Ron Brace: I just want to get it going

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Former Boston College star defensive tackle Ron Brace is ready to begin his professional career.

Problem is, he doesn't know where he's going yet.

With the NFL Draft one day away, Brace is making sure his phone is turned on and is eagerly anticipation a call in either the first or second round.

"I feel good," said the 6-foot-3, 330-pound Brace to Fan Fanatic Sports on Thursday evening. "I just want to get it going."

While Brace admits things are "real quiet right now," he knows he and his agent, Andy Simms of PlayersRep Sports Management, will start fielding phone calls from NFL teams on Saturday.

Brace confirmed to FFS that he's already heard from Carolina, San Francisco, Buffalo, Green Bay and Washington to verify his draft phone number. 

"I've been getting calls from random teams, teams that I have never heard from before," Brace said.

Brace isn't just sitting around waiting for his phone to ring, however.

"I'm doing a lot of position drills right now," he said. "I've got to keep the rust off the skills."

Brace had official visits with the Saints, Colts, Browns and Buccaneers.

"My experience is you end up acting like a parrot because you say the same things over and over again," said Brace, when asked what the draft experience has been like. "You've got to have a lot of patience."

Players that go through the NFL Draft process are asked so many different questions, some that don't even pertain to football.

Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini tried to get a better feel for Brace with a random question.

"Coach Mangini asked me what my favorite TV show as," Brace said. So I said, "It was a tie between 'House' and 'SpongeBob.'"

With so many mock drafts out there -- the Fan Fanatic Sports staff even took a crack at trying to "outsmart" the draft gurus -- what does Brace think of them?

"These are just people's opinions," he said. "It's not like they can tell the future, Miss Cleo was even a fake. I really don't pay attention to them."

While the draft process has been grueling at times, Brace considers himself lucky to have been able to experience it.

"Nothing that is good in life is going to come without hard work," Brace said. "To have the opportunity is a blessing in its own ... some people would kill to have this."

Best of luck Ron. 

The Fan Fanatic Sports Staff is behind you 100 percent.