Workout Watch: Sean Smith Has Several Visits

Utah cornerback Sean Smith has workouts with the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins, as well as visits to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens this week.

Cornerback Sean Smith out of Utah is on his way to Philadelphia and Baltimore for private workouts with the Eagles and Ravens today. The Eagles traded Lito Sheppard to the New York Jets and Baltimore has released Chris McAlister and lost Corey Ivy to the Cleveland Browns in free agency, so each team could be looking to draft a corner come April.

Smith also has a visit to the Seattle Seahawks on the docket for this week, a tour that he will complete on Friday. The California native has workouts for the St. Louis Rams, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins as well. Miami lost Andre’ Goodman to the Denver Broncos in free agency, while the Browns (Cleveland On the Clock) and the Rams (St. Louis On the Clock) certainly have cornerback on their list of team needs. Cleveland owns a pair of second round picks.

Some teams may view Smith as a safety because of his size (6034, 214 pounds), adding to his potential value. Miami's Bill Parcells is known for liking players with size and Smith is most reminiscent of one of Parcells’ former players Marcus Coleman out of Texas Tech. Coleman came into the league as a safety, but was switched to cornerback by the then Jets Head Coach.

To learn more about Sean Smith, click to listen to his NFL Draft Bible Player Spotlight on All Access Football Radio.

Q&A: Morgan Burnett, Safety, Georgia Tech

How was your first day of spring practice?

Burnett: It went pretty good. Everyone was pumped and excited to be back out there practicing.

What have you been doing since your bowl game to the start of spring?

Burnett: We're just looking back at the bowl game, it helps motivate us running into spring. We look at the spring as a new 2009 Georgia Tech football team so we forget about everything that happened last year.

How about off the field? What do you do to keep busy in the off-season besides football and classes?

Burnett: Pretty much hang out with Joshua Nesbitt and just rest up, really, and get ready for the spring and ready for working out and classes.

Do you follow any of the sports teams in Atlanta? Are you a big sports fan?

Burnett: I like sports, I like watching the NBA. I like to follow LeBron James to see what he’s doing every night.

So you prefer LeBron over the hometown Hawks then?

Burnett: Yeah, I’ll go with LeBron.

What do you think of the pre-game celebration the Cavs do with the pictures?

Burnett: Yeah I like that, I like to see them having fun out there and it's entertainment.

Are you going to try and incorporate something like that in the secondary or would Coach Johnson not be too happy about that?

Burnett: No not a whole lot. In the locker room we have two team clowns in Brad Jefferson and Joshua Nesbitt and they put on some good shows in the locker room. (Laughing in the background)

Give us an example, what’s something that had you rolling on the floor?

Burnett: I caught them before, doing some singing and dance routines in the locker room. (Laughing in the background)

Do they know they’re being funny or do they really think they have some talent?

Burnett: They can’t really sing, but you can’t really tell them that. They think they’re better than Beyonce.

Let's talk about your game a little bit. When coaches and teammates talk about you, they seem to talk about your instincts. Do you think that’s a strength of your game?

Burnett: Yeah, I think that’s a strength, just having a nose for the football. The coaches drill us to play hard every play and every down.

Is “instincts” something that comes easy to you, or is that more about hard work and film study?

Burnett: It comes from both, natural and film study. Just fly to the ball wherever the ball is...just fly to the ball.

Last season you went from 2.5 TFLs as a freshman to seven—is that something you were working on, or was that more a product of the new defensive scheme?

Burnett: It’s just sometimes the defensive scheme for that week, wherever the coach wants to put me, I just try my best to work hard at it and my main goal is to get better each year.

What’s something you are focusing on improving this spring?

Burnett: I’m focusing on just getting better all-around; my whole game. From tackling, coverage, playing with my eyes, and knowing my assignments.

Could you clarify what “playing with your eyes” means for those who don’t know?

Burnett: Just basically studying my "keys", watching my "keys" (assignments) and not letting my eyes roam around or get lost during the play.

So don’t get caught peaking, right?

Burnett: Yeah.

You have 10 career interceptions and two years of eligibility remaining. Alphonso Smith broke the ACC record with his 21st career interception last season. Is that a goal of yours?

Burnett: That’s a goal, but my main goal is to help the team out the best way I can and just play my game and let the rest just come along with just having a great season and being on a great team.

Let’s go back to last season…your last two games went from one end of the spectrum to the other. What was bigger, was it the high from beating Georgia or the low from losing to LSU?

