Former Ohio State star Caleb Downs felt prepared for the speed at the next level, at least what he has seen thus far.
The pads haven't come on quite yet, but former Ohio State star Caleb Downs is feeling comfortable in his very short and limited time in the NFL so far.
To this point, Downs has only experienced Rookie Camp, Voluntary OTAs, and Mandatory Minicamp. None of those sessions required full pads or hitting quite yet, but there was still real football being played, and Downs has begun getting his sea legs under him.
On Wednesday, he and his brother Josh released the most recent episode of Downs2Business, and Josh asked Caleb what his experience with the change in speed has been like.
Caleb responds, "Speed, it's the same, honestly. Football is football... the first couple of days of practice, I was definitely winded. I was waiting for the air, waiting for the breaks."
Nearly everyone who gets the privilege of playing in the NFL experiences a change in speed, and it is usually significant. Not for the superstar that is Caleb Downs. Downs spent his entire college career going up against the best talent that college football had to offer.
Whether it was his first year in college football with the Alabama Crimson Tide or it was his two years at Ohio State, he was always on the field with the best of the best. Now that he enters the league, the speed on the field is something that he is used to, which is an incredible advantage for the young star.
For some players, it takes years for the game to slow down; for Downs, so far at least, it has taken only a couple of sessions. However, everything changes when the pads come on, and the bullets are live.
I know that he played against the best in the country at Ohio State, but until he sees a pulling guard running with 4.9 speed at 330 pounds with him in the crosshairs, he will realize that the speed is a bit different.
The good part for the Cowboys is that Downs is as elite as it comes. What takes a normal player hundreds of plays and potentially weeks to figure out will take Downs just a couple of reps.
Downs is going to be special in the NFL, and his time at Ohio State was a major help in getting him prepared for the next level.
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