Been a couple weeks since I blogged sorry for the delay. We wrap up our workouts this week and then head to California for the Rookie Symposium Sunday. All the coaches are gone so right now we're just lifting. We'll get a small break before training camp starts in late July. I do miss California and I'm looking forward to spending a few weeks at home. I'm also planning to attend a fantasy football event Ronnie Lott is hosting in San Francisco July 18. It's a charity event and they will have a bunch of legends there. Any time you can get in the same room with Ronnie and Marcus Allen and Joe Montana and Michael Irvin and Tim Brown and guys like that you're in a good spot. I'm excited about it.

I will fill you in from the rookie symposium

What's up Yardbarkers?

Not sure how many of you know what our schedules are like these days so I thoughts I'd share with you what we've been doing in Jacksonville. OTAs are really like regular practice sessions. We're on the bus at 6 am and arrive at the facility at 6:15. When we get there we either lift or get treatment. I see some of the veterans doing treatment even if they aren't hurt just to keep their bodies fresh. After treatments and workouts we grab breakfast and head into special teams meetings. Once that's finished we have offense and defense meetings then break off into position meetings. That's when we put in the new install for practice. We also review the stuff we've been working on.

From 10:30-12:30 we're on the field for practice. The Jaguars have rookie seminars each day after practice where we learn about different life skills. We had a drinking and driving session, another on money management, another on security and they'll have some second year guys get up and talk about their rookie seasons and some of the things they learned. It's been very informative.

At 3:30, 4:00 we head back to the hotel and then it's free time. If I'm not taking a nap I'll go out with some of the other rookies to get something to eat or check out the mall. They have a really nice town center. We'll walk around there, but can't stay out too long - the humidity will kill you!

I finish the day off studying. I'm in my playbook for an hour and a half to two hours each night. Then I'll crash and get ready for that early wake up call the next day to start the routine all over again.

Enjoy the NBA Finals - Go Lakers!

What's up everyone in the Yard. Just got back from Canton and wanted to share my trip with you.

All of the rookies in the NFL are required to go to the Hall of Fame to learn about the history of the game and our turn was Friday. I am so glad we did it - I loved the experience. The Hall of Fame represents the ultimate respect. Everyone thinks you're one of the best to ever play the position and to play the game. To see that select group was really cool. I called Coach Norton while I was in there and told him he belonged in here for all of his contributions. I hope that day comes.

I learned a lot while I was there. One thing I learned was USC has more players in the Hall of Fame than any other school. That's right!! When they told us that my eyes lit up! All those guys represent us and now we represent them. It was especially cool for me to see the guys in there that I've had the chance to meet - Ronnie Lott, Anthony Munoz, Marcus Allen.

Another thing I learned was that there are 13 or 14 guys in the Hall of Fame who were undrafted. That is really cool to hear for the guys who were undrafted. It really never matters where you start as long as you get the chance. It's what you do with the opportunity that matters. After the first year or two people will forget where you were drafted. I took as many pictures as I could and after I get them developed I will put one in my locker and one inside my dashboard to constantly motivate me and remind me to set and pursue my goals. I took pictures of the guys who have been inspiring to me guys like Jack Lambert, Ronnie Lott, Ray Nitschke, Mike Singletary, Sam Huff. These are the guys I love watching on NFL Network. I try to take a little of what they did and incorporate it into my game.

One of the true highlights for me was seeing Walter Payton in there. He is one of my all-time favorite players. I read his book when I was younger and even though he played a different position he immediately became one of my favorites. In the book he said he played every down like it was his last. I've tried to do the same thing ever since I read it.

Just a quick note to all the Yardbarkers out there. This is really happening. I am in the NFL. For a guy who has always dreamed of this day happening, it's amazing that it's become a reality. I am in Jacksonville, got here late last week to start OTAs and I'm enjoying every second of it. I am absolutely loving putting that helmet on every day. When you graduate from college it's time to get a job and go to work. The fact that my job is in the NFL will never get lost on me. I know I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to make the roster, but it's an honor to be here and I am very excited about it.

What's up in the Yard?

I head to Jacksonville tomorrow to start my NFL career. I am so excited. I get in Thursday and start working Friday. I've talked to the linebacker coach several times so that I can come in prepared.

I finished my finals last week and celebrated by calling my mom. I told her to keep setting goals for me and I'll keep knocking them down. I really can't believe college is over. It seems like yesterday when I came in as a freshman. Getting all my stuff packed allowed me to really look back and remember some of the great times I had at USC. It really is unbelievable to see your life experience and watch yourself grow up through all these pictures. I was watching my high school highlight film and that was funny. I remember being a sophomore on varsity and seeing some of these kids who had facial hair at that time. I wonder how some of those guys are doing now.

