EDITOR'S NOTE: Richie James was a two-time All-Conference USA selection who had 244 receptions for 3,261 yards in three seasons at Middle Tennessee. The Sarasota, Fla., native is now preparing for the 2018 NFL Draft, where he is expected to be a second- or third-day pick. This is Part 2 of an NFL Draft Diary that chronicles James' time between his final college game in December and draft in April, as told by HERO Sports feature writer Andrew Doughty with extensive quotes from James. James is one of several players who will periodically break down what it is like to be an NFL Draft prospect.
PART 1: Declaring for the Draft, Finding an Agent and Taking Risks
Three hundred and thirty-six players were invited to the 2018 NFL Scouting Combine, most of whom immediately peppered social media with news of their e-mail invitation. The e-mail for Richie James came on Tuesday, Jan. 30, but the former Middle Tennessee receiver remained silent.
He tweeted twice on Tuesday and retweeted a photo on Wednesday from the Chicago Bulls account of Antonio Brown visiting practice. No mention of an invitation. Another tweet on 7:28 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1. Nope, not combine-related. Four minutes later, as if his agent Deryk Gilmore finally said, "Richie, cut the crap, give the people what they want," he finally shared the good news with a pedestrian, matter-of-fact seven-word tweet.
I did Receive my NFL Combine invite.
— Richie James (@Senseispunk) February 1, 2018
"When I got it — and no offense — inside it was a sigh of relief more so than excitement. I was expecting it. No one knew. My agent and I knew. Everybody was like, 'I hope you get your invite, hope you get it.' "
James was one of 44 receivers and nine Conference USA players invited but the only Middle Tennessee player and only Conference USA receiver. He says an NFL Combine invitation never crossed his mind during season, and even after declaring in mid-December, the multi-page document (that, among other things, lays out a timeline and what details invitees can share publicly) seemed like a formality.
"When I decided to come out, I [thought] I should get an invite this year. I put in a lot of hard work. Obviously my film talks for itself. I would think scouts and GMs want to see me and what I can showcase. It’s a big deal because I used to watch it on TV and said one day that’s going to be me. And now it’s me. But I never thought I’d never be there. It’s not a surprise to me."
The film shows a quick 5-foot-9 slot receiver who was the most productive pass-catcher in college football from 2015-16. Even after missing most of last season with injuries, James was still the FBS active leader in career catches (244) and ranked third in career yards (3,261) when he declared. His 3.33 yards per route run from the slot in 2016 were the most in the country and his 1,347 slot receiving yards ranked second, according to Pro Football Focus. He 953 yards after the catch in 2015 also ranked first.
"That was more congratulations," he says of others' reactions. "My agent was congratulating me. He was kind of worried but that’s an agent's view. People get snubbed every year. . . . [Tennessee Titans' safety] Kevin Byard got snubbed for it. He was a really good player for us."
It was a sigh of relief but James wasn't scared. If the invitation didn't come, he "would go crazy" at the Blue Raiders' Pro Day on March 12. He and the staff at APEC Fort Worth staff also weren't focused on altering his training if he did or didn't get invited. Almost nothing changes, he says, except for talking to people familiar with the process.
"It’s exactly what I've been doing since I got here. Our trainers are telling us [about the combine]. And players who came back that went to the combine. [Baltimore Ravens receiver] Quincy Adeboyejo, tells me about it. There are a couple guys I’ve talked to that went through it. A lot of it is mental. You don't get to put on cleats until the fourth day, your last day there."
Richie is scheduled to leave Forth Worth for Indianapolis on Tuesday, Feb. 27, and following a few days of meetings and testing, he'll hit the field on Saturday, March 3.