NFL Draft 2012: Exclusive Interview With William & Mary DE/OLB Marcus Hyde

It is possible that you may not have heard about Marcus Hyde from William & Mary just yet, but you better start paying attention. Hyde set a Colonial Athletic Association record with five sacks in a game, which was just one sack short of the NCAA record. Hyde is a high motor guy that is working very hard to recover from his shoulder surgery and get a shot in the NFL.

His positive attitude and work ethic really shined through, when he took the time to talk to us this past weekend. Here is what Marcus had to say:

Josh Sanchez: I saw you and your agent, Casey Muir from CRM Sports Management, found Shane Sykes from Elite Athlete Development to help prepare for your Pro Day. How has your time in Richmond, VA been?

Marcus Hyde: Great. I’m lovin’ it. I think Shane is definitely one of the best guys in the nation. I mean, you look at the guys at the combine and what their times are looking like, and we are looking at ours right now and everyone here is above average. We are all dropping awesome times right now. I feel like this is the best shape I have ever been in, in my life. It’s also the heaviest that I’ve been in my life.

Sanchez: Could you take us through a typical workout?

Hyde: Well, um, last week was our last tough week. I think it was like three or four weeks in a row of just killing us. We go in, warm up, usually about a twenty minute warm up. We try to keep it around there. Then we give a ratings system of how we are feeling and we tweak the workout based on that. 1 being the worst and ten being the best, so I think it’s got a real personal approach to it. We all might have something different. We all might take out a certain leg workout if your hamstrings are hurting and we might take out a certain running aspect on the field.

Depending on the day, like Monday we did, uh, sledded 40’s. So we will get the sleds on, we will run a forty with the sled, we will practice our technique on the wall and we have bands on our ankles, you know, we gotta practice the running technique. Then we’ll go over and do ab workouts and then we got on and run the 40’s again. We do like, three or four sets of that, and then we see how we feel and then we might do something else a little extra.

Then we go into the weight room and really kill it in there. That’s definitely the best part of the workout. I’m definitely noticing, with my shoulder surgery, my trainer is like it is biologically impossible for you to be able to do this and to do that and I’m here benching 300 last week after we got the forties done. I know guys that got the same surgery on the same day aren’t even benching yet, so it’s great in that regard. You know, uh, we’ll go in and get bands and do a lot of single leg squats and step ups . It’s just… it’s crazy workouts, but I love it and I am definitely doing a lot better. You can see the times start to drop and you can see your strength getting better.

Like Thursday, we’ll come in and do a “bench assault” is what we call it. It just kills your chest – absolutely kills it. We’ll do big weights, where you do as many as you can, and then you go over and do as many dips as you can with like two 45’s. Take one 45 off, do as many as you can and then take the next 45 off, do as many as you can, then do another set of the bench and do as many push-ups as you can. So, after that it is pretty tough to drive home, but it’s great. I love it. You know, we’ll get it in, get the music going and everyone is pushing hard. I just love it.

Sanchez: One of the questions I was actually going to ask you was about your shoulder surgery and how it is coming along, but apparently if you are doing that, it seems like you are ahead of schedule and doing pretty well.

Hyde: Oh, yeah. I am way ahead of schedule. I can’t tell my trainer half the stuff I do. I mean, he won’t believe it. He’ll think I am just going like crazy and I am going to hurt it, but I mean Shane is really good about that, with the slow, controlled reps – making sure I’m not just throwing it around. Nothing hurts in the weight room, which is good. He makes sure nothing hurts and we get the mock combine last Saturday. He came in and just said, “slow, controlled reps,” and I got it up 13 times. I wasn’t even planning on doing the bench at our Pro Day in a few weeks, but I am looking to do like 16 or 17 reps now, so that is going to be pretty awesome to see how far I have come after the surgery. But yeah, my shoulder is doing great right now.

Sanchez: That’s awesome. How are some of your times looking?

Hyde: Well, we haven’t timed too many 40’s. We’ve been timing a lot of tens and stuff. But ten’s wise, I mean, I think the other day we are getting into the easy part and gearing it down, and I got a 1.48 in the ten the other day. I have gotten consistently in the 1.5’s. But I mean, you see how much it has changed from the hard workouts, where you are getting pretty good times, and then once you let up a little bit the times just drop. In the three-cone we did I got a 6.86. The shuttle, that is probably my bread and butter, that’s the thing I’ve been the best at since high school. I got a, let’s see,  I’ve typically been in the 4.1’s, but a 4.18 and a 4.16, you really see how tough it is if you do get one step wrong. We’ve been filming that and seeing what it looks like; trying to get the angles right.

