Sometimes the stars align just right. Tony Moeaki experienced that feeling his Senior season for the Iowa Hawkeyes, going through the season relatively unscathed after many injury-laden seasons for Black and Gold. Capping it off with a great win in the Orange Bowl sealed the deal for this talented tight end. Tony was gracious enough to chat with us a bit about his time at Iowa and the upcoming NFL Draft.

Every starting Tight-End under Coach Ferentz has made it to the NFL. You’re in some pretty good company right?
Yes there have been some great tight ends that have played for Coach Ferentz and im hoping that i can join their company!

I know you were recruited to Iowa as a Tight-End, do you have any experience on the defensive side of the ball?
I played linebacker in high school before i switched to tight end. I thought i was a better linebacker then tight end but my defensive coached switched to offense and brought me along.

We feel that one of your biggest strengths is your in-line blocking ability, what do you feel you can contribute to an NFL team?
I feel like my receiving skills are just as good as my blocking. I take pride in doing both as well as i can and work hard at both aspects of my game. I love to do both and try to be the best at both blocking and receiving. I think i can bring a lot to an NFL team. I feel like I’m versatile on the football field. I played h-back also which is like a fullback and also lined up on the line at tight end. I did blocking and receiving out of the h-back position too. Off the field i can bring a lot also. I love the game. I love watching and studying football.

Does Coach Doyle have you pretty rocked up? What event at the combine do you think you’ll make a splash in?
Yes, Coach Doyle is the man and he’s got all of us excited for the combine. I’m excited for all events at the combine.

What NFL player can you identify with? Why?
There are many great tight ends in the NFL right now and in the past but i think I can identify with Jason Witten and Heath Miller. I’m not saying that I’m on the same level as them but they are every down tight ends and they are good at both blocking and receiving. Hopefully one day I can play at their same level.

What was your biggest highlight at Iowa?
Winning the Orange Bowl in my last season, finishing in the 7th in the nation and doing it under Coach Ferentz was really special because he’s an unbelievable coach.

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Dum spiro spero - “While I breathe, I hope.”

After Andre Roberts’ impressive Senior Bowl performance, these words, written on the Citadel Ring, symbolize what many NFL GM’s will be thinking on Draft Day, as in “We hope that he will still be there when we pick next.”

“It was a big step-up in competition. I played against Florida, Clemson, Wisconsin the last three years. I’ve played against some good competition before, but top competition every single rep was a big change. The speed changed a little too, it was faster. Didn’t effect me though.” Andre wasn’t intimidated, and it showed, Roberts grabbing two balls for 45 yards during the game.

That solid showing followed a great week of practice, where multiple teams expressed interest in him, including the Patriots. “Lots of teams expressed interest, and I did interview with the Patriots. It was real thorough, I was grilled a little bit. I did real well though.”

When asked what Andre sees as his biggest shortcoming on the field, he stated “I need to work on blocking more than anything. Also, I could work on exploding after my release. I’m good at getting off the press, but exploding out of [my release] into my route is where I have a little problem sometimes.”

One opponent and one teammate left a distinct impression on Roberts during the Senior Bowl. “Jerome Murphy from South Florida, he was a really physical guy, liked to press. Zac Robinson too, I never saw him play before, he just showed me through practice that he can really play well.”

Next up for Roberts is the NFL Scouting Combine. He is currently working out at API and says he will probably run in the 4.4′s during his forty. The 3-cone drill is where Roberts says he will excel.

Don’t excel too much Andre, or those GM’s will be breathing heavier than normal come NFL Draft day.

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It is rare when you get the opportunity to dialogue with such a smart, humble, and confident young man. AJ Edds (LB, Iowa) is just that type of man and football player. Fresh off of an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl (Interception and fumble recovery), AJ was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.

Just playing for Norm Parker has been a great experience. Coach Parker does a great job putting his players in position to make plays which usually translates to good defense. By staying on the field during passing situations I think it showed my ability to cover in the open field and take away routes that many TE’s would be able to convert. By staying on the field I was also able to better understand the ways offenses try to manipulate linebackers and defensive backs with their route combinations. By understanding this it has helped to increase my overall football IQ, especially in the passing game.

You had a couple of stumbles during practice at the Senior Bowl, and some analysts questioned your ability to stay with TEs and WRs in coverage. What is your response to this? (Note: AJ backed up his claims with an INT during the game)

Anyone that questions my ability to cover TE’s and RB’s should look at my career at Iowa. I was routinely asked to play over slot receivers in space in our defensive scheme. I did a fairly good job with this and often took away the route that the QB was looking to hit. By being able to neutralize receivers in the slot, it has better helped me in my coverage of TE’s and RB’s. I would challenge anyone questioning my coverage ability to look at my career at Iowa and watch my responsibilites in the passing game.

Another quirk with the Hawkeye defense is that you rarely blitz, however, you seemed to get pressure when called upon. How confident do you feel in getting to the QB? What is your best rush move?

In our defenseive scheme the linebackers are rarely asked to apply pressure via blitz. Because of this I would acknowledge that rushing the passer is likely one of my biggest areas for improvement. That said, when asked to come on a blitz I did a pretty good job of hurrying the QB or coming up with the sack. Pass rushing is nothing more then desire and a player can excel in this area through determination and attitude.

How much more weight can you add to your frame without losing speed? I know Chris Doyle does an amazing job with the Iowa Strength and Conditioning program, does he have you at your peak?

I think I could effectively add another 9-12 lbs without losing a step. Simply because of the nature of my position at Iowa, I did not want to weigh too much that I would not be able to keep up with smaller, quicker receivers in space. Coach Doyle does a phenomenal job with our S&C at Iowa and he did a great job getting me to my optimal playing weight. I actually was as heavy as 251 in pre-season camp this past season (due to battling everyday with TE Tony Moeaki on the L.O.S.) but dropped a few pounds before the start of the season.

With the Patriots being a 3-4 team, what position(s) do you think you could play for us? Are you up to shedding guards all day inside or do you feel more comfortable on the edge?

In the Patriots 3-4 scheme I would envision myself more as an inside LB getting off blocks and getting to the ball. I likely do not have the frame to weigh 270-285 and still be effective if asked to come off the edge. And as said above, rushing the passer is probably not one of my strong points at this point. Although not very often, I did play in the box occasionally at Iowa and it would not be completely new to me.

What can you say about your fellow Hawkeye LB’er Pat Angerer? What would NFL teams be getting?

Pat Angerer is an animal that loves the game. He is a blue-collar type of player that looks for the physicality required to be an effective linebacker. Pat battles every play and never turns down a chance to deliver a blow. Pat would be a great addition to any team due to his work ethic and desire for the game.

Thanks for your time AJ, and thanks to Jack and Diana at JBS for making this happen.

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