Ex-Eagle gets shot to impress scouts
David Roach’s first visit to Hawaii isn’t all fun and games.
It’s a reward for a solid senior football season at Texas Christian University. And yet, the former Abilene High star has a job to do in today’s Hula Bowl game that will be televised at 5 p.m. on cable channel VERSUS.
“There’s nothing you can really complain about being in Hawaii,” Roach said by telephone Thursday. “You have great weather and it’s a good place to play football. It’s an opportunity to further show my talent to NFL scouts. It’s also an opportunity to play with people from different conferences that I haven’t played with or against before. It’s a chance to show I can compete with the best of them.”
Roach, a safety, is one of two Horned Frogs to accept an invitation to a postseason all-star game. Defensive end Chase Ortiz will be in the Jan. 19 East-West Shrine Game in Houston. Roach and Ortiz both signed with Select Sports Group in Houston, where they are sharing an apartment. Both, too, will be heading to the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
“Coaches and general managers put so much emphasis on the combine,” Roach said. “You can go from being a seventh-round choice to a second-rounder, or you can go the other way.”
Roach is looking forward to today’s game. He has already talked with seven or eight NFL scouts. The scouts put more emphasis on practice than the actual game, Roach said, because they can learn the habits of players.
“They watch how you practice because they already have game films,” Roach said. “During the interviews, they want to find out what type of person you are off the field.”
TCU finished 8-5 this season and Roach was happy that the Frogs beat Houston in the Texas Bowl.
“In the end, nobody remembers how you started,” Roach said. “It’s how you finish. From a senior’s perspective, you would like to do better. Eight-and-five is not bad — it’s a winning season. It was a successful season, but not as successful as you would like. It was good to get to a bowl game and finish strong.”
A second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection, Roach started all 13 games for TCU. He placed fourth on the team with a career-high 76 tackles and tied for second with seven pass breakups. Roach forced two fumbles and had an interception against Texas.
Roach graduated with a degree in communication studies and human relations and is pursuing a master’s degree in liberal arts. Because he is no longer at TCU, he will continue his studies online.
After today’s Hula Bowl, he will concentrate on being prepared for the combine. He knows it doesn’t matter where a player went to school. If he impresses enough people, he will get drafted.
“The talent scouts will find you,” Roach said. “Look at Danieal Manning. They found him at ACU and he was drafted in the second round by the Chicago Bears.”
Roach is uncertain of his draft status.
“I’m not quite sure where I’ll get drafted,” said Roach, who has been projected as a middle-round selection. “I got invited to the NFL combine. That’s a huge determining factor. All you can do is hope for the best and pray that you will be able to move forward in the whole process.”
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