Burnett: The bigger is losing to LSU because that’s the last impression that the nation has of Georgia Tech. So that’s what gives us motivation because that was our last game of the season and we lost the last game.

Let me ask you about a couple of your teammates. What’s tougher—bringing down the 228-pound Jonathan Dwyer or going up for a jump ball against the 6’3 Demaryius Thomas?

Burnett: Oh...they both are tough. Hopefully luck's on your side that day.

So in general you must be happy not going against those guys as well as that triple option offense.

Burnett: Yeah, it’s a good thing that they’re on our team. As a defense, the offense helps us out and makes us tougher going against the triple option, so they helped us out a whole lot.

You played quarterback in high school. Would you enjoy running this offense or were you more of a spread guy?

Burnett: When I was a quarterback I ran a little bit of option, but I was better out of the spread. I could just throw the ball down and run.

Let me ask you about a former teammate in Michael Johnson, a player who has been critiqued, and I believe you’ve defended him. What can tell us about Michael on and off the field?

Burnett: Michael Johnson is a great athlete on the field and a great person off the field. So he’s a good guy to be around and he’s a great leader on our team so he said he knows what to pick up on for the spring.

What about Derrick Morgan? What do you expect from him this season and do you think he’s ready to step up to the challenge?

Burnett: Yeah, he’s ready and we have a lot of great young defensive linemen coming in that are anxious and ready to play. Derrick Morgan is a great leader towards them so we’ll be alright.

Give us a name of somebody we should be looking out for emerging from that defensive line, somebody the fans out there maybe don’t know yet.

Burnett: You really don’t know yet, but T.J. Barnes (red-shirt freshman defensive tackle) has been doing very well out there.

Over the last seven games last season you faced some of the best receivers in the country—Aaron Kelly, Kevin Ogletree, Greg Carr, Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster, Mohammed Massaquoi and Demetrius Byrd, among others. Who was the toughest guy you faced?

Burnett: I would have to say Hakeem Nicks; he’s one of the best receivers.

What made him so tough from a safety’s perspective?

Burnett: He had very good hands, ran good routes, and he has a nose for the football and when the ball's in the air he feels like that’s his ball and he’s going to try his best to come down with it.

How about Matthew Stafford? How does his arm compare to other quarterbacks you’ve faced?

Burnett: Matthew Stafford is a great quarterback, very strong arm and it seemed like every throw he made was right on the money.

Not every pass was on the money, there was one that you snagged.

Burnett: (Laughs) Yeah, the interception.

You did get a pick six on Stafford…do you ever go on You-Tube to check that out?

Burnett: Yeah, I've seen it a couple times on YouTube.

Did people send that to you or did you go on your own?

Burnett: No, somebody sent it to me.

Time for three-and-out: Do you follow anybody’s Twitter?

Burnett: Tweeter what’s that?

Twitter.

Burnett: Oh...No.

Who was your favorite player when you were growing up as a kid?

Burnett: Football player?

Football or basketball, either one.

Burnett: Football player I would have to say Brett Favre.

Biggie or Tupac?

Burnett: Tupac.

Photo Credit: Georgia Tech Sports Information Office

Q&A: Taurus Johnson, WR, USF

This is from a "Player Spotlight" interview conducted by Daniel Mogollon on All Access Football Radio. Click to listen to the interview in it's entirety.

Last season you had 38 receptions for 498 yards, and you found the end zone 12 times through the air and another three on the ground. After this month you will be on an NFL team, and you will be a college graduate. How fast do you want these days to come-and-go?

Johnson: I want them to come like tomorrow…(laughs)…But I know it’s a waiting process. I’m a very patient person, but you know I’m just trying to focus on school and work out a little bit. Like I said, I’m trying to graduate in May. I’m trying to take all my exams early so by the end of the Draft I can go wherever I go and focus on that.

Then it will all be about business at that point… So tell us, the last time we had you on it was before your Pro Day, before your Combine. How was that experience? Especially the Combine, it’s certainly an once-in-a-lifetime experience. What were those three or four days like in Indianapolis?

Johnson: It was unbelievable, you know, because people that you invite to the Combine are hardcore players. It was a great opportunity to be there and to represent for our school, as well as our family. You know getting to meet the other players like Josh Freeman or Nate Davis, and things like that, it was crazy. It was great going in and talking to the coaches, the scouts, the G.M.’s. It was crazy packed with people. I had a great time. It was definitely an once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was all fun.

You brought up a couple of quarterbacks there in Josh Freeman and Nate Davis. Are those guys you caught balls from? Which quarterback kind of stood out for you?

