By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Past and present Baylor Bears took advantage of Monday's pro day to show all 32 NFL franchises their skills. For some it was their lone opportunity to make an impression.
Apu Ika
(How did it go today) It was good. It was kind of the back end of this process here, especially for these guys. I’m just happy for everyone that was able to participate today. Everybody looked good. I had a lot of fun. I know everybody had a lot of fun today. Just glad to be here. I’ve been asked questions from you guys for the past year and a half. So just being here now is great.
(Combine) It was a fun, a real fun experience. I felt like I went out there and did what I could. Now that today is done, the stress went down a lot. Now it’s just a waiting game and really seeing what happens going forward.
(What did you want to show scouts today) Nothing specifically. Just show them me, what I do, the kind of person I am. I feel like I do a pretty good job at showing it, nothing too crazy about me, I’m a happy guy. I like to make everyone else happy. That’s what I wanted to come out here and show.
(What did you do today) I just did the position drills.
(Bringing energy) I like bringing energy. That’s the way I am. I like having good energy around me.
(Tip’s from Jaxon back at Midway) I had to, this is his home turf. I know he was more than happy to be here. It was actually his idea for us to have it here. So I’m very grateful to find out we could have Pro Day here.
(Bittersweet at end of process) Definitely, especially being here right now. I had to take a couple of minutes this morning to kind of breathe, seeing all the guys is what did it for me. We’ve been through some hard days together, so like I said earlier just being able to be here today and see them all go through this is stuff that makes me tear up.
(Who has shown most interest from NFL) Nothing specifically, I’m just grateful that teams want to take to me.
(Expectations for draft rounds) No. Like I said I’m just glad to be here and when my name gets called, I’ll be just glad my name gets called.
(Being away from college football structure) Now it may be a little harder. It’s all on us as players. Whatever we want to get out of this process, it comes down to what we put into it. We don’t have coaches behind us telling what should be done. It’s a matter of growing up and taking it upon yourself and be a pro. I feel like everyone here, this is where we want to be and this is what we want to do. We don’t have too much trouble with that part. It’s easy for us to want to do all of this and be here.
(Do scouts tell you that you remind them of any other players) Nothing specific. They just say I’m a very big guy and they need very large guys at the next level, and hopefully I can be that very large guy.
(Who do look up to) I would say Vita Vea, who plays nosetackle for the Bucs, more because he’s Tongan like me makes me pay attention to him, someone who is just like me doing what I want to do. Just what he did for our position, people look at the noseguard position differently now because of him. They look at him for what people can bring to the table. He’s pretty much changed the game for us.
(Next guy to represent culture) Man, it’s something words can’t describe. It’s the reason why I do all of this. Not even just for that, for my family. It’s not even being the next person up in the Tongan culture or the Polynesian culture, it’s being the next person up in my family. Someone they can be proud of, someone they can watch on TV. I feel like every Polynesian or Tongan athlete can speak on this. It’s a little different. It’s like you have a whole community, city behind you that you’re representing.
I weighed in at 345, a little bit heavy, but still in the area I need to be where people want me to be at.
(How important was Coach Aranda in your development) Real important. More him giving me the opportunity to come here on the team and take on the role that I did take. I’m just grateful that it all worked out the way it did. I know a lot of people who go through the transfer portal, and that whole process wasn’t as nice to them as it was for me. I’m just grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to come here and succeed.
(Will the SoundCloud music follow you to the NFL) For sure. I’ve been slacking lately, I’ve been a little busy. But definitely I’m going to keep doing it. I love music. It’s something I’ve got to get back on. Thanks for reminding me.
(Do you have a dance prepared) No I don’t. I’ve held back on the dancing. I’ve got something else I need to work on as well, add a couple more moves to my arsenal for the next level. We’ll see.
Connor Galvin
(How did Combine go) It went well. You’re there for a while, so you get to spend a lot of time with the guys you meet. All these scouts and coaches you got to meet were great. The experience was long but I enjoyed it.
(What are you trying to show scouts) Just that I can play pretty much all positions on the O-line. That’s how you stay in the league a long time. You can’t just play one position. I played one position (left tackle) at Baylor for a while, so I just want to show them I can play left tackle, right tackle. If we need a guy, I can play guard. That was my whole goal here.
(What is draft projection) Someday, Day 3. I haven’t heard anything specific. It’s a wide range. We’ll see when it gets here. I haven’t heard set in stone stuff, but it’s all on Day 3. It’s not going to be fun to sit there and wait if you wait a long time. But I have no control of it now. I’ve done all I can do for the last five years.
(Any teams show interest) At the Senior Bowl and the Combine, you meet with a lot of teams. I’ve met with 30 of the 32 teams. Everybody at the Combine and Senior Bowl does that. I’ve talked to a lot of people, but I have no one specific.
