Feb 02, 2013; New Orleans, LA USA; Rashad Thornton Sr., of New Orleans, jumps into the air at the Under Armour scouting combine area inside the NFL Experience, pro football

The NFL allowed 300 fans to attend the comically nicknamed “Underwear Olympics” and watch men run, jump and dodge orange cones. But as television ratings for the Scouting Combine have sky rocketed as people tune into watch, the NFL might have found a new revenue source.

But I mean lets be serious, how many people are really watching, the majority of those ratings probably come from Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings franchises having it on TV all day. I mean, it’s better than watching ESPN pundits move their lips while not hearing what they’re saying.

So the NFL sent a survey to those 300 fans who attended. And according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King they asked the following question:

 “If in future years the NFL instituted a charge of $25 to attend the NFL Scouting Combine for one day, how likely would you be to buy tickets?”

In the large scheme of NFL tickets, $25 isn’t a lot. At Cowboys Stadium in Dallas you can’t even get a “party pass” for $25, and if you do splurge on a “party pass,” a end zone standing room only ticket for the peasants of the DFW area, there is no guarantee you’ll actually see the field… Or even be allowed inside Jerry’s stadium. For big games they sell so many “party passes” that some fans have to watch the game on TVs in plazas outside the end zone sections of the stadium.

So now I think it’s just a matter of time.

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Manti Te’o had an incredibly bad performance running a 4.8  4o yard dash. Many people have the struggling linebacker sliding down their draft boards.

But for Manti Te’o his NFL Scouting Combine started him with facing the media for a press conference where he was bombarded with questions about the whole fake dead girlfriend situation. Only this time he didn’t get to choose who he talked to when he talked to and whether cameras were on or off.

And he is blaming the stress of the combine experience for his poor performance.

“I was running near a 4.6, a 4.5,” Te’o told NFL Network after officially clocking a 4.82-second 40-yard dash. “Today was just a long, long day.”

He described the combine as a very exhausting process,” and said he wasn’t getting much sleep averaging 4 hours of sleep a night.

But despite all that stress, his poor showing at the combine isn’t causing him any additional stress. He thinks he can redeem himself at Notre Dame’s pro day.

“[People can expect] better numbers,” Te’o said. “[I will be] rested.  One day you hit it hard and then you are done.”

It might be naive on his part to think there will be less stress on him the second time around. In that situation your back is literally against the wall as you fight for your football life.

Jan 26, 2013; Mobile, AL, USA; Senior Bowl south squad offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey of Chadron State (65) against the Senior Bowl north squad during the second half of the Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The South squad defeated the North squad 21-16. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

“I was undersized and I was actually bullied and ostracized by my entire school,” offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey said. “Going into my freshman year, I had a heart operation — very simple, but it prevented me from playing in any sports and doing anything. So, I excelled academically. With that, some of the guys — especially on the football team and the upper cliques — distanced [themselves] from me because I wasn’t able to do the running in the summer and the workouts. . . . I was constantly bullied, constantly picked on. It was a very hard year. Really, I like to tell people that I was just the little redheaded, gingery, skinny-looking [kid]. I was pear-shaped. I had these wide hips and this skinny-looking upper body. I was just a prime target for many of the cruel kids.”

That is what Garrett Gilkey told Howard Blazer of Sports Xchange about his early years in high school. Gilkey is now a 6-6, 318 offensive tackle at the NFL Scouting Combine vying for a opportunity to make it in the NFL.

He transferred to Aurora Christian and played under former NFL player Don Beebe. Gilkey credits Beebe with helping him find his true passion for football and helped him gain the size to get attention from small colleges like Beebe’s alma mater Chadron State College, where Gilkey ultimately played.

“I’m starting an anti-bullying campaign,” Gilkey said. “I have such a great opportunity to be proactive and be encouraging and be a strong force within the community of the west suburbs of Chicago. I plan on being proactive with schools and junior highs and YMCAs, and talking about bullying. I think I have a great position, being my size, and standing up and talking about my experience being bullied, being ostracized and being made fun of. People see me now and think, ‘How could this person ever be bullied?’ I have a great voice and great platform to share those experiences and share my faith, as well.”

That small school label might keep him as a late round draft but hopefully he succeeds and can use that platform to share his story.

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Manti Te’o has had a rough couple of months and it seems to be affecting him in all the wrong places.

First it was the awards ceremony when he received a phone call claiming his fake girlfriend was still alive… allegedly. Then, it showed during the BCS National Championship Game when he played awful against the stout Alabama running game.

