NOLA.COM: Selvish Capers, with Washington Redskins, adept at making transitions (MET)

[kvarlo12000]

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/07/selvish_capers_draft_story.html

Selvish Capers, with Washington Redskins, adept at making transitions

Published: Tuesday, July 06, 2010, 7:02 AM

Maya Jones, The Times-Picayune

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Making his journey from Tad Gormley Stadium to the Washington Redskins' FedExField, former St. Augustine tight end Selvish Capers is adjusting to life in the NFL.

Butch Dill/The Associated PressAuburn linebacker Craig Stevens (46) intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown past West Virginia offensive lineman Selvish Capers on Sept. 19 in Auburn, Ala.

If anyone can make the change, it's Capers, a seventh-round draft pick by the Redskins. He moved from basketball to football in high school. Then from tight end to offensive tackle in college, where he earned second team All-Big East honors his senior season.

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Realizing that college is much different than the pros, Capers began learning to adjust to the quick pace of the NFL. Workouts have been going smoothly for Capers, but the most challenging part is learning to grasp the concept of processing information quickly enough to apply it on the field.

"Every day is a lot faster, " Capers said. "I had to get used to the speed of everything. College and the NFL are totally different. I was in denial at first.''

But Capers knows how to adjust.

Capers started with a strong passion for basketball, never fully realizing that football would be his claim to fame.

TP's NFL draft series

Part 1: Joe McKnight, New York Jets

During eighth grade at St. Augustine, Capers played football for fun, his heart still remaining with basketball. Gradually, Capers found more influences that pulled him into the game of football, which became his main focus.

His father, Selvish Capers Sr., realized his son's focus shifting from basketball to football as early as his freshman year of high school.

"I was supportive of him playing both sports, but football offered a better opportunity, " Capers Sr. said. "He was able to take advantage of that."

Capers also credits his former high school coach, Tyrone Payne, for influencing his decision to play football.

"He used to tell me I needed to play football, " Capers said. I used to shrug it off, but it was the fact that he saw something in me.

"I remember Coach Payne used to take us to all of these college football camps and just opened up our eyes. It gave us notoriety as a high school. All his effort into doing this gave me and players before me the opportunity to play Division I football."

Payne, taking advantage of Capers' size, knew that football would be a natural fit for Capers.

"He was a big kid and for high school ball, all football coaches are interested, " Payne said. "He was a basketball guy, but we wanted him in football."

During his junior year, Capers devoted his full attention to football. After receiving college letters, he began taking trips to various colleges interested in him. While trying to narrow his choices, the hospitality shown during his December 2004 visit to West Virginia sealed the deal.

"(West Virginia) is real different, " Capers said. "I wanted to get away and see something different, and that's what West Virginia offered. They had players who were already there from Louisiana, so that made it feel like home away from home."

h the excitement of transitioning from high school to college football, Capers was ready to take on anything West Virginia had to offer.

Or so he thought.

Entering his third year, Capers was rocked by the news delivered to him by former West Virginia offensive coordinator Calvin Magee. They were ready to switch him to right tackle from tight end, the position Capers played since the beginning of his football career.

"When you go from playing something all your life to playing something totally different and at a high level, I felt like I wouldn't have time to transition, " Capers said. "I was really upset about it, and I wasn't hearing it. Coach Magee negotiated with me to the point where I just wanted to try it out. That was a point in time where I thought my whole career was down the drain."

Enduring the tedious process of learning new techniques, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Capers embraced the switch which has proven to be the best move -- a move that landed him in the NFL.

In late April, Capers prepared for the draft. Projected to go in the second or third round, Capers remained optimistic as he patiently waited for his name to be called.

On the second day of the draft, the rounds whizzed as no team called. Capers' hope began to slip by the sixth round.

"I started checking my phone and making sure I had service and making sure I didn't miss a call, " Capers said. "When they got to the sixth round and my name wasn't called, I left the house. When I got back to the house, they still hadn't called my name."

