Treu glad first NFL test is over


Ken Hambleton, Lincoln Journal Star - February 1997.

There was a time when. Adam Treu wasn't worth a phone call as an offensive lineman.

That was long ago, and now Treu is hoping that his skills could turn into a career worth thousands of dollars.

Treu and seven former Husker football teammates joined some 300 other former college players in the annual NFL Scouting Combine last weekend in Indianapolis. The players were run through a long series of physical and mental tests, interviewed, probed, prodded and measured for three days each.

Nebraska offensive line coach Milt Tenopir, who started Treu the last two years, said of Treu, "I wouldn't give Adam Treu a nickel's worth of chance the first year and a half here. But he turned himself into one heck of a football player and I think he may have a long career in football now."

A tackle on both sides in college, Treu started at right guard for the West team in the annual East-West Shrine Bowl three weeks ago. He also is an experienced deep-snapper used in kicking and punting.

"I don't know any more now about my future in the NFL than l did before I went," said Treu, a former All-Stater from Lincoln Pius X ".But like all of the other guys there you have to feel there is interest oi they wouldn't spend the time or you."

Each of the players invited to the combine had expenses paid. Treu and former teammate Chris Dish• man reported first with the rest o1 the offensive and defensive linemen. quarterbacks, running backs and linebackers came later. Other forrmer Huskers reporting to the combine included linebackers Jon Hesse, Jamel Williams and Terrell Parley, defensive back Michael Booker, and defensive end Jared Tomich.

"Dishman and I saw each other a bit, but the only other guy I ran into was Booker on my way home through St. Louis," Treu said. "We all seemed to have the same impression, `Whew. That's over."

The ordeal began with a six-hour stay at Methodist Hospital, where Treu and others waited for X-rays of old injuries. Treu had sprained his ankles and had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in recent years.

"You start thinking about how guys describe the Army - hurry up and wait," Treu said. "There were guys sitting on benches, sitting on the tile floor or just leaning against the wall. If you broke your finger when you were 7-years-old, they wanted to know about it and they wanted an X-ray of it."

After the X-rays, the players were fed and then interviewed. by various scouts.

Six different stations, with five different NFL teams each, provided three doctors each to twist, probe and poke at the players.

Some more paper work, and finally the players were tested in the 40-yard dash, agility drills,, bench press and jumping.

No statistics from the combine have been released. Preliminary reports show that Treu is listed as the seventh best offensive tackle available for the NFL draft. He was listed as the top deep-snapper at the combine for speed and timing. Farley is listed as the third best safety. Minter is 10th. Booker is listed as the third best cornerback and Hesse, the 21st best inside linebacker and Tomich is the fifth best defensive end.