Emil Igwenagu at the East-West Shrine Game (Getty Images)

MARTINSVILLE, N.J. — Could tight end Emil Igwenagu be the next NFL star to come from the UMass program?

Just two years removed from his collegiate career at UMass, New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is enjoying a stellar start to his NFL career. An injury limited Cruz to just three games and no catches in his rookie season but he rebounded to lead the Giants in catches and receiving touchdowns this past year, including the first touchdown of their Super Bowl win. But the success of Cruz in the NFL, along with that of New England Patriots linebacker James Ihedigbo and New York Jets offensive lineman Vlad Ducasse,  means that the Minutemen have formed a small pipeline to the league.

Igwenagu is the next in line to possibly taste that success.

"There was a bit more buzz about the team — I'd say there was a bit more of the buzz. I definitely think the success of Victor and the other guys — those guys made a statement for UMass — it definitely helps with perception, with how [NFL] teams look at us," Igwenagu told Yahoo! Sports. "The whole thing with those guys got more exposure, them making it big on the big stage was a good thing for us looking at the NFL."

Much like bigger programs from BCS programs that have a legitimate standing in the eyes of NFL teams, UMass is certainly gaining respect on draft boards. One NFC scout, told Yahoo! Sports that the program is now viewed differently than in years past.

"When you look at the number of guys they've placed in the league, UMass is now a program that is sending players into the NFL regularly," the scout said. "And they're guys making an impact, guys starting and contributing. You have to look at these players now."

Igwenagu should get some long looks from teams in the middle rounds of the draft. He's got good size at 6'1 and 245 pounds and he has shown outstanding mobility; his invitation to the NFL Combine a testament to just how far the UMass program has come in just a few short years. His time in the 40 is expected to be in the 4.68 — 4.71 range and he looks to put north of 20 repetitions on the 225 pound bench press.
He will be running with the tight ends at the combine.

Two years ago, it was a bit of a shock when Ducasse was invited to the combine before eventually being taken in the second round of the draft. Now, it's almost commonplace that Igwenagu would get a nod, especially given his strong track record in the FCS.

"I wouldn't say I expected it at all, not a lot of people get invited to the combine. But it's definitely exciting and means a lot to me. Do I expect the success of the others from the program who have gotten drafted? No, not really. It is different people, different skillsets and that is what matters the most — so their success doesn't mean my success," Igwenagu said. "But it definitely shows me that there is a way to the league from UMass."

Quinton Coples, Vontaze Burfict, and Janoris Jenkins all have a lot to prove this week. (Getty Images)

Every year, many who come to cover the scouting combine (February 23-February 28) insist that the drills are relatively meaningless, and that it's the game tape that really matters. And every year, there are a handful of guys whose performances -- whether terrific or terrible -- vault them up or down the NFL's draft boards. Here are 10 defensive players to watch during this year's combine drills -- for each of them, this experience will mean a great deal.

1. DE/DT Quinton Coples, North Carolina -- People question Coples' speed and overall effort; I'm be more of a mind to question why his college coaches moved him around so much. At the next level, he'll most likely be a better-than-average pass rusher with the ability to slip inside in sub packages. What he is not, is a one-tech tackle -- and there's too much of him getting washed out on tape in that role. Some would like to compare Coples to Julius Peppers,  but he doesn't have quite that much burst, nor has he developed the "dip-and-rip" moves common to the best edge rushers. Coples' 40 time will be of interest, but far more important will be the agility drills showing how he can use his feet to impact pressure off the snap.

2. DE/DT Jared Crick, Nebraska -- The question about any defensive lineman around Ndamukong Suh, and the ability of those linemen to get free without the big man as a point of focus for any offensive line, isn't just an NFL concern. Crick heard it when Suh was humiliating college blockers on the Nebraska line, and his drop in production since (affected by injuries as it has been) have some wondering of Crick can be a real table-setter. He's a great all-around player who puts some in mind of Pittsburgh's Aaron Smith, but teams will want to know that he's totally recovered from his pectoral injury, and that he can flash enough explosiveness to be more than a safe pick.

3. DT Alameda Ta'amu, Washington -- Ta'amu is known as a gentle giant to those to play with and interview the Huskies standout defender, but that lack of nastiness has shown up on the field at times. Historically, Ta'amu has been an inconsistent player despite armloads of talent, but when he puts it all together (as he did during Senior Bowl week, when he looked like Vince Wilfork, Jr. at his best), he's got the potential to be a great run-stopping and penetrating tackle at the NFL level. He'll have to answer questions about his weight fluctuation, inconsistent dominance, and his role in a Washington defense that completely imploded in the Holiday Bowl.

