April 23, 2010
By Leigh Torbin
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Torell Troup's march to the NFL Draft took a steady progression throughout his senior season and UCFAthletics.com, headed by John Denton's Knights Insider, was there to chronicle it.
The first glimpses of what lay ahead for Troup came in late October when he was selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game following the season. UCFAthletics.com has this recap of his selection.
With the game being played across town at the Florida Citrus Bowl this year, the Shriners had Troup come over for the event's introductory press conference. There he met the head coaches of the teams, Romeo Crennel and Marty Schottenheimer. Denton and Troup rode across town to the event together and it made for a great story.
As the year went along, the defensive line at UCF proved to be amongst the best in the nation. The Knights would finish the year ranked fourth nationally in rushing defense, trailing only BCS bowl participants Texas, Alabama and TCU. The Knights led Conference USA in rushing defense for the second consecutive year and also topped the conference in total defense, scoring defense, sacks and tackles for loss. Prior to the team's St. Petersburg Bowl game against Rutgers, Denton looked at the line that helped get the Knights there.
A jovial, easy-going person away from football who has not forgotten a sometimes tough upbringing, Troup was always happy to volunteer for community events at UCF. Joe Hornstein and the UCF video crew went along with Troup and the team's other captains for a children's hospital visit before the St. Petersburg Bowl.
When January rolled around and the UCF season was over, it was time to look at his NFL prospects in earnest. Denton caught up with Troup during the crucial week of practices prior to the East-West Shrine Game.
Troup held his own in the contest against an all-star offensive line from the West team. Leigh Torbin was at the game and filed this report from the Florida Citrus Bowl with Q&A from Troup.
The next step for Troup, like nearly all of the NFL's elite prospects, was a trip to Indianapolis for the NFL's scouting combine. Denton talked to Troup both before and after the end.
A top prospect's month of March is filled with a variety of individual workouts and interviews with teams, both in Orlando and at their facilities around the country. UCF held its own version of Pro Day on March 25 where Troup stood on his workout numbers from Indianapolis but did participate in positional drills for scouts. Denton was there again and had this recap.
Now it is time for Troup to sit back and learn of his professional fate. His original plan was to watch the draft in Orlando surrounded by his friends in family but, when informed the other day that his mother would not be able to make it down, Troup decided to drive to his home near Atlanta instead where he will watch the draft tonight with his family.