Regina graduate sharpens skills for NFL opportunity

AMES - Michael O'Connell was all smiles after his job interview last Tuesday at the Bergstrom Indoor Practice Facility.

Now, like most job applicants, all he can do is wait for the callback.

O'Connell, a former Iowa State safety, participated in the school's pro day before nearly 20 NFL scouts. The Iowa City native posted numbers comparable of many of potential NFL rookie safeties and he was confident he made a good impression.

“You prepare for three months for one workout,” O'Connell said. “I've done those drills probably a hundred times the last few months. To come out and have one shot at it, it's taxing mentally. But I'm very happy with my results and the effort I put forward. I continually saw improvements as I trained for (pro) day. I couldn't be more thankful or happy for how it went.”

O'Connell measured 5 feet, 11.1 inches and weighed 200 pounds. He benched pressed 225 pounds 18 times, about the midpoint for safeties at last month's NFL combine. He posted a vertical jump of 37.5 inches, tying the combine's best leap, which coincidentally belonged to former teammate David Sims. O'Connell also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds, better than all but seven of the 21 safeties at the combine.

O'Connell graduated last December with a degree in business marketing. He stayed in Ames to train six days a week with strength coaches Yancy McKnight and Clayton Oyster, and he liked the results. Iowa State's pro day was O'Connell's only opportunity to perform in front of NFL scouts before the April draft.

“That's why you put in so much preparation, and you give it everything you have and everything in your routine, the decisions that you make outside here,” O'Connell said. “The things that you're putting in your body, it all goes in to the results that you want. You've just got to be focused, have a desire to believe. That's one thing, every day I woke up with a positive attitude, just believing in my dream. Now that this day is over. This is kind of my interview, so in my hands I did what I could and now I can just stay in shape.”

O'Connell was a four-year starter at Iowa City Regina and helped the Regals win the 2005 Class 1A state title. Despite carrying a 3.3 grade-point-average at Regina, he wasn't admitted at Iowa because he didn't graduate in the top half of his class. He then walked on at Iowa State and garnered either first- or second-team academic all-Big 12 honors the last three seasons.

He eventually earned a scholarship and became a team captain last year. O'Connell started 14 games at Iowa State, including nine last season. He recorded two interceptions, and both were in dramatic victories. At Nebraska two years ago his fourth-quarter pick thwarted the Cornhuskers' final scoring threat to preserve the Cyclones' first win in Lincoln since 1977. Last year at Texas he intercepted a pass in the end zone to help Iowa State beat the Longhorns for the first time in school history.

O'Connell hopes to parlay those plays and his pro day results into an NFL opportunity.

“All it takes is one team,” O'Connell said. “I feel like I offer a lot. I bring a lot to the table as a guy who was on special teams for four years. I played multiple positions on defense and nickel back and both safety spots. I even can line up in the slot on offense as well. So I just feel like I'm well-rounded, and my numbers show I'm athletic enough. Now it's just a matter of a team giving me a shot.”

O'Connell's road to the NFL won't be easy, especially this year. He's unlikely to be drafted. With the current NFL labor situation, teams cannot sign undrafted players to free-agent deals immediately following the draft. Until a labor agreement is reached, O'Connell could wait for months before getting an NFL shot.

“Obviously that does affect everything a great deal especially with the draft coming up,” he said. “I think it really affects the free agency market which is huge for a lot of guys, including myself. But it's just one day at a time, that's how I'm approaching this deal. That's what I've done from the beginning.”