The latest place that it seems to be affecting him is in the NFL combine. Manti has had a rough day thus far in Indianapolis and it doesn’t seem like it will let up.

He had a bad forty yard dash time in which he clocked in at 4.82 seconds which is just not good at all. He looks stiff and has looked like all the negative attention has affected him in the worst way possible. But, the undeniable facts are that Manti Te’o was a Heisman finalist and an All-American who led his team to the BCS National Championship game.

Say all the drama that surrounds Te’o makes teams shy away in the first round of the draft; Manti Te’o could prove to be a major steal or value pick if he does end up slipping into the 2nd round of the draft. Manti Te’o has a ton of strange and weird baggage that comes with him, but he could also prove to be a great NFL linebacker. All he has to do is avoid being cat-fished by a fake dead girlfriend, who was really a guy the whole time, or avoid lying again. Which ever story you prefer to believe.

Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te

Manti Te’o wanted his on field performance to define him. Well… except for the BCS Championship game when he was manhandled by Alabama. Other than that he wants his on field performance to define him.

After fielding and trying to avoid the issue of talking about his fake dead girlfriend during interviews with the media Manti Te’o finally got to show his stuff at the combine. Only he didn’t do really well.

Supposedly he ran a 4.81 second 40 yard dash. Slow for an inside linebacker and slower than expected. The over/under time for him was originally set at 4.75 seconds.

He also weighed in at 241 pounds and measured 6’1″ which makes him undersized for the position. Speed was supposed to be the equalizer and reverse any doubts about his abilities due to his size.

This poor showing at the combine added to his BCS Championship performance and coupled with the internet cat fishing hoax could be too much damage for Manti Te’o to overcome in this April’s NFL Draft.

He is already missing the bench press event at the Scouting Combine due to a stinger. The only thing prospective NFL teams could cling on to is the entire body of work from his time at Notre Dame possibly maybe overlooking his performance against Alabama, a team that overmatched all opponents.

And like Tim Tebow, maybe some team will be drawn to his intangibles like his leadership qualities.

And apparently Ravens head coach John Harbuagh (courtesy of Bleacher Report) isn’t impressed.

Feb 22, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley speaks at a press conference during the 2013 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Many people think of Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning as one of the most liked players in the NFL. He is wildly popular and has had some of the best ads in history of sports endorsements. Who can forget the one where he cheers people on at their normal jobs, “you’re my favorite accountant!”

But young USC quarterback has said he learned a valuable lesson from Peyton Manning in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Peter King.

“I learned a valuable lesson from Peyton, about sometimes you have to be a dick,” he said.

What he is referring to is Peyton Manning’s leadership and apparent dominance over his teammates. Though you have to wonder if he really needs to assert himself in his leadership or if Peyton Manning is really just that well respected.

But like other great athletes Manning expects the best out of his teammates.

“Doing what is asked is not enough to win in the NFL, I know that,” he said. “You’ve got to do more. And I intend to.”

What he is talking about of course is the offseason work out of teammates. With the decline of USC quarterbacks there is a slight hesitation about him. He is looking to dispel those rumors and change the trend. And following the Manning model of leadership he intends to make sure everyone is working out during the offseason, whether they want to or not.

“As I start my NFL career, I really want to set the record straight on a few things,” Barkley said.  “People look at me like I’m some Cali boy, but I’m not that way — I don’t even know how to surf.  I’m a football junkie.  I’m football, 24/7.”

Nov 29, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive lineman Manti Teo is interviewed by ESPN announcer Dick Vitale during the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at the Joyce Center. Notre Dame defeats Kentucky 64-50. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks probably largely due to the whole Manti Te’o scenario, teams are watching prospective draftees social media habits closely. Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Speilman admitted as much to NFL reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine today.

“We’ve done a lot of digging on social media,” Speilman said via NFL.com, “and have a pretty in-depth picture of these players that are involved or not involved in social media. How many times they tweet or twit, I don’t know, I’m not a technical guy. But it’s interesting to see the patterns on some of these social media players as well.”

Talk about a tedious job which I’m assuming fell into the lap of some poor interns.

Catfishing is the term given to people luring unsuspecting victims into relationships with fabricated and fictional people via social media sites. The Redskins players almost fell victim to a similar fate.

August 2, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) during the fall camp practice at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrann Mathieu is trying to relaunch his football career after missing an entire season. Not due to injury but his own off the field demons. In an effort to get ready for the upcoming draft he has been training with former LSU corner back and current Arizona Cardinals player Patrick Peterson. The two were also teammates at LSU.