4. DT Akiem Hicks, Regina -- Hicks chose LSU in 2009 after two years in junior college, but sat out over recruiting issues and chose to transfer to a Canadian college instead. His size will intrigue NFL scouts and personnel people, but his raw playing style leaves him with the dreaded "developmental" label. Unless ... he can show off in combine drills and show that the surprising athleticism for a 6-foot-5, 325-pound player is backed up by maturity in team interviews.

5. DE Whitney Mercilus, Illinois -- Mercilus led the nation in sacks and forced fumbles in 2011, but his one-year status as an elite edge rusher may raise some questions about just how much of what he did in that can transfer to the next level. It's an optimal opportunity for him to show that he's not only ready to be that player again, but that he's expanded on his skill set -- right now, he's  a very good burst edge rusher, but that doesn't always transfer to a more complete game, and teams will want to know about his strength against the run, and his tendency to get blocked out in power situations.

[10 to watch at the scouting combine: The offense]

Watch out for LSU WR Rueben Randle at this year's scouting combine. (Getty Images)

INDIANAPOLIS — Every year, many who come to cover the scouting combine (February 23-February 28) insist that the drills are relatively meaningless, and that it's the game tape that really matters. And every year, there are a handful of guys whose performances -- whether terrific or terrible — vault them up or down the NFL's draft boards. Here is a group of offensive players to watch during this year's combine drills — for each of them, the drills will mean a great deal.

1. The "Best Supporting Actor" Quarterbacks — The top three quarterbacks in this draft class will most likely wait until their pro days to throw. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III don't need to because they're going in the top five on a no-matter-what basis, and Ryan Tannehill is still recovering from a foot injury. So, with the spotlights on them, a host of second-tier quarterbacks will look to impress and up their draft stock the way Christian Ponder and Jake Locker did in 2011.

For Arizona State's Brock Osweiler, the challenge will be to confirm that he can make every NFL throw — the questions about his experience and ability to run an offense will come later. Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden has all the on-field savvy in the world — and at age 28, he'll be given credit for the savvy he doesn't have — but he needs to display the consistent arm that will convince scouts that he can hit tight windows at the NFL level.

That's even more true for Boise State's Kellen Moore, who has all the intangibles and a ridiculous "winning record" (for those who take stock in such things for quarterbacks), but he's generally struggled with any throw longer than intermediate at a consistent level. His throwing session could go a long way to telling his tale. Is he Chad Pennington or Jimmy Clausen? Michigan State's Kirk Cousins got most of his work done on underneath stuff, but he has flashed a better arm. It's time to flash that arm again. Arizona's Nick Foles will have people looking to see if he relapses to some occasionally sloppy mechanics.

2. RB Chris Polk, Washington — Polk bulled through defenses during a serious rebuilding program at Montlake, and now, he needs to redefine himself to a degree. He'll already have personnel people thinking of him as an inside back in the Mikel LeShoure mold, but a little more shake-and-bake might have people wondering if he could make more of a Marshawn Lynch-type impact, especially after a less-than-spectacular Senior Bowl week. For Polk, the agility drills will be even more important than his 40-yard dash time.

3. RB Doug Martin, Boise State — Martin is also classified by many as a power back, but he's fast enough to impress as a kick returner as well, which is fairly impressive for a 5-foot-9, 220-pound bowling ball. A time in the 4.4 range could have GMs going back to Martin's college tape and wondering if he isn't a first-round sleeper, the kind of do-it-all back any team could feature.

4. RB LaMichael James, Oregon — Mike Mayock put it best during a recent media conference call: James needs to show that he's more than "just a speed guy." Mayock opined that James would shine in the 40, but like Martin and Polk, the agility drills might paint him as more than a one-trick pony.

5. RB/WR Chris Rainey, Florida — Like Percy Harvin before him, Rainey has been a very versatile player for the Gators, but he might be like the piano in the middle of the living room to many teams -- they're not sure where to put him. If he puts on a show in the 40 (expect a sub-4.4 time for sure, and possibly sub-4.3), blows people away in the agility drills, and perhaps goes out for drills as a receiver, Rainey might pump his stock up a good round or so. He needs to prove that he's more than a luxury pick. The upside is Reggie Bush or Darren Sproles. The downside is Dexter McCluster, whose speed has been wasted in an ill-fitting scheme.

