Fairley is hoping to beat out Alabama's Marcel Dareus and Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers for the right to be remembered as the first defensive lineman taken in the 2011 NFL Draft. At 6-4 and 291 pounds he'd like to put on a few more pounds and get between 295 and 300 in order to be able to hold up against the bigger offensive linemen in the NFL.
"A lot of folks out there say I play the game the way it should be played," said Fairley in addressing claims of him being a dirty player. "All I do is hit the slight switch when I hit the field and don't turn it off until I leave. The player I actually model my game after is not playing anymore and that's Reggie White. I think that guy played the game the way it should be played and that's why I try to pattern my game after him."
In addition to the "dirty player" accusations, two of the other issues people seem to be concerned with when it comes to Fairley are the fact that he only had one real good season and that there is a perception that he takes plays off. He believes he plays with a high motor and he intends to prove that in his interviews and the drills.
Fairley's sense of humor emerged when he was put on the spot regarding what the Carolina Panthers should do with the number one overall pick should it come down to him or Newton. He laughed and accused the reporter of asking him a trick question, choosing not to answer.
A couple of hours after Fairley left the podium, cornerbacks Patrick Peterson from LSU and Prince Amukamara of Nebraska talked about their strengths as they are the clear-cut favorites to go 1-2 among the corners. They are the same height (6-0), but Peterson is thicker at 219 pounds compared to Amukamara's 206.
Peterson is eager to show off his speed on Tuesday, claiming to have run a 4.29 last week as he prepared for the Combine. He has set a goal of 4.2 or the low 4.3s and like Miami's Brandon Harris earlier he picked Green Bay's Charles Woodson as the current NFL cornerback he'd like to pattern his game after.
"I'm an all-around cornerback and that's what I wanted to do coming out of college," said Peterson, who trains in Boca Raton with his father and considers himself the best cornerback in the draft. "I'd say my ball skills and my toughness are my key strengths. I can support the run."
Peterson also believes going against Alabama's Julio Jones three years in a row and Georgia's A.J. Green two years in a row helped him elevate his game. Jones is the only receiver he gave up a touchdown pass to this year, and he admitted he wants to work on improving his zone coverage and perfecting his backpedal.
The fact that he also volunteered to handle returning kickoffs is something Peterson thinks will help his stock in the draft. He added some weight to continue to be a tough guy to tackle on special teams.
Amukamara was hit right off the bat with a question asking him who was the better cornerback, himself or Peterson.
"Um, that's a good question," he said. "I guess we'll let the scouts decide that."
He is a converted high school running back who considers his physicality and competitive nature to be his strengths. He also thinks his character is another positive attribute.
Amukamara has spent a lot of time working on his technique at API out in Arizona and trying not to stay too high in his backpedal. He acknowledged that Peterson is an amazing player, as did Peterson of him, but he sounded pretty confident that he will be able to succeed at the next level.
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Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/27/nick-fairley-steps-out-of-cam-newtons-shadow-at-combine/
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