The Georgia product attended the team’s rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis and apparently made a strong impression with the coaching staff. Known as a versatile player in college, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound rookie played tackle and guard during his career with the Bulldogs.

Vance joins a group at guard that includes Roberto Garza, Josh Beekman, Lance Louis, Johan Asiata and potentially veteran Kevin Shaffer.

The Bears begin a three-day minicamp on Friday at Halas Hall.

In his four years at South Carolina State, he had 11 interceptions (two for touchdowns). During his Pro Day, he ran a 4.53-second and 4.52-second 40-yard-dash, had a 34.5-inch vertical leap, 10-4 broad jump, 4.35-second short shuttle, a 7.17-second three-cone drill and participated in position drills.

A quote from the CharlotteObserver:

At 5-foot-11, 192 pounds, he’s solidly built and not afraid to tackle. He’s also shown a strong instinct for the ball, with 11 interceptions in four years, two of those returned for touchdowns.

After the season, he was invited to play in a pair of postseason all-star games, the HBCU Senior Bowl and the Texas vs. The Nation game.

There, he impressed NFL scouts with his ability to play press coverage, one of the biggest demands when any college player moves up a level.

“He’s a good player,” said one NFC scout. “Really tough kid, good speed, he’s got a chance to be a nice pickup for someone late in the draft.”

Here are his measurements:

Former Longhorn and Mart-native Cosby is teaming up with Indianapolis Colts running back Dominic Rhodes and other sports celebrities to host the 1st Annual Q. Cosby / D. Rhodes Youth Sportsfest.

The event is free of charge and open to children grades 1-8. To sign up, visit QuanCosby.Info

The goal of the camp is to encourage kids to get physically and academically fit. Quan and Dominic have enlisted the support of their NFL friends to help make this event a success. Special awards will be given to kids achieving A/B honor roll.

Each day Vance scrolls through his numbers, e-mails and text messages until he finds the few sentences he quickly punched in one afternoon following a workout with Slater. Vance uses Slater’s tips as motivation as Vance continues his preparations for Pro Day at the University of Georgia.

While overlooked by this past weekend’s NFL scouting combine, Vance, a three-year starter with the Bulldogs, is determined to make a favorable impression and prove he belongs in the NFL. And who else better to learn from than Slater, a seven-time Pro Bowler who played his entire 20-year NFL career in the Rams’ organization?

“I couldn’t have asked for a better experience,” Vance told FanHouse.

“Jackie talked about not just getting into the league but how to stay in the league, how to take care of our bodies, how to prepare. His knowledge of the game is amazing; it just goes on and on and never stops.”

Slater worked each day with Vance and other offensive linemen on the practice fields here at The Home Depot Center, where the group has been training since early January with the Athletes’ Performance Institute.

One can’t escape Vance’s bright smile, polite manner and imposing size (6-foot-7, 317 pounds). Yet, Vance realizes he must continue to work and improve if he wants to accomplish his childhood dream to play in the NFL.

Vance enjoyed a solid career at Georgia but his production was limited after he suffered a right knee injury in the season’s sixth game against Tennessee in 2008. Known for his toughness and versatility — Vance has played both guard and tackle positions — Vance played in all 12 games (starting two) last season.

Vance arrived in California in early January with a purpose. Georgia’s Pro Day is March 16.

“I’ve been working hard — there’s nothing else for me to do but make a great impression,” Vance said.

“It’s what I have to do. No. 1, I want to show and prove to NFL coaches that my knee is not going to be a factor — it’s 110 percent and stronger than ever — and, No. 2, I know I can play in the NFL. Regardless of where I go or where they want me, I have played them (positions) all and I can play them successfully.

“I can be a factor for anybody’s team. I am a competitor. Give me a playbook and let’s go.”

Vance has spent eight hours a day, six days a week training his mind and body. He has dropped more than 20 pounds through performance drills, nutrition analysis, weight lifting and physical therapy; has focused on his blocking technique and fundamentals; and has been prepped for NFL team interviews and testing.

