If Tyrod Taylor and Jerrod Johnson want to know what a position change can do to improve your prospects, they can look no further than Eastern Michigan’s Ben Thayer.
An All-State Honorable Mention at QB, Thayer spent his first season at Eastern Michigan on the sidelines giving signals. When he was approached during the offseason about making the switch to Tight End, he jumped on the chance. “There was no hesitation,” he admitted. “I wanted to play. Long snapper. Center. Tight End. Whatever.”
While some would think Thayer would bemoan the switch from one of the most glorified positions, to one of the most overlooked, the 6’4” 240 pound product of Kalamazoo, Michigan saw only positives. “I hadn’t run any routes in high school, but when it came to switching to tight end, the transition was pretty smooth. A lot is expected of you at QB. You’re taught to see the whole field and expected to know the entire offense.”
That experience under pressure has also helped him step up in some of his team’s biggest games, including a 3 reception, 75 yard output against Ohio State. “They definitely have NFL-caliber defenders out there,” he recalled. “But once you get past the scarlet and gray, you realize that they’re football players just like you.”
That kind of success in pressure situations is directly linked to a particular attribute of Thayer’s that was honed from years as a quarterback. “My strength is my mind,” he offers. “Coming from playing QB, I’m able to quickly pick-up the offensive gameplan or the defensive schemes each week.”
In fact, Thayer has always used his knowledge as a strength. He was selected Academic All-Conference for fielding a GPA above 3.6 Just don’t mistake his intelligence for passivity. “My other strength is my want to. I just want to stick my nose in someone else’s and go head-to-head. It’s something that you can’t teach anyone.”
But, while Thayer has frequently been attacking his offseason workouts, he has, at times, been the one under attack. Two weeks before his March 16th pro day at Eastern Michigan, Thayer was hit with strep throat, which only intensified as his workout drew closer. “I had been planning my whole offseason around Eastern Michigan pro day, and in my mind, no matter what was going on in my life, I was always going to workout. I wanted to workout with my teammates at our facilities and it just so happened that the timing was unfortunate for me.”
However, Thayer will have another chance to impress with his workouts. He will be taking part in JJHuddle’s Next Level Sports Development Combine on April 10th in Akron. There, he will be put through the same events that are featured in the NFL Combine and will have his results sent off to every team in the NFL, UFL and CFL. “I just want another chance to workout because I can’t walk away having only worked out while I was sick.”
It’s that competitive desire that keeps Thayer driven despite the drama currently surrounding the NFL. “I’m just trying to put myself in the best position and workout and do things as best as I possibly can. [The lockout] is out of our control. What can you do sitting at home twiddling your thumbs? All you can do is workout and get ready for the upcoming season.”
For Thayer, the NFL is the goal, but it doesn’t matter where that next season takes place. “I’m looking to play football until someone says I can’t play football anymore. If I get an opportunity to play in the NFL, they’re gonna get the best that I can give. I’m willing to give anything a try just try play football again.”
It’s something he’s already proved once before.
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