 Tom Zbikowski Combine Interview Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski is undoubtedly one of the toughest players in the 2008 NFL Draft. But even being a boxer didn't prepare him for a 2007 season that saw his team fall to an new low. Zbikowski address that and a number of other subjects in his Combine interview with the media. Is the combine similar to build-up for boxing match? "I was going to mention that. It kind of feels the same way. You practice so long to get ready to perform. It's not like the regular season, where you go week to week and only have a couple days (of workouts). It's something you've built up, you've been waiting for your entire life. I can't wait to get on the field and run and do drills and lift tomorrow." Is the training similar to boxing? "It's pretty similar. I've been training in Chicago, pretty much by myself. I didn't go to any of those training camps in California or Florida or Arizona. I've pretty much been by myself. Obviously it's not the most fun thing to do, but it's something that's necessary. It teaches you what it takes to be in the NFL.' Did you consider coming out last year? "Yeah, I did. I definitely thought at the beginning of the year that most likely it was going to happen. I felt good the first couple games, had an injury, had to miss one game, just didn't feel I played the way I had to play. So I came back for one more year." On the honor of being a two-year captain at Notre Dame "It's always big, no matter where you are, when your teammates are the ones voting on it. When they vote on you, you know you have their trust to do what's best for the team." On the responsibilities of a captain "When you're winning, it's pretty easy. You keep everyone focused, keep everyone going. Then obviously when you have a tough year, you've got to do a lot more to keep a team unified. I think that's what happened at Notre Dame. Obviously we had a tough year, but we won our games late in the year, and that shows there was no division on the team." What happened at Notre Dame last season? "What happened at Notre Dame? Got about two or three hours? I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. "I think it was just some young guys playing that were still being developed. There's a lot of young talent. It's definitely not going to be like that for long. Coach Weiss is a phenomenal coach. There's no chance of this happening again. He'll get 'em on the right path and get 'em focused for sure. He'll get it turned around." On the effect of losing Brady Quinn "I don't think it was as much losing Brady Quinn as it was just not having much experience behind him." On Charlie Weiss bringing New England's defense to ND? Are you familiar with it? "I think having coach Brown, Corwin Brown, coming in as defensive coordinator and bringing in the 3-4 -- not too many college teams run a 3-4." On his production on special teams "When you get down to the Senior Bowl and teams have you playing special teams -- obviously that's the best way for you coming in to make the ball team, when you can show them you can play on special teams." On boxing in Madison Square Garden -- (heavyweight fight, 6/10/06, knocked out Robert Bell in 49 seconds) "It was awesome. It was a good time. I trained so hard for it -- six or seven weeks. Then having 40 teammates coming to support me and another 60 from home, it was definitely one of the better experiences of my life." It didn't last long ... "No, not at all." Any ambitions of boxing more? "No, not right now. I'm solely focused on football and getting ready for this. And then once you get into minicamp and training camp, you've got to do everything all you can to make a team." "Not right now" mean you plan to continue with boxing? "There's always a possibility. I'm never going to take that out. But as long as there's football in my life, it's not going to happen." How do you explain all your defensive TDs? is it a skill? "I think so. I can't be that lucky, you know. (smiles) Although you hear that every once in a while about other players. But if you're around the ball and you're playing hard, things are going to bounce your way." Have you talked to Brady Quinn recently? "He texted me before I got here, said `good luck' and everything." Like to join him with the Browns? "I'll go wherever I can play, whoever takes me." Would you move to outside linebacker? "No, I don't think so." Assess your strengths and weaknesses "I think physical toughness and also having a knack for being a playmaker, with fumble recoveries and forced fumbles and interceptions. When you're moving up to the next level, for a defensive back technique is going to be the biggest thing, so you've got to be working on it all the time. No matter how good you think it is, you've always got to improve. You get tight ends and wide receivers running 4.3s, 4.4s, you don't have much room for error." On the importance of film study "I think that's one of the things I learned a lot this year, how much film you have to watch to be prepared. I just love playing the game. I'd strap it up any time and play. I wasn't really focused on film work until this year -- how much you have to learn to be successful." Why the Mohawk? -- (he clearly recently had a Mohawk, but he the hair around it has begun to grow in, leaving an unusually long strip of hair down the middle) "I had to do it for an Under Armor commercial, so I was too lazy to change it. I was in training, so I don't really care. It's just ... whatever.' On workouts leading up to combine "When I was getting ready for the Senior Bowl, it was a lot of one-on-ones. Then once I got back from there, it was six days a week, three times a day. Sunday was my one day off; I got to go home a little bit. It was just training non-stop." On training with Jeff Samardzija, former ND teammate now with the Chicago Cubs "Yeah, I was training with him in December and January, right before he left. I should say he was training with me. You know him. "No, actually he was training pretty hard. He's pretty focused. He made the 40-man roster. Hopefully he can get up to the bigs this year. You look at him, he's never really had an off-season to throw. He always had football and then right into baseball. A guy who's throwing 97 miles an hour without an off-season probably has a pretty good shot." On his conditioning level "It changed completely. I'm at one of the heaviest I've been but probably the leanest I've ever been, also. Before I left I was at 212 and 8 percent body fat." On his playing weight "I played at 208." What is tougher training -- football or boxing? "They're both tough. It's really hard to say. But leading up to this feels like it is getting ready for a fight. You're training for so long -- seven, eight weeks -- for one event. It's more like a fight than you do when you're getting ready for a football season." Do you listen to criticism about yourself, or tune it out? "You have to tune it out, because if you listen to everything said about you, I have two left feet and I can't chew gum and walk at the same time, you know? You really can't listen to what they say. "You can't really listen to the positives, also, and let it go to your head. You just have to be as focused as you can." Any particular criticism bother you? "No, not really. I've heard everything. I've heard I'm not tough, I can't tackle. So ... " When did you envision this was possible? "Not really 'til Notre Dame. I was always just a lucky-go-happy kid playing football all the time. Then got a scholarship to Notre Dame, started from Day One, after I redshirted. I still never really envisioned this day, pretty much not 'til now when I was training for it. "There was a two- or three-week span where I was only getting three hours a night of sleep because I was just so wound up and ready to get here. I couldn't wait for this moment to get here. I just envisioned running the 40, doing the bench and getting on the field. It's something that still gives me chills."
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