Today's segment of "Five Good Questions" is with John Davis of the Oxford (Miss) Eagle....John covers Ole Miss football and provided some feedback about Patrick Willis, the top rated inside linebacker in this year's NFL Draft....
Q1. Patrick Willis (photo) is considered the top inside linebacker in the country even though many people did not see Ole Miss play this year. What is your observation of Willis?
Willis is the best linebacker in the country simply because he is either making every play or in the vicinty when a tackle is made. He seems to be everywhere on the field. He also played through several injuries his junior year and nothing ever stopped his production. For a guy who grew up watching Miami Hurricane football in person, Willis is as good as Ray Lewis or Mike Barrow. He will be in the pros for many years.
Q2. Character and off-the-field activities are a hot topic in the NFL these days. What type of player is Willis off-the-field?
He is an outstanding character guy. He is a good student, always showed up for media interviews and donated his time to local charities and school children. There aren't too many better than Patrick.
Q3. Can Willis handle the speed in the NFL?
He ran the second fastest 40 time at the combine at 4.49. He's plenty fast and he has great anticiapation, which makes him even faster.
Q4. Besides Willis, what other Ole Miss player(s) should we keep an eye for this draft or even in future NFL drafts?
Yes, Rory Johnson should be a late round pick at linebacker. He had a good season, only played one year after transferring from JC, but is quick and has good size.
Q5. Which other SEC players can be considered "sleepers" in this year's draft who may have an impact in the NFL?
Quinton Culberson from Miss. State could be considered a sleeper. A lot of the SEC teams will have a bunch of players in the draft, but most are so well known, I don't know if they're sleepers or not.
I want to thank John Davis for taking the time to respond.....it is much appreciated!!!....tomorrow we will hear from Paul Strelow of The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C about the Clemson players, including stud defensive tackle Gaines Adams, who are preparing for the draft.....
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