Skrine: 'I'm not nervous'

Friday, April 29, 2011

Buster Skrine acknowledges that this is the biggest week of his life. It has been the longest as well.

But the former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga cornerback insists that he's far more excited than nervous about being selected in the NFL draft.

Projected to go anywhere from the third to sixth round, Skrine could be picked tonight when the draft resumes with the second and third rounds, or during the final four rounds Saturday.

"Everybody asks me if I'm nervous, and I tell them I'm not nervous because I've done everything I could possibly do, to the best of my ability," said Skrine, a two-time All-Southern Conference player whose draft stock rose sharply after an outstanding performance at the NFL combine.

Skrine, from Woodstock, Ga., said he will watch the draft with his family and a few close friends. He said he doesn't have any idea when his name will be called.

"I know a lot of teams have an interest, but nobody wants to give any information," he said.

Skrine has visited the Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions and had private workouts with several other teams.

There's a good chance he will be the first SoCon player selected. Among the other players in the league expected to go are The Citadel cornerback Cortez Allen and Appalachian State safety Mark Legree.

The SoCon had two players go in the third round last year: The Citadel's Andre Roberts (88th overall) and Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards (89th).

No UTC player has been drafted since Richmond Flowers and Terdell Sands were picked in the seventh round in 2001. The only Mocs in the NFL last season were wide receiver Terrell Owens and running back Eldra Buckley.

Buckley, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and that's likely the path that UTC offensive lineman Chris Harr will have to follow once the NFL's labor situation is resolved.

Voted All-SoCon the past two seasons, the former Notre Dame High School standout said he hopes to get picked Saturday, but if he doesn't he's confident he'll get a shot as a free agent.