Before Combine: Hgt: 6026, Wgt: 274, 40YD: 4.65-4.73-4.79
Draft Scout Snapshot:DS Rating on 08/12/07: #2 DE, #10/750 Overall, Projected: Rnd 1 2008 Postseason update (04/04/08): Stock: Down. Many teams have him off the board, or at least well down it, because of his medical issues. His appearing at East-West Shrine week weighing 280+ pounds did not help his stock, either. But he's on the comeback trail now, weighing 272 pounds at his pro day and performing pretty well (4.78 40, 23 reps, 7.16 three cone).
2007: A consensus preseason All-American selection and a favorite for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defensive player) and Ted Hendricks Award Watch (top defensive end in college football), Blake suffered from depression and social anxiety disorder, as he took a leave of absence from the team several times in fall camp and during the season, missing the Baylor, Colorado State, Wyoming, Stanford and Utah contests…Started seven of the eight games he played in at right defensive end…Finished with a career-low 21 tackles (12 solos), as he ranked fourth on the team with four sacks for minus 28 yards, eight stops for losses of 39 yards and a pass deflection...13 GP; 13 GS; 54 TT, 16.5 TFL, 7 SK, 1 PBU, 1 QBH, 2 FF; 1st team All-Mt West in '06. 12 GP; 12 GS; 57 TT, 13.5 TFL, 7 SK, 1 PBU; Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in '05. 11 GP; 1 GS; 23 TT, 6.5 TFL, 5 SK, 4 PBU, 1 QBH, 2 FF; Conference USA all-Freshman Team in '04. Redshirted as a true freshman, made the conversion from tailback to defensive end in '03.
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Overview
The 2007 season was supposed to be the year Tommy Blake added to his trophy case, and he was a preseason favorite to win numerous national awards. By the time the season ended, there were only questions, no certainties, about Blake's future.
Blake skipped offseason workouts, left fall camp multiple times for personal reasons and coaches saw the sane erratic personality carry over to the season. Blake was even given time off during his final year to "clear his head," but he continued a downward spiral.
A rapid weight gain -- Blake added more than 30 pounds to his frame from his junior season -- moodiness that forced him to sit out five games and listless performances on the field are not traits that Blake had been known for before his final season. It was later discovered that he was suffering from depression and social anxiety disorder. His draft stock plummeted.
At the NFL Combine, he decided on his own that he would not work out for the teams. He was the only defensive end not to perform in agility tests that was not excused for medical reasons. Blake also missed several interview sessions because he was undergoing a battery of tests at an Indianapolis hospital.
"There are still a lot of question marks from the way his season went last year," said Hall of Famer Joe Greene, who scouts for the Pittsburgh Steelers. "If the ballclubs can answer those questions, he probably didn't lose any ground. But if they can't answer those questions, it's going to hurt (him)."
At Aransas Pass High School, Blake earned Associated Press Class 3A All-State first-team honors as a running back, and also was named The Caller-Times All-South Texas Offensive MVP as a senior. That season, he rushed for 2,013 yards and 25 touchdowns on 218 carries.
Blake earned 12 letters as a prep athlete, including three in football, four in basketball, four on the track and one in baseball. He excelled on the basketball court, garnering All-Region accolades as a junior while helping the Panthers to the Class 3A Final Four in Austin. He also was the All-South Texas MVP and Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, when he averaged 20 points a game.
Blake spent the 2003 season at Texas Christian playing for the scout team, where he was converted to defensive end from running back. He earned Freshman All-American and Freshman All-Conference USA honors in 2004. Despite playing all year as a reserve, the defensive end ranked second on the team with five sacks and 6.5 stops for losses while posting 23 tackles (15 solo). He also caused two fumbles and broke up four passes.
The Horned Frogs moved to the Mountain West Conference in 2005, as Blake was named the MWC's Defensive Player of the Year. He took over right defensive end duties, posting 57 tackles (40 solo) while finishing second on the team with seven sacks and 13.5 stops for losses.
