 John Greco Combine Interview John Greco may not hail from a major program, but he is still one of the better at his position in the draft class of 2008. The offensive tackle from Toledo recently spoke with the media at the NFL Combine. Did your weight meet your goal? “Yeah, right around 305. That was my goal, and I met it.” You grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. Were you a Browns fan? A Steelers fan? “Uh, Browns fan. Being in Ohio, we had to stick in the borders. Just growing up there, met a lot of good guys. Played tough football with a lot of competition. Wouldn’t change it for the world.”
You look up to Bernie Kosar, going to the same high school?
“Yeah. He’s a huge competitor. I went to the same grade school as Bernie as well. So I kind of heard that name growing up, looking at all his accomplishments.” What are your memories of watching the Browns? “Just watching the sitting with my dad, uncle and grandfather. When they were winning, times were good. When things weren’t going so well, they were upset. I remember watching the games on Sundays.” You kind of came up in Toledo in Nick Kaczur’s shadow. Have you talked to him
about this process and how often do you talk to him? “I haven’t talked to him in a while. I let him concentrate on this season. They had a big season. But when he was giving me advice, he just said, ‘Keep your head on straight. Do what you do, and everything will take care of its own.’ ” What are your strengths as a player? “I think I really play smart. I use my strength to my advantage, and I play quick. But getting back to the smart thing, I have the ability to make calls and look at a defense and try to predict what’s going to happen. So it makes my job and people around me a lot easier.” What do you have to work on at the next level? “Just the quickness. Everyone knows that the NFL’s a different speed than college. Getting used to that, getting adjusted, getting down in a three-point stance, something that’s a little bit different, just minor adjustments. But the speed will be the biggest thing that would be an adjustment.” Did your coaches use Nick as an example – he came in with the Patriots and played
pretty much right away – as something to shoot for? “Yeah, definitely. Even at Toldeo I looked up to Nick. I kind of modeled my game after
his. We were good friends. Seeing his success, it kind of helps you and gets you in
a right mindset that you can do the same thing.” What are you more proud of – starting 49 consecutive games or being a two-year captain? “I think being a two-year captain, because anything can happen. I was blessed with good health. Being a two-year captain shows that my teammates respect me and that I’m doing my job right. You can still miss games and not be a captain. So I think it’s a huge honor I was chosen two years in a row.” Team vote? “Yes, sir.” Does moving from the right side to the left side show your versatility? “I think so. In my opinion, I can play any position. I’ve been taking center snaps. So just showing that I’m versatile. I can play anywhere on the line. That will increase my value, I think.” Have you played guard or center in a game? “Not in college. But taking sets, trying to work on it, just so if I’m asked to do that, I can be ready.” What are NFL teams looking at you as? “Pretty much half and half. Some say tackle. Some say guard. Some say start at tackle and move in.” How much did you play on each side in college? “I played my first year at right tackle and then three years at left tackle.” At what age did you start playing football? “I started when I was in eighth grade, and all I remember was my mom not letting me play before that because she said I was too small.” What position did you play? “Guard and defensive line.” How big were you? “Eighth grade? Probably 6-1, 6-2, maybe 230, 240. She still thought I was small.”
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