(What is the process like) It’s overwhelming but I’ve played with a lot of guys who have been through this process like Terrel, Pitre, JT, and the guys from the previous years that I’ve been blessed to play with. So if I have a question, I’ve got all these coaches to help me. I’ve got all these guys I’ve played with and the coaches, so I haven’t been too overwhelmed by the Combine and Senior Bowl. It’s been a lot, but it’s been fun.
You just have to know how to be yourself. You can’t go to those things and put up a front because they’ll eventually find out if you’ve lied. So just being yourself and being you, that’s how you succeed in the NFL. You can’t just put up a thing what you think you are, because they pretty much know who you are. If you sit there and lie to them about this and that, they know. You just have to go in there and be yourself and have self confidence.
(What did you do today) I did the O-line drills today. I did all the stuff I wanted to accomplish at the Combine.
(Did coming back for fifth year at Baylor help) Yeah, there’s more tape on my resume. I played a lot of football here, so that obviously speaks for itself. The Combine will help. Pretty much your tape will speak for your draft grade.
I was 299 today. I’m feeling good, feeling loose, a lot of range of motion. I’m on way stricter of a food diet since I’m in training. I can’t eat as bad. I’ve lost five or six pounds, it’s not terrible.
(Toughest things to cut out) Candy, I’m a huge candy guy. I wouldn’t touch it at all until after the Combine. I didn’t touch it one time. It was hard, it was rough, but I accomplished that goal.
Jacob Gall
(Was what you did today up to our standards) Yeah, I think so. There were a ton of guys who really showed out. Not only me, but everybody who went had a good day.
(What do you want to show scouts) Just because I know I’m a smaller prospect, just my maneuverability, speed, acceleration. General athleticism is what I want to show, the elite size and the elite quickness. I was first to go in all the drills. I wish I had a little more time to warm up, but that’s just the way it is. Sometimes you just got to get out there and go. I feel like I had a good day in my range of numbers. I think I ran well. After this, I just want to talk to more scouts and get more official numbers.
In half of these drills, you’re never going to do as an offensive lineman. Five-yard cuts on a 90-degree angle is not really my forte or any lineman’s forte. So just practicing that stuff and getting comfortable doing those things, I’m sure there are a lot of new things I’m going to have to do in the NFL, so it’s just great to have.
(Interest from teams) I think a lot more should happen after the Pro Day. That’s when a lot more teams start contacting guys. I know on paper I might be a little short, but I know in the film room and the athletic numbers out here will show and I’ll get more interest out of that.
(40) I was hearing anywhere from 5.0 to 5.1. I don’t even know that concrete-wise.
Publisher
Past and present Baylor Bears took advantage of Monday's pro day to show all 32 NFL franchises their skills. For some it was their lone opportunity to make an impression.
Apu Ika
(How did it go today) It was good. It was kind of the back end of this process here, especially for these guys. I’m just happy for everyone that was able to participate today. Everybody looked good. I had a lot of fun. I know everybody had a lot of fun today. Just glad to be here. I’ve been asked questions from you guys for the past year and a half. So just being here now is great.
(Combine) It was a fun, a real fun experience. I felt like I went out there and did what I could. Now that today is done, the stress went down a lot. Now it’s just a waiting game and really seeing what happens going forward.
(What did you want to show scouts today) Nothing specifically. Just show them me, what I do, the kind of person I am. I feel like I do a pretty good job at showing it, nothing too crazy about me, I’m a happy guy. I like to make everyone else happy. That’s what I wanted to come out here and show.
(What did you do today) I just did the position drills.
(Bringing energy) I like bringing energy. That’s the way I am. I like having good energy around me.
(Tip’s from Jaxon back at Midway) I had to, this is his home turf. I know he was more than happy to be here. It was actually his idea for us to have it here. So I’m very grateful to find out we could have Pro Day here.
(Bittersweet at end of process) Definitely, especially being here right now. I had to take a couple of minutes this morning to kind of breathe, seeing all the guys is what did it for me. We’ve been through some hard days together, so like I said earlier just being able to be here today and see them all go through this is stuff that makes me tear up.
(Who has shown most interest from NFL) Nothing specifically, I’m just grateful that teams want to take to me.
(Expectations for draft rounds) No. Like I said I’m just glad to be here and when my name gets called, I’ll be just glad my name gets called.
(Being away from college football structure) Now it may be a little harder. It’s all on us as players. Whatever we want to get out of this process, it comes down to what we put into it. We don’t have coaches behind us telling what should be done. It’s a matter of growing up and taking it upon yourself and be a pro. I feel like everyone here, this is where we want to be and this is what we want to do. We don’t have too much trouble with that part. It’s easy for us to want to do all of this and be here.
(Do scouts tell you that you remind them of any other players) Nothing specific. They just say I’m a very big guy and they need very large guys at the next level, and hopefully I can be that very large guy.
(Who do look up to) I would say Vita Vea, who plays nosetackle for the Bucs, more because he’s Tongan like me makes me pay attention to him, someone who is just like me doing what I want to do. Just what he did for our position, people look at the noseguard position differently now because of him. They look at him for what people can bring to the table. He’s pretty much changed the game for us.
