Byline: Lindsay Kramer Staff writer
Just down the road from the place where dreams do come true, Boston College linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar spied his on Tuesday evening.
Dunbar was riding in a friend's speed boat on Lake Butler, Fla., near Orlando and Disney World. The sightseeing included a long look at the kingdom of Shaquille O'Neal, who owns a 64,000-square-foot house on the lake.
For Dunbar, a closet HGTV fan whose dreams include designing and building his own home, it was the best tourist attraction possible.
'I'm actually looking at Shaq's house right now. Seriously,' Dunbar bubbled during a telephone interview from the boat. 'Ah, man. I'm maybe a fourth of a mile away from it. It's huge.'
So close to the rewards of athletic glory, yet so far away from getting there. At least Dunbar will have another piece of motivation next week when he tries to separate himself from peers who would love to grab their own chunk of choice real estate in the NFL.
The former Corcoran standout will be part of the pack at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Linebackers work out on Monday, and Dunbar has some serious eye-opening to do. ESPN.com lists him as the ninth-best inside linebacker in the draft, which will be held April 26-27.
'I don't really pay attention (to rankings). I think I'm one of the best linebackers out there. It doesn't matter where you start, it's where you finish. I believe in me.
'No matter where I get drafted, I'll be all right.'
But Dunbar also believes in covering all his bases, and to that end he's spent the past seven weeks working out with prominent trainer/coach Tom Shaw at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando. He is one of about 35 college prospects sweating in the afternoon heat, hoping to shave a blink off their 40-yard dash time or squeeze one more rep out of a set of bench presses.
It's far from a day at the amusement park. Frank Beyer, Shaw's assistant, said the training lasts more than four hours per day six days a week. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays are slotted for field drills and workouts, Wednesdays are the time for water resistant work in a pool, and Saturdays are for lifting.
'It feels like football camp all over again,' Dunbar said. 'It feels like there is no end to it. But you know you are going to get better doing it. I have come a long ways in terms of high school and college. I'm trying to put myself in the best position to help my family and future.'
Dunbar is muscling his way there. Beyer said he thinks the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Dunbar will be able to crank out perhaps 30 bench press reps of 225 pounds at the combine. He doesn't have a good gauge of Dunbar's 40 time yet because his athletes are told to run at about 85 percent of their top speed to avoid injury.
Dunbar's specialized target area of improvement is pass coverage, which ESPN.com's analysis noted as one of his weaknesses. Beyer and Shaw have set up a gauntlet of backpedaling drills to address that issue. They've also brought in former defensive backs Deion Sanders and Terrell Buckley for hands-on instruction.
'He has real good footwork for a kid his size,' Beyer said of Dunbar. 'He has really good hip flexibility. He can change directions real easily. He trains alongside safeties and cornerbacks, and keeps right up with them.'
Dunbar originally joined the Eagles as a running back before he was switched to inside linebacker. In the pros, outside linebacker might be more his calling since it plays to his nose for the ball and requires much less coverage. Dunbar said he'd gladly slide over to any place on the field if it makes him more appealing to scouts.
'I'd be willing to hold water, if that's what they ask of me,' Dunbar said.
Such extreme versatility probably won't be needed, but Dunbar is going to school on every possible angle. He said he thinks about the veteran faces of pro football, such as Brian Urlacher, Ray Lewis, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. The thing that strikes Dunbar about them - and what he asks the pros at the training camp about - is the concept of being a true professional in preparation and commitment.
'They understand what it takes to improve and survive in the NFL,' Dunbar said. 'It's one of those things where you have to grow up and be mature in terms of yourself. And you have to learn from guys who are professionals.'
Pay close enough attention, and someday a key that opens the door to a house in Shaq's neighborhood could be yours.
'That would be nice. That would exceed my expectations,' Dunbar said. 'I'm sure it costs a pretty penny.'
Lindsay Kramer can be reached at 470-2151 or lkramer@syracuse.com.
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Photo courtesy of Shawn Smith
JO-LONN DUNBAR, who was a star at Corcoran High School, has been working out in Florida in preparation for this week's NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
