I had the distinct pleasure of sitting in for my esteemed colleague Gary Davenport on Tuesday night's edition of Kellogg's Komments where we had the extraordinary opportunity to interview three very intriguing 2013 NFL Draft prospects.
California WR Keenan Allen, North, Carolina State CB David Amerson and Northern Illinois OLB Tyrone Clark were all kind enough to enlighten us on a variety of topics as they approach this new chapter in each of their respective careers.
Keenan Allen, WR, California
Keenan Allen If not for a late season PCL injury that caused him to miss the season's final three games Keenan Allen would be the number one wide receiver on every teams draft board. The injury would keep Allen from participating in the NFL Combine drills but he did attend the festivities and measured in at 6' 2" and 206 lbs.
When asked what he anticipated his forty time would be at his upcoming pro day (April 9th), Allen responded that he thought he'd put up "...in the 4.4s or low 4.5s on a bad day'."
Allen has been working out in Boca Raton, Florida with Tony Villani at XPE Sports five days a week in preparation for his Pro Day and stated that his concentration has been focused on his lower body strength and increasing his speed.
Having played running back as a youngster when asked about some of his favorite players growing up Allen mentioned fantasy football icons Marshall Faulk and Terrell Davis. After making the transition to wide receiver Allen commented that some of his favorite players were Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin and Calvin Johnson.
Allen spoke very fondly of the support his family has given him throughout his football career, especially his stepfather whom he said that he would give the football from his first NFL touchdown to. He also mentioned the lasting impact that his coach in a ‘mites' league for 10-year olds had on his development over the years.
When asked to elaborate on why an NFL team should draft him, you could hear the passion in his voice as Allen stated that he is a ‘football guy,' loves the game and has a dedication to becoming the best there is and a commitment to keep improving at his craft.
When pressed to pick whom his toughest opponent was while at California and how he fared against him, he chose Washington CB Desmond Trufant. I guess that was a compliment but it was also the game that Allen chose as his most memorable while at Cal. Allen had 10 catches for 197 yards that included a 92-yard touchdown reception and...