“Like any other kid — I started playing football in the seventh grade — you always want to be like that guy in the NFL,” Vance said.

For Vance, that guy was Slater.

Slater, 55, who blocked for 24 different quarterbacks and 37 different running backs during his long career, required Vance to take notes following their practice sessions.

Yes, Vance had homework each night he returned to his room. Slacking was not an option. Slater actually asked for the notes the next day, stuffing the paper into a bag and making Vance re-write and add to the notes that evening.

“Jackie worked right alongside us and did all the drills,” said Vance, whose workouts with Slater recently ended.

“He’s still a big-framed guy. I can definitely see why he was the man back in the day. He pushed us. He got our minds altered to think like he thinks and speak like he speaks.”

Plus, Vance only has to search his telephone for his daily reminder from Slater.

“I didn’t want to forget,” Vance said as he scrolled through his cell phone.

“The two most important things for an offensive lineman to remember at all times and be successful in the National Football League — to be able to move laterally with great efficiency and be able to sit down any bull rush without comprising my position to move in and out on the line of scrimmage.”

UCLA wide receiver Matthew Slater addresses the New England media during his conference call following being drafted by the New England Patriots with the 153rd overall pick (5th round) in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Q: What was your reaction when you heard the news?

MS: Thanks again for having me. I was very shocked, obviously, and very ecstatic. I’ve been waiting for this day, to have this opportunity all my life. Watching my dad play growing up and just developing a love for the game. I was just so, so happy and so extremely blessed to be in this situation.

Q: Did you anticipate being drafted today?

MS: I had heard numerous different reports from different teams, but I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t sure how the draft was going to play itself out, but I’m a strong believer and I have a strong faith so I knew that whatever it was, I was just hoping I would just get an opportunity and things would work out the way they were supposed to. To be drafted and to be drafted by this team –in my opinion the best team in the NFL– it’s just humbling, very humbling and I feel very honored.

Q: What are your memories of watching your dad [Hall of Famer Jackie Slater] play?

MS: The thing that sticks out most in me is the way he worked. It wasn’t necessarily the games; the games were great and you get to see that and everybody sees that on Sunday, but I saw the things about my dad that people didn’t see: the blood, sweat and tears that he put into this game and how he prepared and the respect that he gave to the gave of football and I think that’s something he has passed on to me.

Q: What was your contact with the Patriots prior to the draft?

MS: To be honest with you, I hadn’t had any contact with them. I had one phone call exchange where they asked me a few questions, but I had gone and visited several other teams and I wasn’t sure if the Patriots had very much interest in me. I wasn’t sure at all. And with the draft, there’s no telling what could happen; anything is possible. I was just surprised but excited and thankful at the same time.

Q: What were those teams that you visited?

MS: I went to go visit Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Houston, the Giants, the Jets. I was also in Chicago and Jacksonville, so I had made the rounds. But like I said I hadn’t heard very much from the Patriots, but I’m very excited at this point and I feel very blessed and it’s very humbling.

Q: You mentioned you were surprised. Were you expecting to go in the fifth round or did you have a feeling where you would be drafted?

MS: Like I said, I had mixed reports and I wasn’t sure –because of the way my career went at UCLA– what round I’d be drafted in or if I’d be drafted. I’m not sure where people valued a guy like me, but it’s very honoring, very humbling to see that they recognize my efforts on the field and how much I love the game. I’m very excited.

Q: You’re listed as a wide receiver, but you’ve played corner and safety. Do you have a preference where you would like to play?

MS: For me, I’m willing to do whatever coach Belichick and his staff and the organization want me to do. I’m just excited to have an opportunity to keep playing football. I don’t have a preference where I play; I just want to be able to help that football team out in whatever way possible. For me, it’s doing whatever it takes. Obviously, I look forward to contributing on special teams. That’s kind of where I made my mark at UCLA, so I know that will be probably my primary focus right away. Wherever they want to use me, I’m flexible, I don’t mind, I’m just ready to work hard for this organization and continue to the great reputation they have around the league for being one of the best teams in the league.

