NFL Draft Preview
Diary of an NFL Hopeful

Name: Jeff Mroz
Position: Quarterback
College: Yale
Height/Weight: 6'4-˝" / 225 lbs.
High School: Greensburg Central Catholic
Hometown: Greensburg, PA
Birthdate: 07/11/1983

Jeff Mroz, 22, is a Greensburg native who just completed his senior season as the quarterback at Yale. He is currently working out in preparation for the NFL Draft this month. Jeff details his experiences in this exclusive diary for the Pittsburgh Sports Report.

2/21
Right now I am working out three times a day. I wake up at 7, eat breakfast and run at 8 at the indoor track. I run five times a week with Yale's track coach. We work on speed, conditioning, quickness, flexibility, strength and form... These workouts usually last about an hour so I'm home shortly after 9. I drink a shake and eat a meal when I get home, rest for a little bit, and go lift at 11:30. I'm not really too concerned about putting weight on. I weigh between 225 and 230, so my weight is fine. I am mostly concerned with getting stronger, because the guys in the NFL hit a lot harder than they do in college; getting stronger is one way to help ease the transition.

I usually go to the training room after my weight workouts and get a good stretch with one of the trainers. Sometimes I'll get a massage if I'm sore and need to recover quickly.

Around 3, I have my third workout of the day. This one is a throwing workout and is very intense with little break time. I do a lot of drills, specifically ones I will probably be required to do for my pro days. I throw to a few of our receivers and have them run all the routes that I'm going to be throwing. I usually end each throwing session working on arm strength drills because my arm can never be too strong. I eat dinner after this, and at night I'll watch films in my apartment, trying to understand the NFL game. I try to be in bed by 10:30 and then start all over again when my alarm goes off at 7.

2/22
I've worked out with two great QB coaches. I worked out with Chris Palmer, the former head coach of the Browns and o-coordinator for the Texans and Jags, in early January. He gave me drills to work on, things to improve on, and talked about the differences between the college game and the pro game. He focused mainly on footwork, something that I needed to improve. The footwork in the NFL is a lot different from the footwork in college. Because the speed is so great in the NFL, the windows close a lot quicker, so you have to be ready to throw the ball right away. Coach Palmer watched my footwork constantly and I've been doing the drills he's given me, and I feel a big improvement. He was the smartest coach I've been around and helped me out a great deal.

The second coach I've worked out with is considered one of the top QB coaches in the country, Bob Johnson. I first worked out with Coach Johnson last summer in June. He and his son Rob were there and after I got done working out with them, they both believed I had a good shot at getting a chance in the NFL. I've always believed I was good enough to play in the NFL, but I was always worried that I wouldn't get a chance. To hear from them that they thought I had what it took, and that I'd get my chance, was big for me.

I went back to work out with Coach Johnson for most of February… I worked out with Omar Jacobs (Bowling Green) and Kellen Clemens (Oregon), two of the top QBs in this draft class. Rob Johnson would also work out with us. It was a great learning experience for me, especially being around those good QBs. It was good for my confidence as well, because I fit right in with them and didn't feel inferior in any way. But that's never been a problem with me…

Coach Johnson really helped me with getting the ball out of my hand quicker: hitting my last step and getting rid of the ball. In college, we didn't do many timing routes, so I was able to hitch up once and then throw on most passes. This is a minor difference between the footwork in college and the NFL, but I've made the adjustment. He also stressed accuracy and putting every single pass exactly where it needs to be, and not missing the target at all… His demand for perfection in every aspect of being a QB rubs off and is a great trait I learned from him.

2/23
I would love to be at the NFL combine this week. This would have been a great opportunity to showcase myself in front of the NFL coaches and scouts. I'm not going to have that kind of audience at my pro days, nobody will. I kind of expected this to be the case (not getting invited to the combine). I am flying below the radar right now, which can be expected considering that I played in the Ivy League. I think once I have my pro day though, and teams see me, I will elevate my status.

