INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - How would you prepare for 24 equally-important interviews within a two-day span?
Georgia running back Todd Gurley, for which that situation is a reality at this year's NFL Scouting Combine, says he'd make sure to work in plenty of H2O.
"Drink a lot of water so I won't be dehydrated, licking my lips the whole time," Gurley told reporters from his podium on Thursday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium. "Just go in there, being myself. When they ask me questions, tell the truth."
It's a sound strategy, and one that should present Gurley in a positive light as he spends 15 minutes each with two-dozen NFL teams over the next 48 hours. It's an area that Gurley will devote his focus to at this week's combine after the former Bulldog suffered a season-ending ACL injury this past November. The rehab process he's currently undergoing will keep him from the Lucas Oil turf when running backs go through on-field drills on Saturday with the quarterbacks and wide receivers.
"You want to be out there with the guys," said Gurley. "You're happy for the guys that are out there competing, but at the end of the day you want to see yourself competing with those guys because that's what the combine is all about - going out there, doing the workouts, and showing the coaches what you can do."
Gurley's body of work in the SEC should be a good indication of what he can bring to the professional level. In his most-recent season at Georgia that was cut short to injury, the 6-foot-1, 226-pound Gurley put up 911 yards on 123 carries, an average of 7.9 yards per tote as the team's featured back. From 2012-13, Gurley racked up 2,374 yards on 387 touches - a 6.1-yard average.
Seahawks Executive VP/General Manager John Schneider doesn't like to divulge information on specific prospects, or even give his general evaluation of a position group. But when asked about this year's crop of running backs on Thursday morning at the NFL Combine, Schneider let a small opinion slip.
"I personally think this is a pretty good running back group this year," he said.
Gurley finds himself right in that mix. NFL Media draft guru Mike Mayock has Gurley [ranked as the second-best player at his position](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000470108/article/mike-mayocks-position-rankings-for-2015-nfl-draft "http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000470108/article/mike-mayocks-position-rankings-for-2015-nfl-draft
Ctrl Click to follow link") and on Monday said [he thinks the Georgia product could go in the first round](/news/articles/article-1/Three-things-we-learned-from-Mike-Mayocks-2015-NFL-DraftNFL-Combine-QA/e8c26a20-592d-4b05-b21f-274f5d9cd71b "/news/articles/article-1/Three-things-we-learned-from-Mike-Mayocks-2015-NFL-DraftNFL-Combine-QA/e8c26a20-592d-4b05-b21f-274f5d9cd71b
Ctrl Click to follow link"), something a running back hasn't done the past two years.
"I feel like this class is definitely deep for the running back position," said Gurley. "We have a lot of talented guys. My job is I want to be the number one pick, but we'll see how everything goes. I'm just trying to get my knee back right and show the teams that I can come back healthy."
Gurley said his workout regiment includes light jogging, lateral work, and strengthening of the muscles around his injured knee. He doesn't have a timetable for his return to full-go, but vows to make an impact wherever he lands. When healthy, he'll then have a chance to "take out all the anger" he's accumulated since the setback.
"I just know the way I work, what type of back I am, and what type of player I've become over the past couple years," he said. "And I'm going to work as hard as possible to be that guy when I come back."
