Jason Fox out to impress pro scouts

Jason Fox earned a reputation as being one of the toughest players during his time at Miami.

He started 47 games in four years at left tackle, ranking third in school history. Despite the success, Fox still finds it difficult when thinking of how his career ended. He missed the final two games because of a knee injury, a setback he hopes doesn't affect his NFL future.

Fox and a few other former Hurricanes have one last shot to impress scouts at the annual UM Pro Day on Friday at Greentree Practice Fields.
"It was tough watching those last two games, especially the Wisconsin game," said Fox, a first-team All-Atlantic Coast player. "We were struggling. I was there and it was tough to watch."

Fox may have made a difference in the 20-14 loss in the Champs Sports Bowl, but UM coach Randy Shannon and the medical staff thought it was best for him to have season-ending knee surgery with two games remaining.

"I tried to play, I wanted to play," Fox said. "It's something I played with all year, but [the pain] became unbearable and after consulting with coach [Randy] Shannon and the medical staff we thought it was in my best interest to have surgery and look forward to the future."

Fox, who is represented by Drew Rosenhaus, spent the past few months in rehab and training at Bommarito Performance in Aventura. He said the knee is "fine" and hopes to show the scouts.

"It was a challenge because most guys have been training since their last game," Fox said. "I'm coming off an injury and I had to do everything I could to not fall behind those guys. I had to eat right. I had to do all the upper-body lifting."

Because of the injury, Fox was unable to participate at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and only interviewed with teams. He thinks he has high-round potential, but ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay predicted a late-round pick.

"I don't think he finishes and has that mean streak that you look for," McShay said on a recent conference call. "You just wonder. He's a left tackle, but I don't know that he's a good enough player to become a starting left tackle in the NFL."

Fox said his experience at UM will help his cause. During interviews at the Combine, he impressed several teams with his football knowledge.
"When they ask you to draw plays, they could tell that I understood the game of football," Fox said. "At UM, the coaches just don't tell you to block the linebacker. They explain the play and that's exactly what [NFL teams] are looking for."



(sun-sentinel.com)