Norm Hitzges interview with Demarcus Ware on SportRadio 1310 The Ticket
Interview originally posted by InmanRoshi from a sports forum:
Feeling more relaxed this year?
So much more, everything isn’t going 100 mph like last year.
What was the combine like with 300 bodies in shorts and tshirts being prodded and poked?
It was like lining up 100 cattle and see which one you could milk the most. Every team was there watching you and evaluating you, so its almost like you can’t satisfy all of them.
Without identifying the team, what’s the strangest thing you were asked last year?
What type of animal you would like to be? What is your favorite subject. Where do you like to live. Things that don’t portain to football.
So what type of animal would you like to be?
Lion. King of the Jungle, baby.
That’s the right answer. The wrong answer would be wilderbeast.
Yeah, or hyenia. They probably think your someone who doesn’t take things seriously.
What was draft day like?
Christmas day. You don’t know what kind of present you’re going to get, but you know something good is going to happen. You get a call and its like you open up your present.
Did any teams call you that morning to give you the latest updates?
My phone was really quiet that morning. But after I was picked my batteries went dead in 10 minutes and my text messages were full because everyone was calling.
You remember we were the very first people to call you after the pick ,and you thought it was the Cowboys calling?
Yeah.
We were going to negotiate a contract with you. Some people had you going as high as the 5 pick. So when you start getting around the 8 or 10 pick range did you get nervous at all?
Yeah, because teams hype it up that they are interested in you at a certain spot and then they draft someone else. Then another team that doesn’t talk to you picks you up, it’s a roller coaster.
TO’s voluntary weight program … does this bother you at all?
Doesn’t bother me at all. He came up here and worked out and he’s better built than I am, he runs faster than I do, and he does the agility drills better than me. So he must be doing something right working out on his own.
What do you think would happen if you asked for special treatment with the voluntary workouts?
That wouldn’t happen. Voluntary means mandatory.
What was your biggest misconception about the league? What really surprised you?
Its more of a mental game than a physical game. So much is about schemes and match ups. The size of our playbook is like a Websters Dictionary, and I need to know the LB and DE responsibilities.
Everyone thinks of offensive audibles, but how many times does the defense calls audibiles?
Not very often, but it happens. You may have a specific thing you want to do when a team lines up in a certain formation. When the offense changes, the defense has to do the same.
Was there one veteran that you looked at and tried to emulate?
Greg Ellis is a real hard working guy, and he’s been playing 10 or 11 years and he’s running gassers out there like the young guys.
After a bad game did a veteran ever come up to you and try to help you?
Yeah, if I made a mistake a guy like LeRoi and Dat would come over to me and explain to me things I need to work on and explain to me what I did wrong.
There is talk that the Cowboys may add another OLB. Will you help them out with how to deal with Bill?
I’ll tell them that no matter where you were picked in the draft, 1st round or 3rd round, he’s going to criticize you. So how do you deal with the criticism? Do you let it bother you or do you take his advice
Feeling more relaxed this year?
So much more, everything isn’t going 100 mph like last year.
What was the combine like with 300 bodies in shorts and tshirts being prodded and poked?
It was like lining up 100 cattle and see which one you could milk the most. Every team was there watching you and evaluating you, so its almost like you can’t satisfy all of them.
Without identifying the team, what’s the strangest thing you were asked last year?
What type of animal you would like to be? What is your favorite subject. Where do you like to live. Things that don’t portain to football.
So what type of animal would you like to be?
Lion. King of the Jungle, baby.
That’s the right answer. The wrong answer would be wilderbeast.
Yeah, or hyenia. They probably think your someone who doesn’t take things seriously.
What was draft day like?
Christmas day. You don’t know what kind of present you’re going to get, but you know something good is going to happen. You get a call and its like you open up your present.
Did any teams call you that morning to give you the latest updates?
My phone was really quiet that morning. But after I was picked my batteries went dead in 10 minutes and my text messages were full because everyone was calling.
You remember we were the very first people to call you after the pick ,and you thought it was the Cowboys calling?
Yeah.
We were going to negotiate a contract with you. Some people had you going as high as the 5 pick. So when you start getting around the 8 or 10 pick range did you get nervous at all?
Yeah, because teams hype it up that they are interested in you at a certain spot and then they draft someone else. Then another team that doesn’t talk to you picks you up, it’s a roller coaster.
TO’s voluntary weight program … does this bother you at all?
Doesn’t bother me at all. He came up here and worked out and he’s better built than I am, he runs faster than I do, and he does the agility drills better than me. So he must be doing something right working out on his own.
What do you think would happen if you asked for special treatment with the voluntary workouts?
That wouldn’t happen. Voluntary means mandatory.
What was your biggest misconception about the league? What really surprised you?
Its more of a mental game than a physical game. So much is about schemes and match ups. The size of our playbook is like a Websters Dictionary, and I need to know the LB and DE responsibilities.
Everyone thinks of offensive audibles, but how many times does the defense calls audibiles?
Not very often, but it happens. You may have a specific thing you want to do when a team lines up in a certain formation. When the offense changes, the defense has to do the same.
Was there one veteran that you looked at and tried to emulate?
Greg Ellis is a real hard working guy, and he’s been playing 10 or 11 years and he’s running gassers out there like the young guys.
After a bad game did a veteran ever come up to you and try to help you?
Yeah, if I made a mistake a guy like LeRoi and Dat would come over to me and explain to me things I need to work on and explain to me what I did wrong.
There is talk that the Cowboys may add another OLB. Will you help them out with how to deal with Bill?
I’ll tell them that no matter where you were picked in the draft, 1st round or 3rd round, he’s going to criticize you. So how do you deal with the criticism? Do you let it bother you or do you take his advice
posted by The Gryphon at 8:37 PM
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