In the days and months leading up to the NFL Draft, prospects all over the country are jumping through the necessary hoops to prepare for what lies ahead.
Or, as Boston College offensive tackle Ozzie Trapilo put it, they’re doing whatever possible to “add to the bag” and enhance their chances on draft day.
For Trapilo, and fellow BC offensive lineman Drew Kendall, what they’re adding to the bag is pretty special.
It’s not often you can get a legendary line coach to provide private one-on-one sessions, offering his secrets to success.
But Trapilo and Kendall have recently hooked up with noted O-line whisperer Dante Scarnecchia.
Who better than Scarnecchia to offer pointers to a couple of NFL hopefuls?
As the story goes, Brad Blank, who represents Trapilo and Kendall, made a call to Scarnecchia and asked if he might be willing to prep the BC kids as they navigate the NFL’s scouting combine, pro days, private workouts, et al, ahead of the draft in late April.
Scarnecchia had done so in the past with a few other Eagles linemen (Chris and Alec Lindstrom), and once again, agreed to take on Blank’s clients.
These days, the former offensive line guru and Patriots Hall of Fame coach, who turned 77 on Valentine’s Day, is enjoying retirement with his wife. He stays fit by playing pickleball, and also spends quality time with his grandchildren.
As it turns out, Scarnecchia still can’t resist the occasional coaching session. He still loves teaching the game.
“I’m not interested in doing a football, offensive line thing. This is done just as a favor to Brad,” said Scarnecchia, who made it clear he’s not going back to a full-time coaching gig. “And I really enjoy doing it because it’s just football, and skills, and things like that.”
Trapilo and Kendall know they’re incredibly fortunate to have been given the opportunity, and want to make the most out of it.
Prior to heading to Florida recently to train, Trapilo had been meeting with Scar three times a week at Edge Performance Systems in Foxborough, which is owned by Brian McDonough, a member of the Patriots training staff.
Kendall, whose father Pete starred at BC as a guard and later played for the New York Jets, has observed a few of Trapilo’s sessions with Scar, but won’t go 1-on-1 with the Patriots Hall of Fame coach until after the NFL’s scouting combine this week.
“I can already see how much it’s going to help me. Everything he coaches, everything that he finds important, what he wants out of his players, just learning from that I think is going to be really big for me,” Kendall said. “You never know what you’re going to get from coaches at the next level. You have to be able to do a lot of different things, in a lot of different ways.”
Having Scarnecchia prep them ahead of the draft is like getting a few pointers from Bobby Fischer before a championship chess match. Or, getting a Tiger Woods tutorial on the nuances of playing Augusta before the Masters.
For the two former Eagles, it’s all about getting a leg up on the other offensive linemen in the draft pool.
BC coach Bill O’Brien said he learned from Scarnecchia when he first arrived in Foxborough as an assistant on Bill Belichick’s staff, and those lessons were invaluable.
“There’s nobody better. Dante taught me a lot about offensive line play, so those guys have a chance to work with him, and drill with him, and get his insights on what it takes from a technique standpoint, from a mindset standpoint, what you need to know,” O’Brien said. “It’s a great opportunity for those guys.”
One they’re not taking it for granted.
As it is, BC has enjoyed a rich tradition of producing NFL-ready offensive lineman.
Both Trapilo and Kendall feel they were given a strong foundation by current Eagles offensive line coach Matt Applebaum, who’s had a successful program.
From this point on, they are hoping to build on that foundation with an assist from Scarnecchia.
“After the season ended, I knew it was coming. I knew (Scarnecchia) was going to work with me, so I was excited for it, to say the least,” Trapilo said. “He’s an intense guy, but he’s also very down-to-earth. Very approachable.
“You don’t get a feel for people like him until you meet them. You see them on TV, hear stories, but meeting him was reassuring. He’s an awesome guy. And his coaching is what you see on the field. He’s demanding, but does so in a best-of-both-worlds way.”
Trapilo’s father Steve was one of Doug Flutie’s chief line protectors playing both guard and tackle for Jack Bicknell’s teams from 1982-86. Steve Trapilo went on to play guard for the New Orleans Saints, but died of a heart attack at age 39.
For Ozzie, who was two when his dad passed, it’s been a dream to play in the NFL.
Scarnecchia hasn’t known Trapilo very long, but has no doubt about his future. He believes the 6-foot-8, 321-pound lineman has what it takes to make it in the league.
While Trapilo mostly played right tackle for BC, he has the ability to swing to the left side.
“This is a kid that’s got great traits in terms of personality. He’s so coachable. So willing to do anything you ask,” Scarnecchia said. “I can’t imagine anyone wouldn’t want this guy around to train, and try to be the best player he can be.”
As for the notion of moving Trapilo inside to make him even more attractive at the next level, that touched a nerve with Scarnecchia. It prompted him to share a story and some of his infinite coaching wisdom.
“He’s a tackle. He’s big, he’s tall, he’s long,” Scarnecchia said of Trapilo. “I am not a huge fan of putting anyone 6-7-6-8 inside at guard because they become as much of an impediment to the quarterback seeing through the line downfield and all the rest of it.”
Next came the story.
Scarnecchia said early on in former Patriot Nate Solder’s career, it was “suggested” to him that because Matt Light and Marcus Cannon were locked in at both tackle spots, to put the 6-foot-9 Solder inside at guard to get him on the field.
Scar’s response?
“I’m not putting him inside at guard,” the 5-time Super Bowl-winning coach began, his voice growing stern. “He’s tall. That’s a bigger problem for Tom (Brady) than the guys who are rushing.”
Of course, Scarnecchia got his way. No blinding beanstalk linemen on the inside on his watch.
As for Kendall, he has three-position flexibility inside. There’s no need to suggest moving him outside.
“He’s really physical. You can see it in his play,“ Scarnecchia said. ”He’s going to be one of those guys who has a great chance to start, and a great chance to back up three positions. Those guys are invaluable.
“My suspicion is Ozzie and Drew will work really hard to be as good as they can be at the next level. Then you see where the chips fall.”
After spending several weeks with Scarnecchia, Trapilo feels prepared. He heads into this week’s combine workouts with more confidence and more tricks up his sleeve.
“Coach Scarnecchia is a big two-hand punch guy. That can be beneficial in a lot of situations,” Trapilo said. “Over at BC we were big on independent hands. Two-hand punch as well. But Coach Scarnecchia’s emphasis on it wasn’t something I was used to.
“Understanding why he does that, watching film, and then rolling through the drills and sort of feeling it, was something that I added to my bag and I think will be beneficial to me as a player.”
At this time of year, for prospects hoping to get to the next level, praying to get drafted, it’s all about adding to the bag, getting an edge on the rest.
Kendall can’t wait to start his sessions.
“I grew up in Boston and Norwell,” he said. “I grew up watching the Patriots, and all of their success, and all the success Coach Scar and his group had. The glory days of the Patriots. Their offensive lines were great and fun to watch.
“I haven’t spent that much time with him yet, and he’s already texted me throughout this process. I went down to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl. And throughout that whole week, he was texting me with words of encouragement and coaching points, and all that. Just getting to see how personable he gets with the guys he works with, it’s exciting to know that he really cares for us.”
Trapilo agreed.
“He’s very eloquent with his words and his coaching points. The guy hasn’t slowed down at all. His brain is still firing at 1000 miles an hour,” BC’s mammoth tackle said. “We stay in touch, which is super cool. He really seems to care about the progress. He’s invested in how I perform. It’s just a testament to the guy he is.”
A guy, a legend, who has returned to the coaching arena, albeit it briefly, hoping to boost a couple of local kids in their draft journey.
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