Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right out to the kaa common spirit health hotline.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I didn't bring on my guy, Mike Ronolmand. Who's the
the College grid Iron Showcase? Mike, how you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Hey, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on, Fellas.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
For those who don't know, can you maybe explain what
the College grid Iron Showcase.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Is to start?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Absolutely? So, we're a college all star event based in
Fort Worth, Texas. We just completed our eleventh year. Over
the last six years, we've had twenty one NFL draft
picks and our niche is that, you know, fifth through
seventh round priority undrafted free agent type of guy. And
you know, I always like to say, you know, my
three year old son can tell me the top two
(00:38):
hundred players in the draft. You know, after that, you know,
that's where the real fun starts.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Well, you know, as a guy that wasn't drafted myself,
I wasn't invited to any senior bows or the combine,
but I did cut my teeth in NFL Europe in
the CFL.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
For the guys that you are describing, you.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Know, what do you recommend for those guys whether they
come to what you guys are doing your college good
on showcase or anything else, What is your words of
encouragement to those guys to help themselves be seen by
NFL evaluators.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yeah, that's that's a great question. So again it's are
you standing out at the division you're playing at. So,
whether you're a D two, D three, an AI A
All American and you know, I'm excluding fbs and fcs
right now, and I know we live in the day
and age of transfer portal, but if you're at that level,
you have to stand out. You not only have to
(01:36):
be an All conference type of player, you have to
be an All American level type of player. That's what
moves the needle, especially for us in our scouting process,
is that guy taking over the competitions he's at. Because
everyone knows the NFL is a whole different animal, and
it comes to you know, the type of player, the
type of athlete playing at that level.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Talking with right Mike Riddelman from the College good On Showcase,
a couple of Broncos used to come through there.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Our guys who played for the Broncos over the years.
Obviously PJ. Locke was in a tenant.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
There some other guys that people may be familiar with
to Baston Joseph.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Day, young waycou of course weight man, it was a
plutter here.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, you've had You've had some some good with Austin
Fort who wound up marrying our own marrying Sydney who
worked for the Broncos as well, was from UH was
out there as well.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Trinity Benson, What.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Would you say has has been the most rewarding aspect
of doing this for you?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I think it's just being a being a part of
being a part of a very small litt ark being
a very small small part of the player's journey. You
know U niamed alf Some a great alumni there. Aaron Burr,
who is the starting center for the Miami Dolphins, was
at Texas State, came in six and seventy five pounds
(02:48):
strong as an ox uh just signed a thirty million
dollar free agent contract with the Dolphins last year. That's awesome.
You mentioned the Baston, Joseph Day, Denner Olshawski fun facts.
He was a dB at the Meiji State All Conference
DV and then also was a catcher on the baseball team.
Then he was signed with the Patriots as an undrafted
(03:09):
free agent and then became an All Pro punt returner.
So it's the cool things, the cool backstories you learn
as you go through this process about the athletes that
attend the event. I just think, you know, that's the
most memorable part about it.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
You know so much that happens during this evaluation process.
It's always interesting because I'm one of those types of
guys that if I'm evaluating guy, I'm always going to
go back to the film. And there's certain talent evaluators
that they put everything on the pro Day so much
so that it could be frustrating for a guy who's
(03:47):
either in that top fifty players or those guys who
are looking to be maybe Day two or do Day
three types of players.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
What do you come down on that part?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Do you put a lot of stock in the film
or do you put a lot of stock.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Into pro Day?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
You must be reading my mind because I just tweeted
out that you shouldn't put so much stock in the
pro Day. And here's why. It's it's a small piece
of the puzzle in the draft evaluation process. You have
the prodas, you have this game film, you have the
combine if the player goes there, you have the background checks,
you're you have the interviews, the top thirty visits, all
(04:23):
that comes into player to pay a picture of this prospect.
