Bull rush: Albert Haynesworth, nearly kicked off Tennessee's team two years ago for lack of motivation, could wind up as the top defensive tackle in the draft

Sporting News, The, Feb 25, 2002 by Matt Hayes

The disclaimer comes first. He isn't an NFL general manager, and he doesn't know the tendencies and strengths and weaknesses of every player in every possible gameday scenario. Tom Shaw trains athletes--period. He can tell you how fast they run, how much weight they can lift and whether they loaf when there is no chance any mortal could take another minute of physical stress. NFL players such as Aeneas Williams, Peyton Manning and Michael Vick swear by him and his training routine.

At the moment, Shaw is talking about Albert Haynesworth, one of 25 or so athletes he is training for their showing at the NFL Scouting Combine, the league's annual strut down the runway for draft hopefuls. Shaw is talking about drive and dedication, about passion and persistence.

"I've never seen anyone work harder," he says.

Remember, we're talking about Albert Haynesworth, the mammoth Tennessee defensive tackle. The same player who completely perplexed his college coaches with his unlimited potential and his confounding dearth of desire.

Check out Haynesworth's bio from the 2001 Tennessee media guide:

Began to meet potential late in the 2000 season ... Will need to continue to show consistency and maturity ... A fully motivated Haynesworth could add to the freshman honors he earned in 1999.

Now look at one AFC scout's card after watching Haynesworth in Tennessee's victory over South Carolina last season:

A physical specimen ... can not be blocked one-on-one at the point of attack ... uncanny strength and speed; extremely quick and agile.... Never stops working.

In one season, Haynesworth went from bust to boom, finally fulfilling the promise of his potential. The cruiser is now the bruiser.

"His maturation," says Tennessee coach Phil Fulmer, "took a lot of patience from a lot of people."

Two years ago, Haynesworth nearly was kicked off the team because of a lack of maturity and motivation. At one point during a practice in 2000, Haynesworth walked off the field in frustration and nearly walked away from the game for good. Now he is in position to be the first defensive tackle selected in the NFL draft--even ahead of heralded teammate John Henderson.

"Haynesworth, I honestly believe, will be a dominating player in this league," an AFC scout says, "if he can keep it all together upstairs."

That always was the concern with Haynesworth--what was going on in his mind. But something happened to him before the 2001 season. It might have been the experience of becoming father to a son born last summer. Or it might have been the realization that time was running out on a career very few are afforded. Whatever it was, Albert Haynesworth found Albert Haynesworth.

No more loafing on workouts. No more throwing helmets in frustration. No more conspicuous injuries during two-a-days.

"I've matured," Haynesworth says. "I know what I have to do to be successful. It's a process."

NFL scouts hope it's an ongoing process. Haynesworth's metamorphosis certainly isn't groundbreaking. Many athletes have struggled early in their careers, only to have it all click in one game or one season. What is so unusual and appealing about Haynesworth is his upside--that tempting coach-speak that leads teams to overlook any potential concerns for the wondrous talent that could be.

That's where Shaw and his training regimen come into play. The NFL is built around potential, and potential is measured by numbers--height, weight, 40-yard-dash times, etc. The numbers go in the computer, and they never, ever lie. Haynesworth's numbers have him primed for a huge payday in April. He is everything the NFL computers desire in a defensive tackle. His combination of size (6-5, 315 pounds) and speed (sub-5.0 40) is mind-boggling, and he can bench-press more than 500 pounds. Body fat? Please--he's as ripped as a linebacker.

If the computer likes a player and his workouts are impressive, it translates into that magical word--upside.

Haynesworth isn't as refined on the field as Henderson or even Tennessee defensive end Will Overstreet, another talented prospect. Both Henderson and Overstreet had far more impressive college careers sustained over longer periods. But Haynesworth is expected to sparkle in individual workouts, and the numbers from his impressive junior season (11 1/2 tackles for losses, 20 quarterback hurries, seven passes batted down) can only further fuel his rapid rise.

"In the 10 years I've been doing this, no one gets more out of these workouts than Albert and (former LSU quarterback) Rohan Davey," Shaw says. "Obviously, the workouts are a big key to the draft status of these players. What they have done on the field in college is over. Now you move up (draft boards) by what you can do in individual workouts. It's a different game."

A game with a different opponent. Instead of looking across the line at a Southeastern Conference rival, Haynesworth is going head-to-head with his friend, Henderson, for draft positioning. Ironically, Henderson faced the bulk of double-teams last season, allowing Haynesworth to often work against single-man blocking schemes. And though Henderson is more advanced on the field, he's at least 25 pounds lighter than Haynesworth.