During the 2007 NFL Scouting Combine, AF.com's Chris Pika will give his observations on the event, the behind-the-scenes information that you won't see on the NFL Network and any other breaking news as it develops. Keep checking back for updated entries during the day (latest entries listed first).
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
- 10:00 pm: Matt's first VBlog (or Video Blog) of the Combine is up on AF.com. Matt takes you around his room at the Marriott here in downtown Indianapolis and shows you the setup he has.
If you haven't checked out his combine workout, I invite you to see it here. Matt is one of the more adventurous people you will meet and he really put himself out there to show how hard the drills the players go through really are.
A note about how the VBlogs will work for the next five days: The latest VBlogs will be posted under the V-Blogs tab on the main page of AF.com, so keep clicking there several times during the day to see our newest entries. We have an archive page for the VBlogs and your one-stop shopping for all of our coverage is own our 2007 Scouting Combine page.
Tomorrow, we head across the street to the RCA Dome to set up our equipment and bring you all of the press conferences and inside info on the first official day of "job interviews" for over 300 NFL hopefuls. Keep checking in for updated entries throughout the day.
- 6:30 pm: After a short ride from the airport, our group - which included Head Coach Bobby Petrino, Director of Football Operations Nick Polk and several assistant coaches - arrived at the Indianapolis Marriott. The hotel is in the best spot of the ones the teams are staying in, because it has the shortest distance to the RCA Dome - across the street.
Matt and I picked up our room keys and badges and began the setup process for the week. Matt's equipment made it to Indy in the morning, but after a delay to find it in the hotel's receiving department, it was delivered to Matt not long after we arrived.
On the way, our driver said that the Indianapolis weather was downright balmy in the high 40s-low 50s today. Matt had told me that last year when he got in, it was a lot colder here. Even though it was melting, there still was snow in small piles on the streets and at the airport.
As we were coming into downtown, the Colts' new indoor stadium - Lucas Oil Stadium - is rising high over the Indianapolis skyline. The new facility dwarfs the RCA Dome next door and will be open for the 2008 NFL season while the RCA Dome will be used for convention space because of its' proximity to the key downtown hotels.
As we came into the lobby, we saw personnel staff, scouts and coaches from several teams hanging out, exchanging greetings and telling stories. As usual, Gil Brandt was working the room, talking to everyone and welcoming them to Indy. Brandt was VP of player personnel for the Cowboys from 1960-89 and has been the personnel guru for NFL.com the last eight years. There is not a person who walks in who doesn't say hello to Gil - one of the nicest people in our business.