Johnson: Nate Davis is the one that I train with down at Saddle Brook. He was here the whole time. He and I were talking and getting together, we were throwing and working at the same time, you know, kind of trying to build a relationship. Who knows, he could be my quarterback at the next level. The people that stood out were Josh Freeman from Kansas State, and Nate Davis, and Pat White, and Brian Hoyer from Michigan State. I mean, those guys did a heck of a job. Like I said, Nate and I got together, that was the first time I’ve met him and then we started throwing together and we worked hard. He was saying, “You know, we could be playing on the same team.” You never know. It was fun, you know, we had a good-old time. We worked hard to get where we are now, and now we just have to wait for Draft day.

Can you let us in on some of the teams that have been talking to you? Which teams do you get a sense are kind of showing the most interest?

Johnson: Um, May 30th, Dedric Ward, the wide receiver coach from Kansas City, is going to come down here and work me out. (Changed to April 1st) I have a Tampa Bay Buccaneers workout April 15th. I know the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams…um…San Francisco, Pittsburgh… have been showing me a lot of interest. I am going to get myself ready for Coach Ward down at Kansas City because he’s going to work me out. So I’m really excited about that, as well as getting to work out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. So I’m getting myself prepared for those two crucial workouts. I’m excited about that.

I know the stock answer is always, ‘I’m happy to go anywhere, whoever takes me’, but would it be cool to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? I mean, you probably already have your favorite spots on that field, right?

Johnson: Oh yeah, because you know I have played here for the past four years, you know being in the NFL scene and the NFL atmosphere. It’s really fun. It would be nice to stay in Tampa Bay. Being able to be close to my family, everybody could come see me play. But I really don’t have a choice, so whatever team calls I’ll be ready to go, and I’ll be happy with it, too.

Were you a Bucs fan growing up? Who did you root for in football?

Johnson: I was a Cowboys fan, you know, Emmitt Smith, Deion (Sanders), Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman. You know, I was a Cowboy’s fan growing up.

America’s Team…

Johnson: Yeah…(laughs)…Yes sir.

Now let’s shift gears a little bit. I know you were a little bit of a baseball player in high school, you played some center field I believe, and did a little pitching. I already know who your favorite team is the Atlanta Braves–unfortunately, considering that I am a big time New York Met fan. Talk about being a baseball fan growing up… Which sport did you like as a fan growing up, and even now?

Johnson: I played baseball and I played football. But football is definitely my first love, but second was baseball. My mom put me into it, you know, and I kind of just excelled going into high school. But at the same time, I love baseball, I love playing center field, I love pitching too. Growing up I watched the Atlanta Braves, you know, Andruw Jones, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones as well. They had some great guys on that team. My mom wanted me to go to college, because I would be the first in my family to graduate from college, so she told me to stick with that and play football. I miss playing baseball a little bit, but I know I made the right choice by coming to college and playing football.

Taurus, you're a Sociology major, so talk to me my man–I’m sure this topic must have come up a lot in your classes—what are your thoughts on the impact of Barack Obama winning the election?

Johnson: I mean it was crazy. I remember when he won the race and I was here at my apartment. Next thing you know, I hear everybody from my apartment screaming and people out here running in the streets. Everybody was getting together and hugging. It was very powerful, like, you know, having your first black president, is pretty cool. It’s pretty awesome, just for me, being here to witness that, it was pretty amazing.

Did you vote? Was this your first election?

Johnson: Yeah...Yes, sir.

Taurus, before we let you go we like to close things out–as you know already–with a segment we call three-and-out where I hit you with three quick questions… so… First down: Who is somebody, it can be from all-time, in a one-on-one match-up, who is a guy you would like to have cover you and you beat him?

Johnson: I’d probably say Deion Sanders.

How come Deion?

Johnson: Deion, you know, Deion’s got the make-up speed…(laughs)…to do anything. It definitely would be a good match-up, I would love to go against Deion. You know, Deion is one of the greatest corners, and players of all-time in the NFL, as well as Darrell Green.

Going old school there with Darrell Green, I like that…Second Down: Being that you were a pitcher, if you could face anybody on the mound and strike them out, who would it be?

Johnson: Oh my god, that’s tough…Ken Griffey.

Ken Griffey…OK …your favorite player and you want to strike him out…I thought you were going to say Jose Reyes since you know I’m a Mets fan.

Johnson: (Laughs) Yeah…(laughs)

Third Down: Biggie or Tupac?

Johnson: Tupac.

