Hendon Hooker and Warren Zevon: Combine Notebook

NFL Draft - INDIANAPOLIS—Illinois safety Sydney Brown is an excellent prospect whose journey to the NFL is an inspiring story of perseverance.

In the fine Walkthrough combine notebook tradition, however, we lead not with Brown's NFL prospects, nor his journey, but with Brown's response to a standard podium-interview question about what sports he played a child.

"We grew up fighting, boxing, some MMA, wrestling, along with track … and we did some figure skating here and there."

Brown and his twin brother, Illinois running back Chase Brown (also here at the combine), grew up in Ontario. So the skating part makes sense. But I have been covering the combine since 2011 and have never spoken to any prospect who ever figure skated.

"Our mom threw the skates on us, with the toe picks and all that," Brown said. "It was crazy: seven-year-old boys in toe picks. It was not a good look.

"We just wanted to skate. And my mom brought out the toe picks. It was something we wanted to do. But it's just an expensive sport."

Well, how good did you get? "I was doing some spins. But I stopped before it got too serious."

The Brown Twins' childhood grew much more difficult after they hung up the toe picks. Their story may be the subject of a future Walkthrough, and there is no space or time here to do justice to the descent into homelessness which forced the brothers to travel to Florida at 16 to live with sponsor families. Pat Forde's 2022 Sports Illustrated feature on the Browns does their story proper justice.

As for the prospect: Brown intercepted six passes last season as part of one of the best secondaries in the nation. He has all the speed you'd ever need and instincts to match, plus a confident, take-no-prisoners demeanor.

Brown was thronged by reporters on Thursday, many of them asking the always informative didja talk to team x? questions that make combine interviews such a delight. So I was unable to ask the inevitable follow-up question about Brown's youth sporting background: How did your figure skating experience help you become a better football player?

Well, it had to help with balance, right? And spinning into a jump requires an impressive transference of speed to power. But the Brown twins certainly learned more important life lessons over the years.

"I risk-take with no regret," Brown said of his play style. "I don't think. I just go."

Now that sounds like a safety who will leave some ballcarriers spinning.

Hendon Hooker Sets the Record Straight

There are three questions surrounding Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker as he enters the 2023 draft. The first is about his age: Hooker is 25 years old, older than Jalen Hurts. The second is health: Hooker tore his left ACL in November. The third in the Volunteers offense, which operates at a blurry tempo and is loaded with screens, stack formations, and other concepts that can make life easy for a quarterback.

Hooker isn't getting any younger, so there is little else to be said about that. Hooker said on Friday that his rehab is going well and he expects to be 100% "around camp time," so his health is a minor issue for any team that can afford to wait a little on a quarterback prospect.

As for that hinky Vols offense, friend-of-Walkthrough Doug Farrar of USA Today gave Hooker a chance to debunk the theory that he was operating in easy mode over the last two years.

"I can't help that defenders can't cover my receivers," Hooker said when asked about his team's "one-read" scheme. "My job is to get them the ball."

"A lot of these questions about one-sided reads, we have pure progressions and routes: it's not my fault that my first read is getting open," Hooker continued. "We have pre-snap looks: one-high, two-high. Double footwork combo. We have progressions with an alert, an option. Any of these questions: they're cool and all, but when you dig into our offense, just watch the film and you'll understand. … How fast we are going, I have to process a lot of information. And communicate with everyone."

Hooker's tape shows a quarterback who can indeed check down to his secondary target and avoid staring down his primary receiver about as well as most college prospects. Throwing to Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman made life a little easier for him, but check out C.J. Stroud's receivers in 2021 and 2022, Joe Burrow's in his final college season, and so forth. Of course the guy who threw 58 touchdowns and five interceptions in two SEC seasons had fine receivers. If he put up those numbers without fine receivers he'd be getting recruited by the Justice League, not the NFL.

Hooker will be QB4 in the FO 100, which launches on Monday.

Andre Jones Jr. Cuts Footloose

University of Louisiana edge rusher Andre Jones Jr. was a pretty good prep basketball player as well as a football player. But when asked about his youth sports days, he lamented not broadening his horizons a little.

"I should have taken a ballet class or something like that," Jones said. "A dance class to work on my coordination."

Suddenly, a repressed memory resurfaced. "Oh yeah, I DID take a dance class in college. The teachers laughed at me every day."

Why did the teachers laugh at him? "Because I don't like to dance! I never liked to dance. I'm laid back. When I'm sitting down, you might think I can dance. But when I get up, my feet don't match up."

But Jones played basketball and football. His footwork should be just fine for dancing. "That's just not the case all the time."

"All the girls were laughing at all the football players in there," Jones continued. "They were like, 'what are y'all doing?' Even our starting quarterback was in there, and they were laughing at us.

"I had a partner, and she was just trying to work with me. She was struggling."

