McBride stays focused for NFL scouting week

Turk McBride played at the highest level of college football for four seasons at the University of Tennessee, but the former Inquirer South Jersey defensive player of the year from Woodrow Wilson in Camden realizes that he'll face true scrutiny this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The weeklong evaluation process at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis can help shape the draft status of a player despite, in McBride's case, four years of work that is readily available on film.

"It's really a lot of pressure, but the main thing is that I believe you don't look at it as that," said McBride, in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where he has been training for the combine since early January. "Certain players fold under that pressure, and I know of players who played well in college and went to the combine and don't do well."

The 6-foot-3, 274-pound McBride is hoping not to fall into that category.

McBride is a natural defensive end who, because of injuries, was forced to move inside to tackle after three games in his senior year. As a senior, he earned first-team honors on the Associated Press all-Southeastern Conference team. During his senior season, McBride started 13 games and had 68 tackles, 8.5 for loss, one sack, one pass breakup, five quarterback hurries and one forced fumble.

McBride switched between end and tackle throughout his career, where he appeared in 43 games, including 17 starts. He is hoping to impress the scouts with his speed and strength.

"I have been around 4.8 and hope to be in the mid 4.7s for the combine," he said. "My main concern is my 40 and my misdirection drills, the way I turn and accelerate."

At the combine, players are asked to bench-press 225 pounds as many times as they can. McBride has been working with 245 pounds and said he did 26 reps last week. McBride received a high grade from Eagles linebacker Omar Gaither, a former teammate at Tennessee.

"I think he's a great player who plays with a motor that never stops," Gaither said in a phone interview. "I think he projects as a 3-4 end, and it depends what type of team takes him."

Gaither says that McBride's so-called lack of size shouldn't be a deterrent.

"We played in the SEC and the average size of lines compare well with the NFL," Gaither said. "Turk has been playing with big guys [throughout] his career and has done a great job."

Dan Brooks, who just completed his 13th season as Tennessee's defensive line coach, says playing both tackle and end will be a plus for McBride on the next level.

"He is good at both, and I don't know what he will do, but I see him playing for somebody in the NFL next season," Brooks said. "He has a great work ethic, plays fast, takes coaching well and has a lot going for him."

McBride, who turns 22 in May, didn't redshirt at Tennessee and saw action in eight games as a freshman.

"He never redshirted, and that tells the story right there," Gaither said. "They felt like he was ready to go when he got there; he picked up the system quickly."

McBride, who says he is only nine credits short of earning his degree in sociology, says he has been led to believe he would be drafted in the second or third round. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. said yesterday that he saw McBride being selected in the late second and, at worst, a third round pick. "I really like his versatility," Kiper said. McBride's versatility should help his draft status.

"I talked to three NFL teams who told me that he is not a situational player, that he can play all three downs," said Winslow Township football coach Mike McBride, Turk's uncle and his former coach at Woodrow Wilson.

Turk McBride says he will arrive at the combine tomorrow. In addition to running and jumping, McBride should do well in the interview process with NFL teams.

"I always pride myself in being well spoken," McBride said. "Coming where I came from, there is negativity with the way people present themselves. I want to present myself well not only for myself but to represent the state of New Jersey and the city of Camden."

Unlike some players who become stressed out while being evaluated, McBride said he is looking forward to the entire process leading up to the NFL draft on April 28-29.

"I can remember at Wilson and seeing Jamaal Green get drafted [by the Eagles] and saying one day I may be blessed to be in that position," McBride said. "To say this is all exciting is definitely an understatement."