One on One with Jarett Dillard---making the transition from College to Pro!

Dan Van Slyke/Jacksonville Jaguars

When he answered the telephone, his voice was not initially recognizable. I thought I had the wrong number and finally was forced to ask for the former smooth talking tenor-turned baritone, Jarett Dillard.

However, it was JD on the other end. His voice, seemingly now an octave deeper, was a clue to me that he has made the next step in his life--and certainly he has.

Jarett Dillard is now an NFL wide receiver, a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. After an All-American career at Rice University, the Jaguars took Dillard in the 5th round of the 2009 NFL draft. I must say that while watching and calling games in amazement alongside David Saltzman in the booth, his being drafted comes as no surprise.

"I was here in Houston with my family that drove in from San Antonio, had my two really good friends from high school, and all my good fellas down here in Houston from the football team--they were all here in my apartment. You know I thought I was going to get drafted Saturday--talked with the New York Jets real well that morning before the draft and I just thought that maybe in the second round they would take a chance on me."

"But, I waited until Sunday...I saw a lot of names of receivers and I thought I would get drafted in the same group, or, in the middle of the pack--just waiting for my name to be called. Looked at my phone every time the screen lit up just waiting for that call. I guess Austin Cooley or another receiver got drafted to the Colts and I thought that was going to be my name. I looked at the screen and said that Jacksonville has a pick, they have 3 picks and they said they're looking for receivers. So, let's see if they pick a receiver. You know right before that, the pick before that, my phone lit up and it was a 904 area code. I didn't know who that was but I answered the phone and there it was...Gene Smith, General Manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars."

Dillard says it was a feeling of great triumph when he received the call and that feeling lasted for a day. But, as reality began to sink in, Jarett began to understand the task awaiting him. "I've set my goals, now I have another goal--make the team, make the roster, perform and be a difference maker! It's so much that goes into it. Just being picked is one thing and I'm very thankful for it now. But I want more. It doesn't stop with the draft!" He's got it figured out.

Immediately after the draft, Jarett flew to his new destination to attend a mandatory three-day six-practice mini-camp on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Once the plane landed at the airport, there was a car service waiting to take him to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. As soon as Jarett arrived at the stadium he was scheduled to take physicals. Afterwards he was given a playbook, and told to learn it. "That whole experience hit me real fast. We were told that we have practice 7:30-8:30 in the morning...learn the playbook. We went through our meetings and had to hit the ground running. That was basically what we had to do!"

And that first day of practice, running and learning fast was what Jarett had to do. 'Everything was going fast, I didn't know they expected so much from rookies, but they expected everything from you. I gave 'em everything I got. But, reading a playbook and studying the plays, you know, you need more to learn that playbook other than just looking at it on paper. You have to really experience being in the huddle, breaking out the huddle, so you can really calculate your every move as you're running up to the line. So, that first day was real rough for myself as well as the rest of the rookies--just learning the speed of the game and the tempo!"

Jarett said the second and third pratices became easier. "I got more comfortable with the speed of the players, not so much the speed of the game--it's just that mentally you have to think faster. That's all it was--how fast can you think on your feet."

However, before it got easier, Dillard says he went through some stressful moments especially that first night after the first practice. His first day started at 5:30 a.m. and didn't end until 10:30 p.m. "I was spent. I was like-- man--am I ready for this--Is this what I want to do? That first night I had a lot of stress and anxiety and all that."

But, just like Jarett made catching a pass look easy, the process became easier. "As I got through with the 2nd and 3rd practices and then I got more comfortable working with the guys I was around, and you know, just talking. Some guys have been 5 years or 9 years in the league and seeing how comfortable they are with everything. You know you kinda get a little easy about it, a little more comfortable--everything pretty much just plays out. And then Sunday, I didn't want to leave!! I was ready to practice, I was out there having fun--it was right back to that function level of football that I had before."

Dillard stated that there were two receivers in camp who had the most influence on him and they are Former St. Louis Rams star receiver, Torry Holt, signed in the off-season by the Jags, and current Jags receiver, Dennis Northcutt. Both guys talked about their experiences and how hard they had to work. They told Dillard and the other rookies that they would have more hard work ahead.

Hard work is nothing new for Dillard who was a two-time All-American record breaker at Rice. However, he is now playing in the NFL which means "not for long" if one does not produce. But, during this mini-camp, Dillard received praise from some of the coaches and that praise motivated him to go harder. He said he was told " Hey you're doing good--keep the good attitude and keep doing everything you're doing--you're doing alright."

But, Jarett is aware of the reality. "Still, I was drafted, but that doesn't mean that I make the team." There are 5 or 6 spots for 11 receivers and the message has been delivered. "There's no shoe-in on this team--you have to work to get on that roster."

And to get on that roster, rookies sometimes are asked to step away from their comfort zones and specialties. For instance, Dillard returned punts during mini-camp. "I was returning punts this past weekend and I did a good job at that. You know, I'm looking at doing more stuff--I have to make myself valuable in every way. I may not be the starting X-receiver. You know I'm behind Torry Holt right now. I may not be the starting receiver for the season, so I have to make myself valuable in everything else because if you're not the starting receiver, you gotta play special teams and that's something I'm focusing on right now."

Asked how he ranks his performance during mini-camp, he responded..."I feel pretty well. I don't think I did bad, I don't think I did any better than the next man as well. I think everybody involved was in the same boat. As for myself, I did well and I'm looking to do better as time goes on. For the three days that I was there, for the 6 practices that I experienced, I proved to some people why I got picked the way I got picked and why I'm playing at this next level."

Jarett has packed and moved to Florida to get ready for training camp. In the meantime, it's weight training, conditioning, learning the playbook, and learning a new city and new teammates. In regards to money, he has not yet signed a contract. However, he has a couple of trading card indorsements, as he puts it, keeping him afloat. You can find those Jarett Dillard trading cards at Topps, Upper Deck, and Sage. You'll find Jarett in his Rice uniform.

Speaking of Rice, I asked Jarett if had spoken with former teammates, Chase Clement or James Casey. He said that he spoke to Clement on Monday following the draft and the QB is still awaiting word of a possible tryout. Regarding Casey, there's a good chance that we might see the two rookies facing each other September 27 at Reliant Stadium.

Jaquars at Texans on that date could be fun to watch if these two rookies are playing. But, my bet is, the Jacksonville Jaguar fans are REALLY going to have lots of fun watching one Jarett Dillard this season.