Eventually, we reached the heart of Jones' trauma. "We even had a lesson plan. I had to teach my dance to the class. That was the hardest part, because I didn't like dancing in the first place. When my day came, I was like, 'OK, bear with me.'

"My song was Footloose. It was hard. I'm glad I made it through that class."

We're all glad Jones made it through that class. With a B, no less. But Jones will still show off his dance moves after an NFL sack or interception, right?

"Oh yeah, definitely," he said. "It's different in a classroom."

Tucker Kraft and the Midnight Special

Here's South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft on the most memorable part of the combine experience: "There's a train that goes by real late at night. It feels like the building's about to come down. So, if you already weren't getting to bed at 11 and getting up at 6, you're gonna get woken up in the middle of the night by a train."

Kraft is an interesting prospect likely to crack the FO 100. He played running back, defensive end, middle linebacker, and punter on a 9-on-9 football team for a high school with a graduating class of 24 students. He's a much better blocker than the typical small-program biggest-dude-on-the-field tight end, but he also missed half of last season with a sprained ankle.

"Mentally, it took a greater toll on me than physically," Kraft said of the injury. "I invested so much time in the 2022 season trying to be tight end one on the board, in all of college football. Like, unanimous Tight End One. That hurt a lot: my pride, everything. But after about four weeks I realized: I'm gonna bounce back from this a lot faster than I thought. … I came back and won every game since then."

We'll know more when Kraft works out on Saturday, but he has the tape of a mid- to late-Day 2 selection and sounds like he has the personality to succeed.

"Tight end is the people's position," he said. "A lot of us are goofy. We like to have fun. When you witness a tight end's personality firsthand, that's something other teams want to emulate. They want to have that kind of guy in their locker room."

It's Dark, and Jayden Reed is Wearing Sunglasses

It rained hammers and nails in Indianapolis all day on Friday. And the interview room is intimately lit. So it was surprising to see Michigan State wide receiver take the podium wearing dark sunglasses.

"Just to let everyone know: I'm not wearing glasses to be Ric Flair or anything," Reed said before fielding questions. "I just have a little eye irritation. So the light. … this is helping me a little bit."

Smart preemptive remark, Jayden. When a prospect takes the podium with sunglasses, some media members assume that he's trying to be Mister Cool Guy, which is very, very bad, unless of course you are Joe Burrow. Others assume a catastrophic hangover, which in most cases is just a matter of projection.

"I'll let you guys see it if you want!" Reed later offered.

That's a hard pass, Jayden. But what happened?

"I really don't know. … Over the days it just got more swollen and more swollen. Hopefully, it'll have gone down by tomorrow so I can go out there and compete."

Workout results will be important for Reed, a hiccup-quick but undersized receiver and return man. Reed impressed at the Senior Bowl, earning National team Receiver of the Week honors, but this draft class is crowded with undersized receivers. Excellent times on Saturday could push Reed up from the later to the middle rounds.

"I'm going out there to do everything that I can," Reed said of battling through his eye situation. "I don't think it's really going to impact me seriously."

Running the 40 while wearing dark sunglasses would certainly be an all-time combine moment. Dominating the field in sunglasses would be even cooler.

Blake Whiteheart Strikes up the Band

"Blake Whiteheart" sounds like the male protagonist in an extremely problematic bodice-ripping beach novel, but he's really a tight end from Wake Forest who entered the combine as just another guy with a Day 3 grade. But then he mentioned at his Friday interview that his motto is "enjoy every sandwich." My ears perked up and I nearly teleported across the interview room to speak to Whiteheart.

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WALKTHROUGH: Who gave you the advice to "enjoy every sandwich?"

WHITEHEART: Coach [Dave] Clawson! That's what he told us: "enjoy every sandwich."

WALKTHROUGH: What does that advice mean to you?

WHITEHEART You gotta enjoy the little things. … You gotta be present in the moment. You gotta soak in where you are. If you are thinking about it, you're not enjoying it. You have to take everything a day at a time, an hour at a time. When you take that mindset, life becomes really enjoyable and good things start to happen.

WALKTHROUGH: Do you have any idea where your coach got that quote from?

WHITEHEART: I forget exactly who it was. I think he said it was a singer. Do you know it?

WALKTHROUGH: It was Warren Zevon.

WHITEHEART: That's right. And I think he had cancer, right? Yeah, that's what coach told us. I hope Coach Clawson sees this and knows that I remember him saying that to me.

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Shoutout to Coach Clawson and his team, the Wake Forest Headless Thompson Gunners.

Oh, and I am now mocking Whiteheart to be drafted first overall by the Bears.

A Walkthrough Combine Classic

And finally, I am reprinting this essay from 2022 because I am really feeling it right now:

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Ah, the combine interview room. What a blessing to be back after a year away! I must maximize the value of my time now that I am here. Who is speaking at this podium? Edgy McSackenburger? I am not very familiar with him. Perhaps I should search for his Wikipedia entry on my phone before he arrives.

