Tavares Gooden Interview

Tavares Gooden is one of the most exciting linebacking prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft. Gooden continues the long line of outstanding Hurricane linebackers and took a few minutes to discuss his Miami career and his NFL aspirations with the War Room Report's Chris Otwell. 

Chris Otwell: What position do you think you translate best to at the NFL level?

Tavares Gooden: Any line backer spot.  Playing at Miami I played at all 3 linebacker spots, so that’s what I bring to the table. I feel like I can play all of them well so in the NFL, I'll play all the line backer spots and I feel like I am good at every one of them.

Otwell: How do you feel the combine went and were you satisfied with your performance?

Gooden: I went out there and did everything I had to do and trained for. I ran hard. You can only run as fast as you can run and jump as high as you can jump. Next to everyone else’s performance as a whole, I feel like I showed my explosiveness and my speed. 

Otwell: You were a high school track and field star, how has that helped you become a better football player? 

Gooden: I don’t know that it did, I mean it just shows how athletic I am. I’m not sure that track and field can help you be a better football player, it just shows how willing you are to compete. It shows how fast you are, how strong you are, and how much of a burst you have. I think playing other sports just shows how smart you are and shows off how versatile you really are. I think that track showed that everything I show isn’t a fluke, that I can do it on the track too, and just shows that I have what it takes to be competitive and win. 

Otwell: How did playing with Rd 1 talent such as Calais Campbell , Kenny Phillips , and Jon Beason help your development? 

Gooden: Well, it wasn’t jus those guys, I played with Jonathan Vilma, DJ Williams, Sean Taylor, Frank Gore, Kellen Winslow, Devin Hester.  It just shows you the talent level at the University of Miami and helps you out because when you got to play other players, you have seen that type of speed, even faster than what you see normally and that helps you out a lot. 

Otwell: What do you think the biggest transition is going to be going from college to the pro level?

Gooden: I mean I don’t think its going to be a hard transition for me because I have the physical tools to play at the next level.  I think I can help myself by meeting with coaches all day and learning the systems and getting to know them.

Otwell: What do you feel like your strengths are going into the NFL? 

Gooden: Well, I am physically ready for the NFL. I feel like I can go out there and play, and respond to the system. I feel like I can respond well and play middle linebacker well. I called the shots at MLB, I called the checks, I'm fast, I can run with TE’s and WR’s, even guys with 4.3 speed. I have all the tools that a MLB needs to play in the NFL and excel at that level.

Otwell: If you could tell the NFL coaches right now what kind of player they will be getting if they draft Tavares Gooden, what would you tell them?

Gooden: I mean they wouldn’t question my work ethic.  As a freshman I squatted around 400 lbs when I was red shirted.  In my senior year I ended up squatting 550 and bench pressing 355, came in running 4.6, so you can’t question my work ethic.  I am going to be bigger, faster, and stronger and I do all the things it takes to win and be a good MLB.

Otwell: If you had to compare your game to any current NFL player, who would that player be and why?

Gooden: I’m different from those other guys, you know.  There are a lot of guys that came before me but I wouldn’t compare my game to any of them. I have a different style and I can do many different things, so I don’t think it would be a comparison to any of them.  If I had to be, I would say that I am a couple players rolled into one.

(warroomreport.com)