[10 to watch at the scouting combine: The defense]

(Getty Images)

On the 12th day of the 12th month in the 12th year of this century, the state of Wisconsin is set to celebrate its favorite No. 12-wearing hero.

The state assembly unanimously passed a resolution this week designating Dec. 12, 2012 (12/12/12) as Aaron Rodgers Day. The state senate will vote to approve the measure later this month.

The idea to honor Rodgers on that date was started by Stevens Points resident Jennifer Brilowski. Inspired by calls to commemorate Spinal Tap's Nigel "These Go To 11" Tuffnal on 11/11/11, Brilowski started a Facebook page to get support for Rodgers' 12/12/12 day. The mission ended successfully, even though Brilowski she said she never contacted any Wisconsin officials and was unsure of how her idea made it to the halls of government. No matter. Whatever works.

Details were vague on how the state would celebrate Rodgers. Championship belts for all? Everyone dresses in long white T-shirts, dickies and doesn't shave for four days? Celebrating for 22 hours and

Try not to breathe...

Up through the NFL draft, Shutdown Corner's Kristian Dyer will be training at TEST Football Academy Powered by Parisi Speed School in New Jersey along with roughly 20 players. All of these athletes are prepping for the NFL combine, different pro days and of course, the NFL draft in April. A former college soccer player, Kristian was a playground legend at quarterback back in middle school but never played a down of organized football. He will be blogging about the life of training for the NFL draft and a career in the league as he lives it firsthand.

MARTINSVILLE, N.J. — Last week, after being tested at the one-month point of the training process and showing progress, shedding nearly two-tenths of a second off my 40-yard dash and adding three inches to my vertical jump, I was feeling ready to take the next step in my draft preparation process. I was ready to begin positional work.

I was going to start training like a quarterback.

For nearly four weeks, I had been pleased with my results at TEST Sports Clubs' Football Academy, where I was working with draft prospects under the watchful eye of trainers Skip Fuller and Geir Gudmundsen. I was also working out at Parisi Speed Schools, where Terrence Fabor was putting me through workouts to help lower my 40 time. Everything, Fabor told me, "was geared towards the combine and being explosive."

All I knew was that the 90-minute circuit workouts with the 20 or so NFL draft prospects had my body ready to explode and not always feeling "explosive" like Fabor said. Surely working with the quarterbacks was going to be easier; after all, on upper body workouts they were separated from the linemen and the rest of the "big boys" for the bench press segment of the routine.

After the kickers, it is the quarterback position that is most often the butt of jokes in the football locker room. They are often the pretty boys of the team and rarely as big or as cut as many of their teammates. Let's be honest, those fluorescent colored "Don't Hit Me" jerseys in practice don't help either. And now as I got ready to bench press with the quarterbacks, I figured it'd be a lot easier than two weeks before when I benched with the running backs where it was a lot of heavy weights and maximum lifts.

But as Dan DiLella, a quarterback out of Albany, told me "the quarterbacks are where the real strength is." That's because their routine isn't based on heavy weights and maximum bench presses. It is a test of sustained strength.

"We need to be careful with our quarterbacks because they are going to make their money off of their arms and shoulders. We do not want to risk injury or affect their shoulder mobility by lifting too heavy," said Parisi Speed School powered by TEST Sports Clubs' program director Mike Baker. "We do not bench the quarterbacks, but we do a lot of single arm movements with them to increase mobility and flexibility in the arms and shoulders. We also do a lot of internal and external rotational exercises to strengthen the rotator cuffs."

Brady and Martinez (Pro Football Talk)Tom Martinez, the coach who mentored New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack during dialysis. The man known as "The Quarterback Whisperer" was in need of a kidney transplant due to diabetes complications.

Martinez first came into Brady's life when the future MVP was just 13. He signed up for a quarterback clinic and then worked with Martinez for the rest of his career. Brady said he would never be the quarterback he is today without Martinez's help.

"He's a great friend of mine for a very long time and taught me how to throw a football at a very young age," Brady told ABC News in January. "He's been looking for a kidney for quite a while."

Brady used his platform in the Super Bowl to encourage organ donation.

People from around the NFL immediately reacted to Martinez's passing. Brady's teammate, Julian Edelman, tweeted, "RIP coach Tom Martinez. He was such a great mentor to many in the bay area. His legacy will always live on." Brady's father told CSN New England, "There are a lot of sad people in San Mateo County tonight."