Gosh! McSackenburger was born on the planet Neptune! He then emigrated to America when he was 13 years old, where he was raised by a foster family of friendly sea otters. He briefly was an oboist for the New York Philharmonic before Jim Harbaugh spotted him leaping over a taxicab and offered him a scholarship.

What a fascinating lad! And look, two dozen of my colleagues approach the podium! Surely, we will gain some great insights into this compelling young man's NFL journey. But hush: the interview commences!

Edgy, what NFL edge rushers do you pattern your game after?

"Um, Von Miller. Khalil Mack. T.J. Watt."

Didja talk to the Jets?

"Um, I think so."

What would it be like to play for the Jets?

"It would be a blessing. Playing for any NFL team would be a blessing."

Didja talk to the Lions?

"Um, I think so."

What would it be like to play for the Lions?

"It would be a blessing. Playing for any NFL team would be a blessing."

Yikes! I know my beat-writer colleagues are on team-specific assignments. I know that "Prospect X spoke to Team Y" articles, while silly and misleading, generate reliable traffic. But perhaps I should redirect this interview in a way that will be more helpful to everyone.

(Ahem) Edgy, what was it like growing up on Neptune?

"Oh, it was amazing. I hunted snare beasts with my pop as a boy, wind-surfed on the gaseous anomalies. But then my mom invented a teleportation ray and decided that there would be more opportunities for me on earth."

Ah, surely such unique background information will get my fellow journos back on the scent.

What do you hope to prove to NFL teams this week?

"Um, that I'm a competitor. I'm versatile. I'm a dawg. I'm a snare beast."

Didja talk to the Oklahoma City Thunder?

"Um, I think so."

What would it be like to play to play in Oklahoma City?

"It would be a blessing. Playing for any NBA team would be a blessing."

Oh for crying out loud! I can forgive the didjatalkto questions: the reporters might get reprimanded if they don't ask. But the hope-to-prove and compare-your-game stuff? Sure, I have asked those questions to prospects with non-noteworthy backstories. But it only took a 10-second Internet search to learn that this lad is a human interest story waiting to be written! Perhaps I should try again.

(Ahem) Edgy, what was it like getting raised by sea otters?

"Oh, I grew to love otter culture. I really look up to my otter sister Weeaaaaaaaooouuuuuie, who graduated from Stanford last year. I think an aquatic upbringing, combined with the increased gravity of Neptune, has really helped me as an edge rusher, because I have great lower-body strength and bend."

Well, if that doesn't lead to some interesting follow-up questions, I don't know…

Would you say that you play with a chip on your shoulder?

"Definitely. I definitely play with a chip on my shoulder."

Your footwork and lateral agility suggest you could be a stand-up wide-9, but your hand placement and bilateral torsion suggest you could be a 5-technique or a shade 6.25i. Where do you think you best fit along the defensive line?

"Anywhere coach wants to play me."

Sorry, I arrived late. Didja talk to the Jets?

"Um, I think so."

What would it be like to play for the Jets?

"It would be a blessing. Playing for any NFL team would be a blessing."

A chip-on-the-shoulder question? Every damn prospect except Malik Willis says that he plays with a chip on his shoulder. It's the dumbest boilerplate question on earth. Imma tear off that guy's credential and shove it down his throat! And yes, Onanistic Wannabe Scout Guy, everyone is impressed that you can sling jargon. Now howsabout you ask a question that isn't just a showcase for how clever you are? As for Mister Show Up Late and Ask Repeat Question guy: coordinate with a fellow beat that you get along with, just wait for the transcription, or just check Twitter in three minutes.

Argh! Argh! I don't pretend to be heaven's gift to journalism. I know not everyone can write a dog-themed combine column and get paid for it. But we're sapping the value of this experience and making each other work harder. At the very least, let's put our foot down with editors: every prospect talks to every team, so let's stop asking about it and write something substantial about the prospect instead.

The NFL is going to move the combine to Los Angeles or Neptune next year. It's going to be twice as expensive for media outlets and twice as grueling for the press pool. If we don't make the trip worth more than cheesy clickbait, our outlets are going stop sending us, and the whole experience will be worse for everyone except the NFL itself, which will just own 100% of the content.

That's it. That's my soapbox speech. I just hope lots of outlets write about Edgy McSackenburger's background, even if I don't, because it's interesting and fans deserve compelling stories to cut through the 40 times and stock quotes.

(Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the podium…)

Dang it, I have a newborn on the way, my local newspaper is undergoing budget cuts, and my editor's gonna fire me if I don't ask Edgy McSackenburger if he spoke to the Edmonton Elks, and this grey-bearded chonkster sweating Irish whiskey keeps asking stupid questions about sea otters...