April 5, 2010
By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
Click here to receive the Knights Insider via email
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - With wall-to-wall television coverage of the meat market otherwise known as the NFL Combine late last month, UCF tight end Adam Nissley couldn't avoid watching when the tight end workouts came on.
And what Nissley saw and read encouraged him as it relates to his future as a potential NFL candidate after his time at UCF.
Without question, Nissley is one of UCF's most physically gifted players in more ways than one. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, he has the size of a tackle. With a 505-pound maximum bench press and the ability to power up 225 pounds a whopping 35 times, he has the strength and explosiveness of a defensive tackle. And with 4.7-second speed in the 40-yard dash and soft hands, he has the kind of athleticism and raw ability that NFL scouts could be drooling over this time next season.
``(Being a potential NFL prospect) was in the back of my mind when I was checking out all of the heights and weights of the tight ends at the combine,'' Nissley admitted. ``I'm a little bigger than a lot of those (tight ends), but (Coach George) O'Leary wants me at 265 pounds and that's where I'm going to be. Being 6-6 and carrying that big frame, I still want to be mobile and be able to run and I think I can do that.''
Of course, the Knights are looking for big things out of one of their biggest players this season. The redshirt junior-to-be caught just about everything thrown his way last season and averaged 15.9 yards a catch. But it was somewhat of a slow process with Nissley not taking off until the fourth game of the year. Now, with raised expectations following a strong finish to the season, big things will be expected right away from Nissley.
``It took Adam four games to realize what he should be doing and the big word that we used with him after he was playing so-so was `assertive,''' UCF tight ends coach Tim Salem said. ``As we go back and watch the tapes, you see the progress that he made. He's had a really good offseason with the weight room, getting stronger even though he's already a pretty strong kid. We'd like him to take off from where he left off. And he should.''
Take off as in becoming an all-conference player for the Knights. He's already shown signs of that this spring, catching several passes for big gainers. He recently snagged a seam route from quarterback Rob Calabrese for what proved to be a 15-yard touchdown.
``Blocking is my main focus, but I like get down the field. I like getting balls thrown my way and that's my reward for banging heads down there blocking,'' Nissley said with a laugh. ``I feel when they throw the ball it's my duty to catch it. If I can touch it then I should catch it. Hopefully I can get more receptions this season and then we can really spread the ball around.''
Nissley said based on the talent and experience that the Knights have returning that the season ahead could be a truly special one. He noted that the offense has made such strides already that it's ahead of the defense when in years past the opposite has been true. If the key players stay healthy and the beaks fall their way, Nissley sees no reason why UCF shouldn't compete for the Conference USA crown next season.
``When I line up on offense, I line up next to the same guys that I've been next to for the past three years,'' Nissley said. ``We're very comfortable on the offensive line with Jah Reid and Nick Pieschel at the tackles. We're comfortable as a group and we know what each other is going to be doing. There's no second-guessing one another. We have a very good opportunity this season to win a lot of ball games. It definitely could be a special season.''
====
John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFathletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.