INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - NSU senior cornerback Don Carey (Norfolk, Va.) is participating this week in the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine.

Carey and more than 300 other draft hopefuls will perform drills, strength and agility tests and interview with all 32 NFL teams in hopes of becoming the first Spartan to be selected in the draft since 1996.

Day 2: More medical tests, and lots of media time (by Don Carey)

Today ended a lot earlier than yesterday, but it began a lot earlier, too. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. and went right to have another urine test done. When that was done, I went to an auditorium and got all my measurements taken: height, weight, hand size and arm length. I weighed in at 192 pounds and my height was 5-11 ¼. What was fun about this part was, it was my first chance to see all 32 NFL head coaches and general managers together at the same time. There were all kinds of cameras flashing as I walked in.

After taking my basic measurements, I was put into what they called a bi-pod, which is an egg-shaped structure that took my body density and body fat. It was the first time I'd been in something like that.

The next part of my day was quite chaotic: the team medical exams. Yesterday we went through our basic medical history at the hospital, but today all the players went from room to room to get checked out by each team's doctors. There were about five to six teams represented in each room. I felt kind of like a lab rat, but it was funny at the same time. There were about five doctors pulling on me at a time, checking my joints and things like that. They had recorders asking me more questions about past injuries. If they found any kind of deficiencies in you at all, a scratch here or a bruise there, they ordered an MRI on you. Fortunately, I didn't have any requests for an MRI. Some guys were in the team exams five or six hours, but I was only there about 45 minutes to an hour.

The next part of the day was fun for me: the interviews. I conducted a 10-minute video interview which was taped and will be sent to all 32 teams. I was asked about football and my life… about my family, who the most influential person in my life is, what a team would get by drafting me, how I react to a win versus a loss, etc. After that interview was done, I went to another room for a press conference with national NFL media. I felt like a star…I sat on a podium in front of the NFL logo and had reporters raising their hands saying “Don, Don, can I ask you a question?” I enjoyed that part. After the main press conference was done, a few other reporters pulled me to the side and asked if they could talk to me some more to help get my story out. I hope that's a good sign.

I was the only guy I knew who wasn't asked to do any further psychological tests. So I had some free time to relax, which was good since I didn't get much sleep last night. To end the day, I went to what they call the train station. It's a big room that looks like the inside of a train station, where all 32 teams had their coordinators and other assistants to do some more informal interviews. On my way back to the hotel room, I bumped into (Pittsburgh head coach) Mike Tomlin. He knew my name, which was nice for me to know. He just offered me some words of encouragement and advice, which meant a lot to me since he is from Newport News and William & Mary.

Tomorrow, I do my formal interviews with several teams' head coaches and GMs, then I take my Wonderlic (intelligence/problem-solving aptitude) test. After that, we do our 225-pound bench press. Last week, I was able to do 18 repetitions in my training, so I am aiming for at least 20 this time.

Thanks for reading and check back tomorrow. Remember…God helps those who help themselves. Life is what you make it. You can't be lucky all the time, but you can be smart every day.

Don Carey