University of Connecticut Athletics
2011 NFL Draft Day Quotes
4/30/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 30, 2011
Anthony Sherman - Arizona Cardinals
Fifth Pick of the Fifth Round (136th Pick Overall)
What are your feelings about heading to the Cardinals?
"I am excited. I am excited for the opportunity to go out there and compete for a starting job and be on a great team that can compete for a championship."
Were you surprised with how early you went?
"Not really, the projection was the fourth or fifth round so I knew that today would be my day. I was just hoping for a team soon and it was perfect timing."
Were you pretty confident at this stage of the draft when your phone rang?
"Yeah, my agent was pretty confident in the fifth round. He said that I should make it in the fifth round and if I didn't it was still alright. He had a feeling that I wouldn't make it past that though and he was right."
What kind of contact did you have with the Cardinals prior to today?
"I spoke to them at the combine, I had a great conversation with their running back coach there and he said that I made an impact on them. That is the biggest thing when you go to these combines, all you need to do is have one team fall in love with you, one team that knows that you are the guy that they want. That is what I did with the Cardinals and that is what happened."
Is the fullback a prominent feature in their offensive?
"Yes, it is. They are one of the teams that use one on a regular basis." What did you think of Arizona when you were out there for the bowl game last year? Is it a place that you can see yourself living for a few years or your career? "Definitely. I could definitely see myself staying out there, it is a beautiful place and a beautiful stadium. The fan support out there is great also, just being around the football fans that were there for our game I can tell that. I am so excited for the opportunity and looking forward to getting out there."
How anxious are you and how much have you been following the labor situation?
"I have been following it, but nobody knows anything besides those guys involved. Friday it was open, and Friday night it was closed. Who knows, maybe tonight it could open and I could be out there tomorrow. It is one of those things that only the people around the situation know what is going on. I am going to continue to train and be in shape when that phone call comes that says the lockout is over and I will be there ready to work."
Have you been training at home now?
"Yeah I was training at IMG before the combine, and since I have been home, I have been working out at Next Level Training in Johnston, R.I."
Beyond the phone call today, have they made any other contact with you?
"I talked to them at the combine and that was pretty much the last time I spoke to them and it is really pretty much the last time you talk with any team, besides a private workout here or there. I have just been watching the TV like everybody else and about a minute into Arizona being on the clock I got a phone call from them and they were telling me what they liked about me and that they were going to pick me. I talked to the head coach and the GM a little bit just to say hello and see what they were excited about. I then talked to some media members from Arizona and then to the running back coach."
Who did you have around you today?
"I was with my uncles and family members and a couple of my close friends just sitting in the living room watching the TV."
Jordan Todman - San Diego Chargers
18th Pick of the Sixth Round (183rd Pick Overall)
Considering where you went in the draft, do you regret coming out this year?
"No, I don't regret coming out. I feel like it was the right decision for me and going into it you never know how things are going to unfold. I made it though and it is over. Once you declare for the NFL draft there is no turning back and I stuck with my decision and I am happy with it. Now I am a Charger."
How do you feel about going to San Diego?
"I am very excited. I had an opportunity to stay in California for a while, that is where I trained in Irvine County. I feel like it is a great team and a great organization, we have some good offensive threats and the defense is also good. It is an opportunity to make my dream come true. I have wanted to be in the NFL since I was eight years old and now I am here. I don't have anything to complain about."
How surprising was it that San Diego was the team, or at this point did you really not have any idea where you would end up?
"Honestly, I had no idea where I was going to go and you never know how the draft will unfold. Teams have needs and wants and people were going ahead of me and where you didn't expect them to go. But like I said, things happen for a reason. I was definitely shocked, but I can't complain. I have an opportunity to play."
Can you talk about the emotions of waiting for your name to be called?
"The anticipation is just crazy. I have never experienced anything like it and I am sure I could explain it to you but it is so different when you have to actually live it. There is so much anticipation of when you are going to get picked and if you are even going to get picked and where your next home will be. I did a lot of pacing in my house to keep my mind off of things, I went outside in the backyard and played some basketball, doing whatever it took to stay sane. Once your name gets called you forget about all of that stuff and you are just happy. It is a great feeling."
