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Q&A With Ben Tate Tiger running back answers questions about his preparations for the NFL combine and draft.
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Ben Tate

Ben Tate

Feb. 19, 2010

NFL Combine, Feb. 24-March 2

Former Auburn running back Ben Tate is currently preparing for the NFL Draft, and before that the NFL scouting combine. Fans interested in checking out daily updates on his progress can view his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BenTateRB and his Twitter page at twitter.com/BenTateRB. In the meantime, he answered a few questions about how his preparations have been going.

What is a typical day like for you now as you prepare for the NFL?

"I get up about 6, have breakfast, and in the early morning I do a lot of stretching. Around 8 or 8:30 we head out to the field and do some training exercises: shuttle drill, cone drill, and other combine-type stuff. After that we'll transition into normal football drills. Then I'll have about an hour or hour-and-a-half off, and we'll come back and do a full workout. Then we have dinner about 5."

How was your experience at the Senior Bowl and what kind of feedback did you receive?

"It was a good experience. There were a lot of great athletes and it was fun to play with a lot of guys that I've played against. I thought I did pretty well overall and the feedback was very positive. I think I showed that I was faster than they thought, and with my blocking and catching the ball, I think I showed that I was an all-around back."

Do you have a particular area you're really trying to improve, such as strength, speed, agility, catching passes, etc.?

"No, I don't think I have any big weaknesses, so I'm out there just trying to work on every aspect and get better at everything."

Where are you working out and who do you work out with?

"I'm working out in Miami, Fla., at Bommarito Performance. Some of the guys I work out with are Danario Alexander, Carlos Dunlap, Jarrett Brown, Darryl Sharpton, Jamar Chaney, Bruce Campbell and other guys in the draft."

 

 

What's been the thing that has most surprised you about getting yourself ready for the next level?

"I didn't think hiring an agent would be as hard as it was. It was a pretty difficult decision to make. That was the most surprising thing was how tough of a decision that was, and I just wanted to make the right decision."

Are you more nervous or excited about participating in the NFL Scouting Combine starting next week?

"I'm excited. I'm excited to be going and to compete against some of the best football players coming out. There are so many great players and I'm looking forward to trying to be the best player at my position."

Is there anything you've done to prepare for the non-athletic aspects of the combine like the interviews and Wonderlic test?

"Yes, definitely. We have a guy that teaches us how to take the test, as well as another guy that came in to help us out with the interview process, and helped me out with what to say or not to say, and things like that. It's definitely an all-around thing. It's not just focusing on the physical part, but the mental part, too."

Are you planning on coming back to Auburn for the team's Pro Day, or for any other reason such as A-Day?

"I'll be back in Auburn for the Pro Day but I haven't decided if I'm coming back for the spring game. If I don't have anything going on I probably will."

What will you remember most about your four years at Auburn?

"Probably just when Coach Chizik was hired, and wondering what was going to happen next. I didn't really know him or too much about him, and I was really wondering what type of staff he was going to hire or offense he was going to run. And as you can see it turned out well."

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