It is exciting to be going to the next level but it is hard to leave this place.

Yesterday my NFL dream, at least the start of it, became a reality when the Jacksonville Jaguars called and selected me in the 5th round. I can't tell you how excited I am.

When the day started I had no idea how it would turn out. I had gotten a call Thursday or Friday from the linebacker coach in Atlanta asking me about positions I played and where I would fit into their scheme. When they drafted Curtis Lofton from Oklahoma and Robert James from ASU I knew that wasn't happening. I went for about a 45 minute run on this path near my mom's house. They just moved so the area is new to me. I did take my cell phone with me just in case. After my run I just hung out on the couch and had my mom and her boyfriend, my grand parents, my cousin and 3 or 4 of my high school friends with me.

At about 11:30 things got interesting. The Cowboys traded spots with Jacksonville then my phone rang and it was one of the coaches at Jacksonville. I had not spoken to them since my Pro Day workout. He asked me if I was healthy and what I had been doing since Pro Day and if I was ready to play. I told him absolutely! he then told me he'd call me back. When I hung up and looked at the TV I noticed that Jacksonville didn't pick for another six picks. Talk about leaving me biting my nails. I was chewing on those for the next 30 minutes. Then the phone rang, close to 12, and it was Coach Del Rio and he said "congratulations on becoming a Jacksonville Jaguar." Then I saw my name flashing on the screen. It was so exciting. I could hear the Jacksonville coaches and staff in the background on the phone cheering. I am just so happy, but it still hasn't really hit me yet. I'm still a college student, going to class today and I'm also going to an NFL team.

I do know that I am going to go in there and learn the defense and contribute on every special team and do everything that is asked of me. I am going to give them everything I have. This is a dream come true. I know that I still have to work and compete to make the team, but even getting to this point is part of the dream.

They had 11 wins and we had 11 wins last year. I am going from one great team to another great team. They are such a tough, physical, agressive defense. You can just see it watching them on NFL Network how much passion they have to play defense. I want to be a part of that kind of team. Coach Del Rio played that way. I have watched a lot of footage of him in NFL Network when he played for Minnesota and of course he did it at USC too. I have that passion, that motor and the drive to make sure the guy with the ball feels me when I get there. I love the hunt.

I set this goal so long ago and here I am living it. I am just so blessed to get to this point. Now I can't wait to get to Jacksonville!

Today was a great day for me. I went to Vacaville and spent the whole day seeing my friends and coaches from home. I had breakfast this morning then met my buddy Joe, who just beat cancer. It was so great to spend time with him. We ran this hill together that I've been running since 10th grade. I also got a chance to catch up with my high school coach and meet some kids at the school. It was really fun for me to see all these people who have meant so much to me over the years and share with them what I have been going through the last four months.

Tomorrow is going to so exciting for me because I am really anxious to see where my teammates are going. We have been a part of each other for the last four years, we've done so much together. I'm proud of all of them and look forward to sharing this next stage of our lives together.

Back in the Yard and I am coming to grips with the fact that my life is about to change dramatically. I am in the final couple weeks in LA at USC and I am trying to enjoy every moment of it. I'll be going to the spring game this weekend and that will literally be my last moment as a student-athlete on the field at USC.

I remember my first spring here not having a clue. Here it is five years later and I am preparing for the NFL Draft and watching all these young kids develop like I did.

One thing Coach Norton has done for us is explain what to expect going into our first mini camp and how to prepare for that. He has been such a great leader for us and has provided us with so much guidance. We are so lucky he is part of our lives. He has helped us understand that there are so many things we can't control so Keith and I are preparing for the things we can control, like attitude, work ethic, being focused, being in shape and being ready. We know that it's not going to be the same level anymore. The NFL is the elite of the elite and we have to raise our levels of preparation, our workouts, our study habits. We know that there are big changes ahead but we are excited for the next phase in our lives.

If you want to talk about speed, this year's WR draft class has just that. It's amazing to hear these guys' times that they put up at the Pro Days. I'm just glad I don't have to cover them. Keith and I talk about a few of the wide receivers that we've played against in the Pac-10 (DeSean Jackson and Lavelle Hawkins from Cal, and Mark Bradford from Stanford).

Thomas

I want to say to my teammates who are entering the Draft and who I have played with over the past four or five years, I've enjoyed every second of it. Whatever team that they go to, the fans and the teammates are going to enjoy these guys just as much as I did. I enjoyed every memory that we had, every championship that we won, and every game that we played. I hope I get a chance to play with some of them again. Here is a video where Keith Rivers and I talk about some of the USC Draft prospects. You may have already seen this on Keith's blog...

