Darrelle Revis is selling the spin that he hasn’t made any decisions yet about the NFL Draft.
Pitt cornerback Darrelle Revis insisted he is not ready to decide whether to give up his senior year and turn pro. “I’ll weigh my options after the season,” Revis said. Coach Dave Wannstedt said he hasn’t said anything yet to Revis about it. “Right now, he just needs to worry about having a good training camp,” Wannstedt said. “I think he’s got his head on right.”
Now, I’m not saying he won’t be focused on this season. In fact, I expect a great season from him. Revis has been an excellent player and has never caused any problems. I’m just of the opinion that he’s going pro after this season, and that he’s already leaning towards going pro. He’s a NFL-level CB and will definitely go on the first day.
Since Revis was one of the Pitt players at the BE Media Day, he’s going to be the subject of a few profile/puff pieces in the next few days or so. Here’s the first.
“He has a lot of great natural ability, but that only takes you so far,” the Pittsburgh coach said here yesterday during Big East Media Day. “The thing that separates Darrelle is that the intangible things are so positive. By that I mean his work ethic, his film study, his passion to be the best, those are the things that take a guy with great athletic ability, which he has, and puts him on top.
“He’s a gamer. Every team probably has one guy, maybe two, that you say you never want them to be off the field. You’d like them to return punts, you’d like them to return kickoffs, you’d like them to be a wideout and throw them the ball. He’s that top of guy.”
…
Regardless, whatever Revis gets, he’ll work harder to get more. It’s his makeup. His uncle, Sean Gilbert, a former Pitt star, played in the NFL for 12 years and taught his nephew the right way. NFL great Ty Law (also a cornerback) is a family friend who has led Revis in the right direction. The same can be said for his high school coach at Aliquippa, Mike Zmijinac, who told him, “You sleep hard, you eat hard, you …”You do everything hard.
The message has been clear and the kid has the followed advice: keep working hard and never settle for what you have.
“You see a lot of kids, there’s a difference between talent and working hard,” Revis said. “That extra work ethic is going to take you to another level.
“I’m athletic, I can do things. I can probably jump from here to here on one foot, I can do all of that. But it’s a thing that you have to set yourself aside and the thing about doing that is working hard. The work ethic, pushing through a line, finish all the way through, just doing the little things. Do the little things and big things will happen.”
His skill, not just his athleticism, is why teams didn’t want to throw his way last year and will look to pick on the CB opposite of him this year.