Q: To make their marks early, guys drafted around the fifth round often have to do it on special teams. That’s where you carved out a niche for yourself at UCLA, so do you think that will make it an easier transition for you?

MS: It might make it easier; I’m not real sure. But I know that’s something I have experience in and something that I love to do, and I’m not sure if everybody feels that same way when it comes to special teams. I know that that’s something I’m looking forward to contributing at and luckily I have been around there and I’m looking forward to continuing it in New England.

Q: What are your memories of growing up in NFL locker rooms? Were there any players from back in your father’s day that took an interest in you or messed around with you?

MS: Well, a number of guys. I know Leroy Irving was one guy I always had a good relationship with, and that I worked with over the years. He played with my dad for a number of years. Eric Dickerson and guys like that. Later one in my dad’s career I was able to spend some time with Isaac Bruce and get to know him through [my father’s] affiliation with the Rams. Meeting all those guys was a great experience. Being around there is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and to be raised in the locker room around guys, and have a dad that has accomplished the things that he has – I take that as a blessing and I was very fortunate to have that experience.

Q: Are you glad you were more of a receiver/corner/skill player and not a lineman so you didn’t have to endure those comparisons with your father?

MS: I thought about that and we’ve talked about that a lot. I feel if I had been a lineman I probably would have been a pretty good one because I would have a great teacher. But I think I would prefer being able to run up and down the field and having speed as opposed to size. That’s what I always tell me dad.

Q: Was Isaac Bruce your idol growing up?

MS: He really was. He’s been my favorite player for a while and I was able to spend time with him, like I said, and just talk the game with him. He’s the type of guy I look up to because of the type of man he is off the field as well. He’s a reverend and faith is something that plays an important role in my life, and probably the most important thing to me is my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. So he was a man that I kind of looked at, the way not only he preformed on the field, but the way he was off the field.

Q: You’re known as a kick returner, but you’re also a big part of the coverage teams. What does it take to be a gunner?

MS: For me, the mindset is relentless effort. You go out there and it’s a fight; it’s a battle every play down there. But you have to have the desire to get down there, the “want-to” to get down there and make a play. For me, it just comes from the love of the game I have that’s been passed on from my dad. I’m just trying to get down there and I want to be the guy to make the tackle every time. I want to be right on the ball, out there having fun with my teammates, and realizing that that’s a very important part of the game. That’s a part of the game that often goes overlooked at the high school and college level, but it can really help you win and lose ball games, so I take this very seriously.

Without much fanfare, Matthew Slater made news earlier this month. He became the first of the Patriots’ 2008 draft choices to sign with the team.

That means no contract squabbles will preclude him from reporting on time to training camp, which begins late next month. Which is good for Slater, because he’ll need all the time he can get in camp to impress the coaches.

Not only does he fight the battle of being a late-round  draft pick, he’s also trying to find his niche in the NFL. During rookie minicamp, passing camp, and minicamp with the Patriots, Slater has worn a white (offensive) jersey and occasionally worked with the wide receivers. But just as often, he’d don a blue pinney and join the defensive backs. He also returned kicks for the special teams units.

College wasn’t much different for Slater, the son of NFL Hall of Fame offensive lineman Jackie Slater. In his four years at UCLA, the younger Slater did just about everything but play trombone in the Bruins marching band. Wide receiver. Cornerback. Safety. Gunner. Kick returner. If the Patriots are looking for a player with versatility, they found one in Slater.

“I think he’s going to do really well in New England,” said former UCLA special teams coach Gary DeLoach, for whom Slater played. “Matthew posses all the qualities they look for in a player up there. He’ll work his butt off and do everything that’s asked of him. I was happy to see him go to the Patriots. It’s a perfect fit.”

