AKRON NFL STORY

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Here is a story on the gozips website that speaks about the upcoming seniors in this weekens NFL draft. Be sure to watch it this weekend on ESPN and ESPN to see where Cherry and Sparks end up. NE thoughts on the article?

A Few Good Zips Have Their Sights Set on the NFL

Cherry, Sparks among six Zips vying for a spot on an NFL roster for the 2004 season

April 23, 2004

by Melanie Schneider

UA Athletics Media Relations

It's an endless round of phone calls, workouts and travel. Preparing for the NFL draft is a crazy business, and for wide receivers Matt Cherry, Nick Sparks and Miquel Irvin, tight end Mike Brake, defensive lineman Marques Hayes and cornerback Rickey McKenzie, it has been a whirlwind three months that will hopefully culminate in their names being called by a team in this weekend's two-day, seven-round NFL draft or being signed as a free agent shortly thereafter.

For Cherry, the quest to fulfill his NFL dream began in earnest after the final gun sounded on November 15 against Ohio. He had an outstanding senior season with the Zips, tallying a school-record 66 receptions for 904 yards and four touchdowns. Catching passes from one of the top quarterbacks in the nation in Charlie Frye, Cherry's name should have been on the tips of NFL scouts' tongues.

But an injury forced him to miss the two all-star games he was invited to and the chance to impress NFL coaches and scouts. Since then it has been hard work and self motivation that has several teams eager to give Cherry's cell phone a ring come draft day.

Nick Sparks finds himself in much the same situation. A transfer from West Virginia, Sparks opened the 2001 season as the Zips' starting quarterback. An unfortunate injury and the emergence of Frye shifted him down the line to receiver where he caught 57 passes for 740 yards in his final year.

Both blessed with talent and speed, Cherry and Sparks knew it was the little techniques that they needed to work on to impress the pros. Without a facility here in Akron that he could use on a regular basis to train, Cherry spent several weeks in Orlando work with a former Orlando Magic trainer who helped him refine his running starts and work on his routes. Sparks has been working with UA assistant track coach Bruce Berry on his running technique.

"They are very picky when evaluating you," Cherry said. "Every little hitch in your step, they notice. I felt more like a track athlete than a football player with all of the running drills we were doing."

From there, Cherry, who also returned three punts for touchdowns in his UA career, showed off his skills at pro days at Northwestern and Can't State, with Sparks joining him at the Golden flushes' facility. There, NFL teams gathered and sent the players through a series of tests to evaluate speed, strength and skill, such as the vertical and broad jump, 40-yard dash, shuttle runs, and, for the receivers, routes and pass catching.

But it isn't all about the player's physical ability. When visiting with the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals, Cherry sat down with coaches much like a job interview, trying to sell himself as a person and not just an athlete.

"Everything you say and do is being watched carefully," Cherry said. "If they draft you they are investing a lot in you and they want to make sure they are getting the right person for their needs."

Several teams have shown interest in drafting Cherry, but if not he is confident he can find a spot with a team as a free agent.

"The last few weeks have been crazy," Cherry said. "I've probably talked to 20 different teams, with them asking for my draft day information."

Both Cherry and Sparks agree that it is a little harder to get noticed coming out of a mid-major school like Akron, but not impossible. Case in point is the success of former Akron players Jason Taylor, Dwight Smith and Victor Green.

"In the years to come these guys will really benefit from being able to train and hold pro days at the new facilities," Cherry said.

One thing all NFL prospects face is the task of selecting an agent. A daunting job, the player must select someone who has his best interests in mind and fulfills his particular needs. For Cherry, that meant someone who could help him find people to train with, and someone who has experience getting recognition for players from smaller schools. Sparks had the same idea, looking for someone who was experienced and had the connections to get his name out there.

"The process of finding an agent is almost like being recruited out of high school,," Sparks said. "You meet with them, listen to their presentations and pick the one that you are most comfortable with.

Although excited about the life-changing opportunity about to come his way, Cherry is taking a low-key approach to the weekend. He'll stay in Akron on Saturday to watch the Zips' Blue and Gold Spring Game before flying to Chicago that night and spending Sunday with friends and family. Sparks is staying in the Akron area, with family coming down from Michigan. While, ideally, both players have certain teams and areas they would love to go to, it ultimately comes down to just one thing.

"I just want to play on a team where I have a shot at making the roster," Cherry said.