Sanchez: Have you been working on some standup drills as a linebacker, because I know you are viewed as a bit of a “tweener” prospect, if you will.

Hyde: Yeah, well we don’t work on it too much in the training. I mean, we’ll go after and I’m actually about to go to the field in a little bit and do some. I do that on my own. I go to the field, do the drills. I look up some on YouTube and whatever drills guys might run me through in a Pro Day or something , I try to do that on my own. I go with a buddy of mine. He’ll throw the ball and I’ll drop back and all that. I ask Jake Trantin, he’s our middle linebacker, to train with us – so I can try to get a sense of what it’s like to stand up again. I haven’t done that since high school.  So yeah, I do that on my own.

Sanchez: How would you describe your playing style?

Hyde: Definitely high motor. I never quit, no matter what. I think that is the best part about me. I think that is what I’m most known for and speed is definitely my best asset, so I use that as much as I can. So just never quit – I think it’s worked out for me well so far.

Sanchez: Could you tell us how you ended up at William & Mary? It’s a bit of a smaller school, so what was the process and how did you end up there?

Hyde: Well, let’s see. We went in, we won states. I got Division 6 AAA Defensive Player of the Year for the state of Virginia. I was flying high and I thought before that I was going to go to UVA. They had been recruiting me since I was a sophomore and Al Golden was the defensive coordinator there at the time. He was great. It was awesome. I loved going on visits there and all that and then he ended up leaving and I think he went to Temple. Then the new d-coordinator came in and ended up just wanting someone bigger and that’s all I heard. You know, we need someone bigger. And then I went to visit Temple, and Al Golden was the coach there and he thought that I was going to go to UVA. Like, I was dead set on UVA. I bought the shirt. I was walking around high school like ‘I’m going to UVA.’ I knew the players and then a new defensive coordinator came in and I just wasn’t big enough so I ended up not going there. But Temple, they thought I was gonna go, so they didn’t offer a scholarship.

That whole mix-up, I kind of messed it up a little bit and I was too small for Virginia and so I had offers from Youngstown State, I was planning on going there. Then West Point, uh, from Liberty, a good amount of D1-AA schools.

Then William & Mary, I went there to visit. I loved it there. You know, academics was huge and I know that if you are going to go pro, they will find you. Guys go from DIII too, you know? So being a big time Division I-AA school, I thought that was good playing the best kids every year. I went to Youngstown, didn’t like it too much. I left early on the visit and just commited the next day to William & Mary, cause I wasn’t going to take anymore visits. I knew I was set. William & Mary was good enough, with the education and all that.

Anything can happen in football. We weren’t doing so well before, but like, our high school team went from like 0-32 in a matter of years to winning a state championship, so it can turn around. We had some bad years and then ended up winning our conference my junior year, so it worked out well.

Sanchez: Do you feel you face a bit more of a challenge being from what is considered a small-school?

Hyde: Definitely. We talk about that a lot in training. We drive up there from William & Mary to go with Shane and we talk about that. A lot of the guys, they peak in high school and they go to D1-A programs. You face these guys . You see them and they get all this hype and you face them in high school. You face them in at their D1-A program, when they are big time and all that and they aren’t even that much better. I mean, if any better at all. I think a lot of it is, I wasn’t big enough in high school.

I was about 210, 200-some. Then that spring of my freshman year I was 234 at William & Mary. Now I am like 256-255. I think it’s funny that they don’t they can get you big enough, but with one-year if I’m red-shirted I’ll be straight. But a lot of these guys just peak in high school and then they don’t do as well in D1-A. I mean, a lot of guys do well in the pros that are from AA programs. I don’t think that should matter, if you are from a diffferent division. But it does, they look at the level of competition and all that. It’s tougher for a smaller school guy, cause they don’t think you’ve faced as good of kids and they feel you may not be as good.

Sanchez: There are actually two William & Mary players that come to mind – Sean Lissemore from the Dallas Cowboys and then Adrian Tracy. Do you keep in contact with those guys?

Hyde: Uh, not too much.  Not really. I mean, we hear about them every now and then. One of the guys on the team, his agent is Sean’s, so he’ll tell us what is going on and everything. But yeah, I really don’t keep too much contact with them. I wish I did. I mean, Sean is doing great with the Cowboys. I think he’s one of the most productive defensive lineman they have. But I definitely look them up every now and then. We see how they’re doing.

