Spoon eyes the future

On Thursday night, a former Missouri Tiger should be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft for the second consecutive year. Linebacker Sean Weatherspoon took a few minutes to talk with PowerMizzou.com about his feelings and expectations on the eve of the NFL Draft.

PowerMizzou: In 48 hours, your entire life is going to have changed. Has that sunk in yet?

Weatherspoon: "It's starting to. I've started thinking about it more and more. It's definintely an exciting time and I'm looking forward to it, but I can't say I'm not anxious."

PM: Everything you hear is that anything said the week of the draft is all lies. Is it tough to know what to expect going into the draft or do you have a good feel for where you might go?

SW: "I really don't know what to expect, but my agent says I can expect to go on Thursday. That's what he says, he feels like I'll be gone on Thursday night, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. You can't get a good feel for anyone, it's gonna be like poker. Everybody's going to be bluffing, even myself, I'll be bluffing. They call and ask who's calling, I'll say everyone's calling."

PM: What are your plans for the draft? Will you be watching with family in Texas?

SW: "Definitely man, it's gonna be me and my family, a close group of friends. It's not a big watch party, not like a lot of people do."

PM: We've all heard Atlanta, New Orleans, maybe the Giants as possible destinations. Are those the teams you've heard the most from?

SW: "The most I've heard from is Atlanta. They had a private workout with me, I talked to the owner and GM at the combine. They flew me out to Atlanta to see their place, sit down with their psychologist even. I hear from Denver, the Giants, New Orleans, Kansas City, a lot of interest from the the Cardinals. I really don't know which way it will go."

PM: I know everybody just wants a shot in the NFL, but is there anything that stands out, maybe with William Moore in Atlanta, where you say, if I could make the pick, that's where I want to be?

SW: "I think that Atlanta pick at 19 would be legit. Mainly because I'm really comfortable with their staff. They worked me out and took a liking to me. When I went out there, Willy Mo came and picked me up took me around, showed me his place and everything."

PM: I'm going to guess Willy Mo isn't living in a shack or anything down there?

SW: "Oh, no. He's living out in Buford, Georgia. It's a pretty nice place."

PM: I've heard some talk about the Eagles too. Have you talked to J-Mac and Rucker about that possibility?

SW: "I did talk to J-Mac and Ruck this weekend at the spring game. Yesterday they signed Ernie Sims from Detroit. I talked to J-Mac and he said everbydoy was happy, but he was kind of upset. Well, not upset, just the possibility of me going there now...but who knows what could still happen?"

PM: Did any of the stuff that came out after the combine about your personality and how vocal you were offend you?

SW: "Not at all. I'm not listening to it because my agent called me and told me you got to watch the way you handle yourself. The team that said that could be a team trying to turn everyone else off me. Who knows? I don't listen to it."

PM: You've played football your whole life because you loved it. Now it's a job. What's going to change?

SW: "My plan is that nothing changes. I hope that everything goes pretty much like it's been going. I love to play football and it would be the best job ever. I'll really like my job a lot. There are times when J-Mac calls and says it's such a business, such a job. Hopeully that doesn't happen to me. I think playing football is a privilege, not a right, and I love to play."

PM: You're going to have that big signing bonus coming your way soon. What's the first thing you're going to do?

SW: "I have no idea. The thing is it's different this year. Next year, we might have a lockout so the NFLPA advises everyone to save 50% of their earnings. I won't do anything too big. Maybe buy my mom something special. Thinking about getting a car, maybe a Beamer, a 7 series, but I don't know."

PM: You became one of the faces of the Missouri program the last few years. How often do you hope to stay in touch and get back to Columbia?

SW: "I plan to do that a lot, as much as I can. I met some of the greatest people of my life at Mizzou. I made a lot of great friends, had a lot of good times. Danario and I were talking about that yesterday. I plan to keep in touch with pretty much everyone I can and give back whenever I can. This past weekend, seeing everyone at the spring game, that was really happy moment for a lot of people."

Weatherspoon is projected as a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, which will start at 6:30 Central time on Thursday night on ESPN.

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