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Thursday's "Throwback" edition of Niners Daily looks at what the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback said during his podium session at the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine.*
Q: What do you look forward to most playing in the NFL?
A: I'm just excited to get the opportunity to be here this week and go through the draft … things like that. I'm looking forward to the NFL. There are so many great coaches, players that you're going to be surrounded by.
Q: What you expect to see from Nevada teammate, tight end Virgil Green, at the combine?
A: On the way over here I was trying to sneak a peek at the screen. I heard he's been tearing it up out there, just doing a great job. I think everyone in the nation is getting a chance to see what he was capable of at Nevada and how much he really meant to us.
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Q: What do you bring to the table to the NFL?**
A: I think I bring a lot of things. I bring leadership, confidence, intelligence as well as my physical abilities like my arm strength and mobility. I think there are a lot of things that I can do to help an NFL team out.
Q: Can your legs translate to the NFL game?
A: I don't think I'll run as much in the NFL as I did in college. Obviously there are great athletes in the NFL and all of them run 4.4s to 4.5s. I think I am going to have the freedom to run, but at the same time my mobility will give the ability to extend plays and convert on some third downs.
Q: When did you start to grow as a passer?
A: Going into my junior and senior year, I really started to develop the idea of throwing the ball so our receivers can make plays after they catch it. If I give them a easier ball to catch, they can catch it, get down field and make some plays. Opposed to in the past, throw it as hard as I could and try to put it on the spot where they might have to fight the ball a little bit to catch it and not be able to pick up as many yards after the catch.
Q: What was the setting for last night's interviews with different teams?
A: It's an amazing setting. There are head coaches, quarterback coaches, offensive coordinators, GMs, owners all in the same room and they put you on the spot. How does your offense work? What did you have to do in it? What were your reads, progressions? How did you check your protections? It's really just a great opportunity for me to show them everything we did in our offense and everything I know about our offense.
Q: How is the running the "Pistol" going to translate into the pro game?
A: I don't think our offense will directly translate, but I think we do a bunch of things as progressions, protections that are similar to NFL teams do and we just call them something different. I think picking up on terminology will be a big thing for me, learning what those mean as opposed to what we call things.
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Q: What did the Senior Bowl week do for your draft stock?**
A: That week was good for me, to learn the NFL playbook, terminology. I learned how their practice runs and how quickly they expect you to pick things up. For me it was a great experience and a great opportunity, working with some great coaches.
Q: Did it bring up anything you didn't expect?
A: Not too much. I was comfortable with most things. I think once again for me was picking up on the terminology and actually getting my eyes on an NFL playbook.
Q: Is baseball still an option?
A: No.
Q: Do you have to fight your instinct to run, sometimes?
A: I don't think I fight the instinct to run. I think because I have the ability I feel comfortable doing that sometimes. If I get through one-two-three in my progressions, a lot of quarterbacks will throw it away or check it down to something that might not be as good. For me I have that mobility I may make something bigger happen then throwing the ball away.
Q: How different were the plays at the Senior Bowl and how they were structured?
A: They aren't structured too much differently from ours as you get your formation, protection and routes. We do it the same way, it's just a lot wordier than what we have.
Q: Did your performance at the Senior Bowl create an extra sense of confidence?
A: Definitely. For me I just wanted to show everyone what I was capable of and get next to my competition and show them that I can be an NFL quarterback over the people that I was playing with.
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Q: How did Nevada prepare you for the NFL?**
A: I think coming from a smaller school people doubt what I am capable of because we didn't play a big school every week or do things like that, but when it comes down to it … football is football and you have to perform.
Q: Can the argument be made for Nevada having the best athletes in the nation?
A: That's a very bold statement, but hopefully at the end of this weekend we will be able to say that.
Q: Do you see yourself as a project quarterback?
A: I don't agree with that. I think the Senior Bowl week I showed how quickly I can pick up on an NFL offense, drop back, read coverage. If it comes down to it and that is what a team drafts me for I'd be more than happy to do that for them.
Q: What's your plan between now and your pro day?
A: I'll just continue doing the things that I have been doing, getting ready for the Combine. As far as working with my quarterback coach Roger Theder, still lifting, trying to get the best results I can from that as far as agility, speed and all the things like that.
Q: Have you been working on shortening your throwing motion?
A: I'm definitely trying to quicken it up a little bit, but at the same time, a lot of that comes from my wingspan. I have very long arms, so there are only a certain extent to that you can compact that.
Q: How big is your wingspan?
A: I think it was 79.5 (inches).
