Erik Ainge knew NFL team doctors werent just going to tap his knee with a little hammer.
Draft prospects, especially quarterbacks, are inspected quite literally from head to toe. Players with lengthy injury histories, especially quarterbacks, are scrutinized even more closely.
They ran the gamut on me, Ainge said between laughs Thursday afternoon. I figured they would.
Ainge seemed like a relaxed man, especially considering the circumstances. Less than 48 hours from Saturdays NFL draft, the former Tennessee quarterback was in Hamilton County seeing yet another doctor.
This wasnt a business trip, though. Ainge and girlfriend Rachel Adams were on the Tennessee side of Lookout Mountain visiting with her family including her father, Dr. Charles Adams.
Any doctors inspection on this day would be purely psychological, though Ainge and the Adamses have had more than three years to get past that point.
I hope so, anyway, Ainge said with even more laughter. Seriously, theyre great people, and theyve been great to me.
Between four seasons of Southeastern Conference
football and the first of hopefully several NFL training camps, Ainge said hes been trying to take it easy for a little bit.
Ive just been in Knoxville and Chattanooga, I guess trying to find the right balance of throwing, lifting weights and relaxing, he said. This has been the first real down time Ive had in a while, and it might be the only down time Ill have for a while.
Its getting ready to pick back up.
Thats the idea, at least. Ainge hopes to hear his name called by the third round this weekend, though any round from two to five seems plausible.
I think Ive proven in my college career that Im at least a second- or third-round player, Ainge said. But Im like everybody else at this point; I dont know what God has in store for me. Id like to be a third-round pick, but I cant control anything else at this point. Its not up to me anymore.
In the past month, hes undergone MRIs on his ankles, knees, shoulders and fingers especially the right pinkie that was fractured and taped to his ring
finger during every throw last season.
Respectfully, I understand why Ive had to go through all of that, Ainge said. Obviously, Ive injured my ankle, my knee, my shoulder and my finger. None of them were ACLs or reconstructive things or anything like that, but I definitely understand whats going on.
You wouldnt just look at a car and buy it. Why would these guys take a quarterback without testing him first?
Ainge threw 50 touchdown passes (with 19 interceptions) through several of those injuries the past two seasons. He led the Vols to an SEC Eastern Division championship as a senior and finished his career with an MVP performance in the Vols Outback Bowl victory over Wisconsin.
Ill never compare anybody to Peyton or Eli (Manning) because thats not fair but I really believe Erik is that kind of football player, said David Cutcliffe, UTs offensive coordinator the past two years. Hes smart and hes tough, and hes more athletic than people give him credit for. Hes got a big enough arm to make any throw he wants, just like all the good ones Ive had.
The bottom line is hes a solid football player with great character. ... Hes a guy you just love to have on your football team.
Cutcliffe said he thought some team would get a big-time bargain with Ainge, and longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. doesnt disagree.
Whoever gets him in this years NFL draft, I think theyll have a real find, Kiper told the Boston Globe. I think hes a better player than is probably recognized.
Ainge said hes not going to sit around all weekend worrying what round hes drafted. His family is getting together with the Adamses, and he said theyve discussed swimming and golfing.
When you talk about rounds and what pick you are and all of that, youre just talking about money, he said. If youre a good player, youll earn your money at some point in this league. Opportunities are there if you prove yourself, and everybody has to prove themselves at some point.
Honestly, Im excited about it. Im excited to be sitting here talking to you. These so-called problems were talking about theyre not really problems. Were sitting here talking about me playing in the NFL. Im blessed, man.