(Next guy to represent culture) Man, it’s something words can’t describe. It’s the reason why I do all of this. Not even just for that, for my family. It’s not even being the next person up in the Tongan culture or the Polynesian culture, it’s being the next person up in my family. Someone they can be proud of, someone they can watch on TV. I feel like every Polynesian or Tongan athlete can speak on this. It’s a little different. It’s like you have a whole community, city behind you that you’re representing.
I weighed in at 345, a little bit heavy, but still in the area I need to be where people want me to be at.
(How important was Coach Aranda in your development) Real important. More him giving me the opportunity to come here on the team and take on the role that I did take. I’m just grateful that it all worked out the way it did. I know a lot of people who go through the transfer portal, and that whole process wasn’t as nice to them as it was for me. I’m just grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to come here and succeed.
(Will the SoundCloud music follow you to the NFL) For sure. I’ve been slacking lately, I’ve been a little busy. But definitely I’m going to keep doing it. I love music. It’s something I’ve got to get back on. Thanks for reminding me.
(Do you have a dance prepared) No I don’t. I’ve held back on the dancing. I’ve got something else I need to work on as well, add a couple more moves to my arsenal for the next level. We’ll see.
Connor Galvin
(How did Combine go) It went well. You’re there for a while, so you get to spend a lot of time with the guys you meet. All these scouts and coaches you got to meet were great. The experience was long but I enjoyed it.
(What are you trying to show scouts) Just that I can play pretty much all positions on the O-line. That’s how you stay in the league a long time. You can’t just play one position. I played one position (left tackle) at Baylor for a while, so I just want to show them I can play left tackle, right tackle. If we need a guy, I can play guard. That was my whole goal here.
(What is draft projection) Someday, Day 3. I haven’t heard anything specific. It’s a wide range. We’ll see when it gets here. I haven’t heard set in stone stuff, but it’s all on Day 3. It’s not going to be fun to sit there and wait if you wait a long time. But I have no control of it now. I’ve done all I can do for the last five years.
(Any teams show interest) At the Senior Bowl and the Combine, you meet with a lot of teams. I’ve met with 30 of the 32 teams. Everybody at the Combine and Senior Bowl does that. I’ve talked to a lot of people, but I have no one specific.
(What is the process like) It’s overwhelming but I’ve played with a lot of guys who have been through this process like Terrel, Pitre, JT, and the guys from the previous years that I’ve been blessed to play with. So if I have a question, I’ve got all these coaches to help me. I’ve got all these guys I’ve played with and the coaches, so I haven’t been too overwhelmed by the Combine and Senior Bowl. It’s been a lot, but it’s been fun.
You just have to know how to be yourself. You can’t go to those things and put up a front because they’ll eventually find out if you’ve lied. So just being yourself and being you, that’s how you succeed in the NFL. You can’t just put up a thing what you think you are, because they pretty much know who you are. If you sit there and lie to them about this and that, they know. You just have to go in there and be yourself and have self confidence.
(What did you do today) I did the O-line drills today. I did all the stuff I wanted to accomplish at the Combine.
(Did coming back for fifth year at Baylor help) Yeah, there’s more tape on my resume. I played a lot of football here, so that obviously speaks for itself. The Combine will help. Pretty much your tape will speak for your draft grade.
I was 299 today. I’m feeling good, feeling loose, a lot of range of motion. I’m on way stricter of a food diet since I’m in training. I can’t eat as bad. I’ve lost five or six pounds, it’s not terrible.
(Toughest things to cut out) Candy, I’m a huge candy guy. I wouldn’t touch it at all until after the Combine. I didn’t touch it one time. It was hard, it was rough, but I accomplished that goal.
Jacob Gall
(Was what you did today up to our standards) Yeah, I think so. There were a ton of guys who really showed out. Not only me, but everybody who went had a good day.
(What do you want to show scouts) Just because I know I’m a smaller prospect, just my maneuverability, speed, acceleration. General athleticism is what I want to show, the elite size and the elite quickness. I was first to go in all the drills. I wish I had a little more time to warm up, but that’s just the way it is. Sometimes you just got to get out there and go. I feel like I had a good day in my range of numbers. I think I ran well. After this, I just want to talk to more scouts and get more official numbers.
In half of these drills, you’re never going to do as an offensive lineman. Five-yard cuts on a 90-degree angle is not really my forte or any lineman’s forte. So just practicing that stuff and getting comfortable doing those things, I’m sure there are a lot of new things I’m going to have to do in the NFL, so it’s just great to have.
(Interest from teams) I think a lot more should happen after the Pro Day. That’s when a lot more teams start contacting guys. I know on paper I might be a little short, but I know in the film room and the athletic numbers out here will show and I’ll get more interest out of that.
(40) I was hearing anywhere from 5.0 to 5.1. I don’t even know that concrete-wise.
