INDIANAPOLIS – Warren Brinson has been watching the NFL Combine for as long as he can remember.
Now that he’s here, the former Georgia defensive tackle intends to soak it all in.
“The first couple of days I’ve been waking up early, like 6 a.m. It’s been a great experience meeting all my peers and all the guys around me that are in the same position as me,” Brinson said Wednesday. “It’s a blessing to be here, honestly. I’ve been watching the Combine for so long, and now I’m really here doing it.”
There’s also a certain amount of pride involved.
Not only is Brinson one of 14 former Bulldogs with the opportunity to shine in front of the 32 NFL teams, but as one of numerous Georgia natives taking part in the week-long event, Brinson is ready to hold up his end of the deal.
“It’s good to see everybody. Then there’s guys like Kyle Kennard (former South Carolina player) that I went to elementary school with that are here,” Brinson said. “It’s actually insane. We’re coming from second grade to being at the Combine with the guy.”
Brinson also wants to make his hometown of Savannah proud.
“Man, there's so much talent in the state of Georgia, especially down by the water in Savannah, man. I don't know; there's something in the water,” said Brinson, who looks to join fellow Savannahian Nolan Smith as the second player from the city in three years taken in the draft. “There’s athletes everywhere. You’ve got Flau-jae Johnson at LSU, me, Sam Brown, Kyle Kennard … old guys like Demetris Robertson, Darius Slay from Brunswick. Georgia has the best talent when it comes to football; you just got to go get it, man.”
Brinson is confident that’s exactly what he will be able to do.
When asked his goal for Thursday’s workouts and drills, he didn’t bat an eye.
“My No. 1 goal is just to perform and show why I’m one of the best defensive tackles in the country,” he said. “That’s honestly my No. 1 goal. I know some people talk about how my play was inconsistent. But when you put all my best plays on there, it’s up there with the best guys that are here. It’s probably better than most of the guys that are here.”
Brinson said his confidence is well-placed.
If you can succeed at Georgia, you can succeed anywhere.
“Georgia prepared me just by the physicality aspect of going through something so hard,” he said. “I came in with probably 14 guys at Georgia, and I think only five of us made it through. So, that's the biggest thing. It's hard at Georgia. If you can last at Georgia, you can last anywhere. They build a culture of winning. They build a culture of men.”
One of the teams that Brinson has already spoken to informally is the Pittsburgh Steelers, already with former Bulldogs on the squad in George Pickens, Darnell Washington, and Broderick Jones.
Head coach Mike Tomlin is also a full-fledged Georgia fan, considering his daughter is a freshman on Georgia’s gymnastics team.
“Pittsburgh was probably one of the best ones I actually had when I was talking to them. The energy from the coaches was amazing. I mean, nice dudes, wholesome, and you can tell there just wasn't anything fake,” said Brinson, who heaped praise on Bulldog defensive line coach Tray Scott for putting him in the position that he is.
“He's not going to let you get stagnant in your process. He's not going to let you think that you've already arrived because nobody has ever arrived,” Brinson said. “Tray Scott was the same guy that recruited me in July 2018, and the same guy until this past January after the Sugar Bowl, man. Tray Scott is an amazing coach. If kids really, truly want to learn how to play football and develop, they will go to the University of Georgia and get coached by Tray Scott because he turned me into an amazing football player. He helped me develop a love that I didn't know I had for the game of football. Tray Scott honestly changed my life.”