Blake received unanimous All-MWC first-team honors in 2006. He produced 54 tackles (33 solo) as he ranked second in the conference with a team-high seven sacks. He led the team and league with 16.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, as he recovered a pair of fumbles, returning one for a touchdown. He also forced two fumbles.
In 2007, Blake started seven of eight games in which he played. He totaled a career-low 21 tackles (12 solo) with four sacks and eight stops for losses, both good for fourth on the team.
In 45 games at Texas Christian, Blake started 32 contests. He recorded 155 tackles (100 solo) with 23 sacks for minus-154 yards, 44 stops for losses of 211 yards and two quarterback pressures. He caused four fumbles and recovered two others, returning one 12 yards for a touchdown. He also deflected seven passes.
Analysis
Positives...(Based on performance prior to the 2007 season)...Has an exceptional burst and quickness to defeat blocks...Possesses rare speed to close and can bend and flatten to the quarterback...Has the agility to play though traffic and the suddenness for counter moves...Shows good change-of-direction and foot quickness...Has good football instincts and vision to locate and collapse the pocket...Explodes coming off the edge and gets up field quickly...Has good quickness while moving laterally and on slants...Uses his hands and length to gain separation from blockers while he locates the football, but fails to use them well to keep blockers from attacking his feet (gets cut often)...Consistently makes plays down the line of scrimmage, as he is better playing on the move than in the trenches, where he lacks a strong enough anchor to defeat double teams...Best chasing the ball, demonstrating good closing speed...Can explode off the ball with his initial quickness and shows good, quick counter moves....Gets opponents off-balance and can bull rush when he keeps his pads low...Shows great speed while moving down the line-of-scrimmage and the eyes to find the ball in pursuit...Has good agility while moving through traffic...Solid hit-and-wrap tackler, but must be more active using his hands in order to not allow himself to get tied-up with blockers...Closes on the quarterback in a hurry and prior to big weight gain in 2007, he had the speed, size and length to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense...Has the upper-body strength to drive blockers into the pocket...Makes good pre-snap reads to quickly get past a lethargic blocker to pressure the passer.
Negatives: Weight gain in 2007 was a major detriment and though he dropped 10 pounds (had gained 32), he looked lethargic in his movements off the snap throughout the season...Coming off of a season of uninspired play and several excused absences, brought about by his frustration with medical issues...Was recently diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder...Has good intelligence, but struggles with school work, giving minimal effort...Has poor training and practice habits, relying too much on natural talents, while not showing enough dedication...Will let minor injuries be an excuse for bowing out of practice during the week...Shows good playing strength, but lacks ideal size and strength to handle bigger defensive tackles...Will occasionally overrun the ballcarrier in pursuit and does not have the plant-and-drive agility to recover...Needs to come into balance more consistently when making tackles and fails to recognize blocking schemes, resulting in blockers cutting him...Has a weak anchor and can be washed out by a strong lead blocker when trying to plug rush lanes...Would have been a better fit to play strong-side linebacker in a 3-4 defensive alignment than as a down lineman, but substantial weight increase forced teams to scrap that idea...Must be more active with his hands to stop blockers from attacking his body as much as they do, as he does struggle to shed once a lineman latches on to his jersey...Does not have the strong anchor needed to hold his ground at the point of attack and is better when making plays on the move...Health issues last year has robbed him of some of his lateral agility and foot speed...Outside of stops behind the line of scrimmage, his tackle totals are deceiving, as he makes a lot of those hits being the second man in on the action (more of a pile jumper and makes too many tackles downfield)...Will shut down in pressure situations and has personal issues and question marks.
