Drills for skills

Lawrence Sidbury attracted attention at two postseason events just by being measured.

The former University of Richmond defensive end has 35-inch arms and 10½-inch hands, some of the longest/biggest among all NFL prospects, and highly valuable tools for block-shedding and a tackling.

Sidbury took part in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 17 and the Senior Bowl on Jan. 24.

"He had a chance to rush against these tackles that are rated highly," said UR coach Mike London. "And he goes out and he competes, and he does well against them. I'm hearing from a bunch of scouts that his stock is rising."

Some scouts believe Sidbury, from Cheltenham, Md., has an NFL future at outside linebacker, though he played defensive end through four seasons as a Spider. If football doesn't work out, Sidbury earned a computer-science degree from UR and minored in mathematics.

Sidbury is stationed in Fair Lawn, N.J., where until mid-February he will train at the Parisi Speed School, a performance-enhancement establishment. Then it's off the NFL combine from Feb. 18-24 in Indianapolis.

Does it seem silly to you that 35-inch arms and 10½-inch hands are valued so highly by NFL scouts?

Yeah, I mean, you can't really help how long your arms and fingers are. They do help you though. They work in my favor. I just kind of had them, so I used them, just tried to keep blockers off me with them.

Scouts evaluate the practices for these postseason games more than the games. How did you do in two weeks of practice?

I think I did well for myself. Against all of these [offensive] linemen from the SEC, ACC schools, I held my own, and beat a few guys in one-on-ones. I think that was the bottom line, proving I can play with the "big boys."

Did anything shock you about those guys?

The size, I guess. I practiced against a guy who is 6-8, 383 pounds, a guy named Herman Johnson from LSU. You don't see too many of those guys in our league [Colonial Athletic Association]. In the Senior Bowl, I went against a guy 6-9, 340, Phil Loadholt from Oklahoma, for a good part of the game.

Initially you see those helmets -- Oklahoma helmets, LSU helmets, USC helmets -- and you're like "These are all the guys you see on TV." But they're just like me, trying to prove themselves.

You were listed at 6-4 and 265 pounds as a UR senior, but scouting reports have you 6-2?

I'm a little taller than 6-2. I'm [about] 6-3. They try to push your head down a lot when they're measuring you.

What did you learn, anything in particular, during these two weeks of practice?

The coaches I played for, they let you play a little looser. They line you up, make sure of your technique, want you to play disciplined. But after that, they just want you to get to the ball and make plays.

Of all these scouts and agents and other evaluators with whom you've spoken in the last month, do you have a read as to what round you might be selected, if you're drafted?

I've heard all types of things. I've heard as early as the second round. I've heard the fifth. That's out of my hands.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .