Brian Orakpo Dreams of Being a Receiver, Punishing Vince Young

NEW YORK -- Brian Orakpo doesn't just have hands. They're more like slabs of granite disguised in layers of taut skin.

When I greeted the defensive end Thursday night at the premiere party for EA Sports' NCAA Football 10, the first thing I could manage to say to him was: "Wow, I feel really small right about now."

I'm sure he gets that all the time. At 6-foot-3 and over 260 pounds, the workout warrior out of Texas is intimidating in stature alone. Then he goes ahead and blows away onlookers in linebacker drills.

But there's another position that Orakpo always wanted to try -- wide receiver. Check out what he had to say to FanHouse about his positional change fantasy, the challenge of maintaining his physique, and the chance to get some payback on former teammate Vince Young.

What kind of emotions are you going through as the NFL draft approaches?
I'm just excited, ready to get the process going. It seems like an eternity since I last played and I went to the combine. I'm excited for everybody that's here, we're just ready to get our careers started in the NFL. It's a dream come true for all of us.

Looking around, there's a lot of Big 12 guys. What do you think about the ties in this year's draft?
Man, it was a great year for all of us, just really showcasing all kinds of talent. All you hear about is SEC and all those other conferences, but it was a big year for Big 12 and a lot of guys really stepped up to the plate. It gives us sort of an advantage because you went out there and competed against the best each and every week. It seemed like game day was at a Big 12 game each and every Saturday, so going into the league you know you're going to see top talent and it gives you a heads up.

What's the most challenging part of maintaining your physique and regimen?
It's been tough with the visitation of teams, lots of traveling, stuff like that. It's kind of hard to keep your complete regimen that you had before because you're in and out of airports, eating airport food, grabbing food at hotels, and that puts you out of your comfort zone.

You have any workout tips for a scrawny guy like me?
(laughing) The one tip I can give you is to make sure you eat, man. I see a lot of guys work out and they don't eat nothing. You're not really gaining anything from doing that. So you have to remember to eat before and after working out.

Who would you most like to beat up over a game of NCAA Football 10 or Madden?
Vince Young with the Titans. What I'll do is put Kerry Collins on the bench and put Vince as the starter, then I'd go right after Vince. (laughing) I love Vince to death but I gotta get some revenge on him for all the times he did us in practice and stuff.

What career would you choose if you couldn't be an NFL player?
Man, that's a good question. I'd probably go into voice-over acting or something, you know, I got a deep voice. So I'll make some money off of that, man.

Is there another position you always really wanted to play?
Receiver, man, even if it was just one year. I thought I'd be a great receiver, and I still do. I always tell my coach, 'Just let me do one hot route, let me go and catch it,' because I can jump and I got good hands for a big guy.

Are there any NFL pass-rushers you admire or look up to?
Osi Umenyiora for the Giants is a guy I follow, Jason Taylor has been doing his thing for many years. DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, guys like that. I look at pretty much everybody but those are the guys I focus on most.

Have you gotten any hints as to where you might be drafted?
I'm just being optimistic about the whole thing and we'll see. A bunch of teams are calling, but you never know.

Who do you think should be the first two players picked off the draft board?
Uhh (smiles) ... I'd take Brian Orakpo at number one. And I'm a defensive guy, so I gotta give the second spot to my boy Aaron Curry.