Upon reaching the seventh round, Capers began to panic. He had convinced himself that he wouldn't be drafted. His phone began to ring, but news on the other line wasn't news he had hoped for. Teams began to call, interested in picking him up as a free agent. Before losing all hope, Capers received one last call that would turn his day around.

"Finally, I get the last call and it was (Redskins) Coach (Mike) Shanahan. I thought he was calling for free agency, " Capers said. "He asked if I had been drafted, and I told him no. Then he asked, 'How would you like to be a Redskin?' I was like, 'a real Redskin?' I was little happier."

Just an article in the time picayune ya"ll might want to see.

[jaespinoza2000]

they could have picked a more flattering picture

[AKM311]

they could have picked a more flattering picture

I was thinking the same thing. Why would they show that and have the caption stating the guy returned it for a TD?

[zoony]

Can you fix your thread title to conform to forum rules please?

[kvarlo12000]

Can you fix your thread title to conform to forum rules please?

I don't really understand its just a local news story on Selvish Capers. I came across in the news paper and thought that some of you would want to read the article.

[Mahons21]

I don't really understand its just a local news story on Selvish Capers. I came across in the news paper and thought that some of you would want to read the article.

If you look at the rules/guidelines there is a simple title format laid out for all members to follow, that's all he's asking you to do.

[authentic]

I don't really understand its just a local news story on Selvish Capers. I came across in the news paper and thought that some of you would want to read the article.

I think he's saying that you may need to be more descriptive in your thread title. It should include the source of the article and the actual title of the article. See Rule #8.

[The Tris]

I don't really understand its just a local news story on Selvish Capers. I came across in the news paper and thought that some of you would want to read the article.

"New Orleans Times-Picayune: Selvish Capers, with Washington Redskins, adept at making transitions"

[kvarlo12000]

"New Orleans Times-Picayune: Selvish Capers, with Washington Redskins, adept at making transitions"

Thanks! This is why I don't make new threads. I just didn't think anyone else would see this or post it because it was in the local paper.

[The Tris]

As far as the article, I hope he is ready to work hard and learn in what should be a good system for him. Hopefully he can develop into a quality back up tackle, and eventually replace J. Brown several seasons down the line.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if he can beat out Heyer for the back up tackle job.

[SkinsTribeVA]

As far as the article, I hope he is ready to work hard and learn in what should be a good system for him. Hopefully he can develop into a quality back up tackle, and eventually replace J. Brown several seasons down the line.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if he can beat out Heyer for the back up tackle job.

Yea that's what I'm hoping--that after Selvish learns the system and practices hard for a couple years, we have our next RT in waiting. But until then, I'm starting to get comfortable with our OL depth with all these "swing men" we have--Selvish can play LT or RT, Artis Hicks can play G or T, same for Big Mike W, Jamaal can play very well at LT if needed, and Silverback can be moved to RT for a while if he struggles early at LT.

[redskindan07]

Shanny asked him if he had been drafted. I assume that someone with the Skins was watching the draft and knew the answer before calling him. Can you imagine if they called him to see if he was interested and he had already been drafted? lol

[zoony]

Thanks! This is why I don't make new threads. I just didn't think anyone else would see this or post it because it was in the local paper.

You know, might be nice (from our perspective) if you'd just follow the rules. You know, the rules you read before you registered. This community is 80,000 +. The rules are there for the benefit of everyone.

And, when you're asked to follow the rules, you're not interested. Not a "hey, my bad"... or even so much as a question about what the mods are talking about.

Usually when people do this it is an automatic NNT or ban. I guess that's really the only thing people respond to, seeing as how you never did change your thread title. So, see you later.

.....

[LetThePointsSoar]

Shanny asked him if he had been drafted. I assume that someone with the Skins was watching the draft and knew the answer before calling him. Can you imagine if they called him to see if he was interested and he had already been drafted? lol

Unique angle. I wonder if and how often that actually happens? Hope Selvish makes it as the backup - I lived in Saint Augustine while he was in high school & would be nice to see a local kid make it.