Justice recalls chilly moments of his Draft Day

Eagles right tackle Winston Justice wrote a weekly column during the season for the Daily News. Here, he shares his experiences before and during the NFL draft:

DRAFT DAY brings back a flood of mixed memories. It was 2006, in Long Beach, Calif., I was holed up in my grandparents' small bedroom trying to avoid all the people gathered at my house. Sitting there, waiting for any news, my phone was not ringing and my name had not been called. As each team's picks rolled past on the TV screen, my heart kept dropping.

By the time the first round was done, I thought my life was over. All the games, practices and extra time I had been putting into football since high school, built up to this day, Draft Day, the most important day in the life of any NFL hopeful.

In my youthful 21 years, I could not see past the first 32 picks. But finally, in the 39th spot, I received a phone call from the Philadelphia Eagles. Looking back, I do not even remember who it was or what they said, but I knew I was getting on a plane bound for Philadelphia the following day. Two weeks later, my bags were packed and I was moving East. Until then, I had never even lived outside of Los Angeles County.

Everything after this point, I can honestly say, was something I never even planned for. In my immaturity, I never thought past the draft. So making a team or actually playing was something I could not even comprehend at the time. But little did I know, what I thought was the end of road was just the beginning.

People might not understand how hard players work during college and especially leading up to the draft. A successful draft campaign culminates at the combine and Pro Day. Nowadays, it's not just the scouts and coaches interested in your ability; it's your family, the fans and the media who make these young college athletes front-page news. At Southern Cal, more than 10,000 people attended our Pro Day. The pressure and high expectations placed on my shoulders, and those of every pro prospect during this time, is overwhelming.

Predraft, I spent all day in and out of workouts, rehab and physical therapy, nutritional counseling and meetings, all to keep my body and mind in prime condition.

I grew up with a stuttering problem and was not the best interviewee, so my agents also gave me a speech coach to improve my speaking skills. It's not just your game tape being scrutinized; teams give you background checks and psychological and medical tests. On top of that, I traveled all around the country to work out for pro scouts and coaches who were interested in me before the draft.

At that stage, as a young male, I could not see past tomorrow. Going into the draft, I was predicted to go in the first round. So at the time it seemed like a huge disappointment to achieve anything less. Although the draft did not turn out the way I expected it, I feel I achieved much-needed growth from it. I didn't know it then, but everything that happened after draft day really thrust me into becoming an adult.

Most important, the experience humbled me. It forced me to value my time in the NFL and it made me feel I needed to prove myself all over again. My goal went from wanting to be a first-round pick to desiring to become an extraordinary tackle in the NFL. It made me realize the gifts God gave me and how I need to maximize my talents, not just on the field but in my personal life as well. I look back and think how grateful I am to even be drafted, let alone a top-40 pick.

I could not have asked for a better organization. The Eagles were a perfect fit. I have one of the greatest offensive-line coaches in the NFL and I needed that because I left college early and used the extra technical work to my advantage. Also, coach Reid, having been a lineman himself, knows exactly what to critique you on in practice.

Looking out at this year's draft class, I am sure there are many guys going through the same thing. Talentwise, it looks to be a deep draft. All the time and study the front office puts into each year's prospects assures it knows what it is doing. Still, at the end of the day much is left to chance. Some guys go right into the system and make an immediate impact. Some guys take a few years to develop. And some don't make it at all.

The draft is just the beginning, because once you step out onto the field, it does not matter where you got drafted or how much money you make. It's what you make of the opportunity you are given.