Martinez's impact was felt beyond football. He coached football, women's basketball and softball at the College of San Mateo, where he won a combined 1,100 games. He was 66 years old.

Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn horse around during the 2011 preseason. (AP)Denver Broncos backup quarterback Brady Quinn must have known that his comments about Tim Tebow would go over like a lead balloon when he spoke to Yahoo! Sports' own Mike Silver about the man who helped get the Broncos to the playoffs, and became a national phenomenon in the process.

Silver's excellent article, written for GQ Magazine, explored the Tebow trend through the quotes of many involved -- coaches, front office personnel, teammates and opponents. Some comments (mostly from the opponents) were fairly inflammatory, but the quotes from Quinn were especially odd.

Early in the season, there was a game when Kyle [Orton] got hurt and the coaches were calling for me to go in, but Kyle got up and finished the game out. So I was the second-string guy. Then, a few weeks later, they decided to put Tim in. I felt like the fans had a lot to do with that. Just 'cause they were chanting his name. There was a big calling for him. No, I didn't have any billboards. That would have been nice.

Stanford Routt in 2007, just when things were getting good. (AP)

Few NFL players could tell you more about the circuitous route taken by most cornerbacks than Stanford Routt, the former Oakland Raiders and current Kansas City Chiefs pass defender. A speedster out of Houston, Routt was taken in the second round of the 2005 NFL draft by a Raiders team that has long valued two things in their cornerbacks: demon speed and the ability to play man coverage to the exclusion of everything else. Routt fit the bill on paper -- his 4.27 scouting combine run still stands as one of the fastest ever -- but on the field, he spent a couple years outrunning more advanced coverages as he learned the game from the nickel slot.

By 2010, he had learned enough to excel as Oakland's No. 2 cornerback behind the great Nnamdi Asomugha, and he parlayed that into a No. 1 role after Asomugha left for the Philadelphia Eagles. What came with that was a five-year, $54 million contract that was Al Davis' last major expenditure on a starting man corner concept that went back to the days of Willie Brown in the 1960s.

However, carrying on that lineage before and after Davis' death in October of 2011 was made far more difficult by several schematic changes that occurred almost immediately after Davis' passing. When Shutdown Corner spoke with Routt in an exclusive interview on Monday evening, he refused to throw anyone in Oakland -- player or coach -- under the bus. That wasn't really necessary, because the changes in Oakland's defense were obvious to anyone with access to a DVR, or NFL Game Rewind. Straight from a series of effective hybrid fronts and man coverage concepts, the Raiders moved to schemes that had linebackers covering intermediate zones like proverbial headless chickens, run support safeties playing deep quarters, and cornerbacks playing force defender and run support roles against multi-receiver sets.

Add in that there was limited time for the existing personnel to switch from man to zone coverage due to the lockout, and what seemed to be a complete misunderstanding of how best to use the roster on hand, and it's no surprise that defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan was fired after the season was done.

For Routt, the results were as regressive as they were for many other Oakland defenders. In 2010, per STATS, Inc., Routt had the second-lowest Burn Rate (targets divided by catches) in the NFL among cornerbacks with 50 or more targets. The best guy? Someone named Darrelle Revis. Routt gave up just five touchdowns on 99 targets, and seemed to be ready to take his place as an elite cornerback.

Not quite so fast -- in 2011, and in some very questionable schemes, Routt's Burn Rate was still above average (46 catches in 97 targets; 19th in the league), but he gave up eight touchdowns and led the league with 17 non-declined penalties (Seattle's Brandon Browner led the league with 19 called penalties, but three were declined).

It all came to a head after ex-Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen replaced Hue Jackson as the team's head coach. Routt, who had already restructured his contract once, was sent packing by a coach he hadn't met, as Routt put it, "until we had the break-up."

Routt said that no specific reason was given -- his farewell was marked by the same "We've decided to go in a different direction" stuff you see whenever a player is cut -- and he was on the market before he knew it.

"Hindsight is always 20/20 -- I really don't know," Routt said when asked if he would have restructured again. "There's no telling what I might have done [given that option]. As far as being surprised, it was a little bit of a surprise, but it was in the back of my mind as something I knew was possible."

Keep your enemies closer: Routt picks off the Chiefs last December. (AP)

The 2011 season was as much a disappointment to Routt as to everyone else in Oakland, and he refused to put the blame elsewhere. The penalties, however, came with the caveat you might expect from any NFL player who has watched officiating crews call illegal contact and pass interference with frustrating inconsistency over the last few seasons.