Occasionally there are instances where teammates from a previous level have continued as teammates, including this weekend. Fifth-round pick Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and undrafted rookies Chaz Chambliss and Ben Yurosek teamed together at Georgia. Four undrafted rookies this year most recently played at Auburn.
“It’s something these guys have been working their whole lives for,” O’Connell said. “But at the same time, two things: it’s just football, and your real journey is actually just beginning. And then I get into a lot of the stories of C.J. Ham or Ivan Pace, or Gabe Murphy, or Bo Richter.
“I think it hits home when you show them a clip of Ivan Pace making an interception at rookie minicamp, and then picking a ball off to seal an explosive 3-nothing win in Vegas a few years ago,” said O’Connell, quipping that he tried to hide the score on the clip he showed the group.
“I want those guys to know that it matters to me, matters to our coaches,” O’Connell added. “They’re going to get the best of what we’ve got to coach them up this weekend, and then we’ll let the chips fall where they may, but don’t have a fear-based outcome of ‘If I don’t do this, then my career is going to be over. I better not drop the ball, or I better not throw an interception.’ That’s not what this weekend is for. Hopefully we can evaluate a little stronger than that to be able to project what these guys can hopefully become.”