Tribal Warfare
02-24-2010, 10:23 PM
Brandon Graham owes a debt of gratitude to Dolphins’ Jake Long (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-dolphins/fl-brandon-graham-dolphins-combine-0225-20100224,0,1037545,full.story)
Miami Dolphins star showed young defender what it took during their Michigan days
By Mike Berardino, Sun Sentinel
3:35 PM EST, February 24, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS
When Brandon Graham becomes the latest in a long line of first-round NFL Draft picks from the University of Michigan, he'll think of Jake Long.
Not just because Long, Graham's former Wolverines teammates, went No. 1 to the Miami Dolphins in 2008, but because it was Long, the mammoth left tackle, who taught a wide-eyed freshman from Detroit what it would take to survive in college football.
"My freshman year was the worst because I had to go against him all the time [in practice] and he used to go 100 percent all the time," says Graham, a defensive end/outside linebacker. "He didn't do anything but make me better. He put me on the ground a few times. Well, a whole bunch of times."
Graham, the reigning Big Ten MVP, can laugh about those beatings now as he heads to this week's NFL Scouting Combine off an MVP performance in the Senior Bowl.
Most projections have him going somewhere in the 20-30 range of the first round. The Patriots, picking 22nd, are a trendy choice to turn in Graham's name.
The Dolphins are looking for productive outside linebackers as well, and Bill Parcells' affinity for Michigan products is well known. After all, two of the first three draft picks of the Parcells era in South Florida were from Michigan (Chad Henne being the other).
It's unlikely Graham would climb as high as No. 12 in the first round, but perhaps the Dolphins would trade down to get him. They certainly won't have to go far in their locker room to get an informed recommendation.
"Going against Jake Long every day had a lot of impact on me," Graham says. "He played every down like it was a game. He really got me ready too. He doesn't give away his hands real quick. Made me have to be patient and come off fast and use my hands as fast as I can. When Jake shoots his hands, he'll get a hold of you pretty quick."
What did those battles with Long do for Graham?
"They made me grow up," Graham says. "Being around the high level of competition we had with Chad Henne, Jake Long and a dominant line, it made me get off blocks and get to plays. Coming out of high school, when you're making all these plays, I had to get with it or be left behind."
Graham also credits former Wolverines teammate LaMarr Woodley, now starring at outside linebacker for the Steelers, with teaching him the ins and outs of the game. Scouting gurus often cite Woodley as the player Graham most resembles, even though Michigan went a combined 8-16 in Graham's final two seasons.
"What surprised me was how well he played on such a bad team," ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay says. "There were games when nothing was going right on the defensive side, and he's still going 100 miles an hour eight minutes into the fourth quarter and acting like they're trying to maintain a shutout."
That's the good news. The bad news is that Graham, at 6 feet 1 and 270 pounds, leaves some scouts nitpicking his physical attributes.
His arms measured just 30 1/2 inches, for instance, which NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock calls "extremely short" for the position. Even McShay refers to an "underwhelming body" when discussing Graham, who entered Michigan at 305 pounds.
Graham isn't fazed. He keeps in touch with Woodley and proudly shares the advice he's gleaned.
"LaMarr just says, ‘Get to the ball. Run to the ball,' " Graham says. "He says, ‘Show those boys you got a high motor. They know you can play football. Just show them you can keep going.' "
Miami Dolphins star showed young defender what it took during their Michigan days
By Mike Berardino, Sun Sentinel
3:35 PM EST, February 24, 2010
INDIANAPOLIS
When Brandon Graham becomes the latest in a long line of first-round NFL Draft picks from the University of Michigan, he'll think of Jake Long.
Not just because Long, Graham's former Wolverines teammates, went No. 1 to the Miami Dolphins in 2008, but because it was Long, the mammoth left tackle, who taught a wide-eyed freshman from Detroit what it would take to survive in college football.
"My freshman year was the worst because I had to go against him all the time [in practice] and he used to go 100 percent all the time," says Graham, a defensive end/outside linebacker. "He didn't do anything but make me better. He put me on the ground a few times. Well, a whole bunch of times."
Graham, the reigning Big Ten MVP, can laugh about those beatings now as he heads to this week's NFL Scouting Combine off an MVP performance in the Senior Bowl.
Most projections have him going somewhere in the 20-30 range of the first round. The Patriots, picking 22nd, are a trendy choice to turn in Graham's name.
The Dolphins are looking for productive outside linebackers as well, and Bill Parcells' affinity for Michigan products is well known. After all, two of the first three draft picks of the Parcells era in South Florida were from Michigan (Chad Henne being the other).
It's unlikely Graham would climb as high as No. 12 in the first round, but perhaps the Dolphins would trade down to get him. They certainly won't have to go far in their locker room to get an informed recommendation.
"Going against Jake Long every day had a lot of impact on me," Graham says. "He played every down like it was a game. He really got me ready too. He doesn't give away his hands real quick. Made me have to be patient and come off fast and use my hands as fast as I can. When Jake shoots his hands, he'll get a hold of you pretty quick."
What did those battles with Long do for Graham?
"They made me grow up," Graham says. "Being around the high level of competition we had with Chad Henne, Jake Long and a dominant line, it made me get off blocks and get to plays. Coming out of high school, when you're making all these plays, I had to get with it or be left behind."
Graham also credits former Wolverines teammate LaMarr Woodley, now starring at outside linebacker for the Steelers, with teaching him the ins and outs of the game. Scouting gurus often cite Woodley as the player Graham most resembles, even though Michigan went a combined 8-16 in Graham's final two seasons.
"What surprised me was how well he played on such a bad team," ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay says. "There were games when nothing was going right on the defensive side, and he's still going 100 miles an hour eight minutes into the fourth quarter and acting like they're trying to maintain a shutout."
That's the good news. The bad news is that Graham, at 6 feet 1 and 270 pounds, leaves some scouts nitpicking his physical attributes.
His arms measured just 30 1/2 inches, for instance, which NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock calls "extremely short" for the position. Even McShay refers to an "underwhelming body" when discussing Graham, who entered Michigan at 305 pounds.
Graham isn't fazed. He keeps in touch with Woodley and proudly shares the advice he's gleaned.
"LaMarr just says, ‘Get to the ball. Run to the ball,' " Graham says. "He says, ‘Show those boys you got a high motor. They know you can play football. Just show them you can keep going.' "