Sebastian Vollmer Houston OT

[Wilson8]

I watched this guy in the East-West Shrine Game and he did not look graceful but no one got through him or around him. He also chased his man down on run blocks and removed them from making a play. He did a good job against some DEs that were supposed to be pretty good. One guy out of Richmond that was also in the Senior Bowl and the other guy out of Virginia Tech. I think he would be worth looking at for a late round draft pick. If any of you knows more about him, I'd be interested in hearing about him. He was a TE that grew into a tackle so I think he might have some athletic ability.

02/16/09 - PRO POTENTIAL: OT Sebastian Vollmer -- The 6-8, 315-pound left tackle had a chance to impress scouts at the East-West Shrine Game. He helped the Cougars' running game average 5.2 yards per carry and pile up more than 2,000 yards in 2008.

02/02/09 - Top 15 players NOT invited to the NFL Combine: OT Sebastian Vollmer (Houston): Another East-West riser, Vollmer's continued improvement through practice and strong Shrine Game performance has pushed him up draft boards. - Chad Reuter, The Sports Xchange, NFLDraftScout.com

12/10/08 - 2008 ALL-CONFERENCE USA FIRST TEAM: Offensive Lineman - Sebastian Vollmer, Sr., Houston, has been selected All-Conference USA football First Team for the 2008 college football season as voted by the league head coaches. Just two years removed from major back surgery and five years removed from moving to this country, Vollmer staked himself as one of the top linemen in the Conference USA and has started the last 25 games at tackle for the Cougars. The Cougars' offense is No. 1 in the nation with 575.1 yards per game, second in passing at 414.1 ypg and eighth in scoring at 41.2 points per game. - Houston football

Name: Sebastian Vollmer
College: Houston Number: 59
Height: 6-7 Weight: 314
Position: OT Pos2:
Class/Draft Year: rSr/2009
40 Time: 5.27 40 Low: 5.16 40 High: 5.69
Projected Round: 4 Stock:
Rated number 13 out of 191 OT's 130 / 2598 TOTAL

Vollmer is one of the more unusual stories in this year's draft class. He did not start playing football until he was 14 years old, but still helped his German prep school win two national championships.

U.S. college coaches lined up to sign Vollmer after he appeared in the 2004 Global Junior Championships in San Diego. Vollmer spoke almost no English when he signed with Houston.

He started out as a 250-pound tight end before growing into a first-team All-Conference USA left tackle as a senior. Although he missed the 2006 season with major back surgery and will turn 25 in July, Vollmer's upside, size and athleticism means he'll be selected sometime mid-afternoon Sunday on draft weekend.

Analysis
Positives: Prototypical height and length for the tackle position. Plenty of upside, and could gain another 10-15 pounds of muscle. Good strength to get into the defender's jersey and walk him off the line. Catches and locks onto pass rushers using his size and long arms, rarely getting ripped off initially. Uses his length and footwork to prevent speed rushers from getting his outside shoulder. Fair initial punch that knocks smaller ends off their path. Has quick enough feet to get inside the shoulder of his man on runs away from his side. Picks up inside blitzes well. Adequate getting to linebackers when he can line them up.

Negatives: Still a bit raw due to inexperience. Played left tackle for UH but is best on the right side in the NFL because he lacks the requisite lateral movement and recovery speed. His pad level is too high on most plays. Will lose the leverage battle and get pushed into the quarterback by stronger pro defensive ends unless he bends his knees and uses his hands effectively. Does not stay with his man if his quarterback scrambles. Could sustain blocks better by moving his feet, as he tends to simply push the defender and lose his balance. Struggles to adjust quickly to late blitzes and at the second level. Houston's pass-happy, spread offense did not allow him to line up with his hand on the ground very often. Must learn to explode from his stance in short-yardage situations.

Injury Report
2006: Missed season following back surgery.

High School
Named to the European All-Star team. … helped lead his prep team to a 25-0 record over his career. … finished second at the European Championship game. … two-time national champion.

Personal
Full name is Sebastian G. Vollmer … born October 7, 1984, in Duesseldorf, Germany … son of Werner and Jutta Vollmer of Kaarst, Germany … also recruited by Western Michigan, Louisiana Tech and Indiana … majoring in public relations and advertising.