The Bruins had high hopes for Slater as a receiver in 2003, but a turf toe injury caused him to redshirt and miss his entire freshman year. In 2005, Slater sustained a stress reaction in his left leg, forcing him to miss the early part of the season.

Then during his junior year, with the Bruins needing depth at defensive back, Slater moved to cornerback. And while he played in all 13 games as a junior, Slater was limited by a shoulder injury. Things got so frustrating that Slater briefly considered giving up football to run track.

Slater reconsidered leaving the football team and that proved to be a wise choice because everything would change heading into his senior season. Slater had been moved to safety – his third position change in four years – but with standouts Dennis Keyes and Chris Horton already ahead of him on the depth chart, Slater thought of another way to get on the field and contribute.

After making his mark on special teams as a gunner in 2006, Slater approached DeLoach with the idea of becoming a kick returner. It wound up being the best idea Slater ever had.

“He came to me and said he would like to try returning kicks because he felt like it was a way he could help the team out,” DeLoach added. “As soon as we saw him, you could see that he was a natural at returning kicks. It really helped Matthew too because he finally found his niche on the team.”

In 2007, he averaged 29.0 yards on 34 kickoff returns, finishing first in the Pac10 and 12th nationally. He also returned three kickoffs for touchdowns, which tied him for tops in the country. After three years of playing musical chairs with positions, Slater finally found a home.

Yet, with his pigskin pedigree, the football field has always been a home away from home for Slater. And it’s his father’s work ethic and respect for the game that Slater took with him to UCLA and now, the NFL.

“The thing that sticks out most in me is the way he worked,” Slater said when talking about his father. “It wasn’t necessarily the games. The games were great and you get to see that and everybody sees that on Sunday, but I saw the things about my dad that people didn’t see: the blood, sweat and tears that he put into this game and how he prepared and the respect that he gave to the game of football. I think that’s something he has passed on to me.”

Slater has no problem doing the dirty work on special teams because it’s something he got used to at UCLA. And if he’s to make it in the NFL, that’s likely how he’ll do it.

“I know that’s something I have experience in and something that I love to do and I’m not sure if everybody feels that same way when it comes to special teams,” Slater said. “I know that that’s something I’m looking forward to contributing at and luckily I have been around there and I’m looking forward to continuing it in New England. For me, I’m willing to do whatever coach Belichick and his staff and the organization want me to do. I’m just excited to have an opportunity to keep playing football.”

Via New England Patriots website

Cosby finished the 2009 season in Cincinnati with four catches for 55 yards and averaged 11.9 yards on 40 punt returns. Orangebloods.com caught up to Quan on Monday after he finished a 3 ½-hour voluntary workout with the Bengals.

Q: Talk about going from being a professional baseball player to being a Longhorn to being a pro football player with the Cincinnati Bengals?

COSBY: Coming back to college, as much as I’m a football player, coming back to college and sitting in a classroom again, I was thinking, ‘What am I doing?’

But the Longhorn family and the City of Austin made me realize really quickly that I had made the right decision. And then winning a national championship helps also. And then coming to Cincinnati it was really intense because I was like, ‘I have to make the team. I have to make the team.’

But it worked out. I’m a spiritual man and think things happen for a reason, and I think everything worked out according to God’s plan. It’s a new year. We just started our off-season work today (Monday), a nice three and a half hours of work. And I think I have a great opportunity to do some good things at this level also.

Q: You said two years ago Sally Brown has as much to do with the family atmosphere at Texas as anyone. Can you talk about Sally’s role in the program and what she means to the players?

COSBY: It’s unbelievable what she means to the players, to the coaches and the coaches’ wives. I don’t know how many people know this. But when I committed the second time to Texas, I actually talked to Sally before I talked to Coach Brown.

I wanted her to know how much she means to the decision-making because of how genuine she is and the unbelievable person she is. She encouraged a lot of my charitable works also because she does so much. But the second you get on campus, she’s extremely nice.

