From Piqua High School to Ohio State University to the NFL, Quinn Pitcock is preparing for another transition.

Now football is more than a game. It’s a business. And the Buckeyes’ star defensive lineman is getting a taste of it at the NFL combine.

“We have to understand it’s now truly a job,” he said. “It’s still a fun game, but you have to realize it’s a job interview at this event and you’re playing against guys who are competing for their family and kids.”

Pitcock’s family wants to know where the mighty Quinn will land at the next, and highest, level.

“You hear them talking about that in the background and you’ve got to realize, ‘Hey, don’t listen to it,’ ” he said. “You won’t know until the day of (the draft), until you’re picked. I just try to ignore all the hoopla.”

Pitcock, who measured at 6-foot-2½ and 299 pounds, has the versatility to play defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme or defensive end in a 3-4.

“My biggest strength is that I can play any position on the defensive line,” he said. “I’d just have to adjust my weight. I have the ability and physique to get bigger or get smaller and still keep my speed and strength.”

The big fellow enjoys playing tackle, but mention end, and his eyes light up.

“That’s where I feel most comfortable — rushing from the outside,” he said.

Pitcock showed his toughness in 2006 when he rebounded from July shoulder surgery in which a labral tear was sutured. Then his patience was tested during a dream season that ended with a nightmarish loss to Florida in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

“Even before the national championship game, doing the circuit of awards banquets, that’s what really made the season a lot longer,” he said. “I did a lot of traveling on top of practicing. Sometimes it got me down, tired, and it was tough to get up to do everything. It was a long season, something I’m going to have to get adjusted to these coming years.”

Pitcock’s goal is to be the first defensive tackle taken.

“Someone told me (Michigan’s) Alan Branch is highly up there, but we’ll see how that plays out on draft day,” he said.

The Ohio State-Michigan rivalry never ends.

Source: [Dayton Daily News]

Want an inside look at what happens when a top prospect goes through the NFL draft process? Former Ohio State star defensive tackle Quinn Pitcock gives his thoughts on the entire process leading up to Draft Day with an unique behind-the-scenes look.

By Richard Cirminiello

Although he was a former All-America defensive tackle at Ohio State, you may not know Quinn Pitcock. He didn’t contend for the Heisman Trophy, like Troy Smith, or bring a crowd to its feet with his 4.3 jets, like Ted Ginn. He didn’t attract national attention by sleeping in a tent, ala Anthony Gonzalez or have a dad, such as James Laurinaitis, who was a former professional wrestler. No, Pitcock was one of the more anonymous, yet vital, cogs in a program that won 30 since he became a starter in 2004. He’s a powerful, 6-3, 295-pound interior lineman with a contagious work ethic and the quickness and athletic ability of many ends. Why should you care? Because Pitcock will be a first-day draft choice in April and is about to turn the coveted twin killing for NFL prospects, getting invites to the Senior Bowl in Mobile and the Combine in Indianapolis.

From now until the NFL Draft on April 28, Quinn Pitcock will allow everyone to get under his helmet and inside his thoughts as he prepares to fulfill that childhood dream of becoming a professional football player.

Feb. 20, 2007

Quinn Pitcock here, and I am back to give you some insight on my adventures thus far. I have been extremely busy preparing for the Combine every day, as well as doing public appearances around Ohio. Just last week alone, I did five autograph sessions – the Ohio State fans are great, and we always get lots of turnout for the appearances. We Buckeyes really do appreciate the loyalty.

It has been a long weekend too, but it’s time to get re-focused on the Combine and the draft preparation. One of the hardest parts of complete physical preparation is executing on a good nutrition plan. We are always so busy, it’s hard to make the time to buy, cook and eat the right way. For the Combine, though, my agents at BTI Sports hired a personal chef to help me follow my nutritionist’s meal plan and avoid those McDonald’s drive-thrus. Jaclyn’s Personal Chef Services in Columbus has helped me tremendously by preparing meals that fit my meal plan perfectly. I get a week’s worth of cooked food at a time, and I simply re-heat the meals and eat according the plan. It is the ultimate in convenience and has made my life a lot easier.

Next time I write will be after the Combine, and I am hoping to report nothing but good news. If you have any questions, email richardc@collegefootballnews.com, and I will be happy to address them in a future blog. Take care. QP

Feb. 5, 2006

OSU Career:

I couldn’t have written a better story for my career at Ohio State.

I came in during 2002 and was a part of the national championship team. I was redshirted, but that gave me the time to develop my skills. I had limited playing time behind great players like Darrion Scott and Tim Anderson the following year. In 2004, I earned a starting DT job that I kept for the next three years. And during my time, we were lucky enough (and worked hard enough) to be able to compete in another national championship game and two more BCS bowl games.