So when people put and say, oh, this guy had
a rough proday or this guy had a phenomenal prode, well,
let's not get too high. Let's not get too low
in the prospect because that's just a small piece of
the puzzle. And then down the line, you got to
put all the pieces together see the full effect of
what that prospect could be at the next level.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Talk with Mike Riddleman, the director scouting and player personnel
for the College Great Iron Showcase All Star Game. You
can follow him on Twitter at m rich That's r I.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
T T CGS.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
As we as we look at this process this year,
as we look at you know how scouting, I guess
has evolved. What is the biggest change from when you
guys first started this to where things are now.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
I think you're seeing, well, I mean what we talked
about the transfer portal, because you're seeing a lot of
guys go to the bigger schools that they had the opportunity.
And a prime example that was at CGS this past
year was Joseph Vaughn, who was an inside linebacker at
UCLA didn't play that much. You know, a rotational guy,
special teamer. He went out at his pro day the
(05:29):
other day he vertical leaped forty one and a half inches,
Like that's insane at six to two hundred and thirty pounds.
And this guy was just a rotational player at best,
I mean, but like he was an All conference type
of player at Yale before he transferred. So it's doing
your due diligence, you know, with the transfer portal age
as Okay, there are some studs that transferred in that
(05:50):
might not crack the roster where they're at now, but
there were studs before those guys can still play at
the NFL or the CFL or the UFL. It's doing
that due diligence. The scouting staff now really uncovering that,
you know, make sure no stone or no stone is unturned.
But you know, I think that's the biggest thing right
now from where it has been the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So when when guys come to your great on showcase,
it's not just about you know, the x's and o's,
but do you guys have some kind of thing that
you guys do with the players who kind of prepare
them for the interviews, because I think that that is
a key aspect that a lot of people miss out
(06:33):
and now say a lot of people meaning fans, that
they miss out on that part of it because the
exces and o's in the film study is great, but
it's how.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
You answer those questions.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
So do you guys have something where you prepared those
guys to be able to answer these questions when they're
talking to talent evaluators.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
You know, that's a great question right there. I don't
say we we help prepare them, but we're just upfront
with them, like listen, like you're gonna you're gonna be interviewed.
You might not be interview by teams here, but when
you if you have the opportunity to, hey, you know,
showcase yourself in the professional manner, you know, be honest,
be up front, and you know, and then kind of
(07:11):
be what led you to get to this point. You know,
your talent, your your your background, everything like that. But
we we just tell them to be honest and up
front with the evaluators.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Talking with Mike Rudeman from the College Gridiron showcase as uh,
when you're telling them to be upfront with the evaluators.
What kind of evaluators are you guys getting out at
the showcase the NFL teams.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I would assume maybe the UFL guys.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
CFL guys like there's more ways to uh to play
pro ball than just the NFL.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Absolutely, absolutely so. We average around one hundred and thirty
one hundred and forty scouts each year, you know, all
thirty two NFL teams, all nine CFL teams. Fun fact
about the CFL with us last year, we had eleven
CFL draft picks and I think three were in the
first round in the in the top you know, five
picks of the first round, which is only nine pick.
We have thirty one alums that are on the active
(08:04):
rosters for the UFL, which is about to start their
season off here they're the Indoor Football League. There's arena football.
I mean, if you want to play professional football, there's
different avenues. And then you know, the more film you
can garner regardless of what you know. If you're the CFL, UFL,
arena ball, that can help you to your goal to
play in the NFL in the long run.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
You know, the Broncos need some running back helves, some
tight end help.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Still in this draft. Who who are some.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Guys that you guys had out there that you suggest
maybe Broncos.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Fans keep an eye on.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
You know, started out with a tight end position. I like,
really like Mark Mahoney from Brown University. You know, tough,
instinctive tight end. You know, we'll willing to do the
dirty work in the blocking game. Another one to keep
an eye on is Mitchell van Vooren. So this is
gonna be an undrafted free agent, you know, type of guy,
mini camp guy. He's from Saint Marbert Division three school.
(08:55):
He was a track athlete at Marquette D one track
athlete at Marquette, then train he had one more year
of eligibility left. Wanted to play football, you know. Came
at six four, two hundred and fifty three pounds, was
actually playing receiver at Saint Norbert. This is athletic ability alone.