Compares To: ALONZO SPELLMAN/DIMITRIUS UNDERWOOD...Well-known flame-outs who saw their careers shortened by social disorder issues, Underwood and Spellman had natural talent. Despite that, off-field and personal issues limited their on-field impact. Likewise, Blake has more red flags than the Kremlin. Even before his meltdown in 2007, coaches weren't sure Blake was the type of dedicated worker who could make it in the NFL. Even later in the draft, teams will need to do extensive homework and be committed to working overtime with Blake both on and off the field.
Career Notes
Blake's 23 quarterback sacks rank third in school history, topped only by Aaron Schobel (31, 1997-2000) and Bo Schobel (28.5, 2000-03)...Accounted for 154 yards in losses on 44.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, the eighth-best career total in school annals.
2007 Season
A consensus preseason All-American selection and a favorite for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defensive player) and Ted Hendricks Award Watch (top defensive end in college football), Blake suffered from depression and social anxiety disorder, as he took a leave of absence from the team in fall camp and during the season, missing the Baylor, Colorado State, Wyoming, Stanford and Utah contests...Started seven of the eight games in which he played at right defensive end...Finished with a career-low 21 tackles (12 solo), as he ranked fourth on the team with four sacks for minus-28 yards, eight stops for losses of 39 yards and a pass deflection.
Unanimous first-team All-Mountain West Conference selection...Started all 13 games at right defensive end...Part of a unit that ranked second in the nation in run defense (60.85 yards per game) and second in total defense (234.92 ypg)...Finished with 54 tackles (33 solo) as he led the team and ranked third in the MWC with seven sacks for minus-50 yards and 16.5 stops for losses of 83 yards...Had one quarterback pressure, a pass deflection and two forced fumbles...Also recovered a pair of fumbles, returning one 12 yards for a touchdown.
All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection and named MWC Defensive Player of the Year by CollegeFootballNews.com...Moved into the starting lineup at right defensive end, ranking second on the team with seven sacks for minus-45 yards and 13.5 stops for losses of 56 yards...Deflected a pass and finished fifth on the squad with 57 tackles (40 solo) in 12 games.
Named to the Conference USA All-Freshman squad and was also a second-team freshman All-American selection by CollegeFootballNews.com...Despite playing as a reserve, the defensive end recorded 23 tackles (15 solo) and ranked second on the team with five sacks for minus-31 yards and 6.5 stops for losses of 33 yards...His five sacks were the most for a Frog freshman defensive lineman since Aaron Schobel had seven in 1997...Also forced a pair of fumbles and had four pass deflections.
2003 Season
Redshirted as a true freshman...Made the conversion from tailback to defensive end.
Injury Report
2007: Suffered from depression and social anxiety disorder that forced him to take a medical leave of absence, sitting out the Baylor, Colorado State, Wyoming, Stanford and Utah contests.
Agility Tests
Campus: 4.83 in the 40-yard dash...1.6 10-yard dash...2.72 20-yard dash...4.37 20-yard shuttle... 7.16 three-cone drill...30 1/2-inch vertical jump...9'3" broad jump...Bench pressed 225 pounds 23 times...390-pound bench press...560-pound squat...335-pound power clean...350-pound incline press...33 3/8-inch arm length...9 3/4-inch hands.
High School
Attended Aransas Pass (Tex.) High School, playing football for head coach Guy Grover...Earned Associated Press Class 3A All-State first-team honors as a running back, and also was named The Caller-Times All-South Texas Offensive MVP as a senior...That season, he rushed for 2,013 yards and 25 touchdowns on 218 carries...Earned 12 letters as a prep athlete, including three in football, four in basketball, four on the track and one in baseball...Excelled on the basketball court, garnering All-Region accolades as a junior while helping the Panthers to the Class 3A Final Four in Austin...All-South Texas MVP and Defensive Player of the Year as a junior, when he averaged 20 points per game.
Personal
General Studies major...Son of Ernestine Chisholm...Born Tommy Earl Blake, Jr., on 1/15/85...Resides in Aransas Pass, Texas.
