2007 NFL Draft: Gator Wynn Goes to Green Bay

By Jeremy White, NFLHS.com

At 5-foot-10 and 232 pounds, former University of Florida running back DeShawn Wynn is a compact runner in the mold of former NFL great Barry Sanders.

Though he's endured plenty of knocks over the past four years - some for his size, others for his work ethic, still others for his inability to live up to over-hyped expectations - Wynn remains unabashedly optimistic about his chances of forging a career in the NFL.

At the NFL's annual Scouting Combine in Indianapolis last February, Wynn seemed stricken with the whole experience of auditioning for NFL coaches and general managers.

"It's breath taking," he exclaimed. "You don't know what to expect coming in."

Wynn runs the ball during the 2007 National Championship Game on January 8, 2007.

But Wynn got out of it what he wanted-he was selected in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers April 29.

Wynn also didn't know what to expect when he arrived at Florida ready to experience playing football in the vaunted Swamp, Florida's home field, which is legendary for its nastiness to opponents.

As alluded earlier, Wynn had plenty of critics during his time playing in Gainesville.

"I had three 2,000-yard seasons in high school," he explains. "The expectations for me coming out of high school were really high. I hear people say I am not one of the hardest workers, but you don't play at Florida without being a pretty hard worker. You have to be a hard worker."

Wynn did win over Gator fans early. He ran for 540 yards as a freshman. But he suffered a torn groin as a sophomore, and the injury slowed his production.

Then, his junior season, he was benched for the campaign opener after being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. It finally came full circle for Wynn last season when he managed to stay healthy and enjoyed a productive season. He was able to pick up 5.5 yards per rush in 2006, a career high.

When asked about the knocks on his size, Wynn dismisses them by saying a smaller runner has some inherent advantages - a point proven by Sanders during his time with the Detroit Lions.

"When you're running behind big offensive linemen, you can hide behind them and are hard to see, so that can actually be a positive," he says.

Wynn's advice for high school running backs is this: learn to adapt to change.

"You have to get used to running in different formations," he says. "In high school it's a lot of I-formation, but you have to get used to some split formations and even being a lone back once you get to college. You have to do different stuff like running good routes and doing a lot of pass blocking. It's more involved."

Finally, he says. "Practice hard. The way you practice carries over into the game," he said.

Few coaches at any level would disagree with that.

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.