Tez Doolittle
Tez Doolittle is a 285-pound defensive lineman from Auburn who is hoping to be selected in next month’s NFL Draft. So he didn’t protest when a scout from the Oakland Raiders asked him to strip off his shirt and pose during Auburn’s pro day yesterday. (Shirtless shots from past NFL prospects below jump).
Before he spoke with reporters, Doolittle posed with his shirt off for a scout with the Oakland Raiders, who snapped shots of the defensive tackle from the front and behind.
“They just told me to take my shirt off and took two pictures, ” Doolittle said. “No questions. Just do it.”
Doolittle, who scouts say might be a mid-draft pick, hopes his little beefcake session could raise his stock, saying, “I’ve been working my tail off, day and night.”
We haven’t yet seen Doolittle’s shirtless shots, but hope they held him land with a team. Eying the prospective NFL flesh has long been a ritual among scouts and general manager, but it’s only in the era of the Internet and coverage of the draft combine that this beef has been available to the rest of us. While New England quarterback Tom Brady must wince when he sees his combine shot from 2000, others have reason to crow about how they looked in the weeks leading up to the draft:
Tom Brady at the 2000 combine.
Adrian Peterson at the 2007 combine.
Brady Quinn at the 2007 combine.
Penn State's Aaron Maybin prior to this year's combine.
Alex Smith of the 49ers prior to the 2005 draft.
Hat tip to Pro Football Talk.
on Mar 12th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Interesting study in these pictures: Brady Quinn is chiseled, cut, with abs and stunning physique, and Tom Brady looks like wet dough. Yet, which quarterback is the Hall of Fame, Super Bowl star? So much for these loin-cake photo sessions and their predictive value….
on Mar 12th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I would say a QB’s physique has zero determinant value in predicting how good he will be. Quinn has yet to prove anything on the field.
on Oct 7th, 2009 at 1:59 am
The 2006 and 2007 Combines provided me with much….relaxation footage. Too bad the NFL Network stopped airing the weigh-ins in 2008, darn.
I’m glad I (still) have access to the football player weight rooms of Tuskegee and Northwestern Universities.