This post is for all you guys out there who want some Grade-A beef in the trenches; I present to you Demario Pressley. This former Wolpacker is built like a Mack truck at 6'3" 301lbs. I think he has the type of thick, squatly frame to nicely project to nose tackle in a 3-4 down the road.
NC State in recent years has become somewhat of a D-line factory, sending guys like Mario Williams, Tank Tyler, John McCargo, and Manny Lawson (who has since shifted out to OLB) into the NFL. Read what Mr. Pressley had to say at the Combine and try not to come away impressed...it'll be hard:
"I think I took something small from each of those guys," Pressley said. "From Tank I took note of his power. From Johnny Mac it was his quickness and from Mario his speed and his technique. His technique as a defensive lineman was insane."
What have you been up to today?
"Just some meetings and I took the Wonderlic."
What was the Wonderlic like?
"It was pretty good. I had never taken the Wonderlic until today. I think I did all right."
What was the strangest question on the test?
"There was nothing really strange. It (the test) had questions like, 'Say if you are (working) at a Wal-Mart and you have employees. You pay off the base (salary) of the day and you need $12,000 the first day, $16,000 tomorrow and $20,000 the day after that, then what's the average?"
So it's a lot of math questions?
"I few of them. I hit probably about four hard ones."
You've had some injury issues. How do you feel right now?
"I feel good now. It was only this season and the only real issue was my right knee. I had that meniscus trim (that's what it sounds like on the tape). I feel fine now."
Are you going to do everything this week?
"yes sir."
What did you do to get in shape for the combine?
"I've been training at a place called WBI in Duluth, Ga. I've just been working with the trainers there and a defensive line coach to get ready."
Have you spoken with the Detroit Lions?
"yes sir."
How about the Buccaneers?
"Yes sir."
How did that meeting go with the Bucs?
"It went pretty well. I actually met with them today. The coach was talking to me and he actually taught me some things right there, about my hands and how to lock out and stuff like that."
That was the defensive line coach (Larry Coyer)?
"Yes sir."
N.C. State has had a lot of good defensive linemen the past few years. Has it helped
playing alongside those guys (Mario Williams, John McCargo and Tank Tyler)?
"I think I took something small from each of those guys. From Tank I took note of his power. From Johnny Mac it was his quickness and from Mario his speed and his technique. His technique as a defensive lineman was insane."
Have you stayed in touch with these guys?
"Everyone. Mario is hard to grab. But I have spoken with him in the past month."
When you guys made the coaching transfer from Amato to O'Brien, did
you have the same position coach?
"No, my coach has changed. My coach now is Keith Willis."
How was the transition?
"It was pretty good. There really wasn't that much that changed. Certain technique things were the same."
Have you gotten an idea of where teams are looking at you right now?
"Most teams are looking at me on the inside, but some teams, the teams with the big ends like the Chargers, are looking at me outside. Most teams are looking at me inside."
Is it possible that 3-4 teams are looking at you outside?
"Right, right."
It seems that most of the tackles here like to play the three technique. Not many of
them say they want to play the nose. It's tough to play that nose position, isn't it?
"You're going to hit each play, you're going to hit every down and your job will not get easier. It takes a man to play that position and I enjoy playing it. I can play every snap. I can do it all. I can play the three technique. I can play outside. I would be a big end, but I can play outside. As a nose tackle you have two or three guys on you every down and it gets kind of mean in there.
It's also harder to make plays because you're freeing up things for other players, right?
"You have to deal with that. You have to know that you're playing for the team and that you won't make a lot of plays. You have two or three guys on you every play. You're going to be busting it hard every play. You have to come to the fact that you are playing for the team."
How competitive was practice when you were there with Tyler and Williams and McCargo?
"It was very competitive. We still had on offense players like Jed Paulson and Chris Colmer, who played with the Bucs, and LeRoy Harris. So days got real hectic. Me and Tank were fighting for the other tackle because McCargo had one sewn up. It got real competitive between me and Tank."
Does it encourage you to see how high those guys went in the draft?
"I still watch John today. I still try to take notes watching him, Vince Wilfork, Tommie Harris. I try to get better in the small areas."
Did they help make you a better player?
"Yes, yes, yes. They taught me a lot of things, especially McCargo and Manny (Lawson). He worked with me on my technique. McCargo helped me a lot on my pass rush.
You mentioned Tommie Harris. What would it mean to have the opportunity to play alongside him?
"Playing with a Tommie Harris to me would be like a dream. I model myself after him. I watch him all the time."
Demario Pressley Highlights:
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