Darrelle Revis goes One-on One with the Rant

With the NFL Draft just two weeks away, I was able to sit down with former Pitt standout Darrelle Revis and talk football, life and his future. Darrelle is expected to be drafted in the first round of this years NFL draft. Here is the interview:

THE REITMEYER RANT: Darrelle, thank you for taking the time to talk to us today. Talk a little bit about the decision process of deciding to enter the NFL Draft.
DARRELLE REVIS: Well, after the season was over I met with Coach Wannestedt and I asked him if he thought I could play in the NFL and if he thought I was ready. He told me yes, so we started the process through the NFL. When that came back positive he sat down with my family and me, and Coach Wannestedt told me I was ready and he gave me his blessings and told me good luck.
THE REITMEYER RANT: Describe how your life has been since you made that decision.
DR: It hasn’t been that different actually. The biggest difference is that you are pulled everywhere. I go to lots of meetings. Hiring an agent was a long process. It was a really hard choice. Then you had the combine, which was a long weekend. I have been really busy, doing all different types of things.
THE REITMEYER RANT: Getting ready for the combine is a job in itself, describe your typical day of training.
DR: Well, I was working out in Phoenix. We would work out twice a day and it was pretty intense. We would start with me waking up at 8:00 am; I would eat then go for treatment and massages before workouts. The workouts themselves would be all types of things. I do weight lifting, running, running hills, all different types of stuff. Then in the afternoon, I do it all over again. I finish the day about 6 o’clock and just relax the rest of the night.
THE REITMEYER RANT: Talk about the difference between these workouts compared to the ones you would do at Pitt.
DR: These are more about teaching technique. They don’t really wear you out, but the just make sure you are doing everything to an exact way so you can get the best out of your efforts.
THE REITMEYER RANT: How important is all this training, do you think that it is a little overrated since it is for the combine, but not really showing your football ability.
DR: Well, it is very important to the combine and pro-days, and that is what is important to the scouts and teams. That is what we are there for, to display our talents. So, you want to be able to do the best you can. Before I went to Phoenix, I didn’t know how to run a 40-yard dash. It seems easy enough; I used to think it was just running, but there were so many things to 40 that help you run faster. I was really able to learn a lot.
THE REITMEYER RANT: You were unable to participate at the combine due to a hamstring injury, talk about that, and how people said that hurt your draft stock.
DR: Hey, if I’m hurt, I’m hurt. Rumors were my stock dropped, but how could it drop if I haven’t done anything for these people to judge me about yet? I did what I had to do on the field; if my stock drops because I didn’t run at the combine, something is wrong. I wanted to run so badly. I was mad seeing the other guys competing. I wanted to be out there with them, but I just had to be patient and wait for my time.
THE REITMEYER RANT: You got your chance to display your abilities at the Pitt Pro-Day and you didn’t disappoint.
DR: That was a good day. I could have done that anytime. I’m just glad I finally got the chance to do it. I’m confident enough to know what I can do. My combine was on the Pro-Day and that is when I showcased my talent.
THE REITMEYER RANT: So, the combine itself, what were your impressions?
DR: It was a long process. It’s a dream come true to be invited. All that stuff, just for football, didn’t make much sense though. The group I was in was a good group of guys. We just tried to have the best time we could there. We were joking around and having fun so we could all stay loose.
THE REITMEYER RANT: So what do you expect on April 28th (Draft day)?
DR: I expect to be picked high. I know it’s going to be a long day so I just have to be patient. Once my name is announced, everyone will be happy.
THE REITMEYER RANT: What NFL teams have you talked to?
DR: I’ve talked to a bunch. The most recent were the Browns, Bengals and the Steelers, but there are a lot more too. I really can’t sit here and say who wants me because I don’t know, but I have been able to meet a lot of coaches and gotten to know them and feel comfortable with them.
THE REITMEYER RANT: Being a Pittsburgh guy, would it be weird playing for the Browns or Bengals?
DR: It would be so weird. When I met with the Browns they joked with me about being from Pittsburgh, saying they don’t like people from Pittsburgh.
THE REITMEYER RANT: Is there one team out there that you would like to play for?
DR: Well, being from here I’d probably say the Steelers. Playing for a defense with guys like (Troy) Polamalu and Ike Taylor would be great.
THE REITMEYER RANT: What player do you try to emulate on the football field.
DR: Champ Bailey, he is the best. I love the way he plays.
THE REITMEYER RANT: You said you have met with Mike Tomlin, what is your take on him?
DR: He is a players coach. He is a humble guy that wants to get after it. I liked that in him. He just wants to win.
THE REITMEYER RANT: You mentioned some Steelers players, it would have been nice having guys like Polamalu running around behind you a Pitt, wouldn’t it have been?
DR: (laughing) Yes sir! They use him a lot. He is so versatile and athletic. It would have been great if he were at Pitt.
THE REITMEYER RANT: With the combine and Pro-day behind you, what do you think you need to work on to excel at the next level?
DR: I’m going to be a sponge. I want to be a student of the game and just take in as much as possible. I will be talking to the veterans as much as possible, just to keep learning.
THE REITMEYER RANT: You are projected by most to go anywhere from #10-20. With the Steelers picking 15th, talk about the chances of playing for them.
DR: When I look at that situation I look at it as the same thing Lebron James went through. He went to high school in Cleveland and then was able to be drafted by the Cavs. Me, I’m in that same situation, it would be great to be able to play in Pittsburgh.
THE REITMEYER RANT: Talk about the impact Dave Wannestedt has had on you as a person and as a coach.
DR: Coach Wannestedt is a great guy. He came from the NFL and has a lot of experience. He has coached a lot of great corners who have been pro-bowlers. As a person, he is the best. He is always around us. He comes and checks up on us with our tutors. He can pop up anywhere, you never know. That has made his players know that they always had to be the young respectable men that coach wanted and expected out of us. It showed that he really cared about his players outside of football too.
THE REITMEYER RANT: What is your long-term outlook for Pitt football under Coach Wannestedt?
DR: It takes time. You really can’t expect much that first year. This year they will be young, so they will have to learn fast. I know everyone seems to want to put pressure on him, but I think he is a big-time coach and he will be there for a long time.
THE REITMEYER RANT: What is it about Aliquippa football that keeps producing NFL caliber players?
DR: I do not know. I get amazed every year. Every year we put out D-1 players. I think it is the coaches. The get you ready to play at that level. We learned college stuff in high school. We were able to come in ahead of others once we stepped on campus. It is a small school (AA), but to me, we could play with the AAA teams or even the Quad-A teams. We have that type of talent. We always do. We bleed Red and Black. We all just take a lot of pride in playing football for Aliquippa.
THE REITMEYER RANT: With guys like Mike Ditka, Ty Law, Tony Dorsett, Sean Gilbert, Josh LAy all being from Aliquippa, talk a little about you being the next on a long list of NFL players from here.
DR: It is a special thing, but I can’t be content. One thing I live by is what my Uncle Sean (Gilbert, who was 3rd overall pick in the 1992 draft and played in the NFL for 11 seasons) told me, he said, “If you are going to work at it, do it to your best ability. Work hard, you can’t take any plays off, do everything to 100% so that when you are done with this game you have no regrets.” When I’m done playing I want people to be able to say, “He played the game to the best of his ability.”
THE REITMEYER RANT: Darrelle, thank you very much for your time, good luck to you on draft day, and hopefully we can do this again sometime.
DR: Aw, no problem I had a lot of fun, thank you. We will do it again. Maybe a post-draft interview.