top 15) to tell us a little bit about himself. The interview ended after fifteen minutes of unbroken time. We were never given the chance to follow up.
Are there a lot of dull responses? What about ready-made responses?
You’ll receive a lot of one-word responses, which is usually a letdown. Some men just attempt to speak as little as possible in order to get past the 15-minute time limit. Others have a lot to say as well. One thing I recall hating was when a player conducted the interview in the third person. Mike believed that was a turnoff even if it didn’t happen very often.
Stock responses are, of course, always popular. While we tried not to let them influence our research, certain athletes just excel in such atmosphere. Countless times, you’d be in the midst of a conversation with a prospect when you’d hear, “I was young and immature, and it won’t happen again.”
What’s the finest response you’ve ever heard?
I recall the finest one coming from an FCS defensive back. “What will you purchase with your signing bonus check?” we inquired. “I’m going to buy my grandma groceries and fill up her kitchen,” the draft possibility said, “since she raised me and we didn’t have enough food growing up.”
Jimmy Johnson used to speak about picking athletes without a safety net, individuals who had no other option than to make it in the NFL. You often want to choose someone like that in the late rounds to give them a greater chance of breaking through.
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Have you ever seen any emotion?
Absolutely. I’ve seen players break down and weep, but it’s not very usual. It’s very moving. And I always thought it sent the correct message about how important their careers were to them, as well as emphasizing how many athletes had to overcome enormous challenges just to get to the combine.
Do prospects ever ask questions of the teams?
They do, and those who are well-prepared and ask intelligent, insightful questions are the ones that stand out. Quarterbacks like asking questions, especially about matters that are relevant to their strategy. Prospects will ask when they can move into town, when they can start, and what restrictions there are on what they can do with the club until then.
Are there any signals you look for in people’s body language?
Eye contact is always the first step. That’s significant. Do they seem to be sitting erect or slouching in their seats? That is also important.
It’s also worth mentioning the outfit. Combination jumpsuits are the norm, but it sticks out when someone makes it plain that this is a legitimate job interview. Some men even dress up with a suit and tie. Kerry Rhodes, a former safety, was the first I recall doing it, and it made such an effect on the room. In the end, we selected him in the fourth round.
Has anybody ever done anything unusual?
As previously stated, these interviews for both the teams and the players are piled on top of them other. It’s going to be a long day. One year, an exceptional defensive lineman walked into the room and requested a piece of gum, claiming he needed a “energy boost.” We gladly gave him one, but informed him that it was sugar-free. I recall him simply gazing at us, perplexed, and then accepting it without saying anything and completing the interview. He was clearly drunk at that point in the series of encounters, but it was an odd moment in an odd interview.
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Do you recall any prospects that completely blew the interview?
Unfortunately, there are many. And it always seems to return to the same few topics. For begin, athletes who did not understand their roles on video were penalized. Lying about an event that occurred off the field was also a major red flag. (Each team has its own security department that looks into potential candidates.)
But one that stood out was blaming bad play on either strategy or others. To be honest, it would rule a prospect out of the draft for us. It happened to me with a couple quarterbacks who blamed a mistake on play design or a wide receiver’s miscalculation. It was astonishing to watch players who were meant to be leaders on the field refuse to accept fault and show no self-awareness.
Have you ever had someone impress you with anything they did during the interview?
During the film portion of his interview, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, the No. 3 overall choice in 2008, was outstanding. During an interview, we could usually go through eight to twelve plays, with the candidate explaining how each one worked, individual roles, protection, and coverage. Ryan, on the other hand, was a master of breakdowns. The QB from Boston College, working with our offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, completed roughly 20 plays in the 15-minute span. It was very amazing to see.
Have you ever made a draft choice simply based on an interview?
No, but the intangibles of a candidate may occasionally be so appealing that we would move them up our board. It’s a component of the puzzle, but it’s not the complete thing. And, in hindsight, exaggerating someone’s intangibles is just as bad as ignoring their terrible ones.
Whose interview best encapsulated who they are?
End of the rope Rob Gronkowski is a member of the New England Patriots. Gronk, a second-round pick in 2010, entered with a lighthearted demeanor, downplaying the importance of the interview situation. During the interview, it was difficult to detect his playing passion, but everything else about him was on exhibit. He didn’t take himself too seriously, he obviously enjoyed football, and he was quite likeable. And yeah, he had a great memory for obligations. It was evident that he was well-versed in and enthusiastic about the game.
The “oldest NFL team” is the
Chicago Bears. They were founded in 1919 and have won 11 championships, most recently in 1985. The oldest franchise in the NFL is the Chicago Bears. Reference: oldest nfl team.
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