Patrick Peterson’s father Patrick Peterson Sr. has been monitoring and overseeing their training.

“Patrick goes at him hard; he’ll push him on the ground or whatever he’s got to do to get Tyrann prepared,” Peterson Sr. said, via NOLA.com. “NFL wide receivers are a whole other animal with Julio and Megatron. He’s a small guy already and they’re going to want to take advantage of his size. But Tyrann is very tough, a tough guy to muscle because he’s pretty strong himself.”

Patrick Peterson (6-1 and 219 lbs) has been getting physical with Mathieu (5-9 and 175 lbs) making him play him tough. This is to help Mathieu transition to the NFL where he will face a whole different level of talent at the wide receiver position like Julio Jones and Calvin “Megatron” Johnson who will try to take advantage of the size difference.

Mathieu is a one time Heisman finalist, and certainly is a quality college player. Unfortunately he now has to overcome two hurdles in his efforts to have an NFL career, his size and now off field issues.

“He’s going to be good. He’s going in strong,” Peterson Sr. said. “He’s looking like Tyrann. He’s staying away from the off-field stuff and he’s focused.

“He looks like he means business, very locked in. He knows he can’t get another strike. He’s conformed to our rules, working out and trying to get better.”

Most notably, Mathieu ran a 4.47 time in the 40 yard dash recently.

“We were real proud of that time,” Peterson Sr. said.

NFL Network draft analysis Mike Maycock weighed in on Tyrann Mathieu’s draft prospects.

“Tyrann Mathieu is a really interesting wild card this weekend,” said Maycock. ”My gut tells me he’s a better football player than he is an athlete. He’s small. I’m not sure he’s going to run real well. So I think teams are going to look at him as kind of a nickel and a kick returner.

“I don’t think he’s going to run better than the 4.5 or 4.55. If he does, that will help him. So most teams that I’ve talked to have him more in the fourth round because they don’t think he’s very big and he’s not going to run very fast, and he’s had off-the-€‘field issues.”

If that time is accurate it looks like he is certainly on his way.

Jan. 3, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA: Kansas State Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein (7) against the Oregon Ducks during the 2013 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Oregon defeated Kansas State 35-17. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein will work out at this year’s NFL Scouting Combine.

“Kansas State QB Collin Klein will be throwing and doing all drills at the combine. Will be interesting to see which guys boost their stock,” Jason tweeted.

The quarterbacks in this years draft are considered to be a weak class. Some have Geno Smith and maybe one other quarterback going in the first round and Collin Klein isn’t on that list.

Collin Klein by all means had a successful college season. He led his team to a #1 ranking, travelled to Norman and knocked off the University of Oklahoma Sooners. He even finished the season as a Heisman finalist alongside Johnny Manziel and Manti Te’o.

However he isn’t projected highly in the NFL draft and many don’t think he’ll have what it takes to succeed in the NFL. The emergence of dual threat quarterbacks in read option offenses and pistol formations give Klein a chance to succeed and be a cinderella story of sorts.

The man tied Ricky Williams for the most rushing touchdowns in a season in the Big 12 with 27 trips to the end zone. Someone will bring him to camp, it’s up to him to impress and earn the job cause he won’t be handed any.

Nov 3, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Tyler Wilson (8) looks to pass against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas defeated Tulsa 19-15. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

In a draft year that is lacking talent at the quarterback position many aren’t expecting a lot of quarterbacks to be taken in the first round. Geno Smith could be picked #1 overall or drop down in the first round significantly. USC’s Matt Barkley has garnered a lot of interest but there is no guarantee he’ll go in the first round either.

Arkansas’s Tyler Wilson though says he think he’ll go in the first round.

“I feel that way,” Wilson said, via the USA Today. “I know where I stack up and a number of things I can bring an NFL team. I think I’m worthy.”

Wilson elaborates on why a team would take him in the first round.

“I’m spinning the heck out of the football,” Wilson said. “My natural ability to throw the ball has always been my signature. But it’s also my ability to move around a little bit and buy myself some time to make throws other guys wouldn’t make because I’m tough and will hang in there a little longer, and I can make throws while I’m being pressured.”

Well a strong combine and pro day can always move a player up and down a draft board. Wilson certainly has had to overcome his own trials at Arkansas as he saw coaches and coordinators come and go, not to mention losing his top 3 targets to last years draft.

“I feel good about my throwing, better than I’ve ever felt.”