It's the reason Daniel Te'o-Nesheim's performance at last month's NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis wound up being overlooked.
Alphabetical order placed Te'o-Nesheim after Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh in the workout schedule at the combine, which meant that the NFL Network was showing replays of Suh's performance in individual drills instead of capturing Te'o-Nesheim's performance.
"I knew it was going to happen as soon as I saw who was in front of me," Te'o-Nesheim said.
So here's a thumbnail sketch of what happened: Te'o-Nesheim performed 29 bench-press repetitions at 225 pounds, and he was timed as fast as 4.73 seconds in the 40-yard dash, though his official time was not among the top 10.
Well, he was timed running the 40-yard dash in 4.67 seconds at Washington's pro day on Wednesday, according to his agent. The scouts in attendance all had him in the 4.6s.
Where the 6-foot-4, 267-pound Te'o-Nesheim fits on an NFL roster remains a question. Those teams that run a 3-4 defense see him as an outside linebacker; those in a conventional 4-3 alignment see him as a defensive end.
What's becoming clear, though, is that he will fit somewhere in the NFL.
"The one thing I always want to say about him is amazing effort," Huskies coach Steve Sarkisian said. "I've never seen a guy work, practice, play the way he plays with the effort that he plays with. And it shows. That's why he's so productive. That's why he's the all-time sack leader in the history of this school."
In scouting terms, Te'o-Nesheim has great hips, which make him explosive when changing direction. NFL scouts use a three-cone drill to measure a player's agility and change of direction, and Te'o-Nesheim had the second-fastest time of any defensive lineman at the scouting combine.
Of course, not everyone got to see that. He was following Suh in that drill, after all, who cast quite a shadow in television coverage.
But Te'o-Nesheim has performed well enough to solidify himself as a player many now expect to be chosen in the draft along with linebacker Donald Butler, his Washington teammate, after the Huskies have not had a player drafted either of the past two years.
Tony Moeaki blames bad luck for his injury woes at Iowa. The former Hawkeye tight end, who is participating at this week’s annual NFL Scouting Combine, hopes to prove durability will not be an issue for him at the next level.
“I had never been hurt before high school,” said Moeaki, a former standout in Illinois. “Some freak accidents happened and those things are past me now.”
Despite suffering a laundry list of injuries at Iowa and missing games the past three seasons, Moeaki said he feels “fresh and healthy” at the combine. His physical exams and X-rays all came back clean.
Iowa offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga, also taking part at the combine, is confident his former teammate can overcome his past injuries and impress scouts and coaches in Indianapolis.
“If Tony says he’s healthy, I believe him,” Bulaga said. “He’s a great athlete and great football player. If he plays up to his potential, I think he can be very effective in the NFL.”
Bulaga scoffed at any notion that Moeaki is “soft” and injury prone.
“He’s the furthest thing from soft,” Bulaga said. “Tony is definitely not soft.”
Maybe unfortunate is a better word.
In 2007, Moeaki suffered season-ending injuries at Wisconsin in the fourth game and was granted a medical redshirt. He broke his hand, dislocated his elbow and tore a ligament in his wrist on one play.
In 2008, he missed a couple games with a broken foot suffered in fall camp. Last season, he was out three games with a high ankle sprain.
“If you woke me up and erased my memory, I wouldn’t be able to tell you I’ve been hurt before,” Moeaki joked. “It’s unfortunate that stuff happened, but at least I’m here now.”
Moeaki hopes his time on the field, along with his showing at the combine, will be enough to raise his stock for April’s draft. NFLdraftscout.com has him projected as a third- or fourth-round pick.
The all-Big Ten first-team selection also plans to work out at a pro day on March 22 in Iowa City to give scouts and coaches another chance to evaluate him.
“I’m confident in my abilities, but I’m not going to stand up here and declare it,” Moeaki said. “I’m going to try to show it in my workouts.”
Moeaki hopes NFL teams don’t focus too much on his previous injuries.
“I haven’t had any major knees, backs, neck, shoulders or anything crazy,” Moeaki said. “It’s just little dinky stuff and everything is healed. All the physicals went well and training has been good.”
Moeaki has drawn inspiration from former Iowa tight end and current Indianapolis Colts all-pro Dallas Clark.
“I really look up to Dallas,” he said. “I’ve met him more than a couple times. He has great character, just a really nice guy and even better at football. I wish I could do half the things he’s done.”
The following players will be participating in the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine, which will be held from Feb. 24 to March 2, is the annual job fair for prospective new NFL players. For six days at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, players are put through a series of drills, tests and interviews with more than 600 NFL personnel including head coaches, general managers and scouts.
Tyson Alualu
College: California
Overview: Alualu appears to be a bit of a tweener (combination of height and weight) for an NFL defensive lineman. He doesn’t have the great bulk as an interior lineman in a 4-3 front or the ideal height to play end in a 3-4 scheme. Alualu shows deceptive power for his size that can push the pocket as a pass rusher as well as penetrate the line of scrimmage as a run defender. He has quick hands to control and separate from blockers as well as solid instincts to feel pad pressure and maintain leverage in his gap responsibility. Alualu has enough tools and talent to contribute giving depth to an NFL defensive line.
