McKinnon and Westbrooks Surround Themselves with Family as NFL Futures Unfold
5/8/2014 8:00:00 PM | Football
Mini-camp assignments will follow NFL Draft weekend decisions
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MARIETTA & RIVERDALE, Ga. – Georgia Southern Eagles Jerick McKinnon and Lavelle Westbooks have spent the last four years together, as teammates and roommates. Even though they'll be a few miles apart this weekend, they'll both be at their Atlanta-area homes surrounded by family and awaiting news of what their futures hold. The NFL Draft begins Thursday night, May 8th, at 8 p.m. with first-round selections and continues Friday (rounds 2-3) and Saturday (rounds 4-7). Both ESPN and the NFL Network will have live coverage of the 79th annual NFL Draft and Eagle fans can watch live streaming on WatchESPN and NFL.com. Friday's broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with a noon ET start on Saturday.
The NFL Draft weekend is two weeks later this year, but rookie camps are scheduled for the same time period as previous years, beginning on Tuesday of next week. Several NFL teams have looked at both Eagle teammates, but only time will reveal their destinations.
The short time from this exciting weekend to the start of their professional careers is a huge contrast to what the pair have gone through over the five or so months after the Eagles' win over Florida in the 2013 season finale in November.
"For us to end the season that way, the win at Florida was the most amazing thing ever that happened to me probably up until this weekend's draft," said Eagle quarterback and running back Jerick McKinnon. "Being out there with my teammates in the final seconds and watching the defense stop, the feeling in the brain is the best feeling you could have as a college football player. After that, I finished the semester and went to start training. It was definitely a new experience with two workouts a day, going from 7 in the morning until 6 at night, to prepare for the Senior Bowl."
While the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile is the showcase event for the players, the week of workouts and exposure to NFL personnel and getting coaching from NFL staffs, is likely the most valuable experience they can have. McKinnon trained in Pensacola, Florida, while Westbrooks was in Arizona. They reunited as roommates in Mobile and took advantage of the opportunities to meet with NFL general managers, coaches and team personnel.
"I had a really good week and received a lot of good feedback and technical advice from several teams,' MicKinnon said. "There was so much knowledge and wisdom dropped on me at the same time from the Jaguar coaching staff, so it was definitely a learning experience."
Not quite a month later, both would be in the same town again, this time in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, but separated by a few days based on their position groups. Both McKinnon and Westbrooks appreciated the guidance they received from J.J. Wilcox, now with the Dallas Cowboys, who had been in the same position just the year before. He was able to tell them what to expect and for them to enjoy the process. Darius Eubanks, who moved his way to a starting position with the Cleveland Browns last season, also provided solid advice.
Now, in 2014, two Eagles were on the NFL's watch list.
"With those two guys already in the NFL, and having both of us at the Senior Bowl and at the combine really spoke volumes about the type of organization that Georgia Southern has and how we were prepared by our coaching staff." McKinnon said. "It opened up eyes to our program, those guys being in the pros, and the Sun Belt move, it put Georgia Southern up to a whole new level."
Both McKinnon and Westbrooks have watched the draft in year's past, now they'll be looking at it from another perspective. They may have seen other players on SportsCenter highlights, through training, the Senior Bowl and to the combine, they were on the same field.
McKinnon took a few minutes the day before the combine to walk out onto Lucas Oil Stadium and take it all. It was then it really hit him that he was really there. The next day, he announced his intentions to play in the NFL by crushing his physical tests.
For Westbrooks, getting to the Senior Bowl, the combine and the training was the comfortable part.
"The most stressful part was selecting an agent because so many people are contacting you," Westbrooks said. "Once you have that out of the way, you can focus on football. You are going to know where you are going to train, know when you have to be where, when you have to get ready for the Senior Bowl, then the combine, then pro day and more workouts. Once I got past the agent part, everything was smooth sailing after that."
McKinnon's stress came as he was preparing for the Senior Bowl and hoping for an invitation to the combine. He has no anxiety whatsoever about changing positions or learning something new. At pro day, his name was called for the start of measurements the additional information started with a position then a "slash" then another position, another "slash" and another and another.
"I just want to play," McKinnon commented. "Wherever I go, I just want to play. When I talk to the GMs and the coaches, the first thing they ask is 'what position do you want to play?' and I say, 'whatever you need!' I'm trying to make the team!"
It's more than likely McKinnon will have a lot on his plate once he joins his team, not just learning the system for a new team, but maybe learning a new position. He is more than willing to accept the learning curve. He's done it before.
"It's going to be a lot when you get to the next level and I'm lucky to have all these experiences," McKinnon said. "It's all about what you are willing to do and I tell the coaches I'm willing to do whatever it takes. Throw it my way and I am happy to take it, if you don't think I am willing, I'll still take it and show you I can do it. I think it will work out. Whatever position I play, I am excited to be back in the classroom, to learn from the coach and from the veterans, and soak it all in like a sponge."
Westbrooks has drawn attention from teams as a hybrid defensive back, one who can play both safety and cornerback. He's crisscrossed the country with workouts and visits and emphasizes that he feels an even higher level of responsibility.
"It's not difficult to be on your own schedule, you don't realize it when you are a college student, but it is an adjustment," Westbrooks said. "When you are a student-athlete, everything is taken care of and everything is on a set schedule, be here, be here, be here, it's a set schedule. Once you are at this point, through this whole process, everything is on you. No one is telling you that have to do anything, either you are going to do it or not. There's nothing else to say about it. It's one of those things where you have to put on your big boy pants and get to work."
Throughout his training sessions in Arizona and back in Statesboro, Westbrooks has maintained his drive and determination.
"You don't have to do it," said the Riverdale, Ga., native. "You have to understand that you are doing this more than just for you, you are doing this for family, friends and teammates you just have to just go out and work hard and grind for what you want."
Even though they were both in Statesboro for part of the spring, both McKinnon and Westbrooks admitted that they missed being around their Eagle teammates. The opportunities they have ahead of them, though, will allow them to help draw even more attention to the Georgia Southern program and University.
"I feel blessed, extremely blessed, so many players wish they could be in this same position, so I am definitely blessed," Westbrooks said. "This is a great time, not just for me, not just for Jerick, but everyone at Georgia Southern and we are so grateful for all the people who have supported us through this whole journey. "
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA.
Season tickets for the Eagles' first FBS and Sun Belt Conference campaign are available at GSEagles.com/fbtix. For more information, call 1-800-GSU-WINS or e-mail tickets@georgiasouthern.edu weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
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