Photo Credit: USF Athletics Communications, GoUSFBulls.com

Q&A: Clay Matthews, Jr., USC

Linebacker Clay Matthews, Jr. interviewed on the All Access Radio's Football Friday Show with Ralph Mancini, Daniel Mogollon and Rodney Towe on March 20, 2009

Being the guy some people view as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, when you hear the term “hybrid”, what comes to mind?

Matthews: Versatility. I’ve always played a multitude of positions and for me, personally, playing 3-4/4-3 or playing an outside linebacker or a rush, defensive end, or standup linebacker, however you want to look at it. I'm just someone that can bring more to the table than your one dimensional, traditional player, so I see myself filling a lot of roles.

Conversely, when you hear the term “tweener” thrown around, what goes through your mind?

Matthews: It depends on how you take that, whether it's a good or bad thing. Certain people call Dwight Freeney a tweener. Obviously, he's a little smaller than your typical defensive end, but he has a lot of speed and a great motor. I think it really works to my advantage, regardless of what position they want to play me at.

I guess a lot of people by now know your story; you came to USC as a walk-on. You had to bite and scratch to become a starter in your senior year. My question to you is, where did you get that competitive nature from? Is it something that your dad instilled in you? Was your father who was an NFL Pro for 19 years? Was your father extremely hard on you growing up as a kid?

Matthews: I think it was something ingrained in me since day one. I’ve always been out to prove that I’m a battler in anything, in any facet of life. I’m always out to prove that I deserve to be there, and that I deserve respect. It's something I’ve had to do since day one. My dad has never been too hard on me, but he has been hard enough. He was my coach in high school, but he’s not one of those coaches who puts his son in because he’s his son; he’s the guy who benched me in my junior year and didn’t start me in my junior year. It’s just something I developed all of my life and obviously without him and my whole family, and just my background experience in football, I wouldn’t be able to shine today. He’s definitely helped with my attitude, intuitiveness and playing with a chip on my shoulder.

Clay, why did you choose USC? Obviously you have family ties there, but did you get any other scholarship offers from any other schools?

Matthews: To be honest, I didn’t have any other offers coming out of high school. I didn’t play my junior year and although I was a starter in my senior year. I came on strong, but it was a little late in the recruiting process. I was still under-sized, needed to get faster, stronger and bigger...the whole nine yards. To be honest, I agree, there was a rich family history there at USC, it was close to home, only 45 minutes away. Obviously, what Coach Carroll has been doing is building his program in education. I didn’t know if this was going to be the career path I would take. Academics are very important to me and I think overall, USC was a great fit for me—it’s not your typical career, but it made me who I am today and I’m very fortunate.

Clay, when your dad benched you that junior year, did you let him know, “This may lead to you paying for my tuition rather than me getting a scholarship”?

Matthews: Not so much that he benched me, because there was someone better than me, and obviously the best player would get the chance to start. I didn’t deserve it (starting), and in my senior year I did. I think we both didn’t know what the future would be for me in football. He even asked me when I decided to go to SC if I wanted to choose a small school in order to be able to make an impact right away. I was very content on going to SC, and hopefully earning a scholarship, getting on a special teams and becoming a demon on those, but it turned out to be so much more than either of us thought could potentially happen. It’s just something you just keep sticking with and here I am, in a great position.

Being a kid that had that decision to make, you step on the USC campus and you've got Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, all these big names 4/5 star recruits. Do you think your background helped you a lot, in terms of you being a walk-on, you weren’t intimidated and you thought, “I could still play with these guys and if I work hard enough, I could reach that level”?

Matthews: The only thing my background helped with was getting into the school and just being a walk-on, getting looked at. Everything else I had to earn. I’ve been working myself up into the ranks. And you're right, going to USC and playing against 5-star recruits like Keith, Rey and Cushing, it’s just part of the business. I knew going there, I was going to have to work that much harder than other players to be in the position that I am today. I’m very fortunate to have played with them. It does make us the players we are today, the fact that we had to compete against one other day in and day out. We are really fortunate for that experience. That is why we are in such a great position. I knew I would have to come every day and work my tail off, and that’s what I did.

As we sit here 36 days from the Draft, you're being spoken of as a guy who can go in the first round, with your more celebrated teammates Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing. How does that make you feel, in terms of the work you’ve done to get to this point?

Matthews: That was a testament to the hard work that I’ve put in. I’m very appreciative of who I am and the fact that it’s done, it’s been noticed and scouts and coaches understand what type of player I really am. To be able to talk with Cushing and Rey, it does mean a great deal to me. Just to be able to share experiences with them and to be as highly regarded as all the players on the team and be in this situation makes me feel very fortunate and blessed.

