Feb. 26, 2010
By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - While there will undoubtedly be nerves and plenty of pressure when Torell Troup hits the field Monday for the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, he is hoping that his experience at UCF this past season will aid his mission to stay calm.
After all, just about every scout in the building has already been to UCF's campus this season to watch the powerful defensive tackle do his thing.
``I'm trying to stay calm and not over-think this weekend and get too nervous,'' said Troup, a defensive tackle. ``It helps that me that I've kind of seen this sort of thing before because we had scouts at just about every practice this past season. So hopefully that helps me.''
Troup, the anchor of a UCF defense this past season that was nearly as good as any in the country against the run, will be relying on more than just experience at the NFL Combine. He is among the most powerful players in the country and hopes to make an even deeper impression on scouts with his ability to crush foes with his awesome power.
Troup said he is unsure about where he could be drafted, but knows he could dramatically enhance his stock with a solid week at the combine. Some with NFL ties project Troup, a 6-foot-3, 314-pounder, to be a third or fourth-round pick in a draft already heavy on defensive talent.
Troup said one of his goals at the event is to bench press 225 pounds in excess of 40 times. He recently did 36 reps on the weight during a workout and feels the magnitude of the moment will push him beyond 40. Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, Troup's coach during the East-West Shrine Game in Orlando last month, said recently that if Troup can hit 40 reps on the bench press it will most certainly force coaches and scouts to take notice of the defensive tackle.
Said Troup, who also squats 670 pounds: ``I really think when I get in there and get the adrenaline pumping that I'll be able to do (40 reps).''
Troup speaks with the confidence of an athlete who is going in fully prepared. He's been working out for weeks at the Bommarito Performance Systems camp in Aventura. It's the same facility where former UCF star cornerback Joe Burnett, a fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, drilled last year before the draft.
Troup has been spending 12-hour days at the facility, working from 5:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on agility, quickness, strength and stamina. He said the drills are focused more now on quick bursts and explosions of power instead of stamina and endurance drills done at UCF.
Troup displayed plenty of power this past season on a UCF defense that ranked fourth in the nation against the run and led Conference USA in almost every crucial category. Despite often drawing double teams, Troup still had 35 tackles, five stops for a loss, two sacks, four pass breakups and three quarterback hurries.
Now, all that is left is showing the NFL scouts who have followed him all season long just how well he can perform under the bright lights of the NFL Combine.
``I feel like I have the experience to kind of know what's coming and that I'll really be ready,'' said Troup, who also credits playing in the Shrine Game as helping him prepare for the job interview of a lifetime. ``I'm excited and just ready to get going as soon as possible.''
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John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFathletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.