Thomas

Yesterday my teammate Keith Rivers posted an article about our mentor, Ken Norton. Coach Norton was a great football player. Now he's able to coach us the way he played. We owe our success and accolades to him, and he helped transform how people look at USC. USC has been known as Running Back University, but now Keith and I like to consider it LBU (Linebacker University). We have a plethora of linebackers here, not just Keith and I but also in years past and in years to come. Next year's Draft should include Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Kaluka Maiava, Clay Matthews...

I have been meaning to write about this for the last week, but just didn't find the time.

Pro Day was a once in a lifetime experience and I enjoyed the moment. I know that it did not end there so I am continuing with my workouts and I'm also catching up with some people I haven't seen for a little while. I know that I will be moving soon so I want to make sure I touch base with many of the folks who have helped me during my time at USC.

I was caught off guard at USC's spring practice last week. I went out to watch the linebackers and I was walking along the field and some guy grabs me and it was only Ronnie Lott. Ronnie Lott and Marcus Allen! I have met Ronnie before and he has said some things to me at games, but I have never really talked to him like that. He told me to really enjoy this time because it's once in a lifetime and will never come again. Marcus told me to just be myself at the next level. It was really cool for those guys to take the time to talk to me. It really meant a lot to me.

Here's a funny story that I am going to tell Ronnie the next time I see him. I was 7 or 8 and he was signing autographs in a store in Vacaville. My mom took me so that I could get his autograph on this 49ers book he was signing. I got a picture of him shaking his hand. I still have it. Here I am 15 years later and he's helping me get ready for the next stage in my life. It was really exciting for me. I am going to see him again in a couple weeks and I'm going to have him sign that photo. He invited me to come to his office and visit with him more about everything - getting ready for the NFL, and life off of the field. He is such a great role model on how to conduct yourself on and off the field. I want to pick his brain on what he has done and try to incorporate some of those things into what I do. Ronnie has earned so much respect by the way he played. He's a Hall of Famer, but seeing what he has accomplished off the as well takes the respect to another level. He's a caring and respectful person off the field and I want to follow those some guidelines.

Here's a video filmed the day after Pro Day, me and my road dawg Keith Rivers talking football in the team room at USC.

This is it - the eve of my Pro Day workout. I am very excited about it. We have been working so hard to get ready for this and we're almost there. I will do a very light workout today just to keep my body fresh.

Your body is like a clock and you don't want it to get off course so you get into a routine and do the same things. Yesterday was a full workout but we went a little lighter. Today I will do enough to get a good sweat and get stretched. Just enough to keep my body loose and active. It's almost like a walk through practice the day before a game. You go through practice, work through the things you're going to do, but it's a lot lighter than a full practice. Today will be my walk through.

I will go through all the mental reps just like at practice. I will visualize each of the drills and how I need to perform. Some people have asked if I'm getting nervous. Not at all. I'm excited. I'm just going to be doing the drills that I have been for so many years. As long as I stay focused everything will go well. It's really no different than practice. There may be a few more people there watching, but I'm sure there won't anymore than the 92,000 we get for our home games.

Keith and I have been slowly calming the workouts down this week to make sure we are fresh for our Pro Day next week. I have been trying to get some more rest in as the week has gotten older. For the most part my down time consists of MTV and SportsCenter. Actually with March Madness going on I've been watching a lot of basketball.

I do like to read. The Bible is very important to me. My workouts strengthen my body and the Bible strengthens my faith and my soul. I have also been reading the book See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar. It's a positive image book that has a lot of good stuff in it. It has a lot of stuff that has related well to what I'm going through now.

One of the first things I highlighted in it was the line "do more with what you have so you'll have more to use." You often hear people say "I wish I was that guy" or "I wish I could do that like him." This book has really taught me not to pay attention to what others have and to focus on everything that I have. It has been very helpful to me and has allowed me to grow into the player and person that I have become. Playing football with all the great linebackers at USC - Lofa, Oscar, Rey, Brian, Keith - they have so many great talents you catch yourself thinking "I wish I had that." When you do that you lose sight of what you do have. I have been able to make up for what I don't have by taking advantage of what I do have and building on those things. For example, I am versatile and I feel I have showcased my leadership skills. I am fast to pick up defensive schemes and we have a complex defense. I don't just focus on what I have to do on each play, I like to have an understanding of what everyone is supposed to be doing. I may not be as fast as some guys in the 40 but by having a strong understanding in what everyone is supposed to be doing on each play I can play every bit as fast as those guys. That's an example of doing more with what you do have so you'll have more to use.