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Idaho's Mike Iupati taking a tour of North line during Senior Bowl practices
January 29, 2010, 7:00AM
Mike Iupati has been everywhere this week. Not around Mobile -- though he has covered some ground there, too -- but along the North team's offensive line. The 6-foot-5, 325-pounder from Idaho has made an impression wherever he's played.
"I think he is one of the stars of the week," Mike Mayock, an analyst for the NFL Network, said of Iupati, a consensus All-American pick this season for the Vandals. "He is one of the few people that I could say that could probably start at any of the five positions in the NFL on the offensive line. So I think he's a first-round pick. On tape, he was a first-round pick and he's done nothing but help himself by coming here."
Wednesday, Iupati was placed at right tackle and performed well. At Tuesday's practice, he got in some work at guard, the position he played at Idaho. But the Detroit Lions' coaching staff placed him at the all-important left tackle spot, too, just to take a look.
"I got beat three or four times (at left tackle)," Iupati said. "But by the end of the day I was doing OK."
Throughout Senior Bowl practices this week, Iupati has done much better than OK. Among those paying attention and becoming a fan is North team coach Jim Schwartz.
"The thing scouts, general managers and coaches want to see when you step up to this level and go against guys from bigger conferences is if there is an adjustment," Schwartz said. "There hasn't been a whole lot of adjustment for Mike. He's right at home playing against these other guys, who are the best players in the country."
When his family moved to the United States from American Samoa, Iupati was drawn to football.
"I liked it right away," he said.
Some expressed concern as to whether Iupati's dominance in recent seasons was a reflection of the competition he was facing. Apparently, he has provided enough evidence this week to believe that wasn't the case.
"I've been very comfortable here," Iupati said. "The first day I got here, it was very different. It was very fast and competitive."
Yet Iupati said he quickly got a grasp on things, and the competitive nature of the practices only served to push him more.
"Just being versatile," he said when asked what aspect of his game had gained the most attention this week. "I wanted to play the position they wanted me to play because I know I'm capable of any position they want me to play. I'm very physical and aggressive."
He said he felt his personality was suited for the next level of play, describing himself as a "very laid-back person" when he's away from the field, but someone who takes on a vastly different persona on the field.
"In the game, I turn it on," he said.
The Outland Trophy finalist has turned it on this week and has only helped his already rising stock as a NFL draft prospect.
Idaho's Mike Iupati taking a tour of North line during Senior Bowl practices
January 29, 2010, 7:00AM
Mike Iupati has been everywhere this week. Not around Mobile -- though he has covered some ground there, too -- but along the North team's offensive line. The 6-foot-5, 325-pounder from Idaho has made an impression wherever he's played.
"I think he is one of the stars of the week," Mike Mayock, an analyst for the NFL Network, said of Iupati, a consensus All-American pick this season for the Vandals. "He is one of the few people that I could say that could probably start at any of the five positions in the NFL on the offensive line. So I think he's a first-round pick. On tape, he was a first-round pick and he's done nothing but help himself by coming here."
Wednesday, Iupati was placed at right tackle and performed well. At Tuesday's practice, he got in some work at guard, the position he played at Idaho. But the Detroit Lions' coaching staff placed him at the all-important left tackle spot, too, just to take a look.
"I got beat three or four times (at left tackle)," Iupati said. "But by the end of the day I was doing OK."
Throughout Senior Bowl practices this week, Iupati has done much better than OK. Among those paying attention and becoming a fan is North team coach Jim Schwartz.
"The thing scouts, general managers and coaches want to see when you step up to this level and go against guys from bigger conferences is if there is an adjustment," Schwartz said. "There hasn't been a whole lot of adjustment for Mike. He's right at home playing against these other guys, who are the best players in the country."
When his family moved to the United States from American Samoa, Iupati was drawn to football.
"I liked it right away," he said.
Some expressed concern as to whether Iupati's dominance in recent seasons was a reflection of the competition he was facing. Apparently, he has provided enough evidence this week to believe that wasn't the case.
"I've been very comfortable here," Iupati said. "The first day I got here, it was very different. It was very fast and competitive."
Yet Iupati said he quickly got a grasp on things, and the competitive nature of the practices only served to push him more.
"Just being versatile," he said when asked what aspect of his game had gained the most attention this week. "I wanted to play the position they wanted me to play because I know I'm capable of any position they want me to play. I'm very physical and aggressive."
He said he felt his personality was suited for the next level of play, describing himself as a "very laid-back person" when he's away from the field, but someone who takes on a vastly different persona on the field.
"In the game, I turn it on," he said.
The Outland Trophy finalist has turned it on this week and has only helped his already rising stock as a NFL draft prospect.
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