Unfortunately, in this world, a lot of us players aren’t blessed with a two-parent household. She’s a mother to some, a father to some and both to some. She shows you a lot of love, and it happens before you even commit there. I’m sure like me, it helps a lot of guys make their decision.

Q: What do you think of your teammate OchoCinco on Dancing With The Stars?

COSBY: He’s something else. But he means well in it all. He has a lot going on, but he gets it. He’s been in the league for awhile. In most cases, NFL means Not For Long.

But he looks for any and every marketing opportunity. I know this, he’s the only player in the NFL I know of with a Louis Vuitton contract. I watched a little bit of it, just to see him move. He has some of the best feet I’ve seen, but he’s not showing it yet. He’s out there a little bit uptight.

I texted him and told him to loosen up. But the funny thing is Erin Andrews texted me and said I better not vote for him because she’s known me a lot longer than him. So I’m in the middle of a little scuffle. I don’t know who to vote for.

Q: So do you think OchoCinco is attacking this dancing as much as he attacks football?

COSBY: Oh definitely. You can see it in his eyes. When they finish, watch his mentality. When he’s around us, he’s joking 24-7 except when he gets down for game day. He’s approaching that show like game day because he has that look in his eyes.

He’s always critiquing himself. He knows he was a little tight. And that’s his attitude, to get better. He works extremely hard. I don’t know how he’s going to do, but he wants to be the absolute best out there, and he’s going to work like that. Sometimes, you don’t give your body rest, and that can get in your way. But he’s approaching it like a game day.

Q: The Cincinnati Bengals have a reputation as the halfway house of the NFL, giving every castoff a second chance. Give us your take on Cedric Benson and the season he had in Cincinnati last year.

COSBY: It was pretty much a wakeup call. We had a lot of guys who were on that verge of either showing up or being out of the league. Guys like Roy Williams, Tank Johnson and Cedric. And all those guys had an unbelievable year.

They went back to the basics. Ced, after every run in practice, he finished in the end zone. That helps endurance. It shows the younger guys and shows your commitment. He just really went back to the basics and had a great year.

Barring a couple nicks, he would have definitely had a Pro Bowl year. And it hasn’t stopped. He was at our workout (Monday) and getting extra work. Of course, he’s going back to Austin for the Texas Relays and trying to talk me into it. But I don’t know if I’m going to be down there for that.

Q: What’s it going to take to be the success in the NFL that you were at Texas?

COSBY: It’s going to take continued work. This off-season, I’m looking at a lot of film of successful slots in the league. That’s kind of a different area for me, because I played mostly outside at Texas. And then I have to keep studying our offense to where I know it as well as Carson (Palmer).

Even though I came in at the end and started making plays for the team, I don’t think I played as fast as I was capable of because, I knew the offense very well, but to translate it onto the field, you’re still not sure of yourself. So I’m trying to really get to know this offense and study it and know it as well as Carson.

When I do that, a lot of things will take care of themselves. I am who I am and that is a football player. I love playing the game. That will take care of itself as soon as I know the offense as well as the rest of the guys.

Q: We saw your big punt return for a touchdown in the preseason. How much did that single play help you in making the Bengals’ roster as an undrafted free agent last season?

COSBY: I think it helped me tremendously. In talking to our head special teams guy, I think he trusted me a little more than the other guys at the time. It kind of carried on.

I didn’t get in the end zone again, but I made some plays that set up some stuff. Then I made the All-Rookie team for punt returns. So it was a really good season for me. But I love playing receiver. I know I can be productive at that position, so I want to expand my role.

Q: Talk about your charitable work and some of the things you’ve got going that will interest Texas fans.

COSBY: I’m holding a camp at St. Mary’s on June 5 in Austin. They have really good facilities and accommodate us well. I’m going to another event on May 1 to help raise money for Duchene’s Muscular Dystrophy. That’s a casino party being thrown by Mack and Sally Brown.