He had ten touchdowns. He was the first team All
conference guy. Another tight end is Sam Pilts from Minnesota
(09:18):
to lose two times Division two top one hundred player,
the elite one hundred team All American. Again, that tough,
h gretty type of guy, willing to do the dirty work.
And then running backs, you know Sam Hicks from Aplene,
Christian Amani Marshall from Appalachian State, Howard Russell from Colorado State,
Pueblo D two School, Lawrence the Feeley from Florida State.
(09:40):
You know, very versatile player, catching the ball out of backfield,
you know, winding him up, but split out wide. So
a lot of depth in this at the running back
and tight end group here.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
You know, it's funny you mentioned the kid from saying Norberg.
You're the second guy to mention him to me in
this draft process.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
A mutual friend of ours, Emory Hunt was was hyping
him up when we're up there at the combine.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
So that was funny.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Funny that that name comes across again, something to keep
our eye on there.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
You mentioned the running back from csu Peblo. What can
you tell us about him?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You know again, you know, tough runner, very productive there,
elected ball skills most of all. And then you know
a Division two All American, a top one under elite
type of guy. You know, again, it's gonna be a
camp body probably most likely. But again he's not going
to be out of place. You know. I think he
has the vision and the vision be and then material
(10:28):
football and also be a court special teamer as.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well, and we definitely love those kind of guys around here.
Mike Rittleman from the College Green Iron Showcase. Mike, appreciate
you have to get you back on again here soon.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Absolutely. I appreciate you guys, and you're you guys more
and welcome to come down to the event next year.
It's the first week in January. I love the media
to come down, but love what you guys do. Well.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
We appreciate the invitation. We'll we'll make it a point
to try to make that. Have you hear that, Dave Tepper,
We got an open invite down there. We need to
get down there. Mike, we appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Thanks guys, absolutely take here. Mike Riddleman
Right out to the kaa common spirit health hotline.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
I didn't bring on my guy, Mike Ronolmand. Who's the
the College grid Iron Showcase? Mike, how you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Hey, I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on, Fellas.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
For those who don't know, can you maybe explain what
the College grid Iron Showcase.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Is to start?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Absolutely? So, we're a college all star event based in
Fort Worth, Texas. We just completed our eleventh year. Over
the last six years, we've had twenty one NFL draft
picks and our niche is that, you know, fifth through
seventh round priority undrafted free agent type of guy. And
you know, I always like to say, you know, my
three year old son can tell me the top two
(00:38):
hundred players in the draft. You know, after that, you know,
that's where the real fun starts.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Well, you know, as a guy that wasn't drafted myself,
I wasn't invited to any senior bows or the combine,
but I did cut my teeth in NFL Europe in
the CFL.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
For the guys that you are describing, you.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Know, what do you recommend for those guys whether they
come to what you guys are doing your college good
on showcase or anything else, What is your words of
encouragement to those guys to help themselves be seen by
NFL evaluators.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Yeah, that's that's a great question. So again it's are
you standing out at the division you're playing at. So,
whether you're a D two, D three, an AI A
All American and you know, I'm excluding fbs and fcs
right now, and I know we live in the day
and age of transfer portal, but if you're at that level,
you have to stand out. You not only have to
(01:36):
be an All conference type of player, you have to
be an All American level type of player. That's what
moves the needle, especially for us in our scouting process,
is that guy taking over the competitions he's at. Because
everyone knows the NFL is a whole different animal, and
it comes to you know, the type of player, the
type of athlete playing at that level.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Talking with right Mike Riddelman from the College good On Showcase,
a couple of Broncos used to come through there.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Our guys who played for the Broncos over the years.
Obviously PJ. Locke was in a tenant.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
There some other guys that people may be familiar with
to Baston Joseph.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Day, young waycou of course weight man, it was a
plutter here.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah, you've had You've had some some good with Austin
Fort who wound up marrying our own marrying Sydney who
worked for the Broncos as well, was from UH was
out there as well.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Trinity Benson, What.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Would you say has has been the most rewarding aspect
of doing this for you?