In 2005, I was struggling through the season with a nagging shoulder injury. As soon as we beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, I went into surgery. This was a hard time for me—not being able to lift hard and going through rehab for six months. I wasn’t fully recovered until July of last year, which gave me a month of hard lifting before the start of this past season. I was surprised how quickly I was able to regain my strength and conditioning. And I think I ended my career a good note, being co-captain of a 12-1 squad.

I have built great relationships with my teammates and coaches over the years, and I wish them all the best of luck in the future.

Agent Selection Process:

Picking an agent is a hectic process that took me back to recruiting in high school for college football. You have to have some kind of strategy or else you will get overwhelmed quickly.

First, I met with agents in the spring at Ohio State’s “agent day”. This was my first cut. I felt if these agents took the time to be certified in Ohio and through Ohio State, then they are serious about representing me. Then I tried to figure out what peripheral services (added value) that each agency has that makes them different. However, as I learned in school, services can be copied, and many agencies had the same old sales pitch about integrity. To me, that was just the beginning.

BTI Sports Advisors stood out for me because of its partner Jim Flanigan, who played in the NFL as a d-lineman for 10 years. Having someone to talk with that has experienced the league and truly knows what teams are looking for is a huge plus. Jim has already taught me techniques that I was oblivious to, and his input will truly increase my playing ability. BTI Sports was a medium-sized firm that my family and I felt was big enough to get the deals done, but small enough for individual attention. In the end, of course, it came down to being comfortable with the firm’s partners, Brad Leshnock, Joe Flanagan, Jim Flanigan and Ron Slavin. My family is happy with the decision, and we look forward to working with BTI for many years to come.

Click here for regular updates: Scout.com

Former Rutgers tight end Clark Harris is taking part in the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. While there, he will file a diary.

It wasn’t bad yesterday. I just did some psychological tests, a little bit of interviews and then the bench press. Other than that, it was pretty much just sitting around and hanging out for a while.

I did most of the psychological tests at the Senior Bowl, but I had to make one up today because the information one of the teams collected got messed up. And I had to take another quick one for the Steelers. They had a list of 75 attributes and I had to check off the ones that I felt best described me: respectful, honest, a leader and attractive. Well, actually I didn’t check that last one.

<> Another one of the tests was just matching patterns up to each other. It was a little more complex than the tests we used to take in elementary school, but it wasn’t that bad.Then, it was time for the bench press yesterday afternoon. I did 21 reps of 225 pounds and a long half of a 22nd one. The official count was 21, though. I had tested a couple of times leading up to the combine and every time I was within 20-23, so 21 was a pretty good number for me. It was near the top of what most of the tight ends did. I just hope I impressed the strength guys with my bench and showed the coaches I have long arms and explosion that is good for blocking.

I haven’t met with all 32 teams yet, but I’m pretty close. I’m in the lower 20s right now and I still have a few meetings left to go. By the time it’s all said and done, I’ll probably have met with about 29 teams. But you know what that means — one of the other three will probably draft me. That’s the way it happens sometimes.

Today, I’m scheduled to do the running and jumping drills for the coaches. I’ve never gotten nervous before games and I haven’t been nervous all week, so I don’t expect to be when I get out there. I hope it stays that way. And as far as my broken toe is concerned, it’s pretty much healed, so I don’t think it’s going to affect my performance. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a good showing.

Nick Mangold along with his fellow rookie lineman left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson were named to the NFL All-Rookie team after starting every game during the 2006 season and missing a handful of offensive snaps between them.

“As he sees something and is exposed to it, he does a nice job of being able adjust to it,” said Head Coach Eric Mangini.

Mangold, a 6’4”, 300-pound former co-captain at Ohio State, anchored the line like a 10-year veteran. He did a nice job calling out the protections at the line of scrimmage and held up well against some huge nose tackles.

Battle finished the 2006 campaign with his best season yet, and perhaps the most reliable and consistent 49ers receiver on the roster. Battle’s final numbers on the season were 59 catches for 686 yards and 3 touchdowns. Battle also had 36 first downs.

One interesting stat you will not see on many stat sheets is that 49ers quarterback Alex Smith had a QB rating of over 100 when throwing the ball to Arnaz Battle.

Nick Mangold, the Jets’ starting center, lay belly down on the field in Minnesota like a bear rug. His injury on the Jets’ second play from scrimmage last Sunday against the Vikings looked bad from any angle, especially the one his father, Vern, had from his seat in the family room of Mangold’s prospective in-laws in Ohio.