And I don’t know what I’m thinking here, but I’m doing a hamburger eat off against half our linemen for charity. And then I’m doing an event in my hometown of Mart. It’s a free football camp for the kids in Mart on April 9.

So I’ll be asking for some of my boys from Texas to come down and support it and see where I come from and realize how country I am. That’s one of my funnest events because it’s free, and it’s just me running around my hometown.

Via Hook’em Report

“I knew that he played for the Cowboys, but I didn’t realize how good he was,” said Scott, who was a standout player at Vernon High School. “I didn’t realize he was a Hall of Famer.”

NFL scouts know Scott. His pro career will begin next week when the NFL Draft is held in New York. Most draft sites project Scott as a late-round choice, but Scott’s agent, Scott Casterline, expects Scott to go earlier. New England and Cincinnati, both of which are in need of a young running back, worked out Scott in Abilene. Green Bay and Chicago also have shown interest.

Since winning the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in NCAA Division II football last season, Scott has been training in Dallas with White, learning to apply martial arts to football. He also has been kickboxing with mixed martial arts fighter Guy “The Sandman” Mezger.

“At the beginning, it was (a little foreign),” said Scott, who also is doing traditional conditioning in addition to martial arts. “But I always heard about football players doing that for extra conditioning. I was willing to learn something new. Anything that helps, I’m willing to give it a try.”

White began applying the principles of martial arts to football soon after he was drafted by the Cowboys in 1975. White now holds camps for young football players, including one in Hebron on Saturday, and he works weekly with more experienced players, including Cowboys defensive end Marcus Spears and Texas receiver Quan Cosby.

White believes the techniques improve hand-eye coordination, balance and speed.

“Basically what it does is it gives the people who take the time and pay the price to work on this, it gives them an edge over the other guy,” White said. “They’ve got another mousetrap to use.”

Scott is hoping the training techniques help him as much as White insists they helped White during his career.

Scott put up some eye-popping numbers in college: 1,892 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns in one season at Blinn Junior College; 1,026 yards and 11 TDs in one season at Central Arkansas; and 4,321 rushing yards and 63 TDs in two seasons at ACU. He also had 103 catches for 1,462 yards and 10 TDs in his two seasons with the Wildcats.

“He’s had an amazing career,” ACU coach Chris Thomsen said. “The numbers speak for themselves. The rushing numbers are pretty staggering, but then you throw in his ability to catch the ball as well as he does. I think one of the most impressive things about Bernard is he played 46 college games, and he never came out because of injury. The guy is incredibly durable. Everywhere he’s been, obviously people have fed him the ball, because he’s so gifted, but he’s never been hurt. That’s a testament to his work ethic and his elusive ability as a running back.”

If not for some off-field concerns, Scott likely would have gone to a Division I school and could have been the top-rated running back in the draft. He has been honest about his past, which included being kicked off his Vernon High School team for fighting, and was suspended at Central Arkansas before deciding to transfer to ACU.

“Teams have done their homework,” Casterline said. “They’ve talked to Bernard, and my observation is they’re satisfied with the answers they’ve gotten from Bernard and from their research. … He’s past it. He’s a mature young man, and he’s working hard.”

Thomsen, who has known Scott since high school and coached at Central Arkansas when Scott played there, points out that Scott was a team captain and “well respected by his teammates.”

Scott said he’d like to change the past, but at the same time, his mistakes have made him the person he is today.

“You go through different stuff for a reason,” Scott, 25, said. “I think everything I went through made me a better person, made me a better man.”

Maybe made him a better player, too.

“I don’t know if I was ready for this at 21 or 22,” Scott said. “I’m ready now. … Not to take anything away from the other backs, but I think I’m the steal of this draft. I didn’t get the media attention some of those other guys got, but once I get to a team, I’m going to help my team.”

(c) 2009, Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.