116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Home / Sports / Columns & Sports Commentary
Vandervelde could be an NFL center
Marc Morehouse
Feb. 24, 2011 5:03 pm
Julian Vandervelde was maybe one medical test away from being done with everything Thursday at the NFL combine.
"I don't even know what time it is right now. I haven't seen a clock in several hours," Vandervelde said. "We've been peeing in cups since 5:30 this morning."
The former Hawkeye guard made it through the functional movement screening, vision test and his general medical test. He was home free before he walked into the last room at Lucas Oil Stadium.
He had an X-ray on his hip. Then, there was an MRI. Finally, he was spit out to interviews after a draining six-plus hours of testing.
"Got to the last room, 'Let's X-ray that left hip while we're at it. And hey, let's MRI that left knee, too,' " Vandervelde said. "I sat in the MRI machine for an hour. I was that close to being done."
Vandervelde, 6-1.7 and 301 pounds, made 37 career starts as a guard at Iowa. Thursday, he mentioned center as a possibility in the NFL.
Remember, he messed around there during a spring practice in 2009. The idea was squelched after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle and missed the first game or so of the season.
"I never made it to a game as a center, but I've been working a lot on it during the offseason," Vandervelde said.
Vandervelde drew an audience Thursday. You know he's sang for President Obama. You know that he played in the Little League World Series as a 12-year-old in Davenport.
Did you know that he reported to Iowa at 325 pounds?
"I got to Iowa and they dropped me 30 pounds in the first two weeks," he said. Then, he said something about his girlfriend . . . let's move on.
Did you know he considers himself a better singer than baseball player?
"I'm going to say a better singer because I'm still doing that," he said. "I think at the height of my career, I was a better baseball player."
What did he enjoy more, singing for Obama or hitting a home run in the Little League World Series?
"No offense to the President or anything, but the Little League World Series was something else," he said, "especially for a 12-year-old who had ESPN cameras on you. It was definitely a world apart."
Vandervelde believes what he learned at Iowa gives him a chance to make an NFL roster. And basically what he learned was the basics.
"It's the approach the program takes in terms of the basics of offensive line play," Vandervelde said. "We look for smart, tough offensive linemen who are going to play physical and master the basics first.
"I can't tell you how many times I've taken just a basic read step in my career at Iowa. It's probably well over 5,000 to be honest with you. I would bet I'm getting pretty darn close to the 10,000 hours it takes to be an expert with the zone blocking.
"We're going to work the basics to death. That's what makes Iowa successful in training offensive linemen and that's what makes Hawkeyes successful at the next level."
One more did you know. Did you know that the classroom in the football complex carries a quote from the late Joe Moore, a noted O-line coach and a man Kirk Ferentz called his mentor.
"We have a quote up in our offensive line room from Joe Moore that says, 'There's no greater feeling than moving a man from point A to point B against his will,' " Vandervelde said. "I think that is definitely something I've taken to heart. When it comes down to it, it's really fun to move a guy somewhere he doesn't want to go."
_________
Hawk-Item - - Sang national anthem prior to President Barack Obama visit to UI campus last April . . . member of Davenport Little League baseball team that competed in 2000 World Series in Williamsport, PA . . . one of seven seniors named to 2010 Leadership group.
________
Iowa's Julian Vandervelde beats his chest as he celebrates the Hawkeyes' win over Missouri after the 2010 Insight Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2010, in Tempe, Ariz. Iowa won, 27-24. (Jim Slosiarek/SourceMedia Group News)