INDIANAPOLIS—Brandon Weeden will be 29 about a month into his rookie NFL season and the media assembled at the NFL Combine weren’t about to let him forget it.
The former Oklahoma State quarterbacks fielded 11 questions in a press conference a the NFL Combine that lasted about eight minutes. Six of those questions deal with his age.
“A lot is getting put into my age and rightfully so,” said Weeden. “That's really the only red flag I really have. And fortunately for me, that's really the only I have to worry about. And fortunately, it's a small issue. I'm not worried about it. I don't' think a lot of teams are worried about it.”
Apparently, he’s not worried about it. Why worry about something you have no control over?
“Here's the fact, I can't change it,” said Weeden. “I can change a lot of things, my footwork, throwing motion, release, this and this and this. I can't change my birth certificate.”
Weeden is later in getting to this point in his life than are most of his peers due to having played minor-league baseball. He was drafted by the Yankees out of high school in 2002 and also played in the Dodgers and Royals organizations. After playing in the Class-A California league in his fifth season as a pro baseball player, he left the sport in 2006 and enrolled at Oklahoma State in 2007 as a 23-year-old freshman.
He won the job as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback as a junior and in 2011 he led them to an 11-1 record. Weeden completed 72.3 percent of his passes with 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He’s 6-feet-4 and weighs 218 pounds. It’s a perfect resume for a high first-round pick—except for that darn birth certificate.
Weeden spins his age into experience. “From a maturity standpoint, I've already been a pro,” he said. “That's what I've been telling teams, and they agree with me.”
“In baseball, you guys know, it's a game of failure. I've failed, and I've had some success, and I've kind of ridden the roller coaster.”
NFL draft day could be another roller coaster for Weeden. Many have him as a second- or third-round pick. There also has been talk that Mike Shanahan is “in love” with Weeden and that the Redskins could pull a deal to get a pick in the latter part of the first round to take him.
As you would expect, Weeden expects to take it in stride. “It only takes one team,” he said. “You never know who that team is going to be, and I think I'll be a good fit for whoever decides to take me.”
Rich Tandler will be covering the NFL Combine from Indianapolis all week. Any questions? Hit him up on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.
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