Player Statistics
Draft Scout Player News
04/30/08 - Former Aransas Pass standout Tommy Blake, who was Bonner's teammate at TCU, also went undrafted. Blake, the 2007 preseason All-American whose clinical depression and social anxiety disorder kept him out of several games and practices his senior season, has not yet signed a free-agent contract, his agent, Reggie Rouzan. Rouzan said Blake will visit Tampa Bay for a workout this week. - Corpus Christi Caller Times
04/08/08 - 2008 Rang's Gang: DE - Tommy Blake, TCU: Blake's fall from Top 20 prospect to late round or even possible undrafted free agent, due in large part to clinical depression, has been well documented. His condition is a serious one that requires extensive education by any club considering him. However, depression, like a knee injury, is a medical condition that can be treated. By all accounts Blake is a man of high character. His ability on the football field, when he's healthy, is unquestioned. He certainly is a player with risks, but at the point he is likely to be selected -- mid rounds or later -- Blake's resurgence is a gamble worth taking. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com
03/16/08 - The team that drafts TCU defensive end Tommy Blake will get a talented player who is being treated for depression and social anxiety disorder. There is no telling where he will be drafted. Blake had an outstanding pro day at TCU. “He did everything, and he worked hard,” Green Bay scout Alonzo Highsmith told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “He did what he needed to do, and that is prove he wants to play football at the next level and that he’s serious about it.” Blake weighed 272 pounds after weighing 287 at the East-West Game. He ran a 4.75 and benched 225 pounds 23 times. - John McClain, The Houston Chronicle
03/07/08 - TCU defensive end Tommy Blake says he is happier than he was last season when he took two medical leaves of absence. NFL scouts are happier with him after his Pro Day on Thursday at TCU. Blake, who was diagnosed with depression and social anxiety disorder, worked out for NFL teams for the first time since he showed up overweight at the East-West Shrine Game in January. This time, they saw some semblance of the old Tommy Blake, the one who made 54 tackles, 16 1/2 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a junior. "He did everything, and he worked hard," Green Bay Packers scout Alonzo Highsmith said. "He did what he needed to do and that is prove he wants to play football at the next level, and that he's serious about it." Blake began tipping the scale back in his favor when he weighed in at 272 pounds Thursday. Blake, who was 255 as a junior when he earned comparisons to Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, weighed 287 pounds at the East-West Shrine Game in January and 281 pounds on Feb.24 at the NFL Scouting Combine. His agent, Reggie Rouzan, said the goal is for Blake to lose another 12 pounds in the next four weeks. Blake has been working out with former NFL defensive back Rod Jones in DeSoto, but he might go to Orlando or Houston to finish up his pre-draft training. - Charean Williams, Fort Worth Star Telegram
03/06/08 - Hall of Fame scribe Rick "Goose" Gosselin went to TCU's pro day to try to find out a little bit more about pass-rusher Tommy Blake. Blake went from a projected first-round pick to a mystery when he left the Horned Frogs in August for undisclosed reasons. He returned to the team but missed five games and wasn't anything close to the force that he was as a junior. He returned heavy and played slow, collecting only four sacks. He was invited to the East-West Shrine Game and checked in at 287 pounds. He played as a junior in the 255-260 range. But Blake took his first step toward rebuilding his draft stock at TCU's pro day Thursday when he showed up weighing 272 pounds and ran his 40-yard dashes in the upper 4.7s. "There are still a lot of question marks from the way his season went last year," said Hall of Famer Joe Greene, who scouts for the Pittsburgh Steelers. "If the ball clubs can answer those questions, he probably didn't lose any ground. But if they can't answer those questions, it's going to hurt [him]." OLB, which Blake would play for a 3-4 team, isn't a need position for the Cowboys. DeMarcus Ware should be a monster for years, 2007 first-round pick Anthony Spencer showed potential as Greg Ellis' injury replacement/backup last season, and SMU product Justin Rogers is a project who produces on special teams. - Tim MacMahon, Dallas Morning News
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