Ex-Husker Octavien shines in combine, must stress health

By Marc Hudgens  |   Wednesday, February 27, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Not much of former Nebraska linebacker Steve Octavien was telecast on the NFL Network's live coverage of the recent scouting combine, but the 6-foot, 239-pounder ended up being a top performer in some key drills.

Octavien finished eighth in the 40-yard dash, logging in a 4.67-second time. He also tied for fourth in the bench press with 26 reps of 225 pounds, and he tied for fourth again in the broad jump with a 9-foot, 10-inch spring.

Not bad for a guy who was plagued with injuries during most of his college years in Lincoln.

However, what was noticeable was that the Naples, Fla., native didn't place in the 3-cone or shuttle drills. Not that big of a deal given that time, not technique, is the factor which determines a top performance placement. And it is technique that many coaches and bigwigs in the RCA Dome's stands looked at. It's highly probable he looked good overall in those drills, especially given it's been reported Octavien fared well in pass coverage.

Furthermore, Octavien's old injuries can't be used as a reason to be skeptical of his NFL future. If his injuries were that nagging, Octavien would not have ended up leading the Huskers last season in tackles (92) and tackles for loss (12.5). He's moved on since 2005 and 2006 and produced, especially against the Huskers' bigger opponents, and the NFL brass should do the same.

Octavien proved he can overcome injuries and stay healthy for an entire season, evidenced by his performance last season at Nebraska. And he must constantly relay that fact to coaches and team suits when they express concerns about his injury-plagued career. After all, many NFL decision-makers have stated they place more importance on character and, ironically, medical reports than the drill results. And he is obviously healthy now.

In the meat grinder known as the NFL, injuries will happen. It's just a fact of that lifestyle. So it's not injuries that should be where the question mark lies; rather, it should be about a player's ability to overcome them. Hopefully coaches and team suits will place their focus on what Octavien's overcome instead of what he's sustained.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He ...
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