Strengths: Productive talent who played at a high level throughout career earning all-conference recognition. Uses his power to hold up at the point of attack and to push the pocket. Displays the pass rush ability necessary to stay on the field on third down. Exhibits impressive hand use to gain leverage and shed blockers. Is a tough, relentless player.
Weaknesses: Only possesses average size. Lacks the ideal bulk to play inside and the height of a defensive end. Average change of direction in space and doesn’t always locate the football quickly. Only has average range in pursuit and won’t chase down plays from the backside.
Matthew Asiata
College: Utah
Overview: Asiata is a good sized running back with balance, strength and effort as a ball carrier. He lacks explosive quickness, initially, and holes tend to close up on him before he gets through them. He can get ahead of his blockers and needs to develop more patience as a ball carrier. He runs with good lower body strength and balance and consistently does a good job of gaining additional yardage after initial contact. He is not a real effective weapon in the passing game and will need work on both route running skills as well as catching the ball downfield.
Strengths: Powerfully built runner that gets low and delivers pops. Possesses good balance and has strong legs to fight for yards after contact. Low center of gravity and toughness make him an effective inside runner and a threat on the goal line.
Weaknesses: Lacks the speed and explosive quickness to hit holes fast and gain big yards. Has limited lateral agility and will not make many people miss. Does not have the patience or vision to consistently find running lanes. Not a threat in the passing game with raw receiving skills. Tore his ACL and missed the last eight games in 2009.
Mike Iupati
College: Idaho
Overview: Iupati is a massive guard that started three years at Idaho although he did miss some time in 2008 after dealing with offseason shoulder surgery. He is one of the more powerful blockers in the draft and once he gets his hands on opponents it’s pretty much all over. Iupati was born in American Samoa and English is not his native language which can slow down his progress when it comes to learning new schemes and the playbook. While it may take Iupati a bit longer to develop into a front line player, he could have a long and productive career once he settles in.
Strengths: Iupati has terrific size for an interior blocker. Plays with a lot of toughness and tenacity. Exhibits outstanding power in the running game and in pass protection. Has very good body control and balance. Possesses great short area quickness and really jolts defenders. Appears to have heavy hands in pass protection.
Weaknesses: Lacks adequate speed for the guard position. Must improve his instincts for the game and get better dealing with complex defensive line play. Because of sub-par speed, downfield blocking needs to get better. Struggles to get to the second level in the running game.
Koa Misi
College: Utah
Overview: Misi has good size and strength for the linebacker position. He has played both with his hand in the dirt as well as in a stand up position. He is a tough, hard-nosed competitor that will fit best as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Misi will need some work reading route progressions and will be a liability in pure man coverage. Wright is an aggressive defender that attacks the line of scrimmage to disrupt the run as well as rush the passer effectively. Misi is a good football player that will take some time to transition into the linebacker position, but should contribute on special teams as well as a backup as a rookie.
Strengths: Misi has the look, size and strength of an outside linebacker in a 3-4. Displays the toughness needed to hold the point of attack. Is a productive, smart player who always finds ways to contribute. Has the versatility to stand up or play with his hand down. No questions about his durability.
Weaknesses: Only possesses average coverage skills and has limited experience in this area. Is more comfortable playing in a crowd, lacks some agility in space and grasps for air on occasion. Can struggle containing shifty backs on the perimeter. Is an inconsistent reactor, especially when reading in coverage.
Tony Moeaki
College: Iowa
Overview: Moeaki has been a bit of a disappointment since coming to Iowa as the top-ranked high school tight end in the country. He has struggled to stay on the field as he has missed games in virtually every season of his career at Iowa. He is a good athlete but lacks a second gear to stretch the secondary down the middle and lacks a big burst coming out of his cuts to separate from defenders. He shows effort as a blocker but lacks the lower body strength to block with much power. His best shot may be as an H-back or a tight end that is generally split out and lined up off the line of scrimmage.
Strengths: Moeaki is a fluid athlete with soft hands. Athletic enough to line up wide in a two point stance. Maintains good body control and can adjust to throws away from his chest. Very coachable, has a good attitude and plays hard to the whistle.
Weaknesses: Lacks adequate height and does not have much room to add bulk. Limited top-end speed and agility prevents him from getting separation on his routes. Struggles to find holes in zone coverage. Does not have adequate power in his lower half and cannot drive defenders off the ball. Missed too many games due to injury in college.
Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
College: Washington
Overview: Te'o-Nesheim has been a productive four-year starter for the Huskies defense. Te'o-Nesheim is an undersized defensive end that wins with toughness, effort, instincts and technique. He lacks great quickness, burst and agility as a pass rusher but does a nice job using his hands to counter effectively. Te'o-Nesheim will have a tough time anchoring effectively versus the run and doesn't possess the speed, quickness and agility to project to an outside backer in a 3-4 defensive scheme. His high motor, leadership skills, toughness and instincts gives him a chance but he clearly overachieved in college and is not likely to transition well at the next level.
Strengths: A tough competitor who was a four-year starter in the Pac-10. Gets hands inside blockers' pads and sheds effectively to get after the passer. Prepares well and tracks the ball in traffic. Relentless effort allows him to get the most of his abilities.
Weaknesses: Does not have the size to play defensive end at the next level and lacks the athleticism to play outside linebacker. Slow getting off the ball and does not have the lateral agility to get around the edge. Gets pushed around in the running game and does not have the speed to make plays from the backside.
