Road to the NFL

Former Rockets Detmer and Mancz preparing for pros

Photo courtesy of UT Athletics

Former UT center Greg Mancz celebrates after the Rockets' victory in the GoDaddy Bowl

Blake Bacho, Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of UT Athletics
Former Rockets placekicker Jeremiah Detmer during UT’s victory in the GoDaddy Bowl

The University of Toledo football team is currently in the midst of spring practices. For the Rockets, that means an endless stream of drills, conditioning and team meetings.

For the first time in a long time, that process goes on without Greg Mancz and Jeremiah Detmer. Their time as Rockets has come to an end and the path to the NFL now lies before them.

“I was in Larimer and they had a team meeting and I wasn’t a part of it,” Mancz said. “I’m not doing classes this semester, so that’s been gone for a while. But when there’s a team meeting and I wasn’t in there, it was clearly in my mind time to move on to the next step.

“Really it was over for me the day that I didn’t get back on the bus with everyone going back to the airport [after the bowl game]. But it’s sort of weird being here and them having a team meeting and I’m not a part of it.”

For Detmer, the end of college means the end of a routine he committed to for over four years.

“Greg and I and some of the other seniors, we’re not waking up at six in the morning to go do our conditioning anymore,” Detmer said. “We’re not around a hundred other guys that you see everyday. We’re training specifically for one certain thing and kind of in a waiting process and just finishing up school.”

The waiting process is the latest step in Detmer and Mancz’s journey to professional football. For Mancz, nothing has gone as planned.

The Mid-American Conference Player of the Year suffered a torn Labrum injury to his right shoulder in January during practice for the East-West Shrine All-Star Game. Unable to perform at February’s NFL Combine, or at UT’s Pro Day event, Mancz has had to let the tape tell scouts what he is able to do.

“Really the most important thing, I’ve heard over and over again, is the film on the field,” Mancz said. “The good news for me is I have four years of it. I’m just going to try to go in and sell myself the best I can whenever I talk to a team and just hope that it’s enough for them to value me as an option.”

Detmer was not invited to the NFL Combine, but he took full advantage of his pro day opportunity. The Rockets’ former placekicker booted every field goal he attempted straight through the uprights, including kicks from 55 and 60-yard distances.

“I kicked well and did as much as I can do, took care of what I could take care of,” Detmer said of the experience. “It was just cool. It was cool to know that all the training has paid off at this point.

“There’s a lot more to do, but it was just good to succeed where you’ve been trying to succeed at and training for, just to do well for all the people that were kind of pulling for you.”

One of the people pulling for Detmer has quite the pedigree in professional football.

Detmer currently spends time up in Motown, working with former Detroit Lions kicker Jason Hanson. The retired Lion spent 21 seasons in a Detroit uniform and is the only player in NFL history with 2,000 career points scored for a single franchise.

Detmer’s agent hooked him up with Hanson, who has been coaching the NFL hopeful through the finer points of their craft.

“He’s the man; he’s an awesome guy,” Detmer said of Hanson. “There’s nothing that he was going to say that was going to change everything, but he’s done an amazing job just pointing out the small things, and just refining and perfecting the craft, just giving me a lot of insight on some of the mental aspects and just some of the things to expect.”

While Detmer studies with Hanson, Mancz continues the slow grind of rehab. He admits that teams will have to take his recent injury into consideration on draft day, but the Cincinnati native remains confident that his versatility will be a major selling point.

Mancz played all along the offensive line during his collegiate career. He categorizes himself as an interior three guy — capable of playing either guard position or at center ­— but also says he would be comfortable out at either tackle spot.

“I heard this when I was talking to people at the combine, that as a rookie, unless you come in and start right away, you have to be able to play multiple positions,” Mancz said. “I definitely don’t think that will hurt me in any way.”

Both Mancz and Detmer still call Toledo home as they continue to prepare for the NFL. Detmer has tried to support Mancz throughout the recovery process and knows the O-lineman will be able to turn his trials into future opportunities.

“This setback and what he’s going through, it will just be another story for him to use and to show other people in Toledo, to say ‘look how I overcame this,’” Detmer said. “I just pray for him to get something out of it and I think he has.”

There is certainly at least one lesson Mancz has learned from this experience.

“I learned don’t get hurt after your senior year,” he quipped. “It doesn’t allow you to fully experience the combine or the pro day.

“So yeah, don’t get hurt.”

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