Sanchez: You mentioned how your speed is a big asset. Do you think your track background in high school had something to do with that?

Hyde: I definitely think so. I am glad I did that. I did wrestling and then I knew I was going to change to linebacker, so I started doing track and I think that really opened me up to a whole new world of how speed works and form and everything. How to run righ – I don’t think I run too awkward or anything, so I think it helps. Coming out of the blocks in high school, it’s like, with the 40. It’s just training for a track meet. It’s not even football anymore. You’re not getting low, you aren’t taking out a quarterback. You’re running track. You get in your 40 stance, your shuttle stance, it’s all about speed, so the track background definitely helped.

Sanchez: Well, what is it that you think you can bring to a NFL roster? Why should a GM pick you to be on his team?

Hyde: Well, I have no off-the-field issues. I can guarantee you that. I like to think I am a high character guy. I was a captain at William & Mary and that’s a great position to have. I loved every second of it. I like to help the guys and everything. And then, definitely the motor part. I never give up. I’ll play any position they put me at and I won’t complain. A lot of guys want to play certain positions, but I am down for whatever — as long as I can get on the field and compete. In high school, I played about every position on the field – wide receiver, running back, fullback. At William & Mary I come in I come in at linebacker, then I go down to defensive end. I mean, I’m fine. I’ll just do whatever to the best of my ability. So, whatever they want out of me. I mean, I will learn to long-snap once my shoulder gets to that point.

Sanchez: So what do you enjoy off-the-field? You stay out of trouble, so what’s it like when you are away from football? What keeps you busy?

Hyde: Well, mainly, I just hang around my roommates. We got these puppies here, so we are taking care of them. We’ve just been playing with them all day and hanging out. I mean, I am so punished after workouts. I don’t even want to get up, so I just lay there and a lot of times just fall asleep on the couch. I really don’t go out to eat places. I really don’t do too much. I take that resting part seriously. When they say rest, I definitely make sure to do that. I’m not too big into clubs or anything, so I stay outta trouble there.

Sanchez: Did you have any favorite NFL teams growing up?

Hyde: I like the Ravens a lot. I picked 52 because of Ray Lewis. I thought he was just a beast. An awesome person to model my game after. I’d love to be like him one day. It’d be really cool to just play with him and learn from him. I think it’d be awesome. He’s one of the best linebackers around.

Sanchez: What would it mean to you to finally reach that NFL goal?

Hyde: It’d definitely be a dream come true. Then again, there is a lot of reality involved with it. You know, getting through things. A lot of adversity once you make it. A lot of guys get brought in and dropped for so many different reasons. I don’t think you can be star struck when you get there, you know? You got a veteran coming in and telling you to chill out during practice and then you can get cut cause you did that. You definitely have to have that attitude. Yeah, it’s a dream come true, but now it changes immediately to how long you can stay there. I think if I ever made it, I’m definitely going to work my butt off, learn the playbook and everything. Work as hard as I can every practice. Do what I can, stay after practice, in the training and just try to stay there as long as I can. That’s the biggest thing.

Sanchez: To close things off, do you have anything you want to add? Something to say to whoever may read this interview?

Hyde: Well, what I have learned a lot through this process is, a lot of people don’t know what it’s like. A lot of guys think that if you don’t get invited to the combine that you aren’t going to make it. That you have no chance. That you are a nobody and everything. But from the training aspect, looking at the guys I am training with, it is amazing that they aren’t invited. The good people that don’t get invited to the combine end up making it – like Derek Cox.

He was a William & Mary guy that is on the Jaguars. He jumped like an 11’10” broad jump and his forty time was like a 4.3-4.4. I mean, Pro Days are huge and a lot of people don’t know how important they are. If you have an awesome Pro Day and you are from a small school, you can definitely make it.

A lot of guys have asked me, ‘man, are you going to the combine?’ It’s like no. Then ‘dang, what are you going to do?’ I mean, I just start interviewing for a job. It’s not over cause I didn’t go to the combine. I still got my Pro Day. Then go with teams, talk with them. So that’s the thing. I want people to know about the process. It’s real stressful to go through the training when they say ‘don’t worry about the numbers, they look at your film.’ But you see all the guys on the NFL Network talking about numbers. It’s all stressful. So what you really gotta worry about is just, close your mind and just do your work. Train. You gotta rest. You gotta eat. Then on Pro Day, just ball out and get a chance, then just go for it.

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