Speaker 3 (02:28):
I think it's just being a being a part of
being a part of a very small litt ark being
a very small small part of the player's journey. You
know U niamed alf Some a great alumni there. Aaron Burr,
who is the starting center for the Miami Dolphins, was
at Texas State, came in six and seventy five pounds
(02:48):
strong as an ox uh just signed a thirty million
dollar free agent contract with the Dolphins last year. That's awesome.
You mentioned the Baston, Joseph Day, Denner Olshawski fun facts.
He was a dB at the Meiji State All Conference
DV and then also was a catcher on the baseball team.
Then he was signed with the Patriots as an undrafted
(03:09):
free agent and then became an All Pro punt returner.
So it's the cool things, the cool backstories you learn
as you go through this process about the athletes that
attend the event. I just think, you know, that's the
most memorable part about it.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
You know so much that happens during this evaluation process.
It's always interesting because I'm one of those types of
guys that if I'm evaluating guy, I'm always going to
go back to the film. And there's certain talent evaluators
that they put everything on the pro Day so much
so that it could be frustrating for a guy who's
(03:47):
either in that top fifty players or those guys who
are looking to be maybe Day two or do Day
three types of players.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
What do you come down on that part?
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Do you put a lot of stock in the film
or do you put a lot of stock.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Into pro Day?
Speaker 3 (04:02):
You must be reading my mind because I just tweeted
out that you shouldn't put so much stock in the
pro Day. And here's why. It's it's a small piece
of the puzzle in the draft evaluation process. You have
the prodas, you have this game film, you have the
combine if the player goes there, you have the background checks,
you're you have the interviews, the top thirty visits, all
(04:23):
that comes into player to pay a picture of this prospect.
So when people put and say, oh, this guy had
a rough proday or this guy had a phenomenal prode, well,
let's not get too high. Let's not get too low
in the prospect because that's just a small piece of
the puzzle. And then down the line, you got to
put all the pieces together see the full effect of
what that prospect could be at the next level.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Talk with Mike Riddleman, the director scouting and player personnel
for the College Great Iron Showcase All Star Game. You
can follow him on Twitter at m rich That's r I.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
T T CGS.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
As we as we look at this process this year,
as we look at you know how scouting, I guess
has evolved. What is the biggest change from when you
guys first started this to where things are now.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
I think you're seeing, well, I mean what we talked
about the transfer portal, because you're seeing a lot of
guys go to the bigger schools that they had the opportunity.
And a prime example that was at CGS this past
year was Joseph Vaughn, who was an inside linebacker at
UCLA didn't play that much. You know, a rotational guy,
special teamer. He went out at his pro day the
(05:29):
other day he vertical leaped forty one and a half inches,
Like that's insane at six to two hundred and thirty pounds.
And this guy was just a rotational player at best,
I mean, but like he was an All conference type
of player at Yale before he transferred. So it's doing
your due diligence, you know, with the transfer portal age
as Okay, there are some studs that transferred in that
(05:50):
might not crack the roster where they're at now, but
there were studs before those guys can still play at
the NFL or the CFL or the UFL. It's doing
that due diligence. The scouting staff now really uncovering that,
you know, make sure no stone or no stone is unturned.
But you know, I think that's the biggest thing right
now from where it has been the last couple of years.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
So when when guys come to your great on showcase,
it's not just about you know, the x's and o's,
but do you guys have some kind of thing that
you guys do with the players who kind of prepare
them for the interviews, because I think that that is
a key aspect that a lot of people miss out
(06:33):
and now say a lot of people meaning fans, that
they miss out on that part of it because the
exces and o's in the film study is great, but
it's how.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
You answer those questions.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
So do you guys have something where you prepared those
guys to be able to answer these questions when they're
talking to talent evaluators.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
You know, that's a great question right there. I don't
say we we help prepare them, but we're just upfront
with them, like listen, like you're gonna you're gonna be interviewed.
