When a guy racks up 27 total career sacks in his four years in college -- including an incredible 14 in one season -- it's hard to not take notice. George Selvie, for that very reason, finds himself on the list of Chiefs draft interests, along with several other teams at this year's Combine. From his near death experience as a child to being moved from the offensive to defensive line, Selvie's story is an interesting one. Yet it's his play that speaks the loudest.
Here's this year's combine press conference with Selvie where he discusses all these things and more.
Q: Is that around what you play at? Or what you want to play at?
A: I played at 245, so I’ve put on a lot of weight.
Q: How did you and Jason Pierre-Paul complement one another?
A: At the beginning of the season, I got a lot of double-teams. Then he came in and started showing up on the other side, and he did pretty well over there, so we complemented each other pretty well. He had a really good season. Still every team put a tight end to our side or a running back. We got a lot of double teams.
Q: Do you consider yourself the best tandem in the country?
A: I don’t know. We did wreak some havoc together.
More after the jump:
Q: You take a lot of pride in starting 50 games?
A: It was hard. There is always good competition coming in, so I take a lot of pride in it. I came in as a redshirt freshman, just got on the field. They threw me at center first, but I had a good game [on the defensive line], so my coach stuck with me there."
Q: How did you make the transition from center to defensive end?
A: It was hard, you know? It took a whole year. I really worked hard. I was there early before practice doing bag work, after practice doing bag work, so I had to put a lot of extra time in to working on things at defensive end.
Q: Were you resistant at first?
A: Yeah, you know, I always played offensive line in Little League, high school, grade school. I always played offensive line. So at first I didn’t know about playing defensive end, but it all worked out in the end. I had some good coaches come through and they taught me some good things.
Q: Why did they move you?
A: For me, it was probably size. I wasn’t the typical center size. I’m 6-4 and I was like 215 when I came in. That’s not the college football prototype." [Laughs] So they put me at defensive end because I had a little speed, and it all worked out pretty good.
Q: Based on your first couple seasons, how often did you see double teams? How often did you not?
A: We played Connecticut at the end of the season this year and we’re in our Okie package -- three man rush -- and I’m getting chipped by a running back with seven seconds left in the game. So I’m still getting double-teamed at the end of the season. It was hard going through that after my sophomore season, but I dealt with it. I got to the quarterback quite a few times, got some pressure. The sack numbers weren’t there, but I was still getting to the quarterback.
Q: What do you think you need to show teams here?
A: I just need to have a solid combine. Just go out and run, show them I can run the drills, probably do the linebacker drills, show them I can move around a little bit. Just have a good combine and show them I’m a good player.
Q: Do you have much experience in coverage?
A: No. I dropped a little bit in zone coverage, but that’s it.
Q: What have your parents told you about the car accident when you were little?
A: With that, they just told me I was outside playing. My other cousin got in the car, she was playing around. It was on the jack and it fell off and hit me on the head. I actually have a scar right here on the left side of my head and an indentation. There’s nothing wrong with me, so I’m blessed to be here.
Q: Think you can play OLB in a 3-4? Think you can still be an effective pass-rusher?
A: I think it will help me a lot. You see the Shawne Merrimans, the DeMarcus Wares, they’re out there rushing the passer and they’re great at it. I have stood up a little bit and rushed the passer. I know I can do it. I think it will help me greatly. I just have to work on coverages, stuff like that, but rushing the passer will be no problem.
Q: Do you like the idea of playing up?
A: "I do like the idea. We were just a 4-3 team. We had our hand in the dirt. That was not part of our defense. Now I have a chance to work on it all the time and I’ll put it to use.
Q: Your production dropped off quite a bit after your sophomore year. How do you evaluate your career as a whole and your last two years?
A: The last couple years, I dealt with an ankle injuries, I dealt with a lot of double teams. With that, I feel like I’m a lot better player than I was my first two seasons. I had a lot of great coaching. I had a lot of experience. I just have to use that, take it out on the field and do the best I can.
Q: Frustrating to be double-teamed so often?
A: Yeah, it was a bit at first, at the beginning of my junior year. I was a little frustrated, because I went like three games without a sack. It got to me a little bit. But after that, I got used to it. If you’re getting double-teamed, you’ve got other guys on the field running free. Knowing that, I just went out and tried to make plays for my team.