Path to the Pros 2012: Defensive Linemen

The dominant defensive linemen of the 2011 college football season discuss the new set of challenges they'll face in trying to take their game to the next level.

Athletes Kendall Reyes, Nick Perry and Jared Crick tell about their hard work at getting to the pros. Each lineman tells the hard work that's necessary for making it to the pros.Kendall Reyes: Basically my goals are just to become the best athlete that I can and I've just been grinding and working with the position coach pretty much every single day just working on technique.Nick Perry: Just working on my hips, just flexible hips to make me a better rusher and just working my hands even more and being able to get guys of the setting block. So I work hard at trying to get to the quarterback and just trying to make plays, make things happen out there on the field for the team.Jared Crick: It's the days that I put in here that's going to dictate whether I'm as fast as I want to be. So I'm to the point where I'm confident in my body and the things that I can do to push myself and if I just keep doing this on a day to day basis then I'm going to be ready to show off. So I just got to put in the work every single day and that's what I've been doing so far.Kendall Reyes: I enjoyed working out with all the other guys. They definitely push me. It's great to have competition in everything you do because that only breads success. So it's very enjoyable working out with all the other athletes.Nick Perry: I mean this is a once in a lifetime shot. You only get one opportunity and I want ot make the best of it so at the end of the day I want to be able to set my career up for the rest of my life.Kendall Reyes: When you're a little kid you always dream of playing in the NFL and as I progressed in my career that dream starting more and more becoming a reality. So people kept pushing me through my career. Tons of coaches, family is very supportive so everyone's pretty much had my back. Some days are tough but you just got to keep working and keep fighting through.Jared Crick: As a kid in a small town of Nebraska no one ever gave me a chance, even in college no one gave me a chance. You just got to go and believe in yourself. It's been a little bit of an adjustment for everybody. Every rookie has to go through it and it's just how you take the approach to every single day is what you get out of it in the end.