You might not be interview by teams here, but when
you if you have the opportunity to, hey, you know,
showcase yourself in the professional manner, you know, be honest,
be up front, and you know, and then kind of
(07:11):
be what led you to get to this point. You know,
your talent, your your your background, everything like that. But
we we just tell them to be honest and up
front with the evaluators.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Talking with Mike Rudeman from the College Gridiron showcase as uh,
when you're telling them to be upfront with the evaluators.
What kind of evaluators are you guys getting out at
the showcase the NFL teams.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I would assume maybe the UFL guys.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
CFL guys like there's more ways to uh to play
pro ball than just the NFL.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Absolutely, absolutely so. We average around one hundred and thirty
one hundred and forty scouts each year, you know, all
thirty two NFL teams, all nine CFL teams. Fun fact
about the CFL with us last year, we had eleven
CFL draft picks and I think three were in the
first round in the in the top you know, five
picks of the first round, which is only nine pick.
We have thirty one alums that are on the active
(08:04):
rosters for the UFL, which is about to start their
season off here they're the Indoor Football League. There's arena football.
I mean, if you want to play professional football, there's
different avenues. And then you know, the more film you
can garner regardless of what you know. If you're the CFL, UFL,
arena ball, that can help you to your goal to
play in the NFL in the long run.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
You know, the Broncos need some running back helves, some
tight end help.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Still in this draft. Who who are some.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
Guys that you guys had out there that you suggest
maybe Broncos.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Fans keep an eye on.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
You know, started out with a tight end position. I like,
really like Mark Mahoney from Brown University. You know, tough,
instinctive tight end. You know, we'll willing to do the
dirty work in the blocking game. Another one to keep
an eye on is Mitchell van Vooren. So this is
gonna be an undrafted free agent, you know, type of guy,
mini camp guy. He's from Saint Marbert Division three school.
(08:55):
He was a track athlete at Marquette D one track
athlete at Marquette, then train he had one more year
of eligibility left. Wanted to play football, you know. Came
at six four, two hundred and fifty three pounds, was
actually playing receiver at Saint Norbert. This is athletic ability alone.
He had ten touchdowns. He was the first team All
conference guy. Another tight end is Sam Pilts from Minnesota
(09:18):
to lose two times Division two top one hundred player,
the elite one hundred team All American. Again, that tough,
h gretty type of guy, willing to do the dirty work.
And then running backs, you know Sam Hicks from Aplene,
Christian Amani Marshall from Appalachian State, Howard Russell from Colorado State,
Pueblo D two School, Lawrence the Feeley from Florida State.
(09:40):
You know, very versatile player, catching the ball out of backfield,
you know, winding him up, but split out wide. So
a lot of depth in this at the running back
and tight end group here.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
You know, it's funny you mentioned the kid from saying Norberg.
You're the second guy to mention him to me in
this draft process.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
A mutual friend of ours, Emory Hunt was was hyping
him up when we're up there at the combine.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
So that was funny.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
Funny that that name comes across again, something to keep
our eye on there.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
You mentioned the running back from csu Peblo. What can
you tell us about him?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
You know again, you know, tough runner, very productive there,
elected ball skills most of all. And then you know
a Division two All American, a top one under elite
type of guy. You know, again, it's gonna be a
camp body probably most likely. But again he's not going
to be out of place. You know. I think he
has the vision and the vision be and then material
(10:28):
football and also be a court special teamer as.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well, and we definitely love those kind of guys around here.
Mike Rittleman from the College Green Iron Showcase. Mike, appreciate
you have to get you back on again here soon.
Speaker 3 (10:40):
Absolutely. I appreciate you guys, and you're you guys more
and welcome to come down to the event next year.
It's the first week in January. I love the media
to come down, but love what you guys do. Well.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
We appreciate the invitation. We'll we'll make it a point
to try to make that. Have you hear that, Dave Tepper,
We got an open invite down there. We need to
get down there. Mike, we appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
Awesome.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
Thanks guys, absolutely take here. Mike Riddleman
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