2/24
The success of Ryan Fitzpatrick (the St. Louis Rams quarterback who went to Harvard) was great to see. Being a rookie QB in the NFL is the hardest position in all of pro sports. He's done very well…Being from the Ivy League and for him to do what he did will hopefully only help me. His performance this year only gave legitimacy to our league. For the most part, every QB in the NFL has the physical tools to be an effective player. It's the QBs that have the brain and are smart with the ball who get the job done. That is what Ryan has been able to do. He's a very smart player; I've seen it from playing against him, and he's going to do very well in the NFL. I'm sure when scouts evaluate me and consequently our league, I'm sure they will take into consideration Ryan and his success. This can and will only help me.

2/28
March 18 will be a big day for me. That will be my first pro day at Duquesne. I'm hoping there will be a lot of scouts in attendance. I am feeling pretty good heading into the day. I'm running and throwing well, so now it's time to put on a show. They will be watching and analyzing everything, so I need to constantly be sharp in all the drills, running, and throwing. I want to run somewhere in the 4.7's in the 40, and in the 4.1 area for the shuttle.

Throwing will be the most important part of the day for me. That is what the scouts want to see… I need to show good arm strength and accuracy. I've been working on both a lot, so hopefully I'll be on during the day. I've been practicing all the throws. I want every scout there to leave with a great impression. I want every one of them to want me on their team. I've got to give them a reason to want me.

3/1
I heard about some of the results from the combine. The only thing that really caught my attention was (Vanderbilt QB Jay) Cutler putting up 225lbs 23 times. That's pretty impressive. I guess now after seeing some of the testing numbers, I can see how my numbers stack up to the other people. But I think all of that stuff is overrated. Either you can play or you can't. I can't control what they do, the only thing I can control or worry about is what I do. Everything else is out of my reach. I've never had any doubts about myself, so seeing results from the combine doesn't really affect me in any way.

3/4
I definitely want to get drafted. If I don't, I will not be disappointed because all I want is a chance to play. Once I get a chance, whether I'm drafted or not, it's up to me to make the team. All I want is the opportunity. I've seen people who were supposed to get drafted and didn't, and I've seen people who got drafted that were not expected to be selected. You really don't know what's going to happen, particularly near the end of the draft, which is probably where I would go if I get taken.

3/6
The best situation for me in the NFL would probably be going to a team that has an established starter and a solid veteran backup. These teams want a young guy to be their third QB. That is probably the best situation to make a team. I will go anywhere, it doesn't matter at all to me. But I think that would be the best scenario of me making a team.

3/8
Getting drafted is obviously better than being signed as an undrafted free agent. You are more of a priority for a team. That being said, sometimes a player has a better chance of making a team by being an undrafted free agent as opposed to getting selected very late in the draft. As an undrafted free agent, you have a choice of signing with team that might need a player at your position, or where you feel you can best make a team. So there are definitely some advantages of being an undrafted FA, but many more advantages of being drafted.

3/18
Editor's note: March 18 was pro day at Duquesne University. Jeff was part of group of about 15 athletes trying to catch the eye of the NFL scouts in attendance, of which there about a dozen. Athletes from Duquesne, Cal, Salisbury State, Robert Morris, Northern Iowa and several other programs worked out - 40-yard dash, broad jump, vertical jump, bench press, shuttle and field drills. Jeff ran two 40's and turned in a 4.84 and a 4.82. His vertical was 32-˝" and his shuttle close to what he hoped. He threw the ball well, but was pushed for time as the scouts were hurrying to get across town to anther pro day being held at the University of Pittsburgh.

3/20
Everything went alright at the pro day. I don't know what some of my times were because they don't tell you. But the 40 wasn't bad. It wasn't a great track to run on, so I'll take the time I ran. I would have liked to thrown more and done some drills, but we were pushed for time because the scouts had to get over to Pitt. The timing routes were a little difficult because I had never thrown to those receivers before and each ran their routes differently and all had different aiming points, so I didn't always know where they were going to be. But I think the scouts saw my arm strength and footwork. All in all, it went well and hopefully some of the teams liked my abilities.

For the weeks leading up to the draft, I will continue to work out with the speed and quickness coach and continue to lift. I am feeling pretty good with how I am physically, so I am going to maintain that. I am also going to have another workout for a few teams that are the most interested. I'll throw for a much longer period of time, and will be throwing to my receivers from Yale, so that should be good. I will probably be spending the Sunday of the draft golfing at Yale with some of my friends. I don't want to sit around and wait.