Is San Diego one of the teams that showed interest in you during the combine?
"Yes they were. I had a formal meeting with the coaches at the combine actually. That was a long time ago now, but we talked a little. You talk to a lot of teams then, it doesn't necessarily mean they are going to take you though."
Did any team give you any indication of what they thought you needed to improve most?
"Nothing particular, but I think there is always room for improvement. I think I am far from perfect, I am a good running back but I am trying to be a great running back. The offseason training and practice can help along with watching more film."
What are your thoughts on the lockout and what is going on with that and the NFL?
"That is something else that is out of my control, I can rant and rave and complain about it, but that won't get much done. I am just looking for the opportunity to play as soon as the lockout is over. Time will tell what happens though."
When it came time for you to make a decision to leave, what kind of information were you getting as far as what round you would go in the draft?
"I felt like I preformed pretty well at the combine, which gave me a chance to move my name up on the draft list. This year the running back class didn't think it was anything too crazy, but then almost every running back entered the NFL draft giving you more competition. With that, there are more running backs that could be taken before you so it was a weird situation. I had confidence in myself and in my abilities and I felt like I could compete with the best of the running backs this year so I chose to come out this year."
Has there been a former UConn player in the league that has been guiding you through this process?
"Not particularly. If I talked to any of them it would be Donald Brown because we are in the same agency and we talked at a golfing event prior to the draft and he was coaching me on what to do and what not to do. We haven't had too much contact since then though."
Greg Lloyd - Philadelphia Eagles
34th Pick of the Seventh Round (237th Pick Overall)
What is your reaction to going to Philadelphia and what are your hopes and goals?
"The whole situation is insane. I was anxious the entire time, it is definitely the most stressful situation I have ever been in. I was just waiting for my name to be called and waiting to know what I was going to do with my life. To get that call was definitely exhilarating. I can't compare it to anything. As far as the goals, I plan on going in and doing what I can to help and giving 100% to everything that I am asked to do. I want to be somebody that they can rely on and that they don't have to question if I can do something or not. I am just excited about the whole situation. It has been a stressful three days, but to get that call it is just great. I have the team that wants me to be with them and I am 100% dedicated to whatever they ask of me. The sky is the limit."
Do you know what position you are going to be playing?
"I expect to be playing inside linebacker. I was going to be a defensive end, had I stayed another year, but since I didn't I am still just an inside linebacker."
Having your dad play in the NFL, does that give you any idea of what to expect with all of this? Or is it just a vastly different game from when he played?
"I like to think that it is totally different from when he played just because of the time difference, but in all honesty I haven't really talked to him since the East-West Shrine Game. We don't have regular communication with each other. So everything that I am going to experience professionally will be a new experience for me and I look forward to every bit of it."
Four UConn players were drafted, which ties the school record, what does that say about the UConn program and where it is?
"We definitely have athletes, we have potential and we have people who are at the top of their game. I think if Kendall Reyes came out this year he would have been in the league. There is so much potential with the group that is there now, including a bunch of the younger guys. Sio Moore will definitely end up in the league some day because he was able to step in as a linebacker and just destroy everything. Mike Ryan and Jesse Joseph are both growing into phenomenal players. UConn has definitely been put on the map. Since my freshman year I have seen everyone evolve as players. I had the opportunity to play with Donald Brown and Donald Thomas and it has just been a pleasure and a privilege to be among them. I keep in contact with the UConn players and I tell them to keep working hard because they have come a long way and the program has come a long way. "
What are your thoughts on the lockout going on now?
"I don't know what the situation is going to be, I don't know how long it is going to take for everything to get sorted out. All I know is from Monday to whenever the situation is solved I will be doing nothing but working my butt off to be in the best shape possible when everything gets situated. That way nobody will have to ask questions if I am ready or not. I will be in the best shape that I have ever been in.
Did the Eagles show any interest in you during the combine?
"I actually talked to them at the combine and then I had the opportunity to be worked out by the linebacker coach at UConn and then I got to go on a visit to their facility. I knew that they had interest and I am just happy that they acted on that interest in me."
Players Mentioned