CBS, which was televising the game, took a commercial break, and as one advertisement bled into another, the thought occurred to Vern that perhaps the network was showing a lot of commercials to avoid having to televise his son being carted off in an ambulance. It was not like the 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire,” in which Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character, receiver Rod Tidwell, is hurt during a game, and his family, which is watching the telecast, phones Tidwell’s agent at the stadium to find out the extent of the injury.

Vern did not know anybody at the Metrodome to call. “He was a nervous wreck,” Therese Mangold, Vern’s wife and Mangold’s mother, said Tuesday by telephone.

When at last the network returned to the game and showed Mangold walking off the field, Vern’s relief was palpable.

Mangold, who sustained a bruised hip when he collided with his teammate Leon Washington, returned for the Jets’ next offensive series and did not draw any attention to himself after that, a sure sign he was performing well.

After the game, Therese reached her son on his cellphone and asked about his physical well-being. He assured her that he was fine, then said, “Mother, you worry too much.”

Outsiders expressed concern at the start of the season about the Jets parting ways with the veteran Kevin Mawae, a six-time Pro Bowl center, and entrusting the line calls to Mangold, a rookie whom the team drafted in the first round, with the 29th pick over all.

It proved so much needless heedfulness. A three-year starter at Ohio State, Mangold has made a seamless transition from Division I-A football to the National Football League. He is a big reason the Jets are 8-6 and in the thick of the playoff race heading into their game Monday night at Miami.

“He’s never rattled,” quarterback Chad Pennington said. “Nothing overwhelms him, whether it’s preparation, whether it’s game time. He just takes it all in stride. It’s pretty amazing as a rookie to be able to do that.”

The 22-year-old Mangold has played as well as any rookie and better than most, including his linemate D’Brickashaw Ferguson, the No. 4 overall pick, who is having a solid season at left tackle. In 14 starts, Mangold has drawn only two penalties and has played every down except one in New England last month, which he missed after being poked in the eye.

He is a deserving candidate for the offensive Rookie of the Year award, although Mangold is really the everyman of candidates: invisible in plain sight.

Since The Associated Press began recognizing outstanding rookies in 1967, running backs have been the most honored (30), followed by receivers (7) and quarterbacks (2). A lineman has never won the award.

“I think it’s hard to overstate how good a job Nick’s done,” said left guard Pete Kendall, an 11th-year veteran, adding, “It’s hard for even guys that don’t play on the offensive line in this locker room to understand the difficulties of playing center, being a rookie and all that.”

Kendall, who started 10 games at center last season after Mawae sustained a season-ending biceps injury, added, “He’s come in and, to me, he’s played like he’s been here before.”

The transition has not been a snap. The shotgun exchange was the bane of Mangold’s training camp. He struggled with it and ended up running a lot of punishment laps. “He put the ball on the ground a couple of times,” Coach Eric Mangini said. “That fazed him and me.”

Mangold is not easily knocked away from his normal state of equilibrium. “I don’t know that I can ever say Nick’s been rattled,” said his mother, Therese, whose stolidity Mangold seems to have inherited. “Everything with him is nice and even-keeled.”

It may not look like it, Mangold said, but every week is a struggle for him. “It’s one of those things where there’s always something that you could do better,” he said.

He has learned a lot from Kendall about managing his assignments and other people’s expectations. “He has taught me about just being your own player,” Mangold said. “Not saying, ‘I’m going to go out there and I’m going to try to mold myself after someone else.’ Just going out there and taking what I know and putting that out on the field.”

[Mangold Stands Out by Being Inconspicuous] – NY Times

One Response to “Mangold Stands Out”

As a lifelong Jets fan I just want to say what a wonderful job you did this year Nick. Honestly, myself I had you catching on around the middle of the season. I was nervous (as I’m sure you were as well) when Trey Teague went down. I just thought there would be too much of a learning curve on the Jets OL. Especially when you consider you had to make the line calls and D’Brick plays the hardest line position IMO. Those are normally not good positions for rookies to be in.

Just the same, YOU did it seamlessly. You made it look easy.

I’m really looking forward to seeing you play next season. I’m hoping the Jets braintrust decides to add a number 1 running back, a guy who can shoulder a games worth of carries. I hear that guy will be Mike Turner, if so that’s great IMO.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what you can do for the team on the toss-sweep. Lamont Jordan and Curtis Martin used to be awesome running behind the open field blocks of Fabini, Kendall, and Mawae. I think you have the ability to be just as good as the for sure hall-of-famer Mawae.

Good luck during the offseason. Relax and enjoy it. You deserve it….