Your teammate Brian Cushing was quoted as saying his goal is becoming mentally a better player each and every day. Can you talk about that? Can you talk about the mental preparation that goes into it for you when it comes to an opponent?

Matthews: It takes a great deal of mental toughness to be in the position where we are right now. It’s only going to get more difficult. I think fortunately for me everyone knows my story now, that I had to work my way up. And that alone takes mental toughness. It’s been a grind going to the senior ball; it’s been a grind going to Indianapolis, and I can honestly say it really hasn’t been easy for me. I’ve been working hard at USC for five years, but it can get much harder. I’m just loving this opportunity and just having a blast with it, and taking it day by day. You know, it’s funny, my brother mentioned before this last season how neat it would be if I was to get drafted, even in the seventh round. Now, here we are talking about first round. It's something that we all dream about, and it requires a great deal of mental toughness and will only get tougher from here on out.

Talk about the influence Pete Carroll and your linebacker coach, Ken Norton, Jr., had on you during your collegiate career at USC.

Matthews: They had a great influence, obviously just being the people they are. Starting with Coach Carroll and his whole program, you really have to buy into it. Everyone has done a great job and that’s why it’s been so successful. A big part of the program is competing, day in and day out, coming in and working together, and at the same time having a little fight here and there, getting better, and working toward our goal. That’s why we’ve been so fortunate to be Rose Bowl Champions and National Champions—we’ve just been in the spotlight because of this program. Carroll is really a player’s coach, being a coach in the NFL and understanding how it works is more than just coaching; he’s your friend on the side as well. It makes it a lot easier to have a personal relationship. I can say the same for Coach Norton, he’s a player’s coach as well. He’s played in a league, and because he was so successful, he was able to relate it to us and all the linebackers. I think that’s why we’ve had so much success with him at the helm with our linebacker class. It’s really a testament to the coaches and the work we’ve put in. They have both done a good job and all the coaches have done a great job.

Do you had any private workouts with specific NFL teams coming up?

Matthews: I have a few coming up with the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins, and I have my Pro Date on April 1st . After that, I have Atlanta coming up on the 4th, and I’m flying out to Cleveland a little later that month, I’m sure it’s going to be more stressful as time goes on. Hopefully after the Draft, I can put my feet up.

Time for three-and-out…first down: It's Saturday night—what is Clay Matthews doing?

Matthews: Clay Matthews usually stays in and watches a movie, either by himself or with a friend. I’m a big movie buff. I love being my own Siskel & Ebert or (Richard) Roeper.

Second down: Since you are such a movie buff, what is your favorite movie of all time?

Matthews: Of all time…that’s hard to say, there are some great ones out there. I really like Shawshank Redemption…Forrest Gump is so easy to watch. Those are those classic movies that you can pick up at any point and enjoy. Those are probably my top two favorite movies.

Alright Clay, I was going to ask you who has better hair, you or Rey Maualuga, but I am going to defer from the chat-room for third down. Someone from the chat-room wanted to know how many times do Snoop or Will Ferrell show up at USC practice?

Matthews: Well, I think your first question is no-brainer…having better hair myself. (Laughs) We do have celebrities come by a lot during practice, obviously being at USC in the middle of Los Angeles with no professional football team. We like to consider ourselves America’s team. We have celebrities coming through here and there. Snoop came by two times during my tenure there and Will Ferrell, he somehow makes a guest appearance usually twice a year. It’s real great, because it gets our mind off the whole business aspect of sports. We can just have a good time and really enjoy ourselves, but at the same time know what’s at stake. That’s what we love about SC, the fact that we can mix fun with business and be successful at doing it.

Photo Credit: Aggie Skirball, John Pyle (USC)

Connor Barwin On Football SPECTacular

What's On Tap?

* Player Spotlight: Is he a defensive end? Is he a linebacker? Or maybe a tight end? One thing is for sure, Connor Barwin is a football player.
* From the Press Box: Joining us to talk some Bucs football is Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times
* On The Clock: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Will also talk NFL Draft, Jason Taylor, as well as the Ryan Moats/ Officer Powell Situation as we go around the NFL

Don't be a SPECTator...You're calls will drive the show as well... 347.945.6275.

Click to listen. If you missed it live...show will be available to listen or download 30 minutes after show completion.

Photo Credit: College Press Box (Cincinnati)