The NFL Scouting Combine is the ultimate job interview. Unfortunately for former Oregon safety Avery Patterson, he didn’t receive an invite to the exclusive showing. @@name checked@@
“I actually was (surprised),” Patterson said following Oregon’s pro day. “Just being a two-year starter, a captain, and a leader on this Ducks team, I felt like I should’ve been at the combine with a lot of those other guys.”
Standing at 5-foot-10, Patterson is used to people underestimating him. Through this, Patterson has fostered this and used it as motivation.
“I’ve had a chip on my shoulder since high school,” Patterson said, “not being the biggest or the strongest guy out there. So, I know with my height, that’s something (scouts) are worried about.”
Instead of getting the opportunity to show his skills in front of a multitude of NFL head coaches and scouts at the combine, Patterson had to sit back and prepare for his chance at Oregon’s pro day. With just one opportunity in his disposal, nerves were bound to set in.
“It’s definitely a little nerve wracking,” Patterson said about the entire pro day experience.
Despite the nerves, Patterson settled in as the day went on.
“You know this is your job interview for the next level,” Patterson said. “If you just focus in and treat it like a game and go out there and have fun, it settles down. That’s what I feel like I did towards the end and just treated it like another day.”
Now that the pro day is finally over, Patterson can take a giant weight off his shoulder. One that was created by the nervousness and anticipation of such an important workout.
“This is something I’ve been preparing for since the day after the Alamo Bowl and it’s been something I’ve been thinking about since the Alamo Bowl,” Patterson said. “It’s finally over and I’m ready to get to the next level.”
Patterson wasn’t the only former Oregon player with something to prove at the team’s pro day.
Former running back De’Anthony Thomas, who flashed his elite speed on a consistent basis while at Oregon, struggled at the combine. Officially, the speedster ran 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash — a surprising number for Thomas. @@name checked@@
“I (ran) 4.5 in ninth grade so I was like, ‘Wow its crazy,’ ” Thomas said.
While many began to question the validity of his quickness, Thomas used the sub-par time as motivation.
“I feel like it made me train harder and I just used it as motivation,” Thomas said.
Patterson added, “(The scouts) know how fast he is. You can turn on the film and see that. You can come out here and watch it. You can go back and record it and time it yourself: It wasn’t a 4.5.”
Getting drafted is just the first step on the arduous road to becoming an NFL player. It’s an opportunity, one that Patterson and the other Oregon NFL hopefuls will cherish.
“If I get into camp, all I can ask for is the same opportunity as everyone else,” Patterson said. “If you go out there and make plays — which is something I’ve been doing since I was a little kid — you’ll make your way onto a roster.”
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @jhoyt42