Boston College football held its annual Pro Day on Monday inside Fish Field House in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
A total of 10 Boston College players as well as two local prospects took to the field to showcase their speed and skills in front of multiple Patriots coaches and other NFL staffers and scouts.
After the event, Eagles head coach Bill O’Brien spoke to the media about the players going through the draft process.
Below is a transcript of everything O’Brien said.
Q: Thoughts on the day. How did it go?
O’BRIEN: I thought it was great. We had 29 teams here. Obviously the Patriots are here with Coach Vrabel. I thought our guys did great. They worked and I think that’s what the NFL wants to see. They want to see the work ethic. Some guys were interviewed this morning. They’re up bright and early. Coaches came in to talk to them. So I think it was a great day for Boston College. I appreciate all these teams being represented here today. It was great.
Q: We’ve talked about your relationship with Mike Vrabel. Do you feel like there could be a, maybe not a pipeline, but how beneficial could that relationship be between BC and the Patriots?
O’BRIEN: Oh yeah, no doubt. I mean, obviously Mike’s done an unbelievable job at the Patriots in a very short time, right? Turning that around. We try to recruit guys that are tough, that are smart, that are dependable, and I think those are the type of guys that he’s looking for on his team. And so, yeah, you’re hoping there’s a little bit of a pipeline. These guys for us today did a great job. The offensive linemen, tight end, Jeremiah [Franklin], Lewis Bond, Jude Bowry, Logan Taylor, Q Hutchins, they all did a great job today. It was good to see that.
Q: Not every Division 1 program sends guys to the NFL every year. They miss out on that. What’s it like and what’s it say about Boston College that year in and year out you guys are doing this?
O’BRIEN: It’s funny [you say that], that’s a great question, because Zach Allen was here last week and he spoke to the team, and he talked about that a little bit. That in the locker room in Denver, Boston College is held in high regard because you’re talking about guys of high character, really good football players, tough guys, dependable guys. And I think the same can be said if any guy came back here. Drew Kendall was here today saying the same thing about the Philly locker room. And I texted back and forth with Ozzy Trapilo this morning, similar thoughts. Like the NFL locker room is a sacred place to be and I think guys like BC guys fit right in there because of the type of guys they are.
Q: Do you think that your players seeing guys [that] have gone through this before gives them an advantage?
O’BRIEN: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I don’t think there’s any doubt. Like last year, Logan and Jude, they watched Drew and Ozzy go through this, so they kind of knew [what to expect]. They were prepared. I think that’s another great point that the guys that are younger here now, that are standing around the outskirts here watching what goes on, they’re the future. They’re going to have their Pro Day in a year or two years, they’ll know what to expect. So I think that that helps a lot
Q: How much do you appreciate these guys, even after all these years, getting the opportunity to try to get to their NFL life?
O’BRIEN: Yeah, there’s no doubt. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the work that they put in for us. All the things- the practice sessions, the meetings, been some ups and downs here in their careers relative to wins and losses and to come out here and have this opportunity, like I said, in front of 29 teams. You’ve got Mike Vrabel here, head coach here. You’ve got Doug Marrone here, the offensive line coach of the Patriots.
Ryan Cowden was here. I think Brian Gaine was here, assistant general manager of the Buffalo Bills. So you have a lot of people here that were able to watch these guys and I think it’s a testament to their work ethic, but also, like, I feel great that they’ve had the opportunity to work out in front of these guys. It’s really good.
Q: Was it disappointing that Lewis Bond didn’t get an invite to the NFL Combine?
O’BRIEN: Oh yeah. I think Lewis Bond is, obviously I’m very biased, but Lewis Bond’s one of the best players to ever play here. For him not to be invited to the combine. But again, there’s a lot of guys, a lot of great players that we’ve coached over the years that didn’t get invited to the combine. So I think Lewis has a real good shot to get drafted. He’s going to participate in any local workout the Patriots have or the Bears [have]. He’s from Chicago. He’ll get his opportunity, no doubt about it.
Q: What is it about Jude and Logan that you think would make them good additions for an NFL team?
O’BRIEN: I think they’re very talented. I think they’re tough. I think they’re smart. They understand line play. They can communicate, which is the key up front to be able to communicate with the guy next to me to see things through the same set of eyes. I just think that they’re versatile. They can play different positions. Logan Taylor played left tackle, right guard, left guard. He did everything but played center. Jude can play left tackle, right tackle. So I think their versatility, their intelligence, their character, I think they would be great fits in the NFL.
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