In the span of one month, Luke Joeckel went from being "dead set" on returning to Texas A&M for his senior season and protecting quarterback Johnny Manziel for another year to instead forgoing his final year of college eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. The left tackle shot up the draft boards Thursday night in New York City and found himself selected second overall by Jacksonville.
The 21-year-old Texas native -- who has already inked a sponsorship deal with Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health, and who partnered with Dress for Success -- caught up with The Huffington Post to talk about the future of Johnny Football, the hardest part of the draft process and why he wanted to go as the top pick.
At what point during the off-season did you realize you were going to be such a high draft pick?
A little bit after I decided I would be forgoing my senior year and enter the draft as a junior. I was kind of dead set on coming back as a senior and doing great things at A&M, but through that bowl month practice, I started leaning more and more towards leaning, and I felt like I was ready for the jump. I had heard I'd be a top 10 pick. ... I started hearing more and more about me moving up closer to 1 or 2.
How did you find out that Kansas City was going to go with Eric Fisher, and not you, for the first overall selection?
You know, I didn't find out until [Fisher] got his call back in the green room. I was kind of in the dark the whole time. Kansas City didn't really show their cards at all leading up to the draft. When he got his call, it was kind of disappotining. I'm a competitor and I wanted that first pick and that's something I was striving for, but it didn't happen. This is just going to push me even more. You got something to go prove now; not being the first tackle taken.
Is there something that stands out for you as the most challenging part of the entire process?
Probably the hardest thing was the combine, the whole preparation for it. I like working out and getting ready for football. [At] the combine, there is a lot of background stuff that people don't know about. The whole medical screenings the first two days, the phsyclogcigal testing on the third day, then you have your workout on the fourth day. ... The combine was a long four days, but I've always dreamed about the combine.
What was the strangest question you were asked, in terms of a team probing for information on you?
You know what, I didn't have too many strange questions. I never had really any character problems. I never had anything that bad.
You've spent a ton of time around Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel. What's his long-term future as a collegian and as a pro?
I think he's going to be a great player again next year. Everyone talks about that sophomore slump but I don't think he'll have a problem. He's a confident guy that just goes out and plays football. He doesn't over-think the sport. He's able to balance football and fun, I guess. ... But after this season, I have no clue.
I'm reading your pre-draft measurements: 6-foot-6, 306 lbs. and a near 30-inch vertical. What is it like to be that big and that agile? Do you really think about how rare that is?
Yeah, you know that's something that tackles need nowadays. Because the NFL and also at the college level, the pass rusher on the opposite team is one of the best athletes. I came into college and I was blocking Von Miller. I knew I needed to be a great athlete competing with those type of guys. ... To be able to compete you gotta be able to move your feet.
You won the Outland Trophy, a huge honor that's given to the nation's best interior lineman. As prestigious as that is, does it compare to hearing your name drafted into the NFL?
Winning the Outland was a huge deal and it was something I had always wanted to do. [But] teachers would ask what you wanted to do, and my ultimate goal was to play in the NFL. It's way bigger than anything else. Nothing really beats that.
Rookie mini-camp starts this week. How much of an adjustment do you anticipate? You haven't played competitive football for quite some time.
It will take a little bit of adjusting. But I've been working on my pass steps, run zone steps, because I know that I have a football season here in a few months. ... It will definitely be some adversity when I first start hitting it.
Email me at jordan.schultz@huffingtonpost.com or ask me questions about anything sports-related at @Schultz_Report.