By Mark Ambrogi
Hamilton Southeastern High School football coach Scott May remembers his first impressions of Randy Gregory as a freshman.
“He was a tall, skinny kid who thought he was a running back,” May said. “We didn’t know where to put him at first. Then we ended up putting him at tight end and then outside linebacker. He was a sophomore when we really started noticing. He was on the kickoff team and was making plays all over. He was a guy we brought in passing downs as a sophomore. We realized he could be pretty good. He grew into that body a bit.”
Still May had no idea Gregory would eventually be in the position he is now. Gregory, a Nebraska defensive end, is projected to be a first round pick as an outside linebacker in the NFL Draft on April 30.
Prior to Gregory revealing he tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. Gregory claimed he hadn’t smoked marijuana since December but still tested positive because his THC levels were so high. Prior to that report, most mock drafts had Gregory as a top five pick in the first round. Although it’s unclear if or how much his stock will drop, most draft analysts still have him going in mid to late first round.
Gregory said the blame only falls on himself.
“Am I worried? Yeah I’m worried,” Gregory told reporters. “At the same time I’m confident. I know I’m going to be all right in the end.”
There is also concern that the 6-foot-5 Gregory’s weight. He weighed 238 at his pro day, but reportedly has lost weight since. Most teams would like to see him weigh 250 to play his spot in the NFL.
“When he graduated high school (in 2011) he was just over 200 pounds,” May said. “He got into the weight room more in college. He showed improvement and worked at it, but he was a little more athletic than anyone else.”
May said many NFL team personnel have either talked to him either in person or over the phone about Gregory in the last couple of months.
Gregory was a two-sport standout at Hamilton Southeastern, playing basketball and football.
“What stands out to me is the way he could jump out of the gym,” Hamilton Southeastern basketball coach Brian Satterfield said. “He’s always been a phenomenal athlete. We were always looking for plays we can run, getting him some lobs or alley-oops.”
Satterfield said some mid-major Division I basketball programs were looking at Gregory.
“But he stuck with his decision to play football, which appears to be a good one,” Satterfield said.
Gregory originally committed to Purdue, but didn’t qualify academically. He had attend Arizona Western College, a junior college, for two years but missed one season due to injury. He then played two seasons for Nebraska before declaring for the draft with one year of eligibility remaining.
