The Terp football team just graduated a Friedgen-era high 30 seniors. Naturally, several of them have aspirations of continuing their career at the next level.
To prepare, center Edwin Williams, guard Jaimie Thomas, defensive tackle Jeremy Navarre and linebacker Moise Fokou are training in the Atlanta-area with Chip Smith at Competitive Edge Sports, which has trained NFL Pro Bowlers such as Albert Haynesworth and Asante Samuel, according to its website.
Next week, Williams, Thomas and Fokou will head to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine. (They’ll be joined by former teammates Darrius Heyward-Bey, Kevin Barnes and Dan Gronkowski.)
I caught up with Williams, projected as the draft’s seventh-best center by www.draftcountdown.com, to get a few thoughts as he prepares.
Williams, who went to Atlanta from the East-West Shrine Game where he was on the victorious East squad, said he has been working out about four hours per day. That includes two hours of running and two hours of lifting, in addition to one pool workout a week.
“I’m just trying to get myself as light as I possibly can for athleticism, so I can just get at it,” Williams said. “That’s what the combine is. As far as the drills go, it’s all running around, fast-twitch muscles and flexibility. I’m just trying to get on top of my game. It’s going to be interesting, though.”
Williams has been clocked at 5.40 in the 40. He’s hoping to best 5.30 in Indianapolis.
That will be the hard part for the always affable Williams, who was consistently the star of the team’s Tuesday press lunches. Williams said he talked to some NFL personnel at the Shrine game and has been getting coaching at Competitive Edge Sports, but he’s confident in his interviewing skills.
“It’s really being myself,” Williams said. “It’s gotten me this far. I don’t see why I should change now.”
It’s all pretty exciting for Williams, who admitted he was a bit star struck when he arrived at the training facility. He’s currently living with players from Ohio University and Wisconsin, and training alongside players like former Oklahoma and Sam Houston State quarterback Rhett Bomar and former Oklahoma wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias.
“People aren’t out there being cut-throat,” Willaims said. “Everyone’s helping each other out, being positive. Everyone knows that really it’s out of our hands right now.”
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