What Makes Brian Price Tick?
July 19th, 2010
Joe recently touched base with Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times to get more background information into Bucs second round draft pick, defensive tackle Brian Price. Sondheimer, who covered Price both at UCLA and in high school, was kind enough to fill in Joe on some details on Price, both the player and the person.
JoeBucsFan: Granted, here on the west coast of the East Coast, we don’t get to see too many UCLA games. What made Brian Price such a special defensive tackle?
Eric Sondheimer: Price showed exceptional strength in beating offensive linemen one-on-one, whether stopping the run or bursting through to pressure the quarterback. His combination of quickness and strength made him a unique player.
Joe: Was there a particular play or a specific game that you watched Price play at UCLA and first thought to yourself, “Wow, this guy’s playing on Sundays?”
Eric: I saw him at Crenshaw High, and there just wasn’t anyone to play with him. That’s why USC tried very hard to recruit him, even sending a limo to try to pick him up on a recruiting visit. But he had already made up his mind to attend UCLA, which was having trouble get top players from Los Angeles. He turned out to be as good as advertised.
Joe: You stated in a previous e-mail that you covered Price in high school, as well, so you likely know him just about as well as any reporters. I know Price had a difficult upbringing. Can you flush out some of the details about what a rough background he came from and the personal challenges he faced?
Eric: Price had a brother killed. He comes from an area where gangs are prominent, but he has always been a good kid who loved sports and respected his coaches. His father works as a softball coach at Crenshaw. He knows the difference between right and wrong. He wants to succeed and wants to work hard.
Joe: What is it on a personal level that may impress you about Price or something that not many people may know? He is the kind of guy teammates follow or gravitate to? Is he a rah-rah kind of guy or does he simply lead by example?
Eric: When UCLA played a bowl game at a very cold site, he was the one wandering around in freezing temperatures with his shirt off before the game. I don’t know if that makes him crazy or he was simply setting an example for teammates to ignore the conditions. I never asked. This past weekend, he came back to his high school to help run a lineman clinic for high school and youth football players. That shows he hasn’t forgotten where he came from. He is very likable and approachable. He loves football. He loves to win. He loves to have fun. He’s a Los Angeles kid who appreciates what it has taken to get where he’s at.
Joe: Since you’ve seen so many of his games, from your research and knowledge and insight, how would you project Price to be as an NFL player, say, five years down the road?
Eric: I think Brian Price is going to be a dependable, steady player for years in the NFL. He has the body and physical makeup to be a standout at times. His only weakness at UCLA was conditioning. He had to come out of games at times. But run stoppers and pass rushers are needed, and he can be both as long as he stays injury free. Price showed exceptional strength in beating offensive linemen one-on-one, whether stopping the run or bursting through to pressure the quarterback. His combination of quickness and strength made him a unique player.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:51 am
I know mushmouth thinks he is too small, but I am looking forward to seeing him develope over the next few years. I have a good feeling about him, I think he is going to be great.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:59 am
You have to admit that the Rah and Dom did draft some high character players this year. Most were leaders on their college teams. We might need to depend on too many rookies this year, but atleast they are good young men that might be up to the task.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:36 am
You can find this kind of fluff about every player selected in the NFL draft. Most kicked ass in high school and dominated at the college level.
Who knows, the guy may be better than McCoy, or never as good as Hovan.
We just have to get through the endless “so and so looked great at practice” and meaningless pre-season performances and get the real rodeo started.
Then we will at least get some idea of whether the fine upstanding young men selected by Dom in the greatest draft of all time can play pro-football.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:52 am
12 days and counting..
July 19th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
This interview was conducted through e-mail, Joe?
July 19th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I think he has greate sleeper potential… McCoy is the big name on the block… Price can fly under the radar and have a solid season… or rather, grow into a solid player. I also won’t be surprised if he explodes on the scene.
July 19th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
FIRE GREG OLSON!:
Joe was out of town last week. It was the best way to get it done.
July 19th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
I don’t think he is too small , McBuc. I think he is too small to play Nosegaurd.
He’d be a perfect Undertackle , but we already drafted the 40 million dollar man in front of him .
Even if I’m wrong, and he does have the strength to hold his own at nose , we will be wasting his talents there. He has the potential to be a great pass rusher and play disrupter , but we will just have him eating double-teams all day ( and because of his stature, most likely getting beat-down and injured )
The only saving gace that could make this a great pick , is if McCoy becomes a bust …but I know damn well none of us want to see that happen…..
July 19th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
He is the exact size of Sapp (6’2″ 300 lbs) and even has a similiar build. How can anyone say he is too small when he is the same exact size as the greatest DT of all time?
I think in the long run, Price actually stands a decent chance of having a better career than McCoy. He needs to take his conditioning more seriously, but he has the tools to be a great DT.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Hes bigger and stronger than Culpepper was and he was our NT back in the day.
July 20th, 2010 at 7:35 am
and we sucked against the run back then too. How many times did the Panthers and Stephen Davis run for a bazillion yards down our throats .
Not to mention Culpepper was just a scrub who you throw in there simply to eat up blockers and free up Sapp. Why would you want to waste the 35th pick overall on a player to play that role ??? You could get any fat guy off the street or in the 7th round to play that role.
Meanwhile , our defensive ends SUCK because we ignored that position , and a ton of good Defensive ends were still on the board.
The pick was stupid. End of story.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:26 am
Mr. Mushmouth has been all over this, stating his feelings about the pick within five minutes of the selection…………….
Makes a very compelling case, IMO. Really, the only way Price becomes great is if McCoy does not.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:32 am
That is crazy to call BC a scrub. Sapp even credits him with making Sapp a better player. I also disagree that only one of them can be great, that is just silly. Maybe one will not get as many sacks, but I do remember multiple linemen getting plenty of sacks in the Bucs hey day, and BC was one of them. Both of these players have a chance to be great…together. You guys are just grasping for something to bitch about.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Ok, when McCoy and Price play at the same time, where does Price line up?
July 20th, 2010 at 11:42 am
Grasping for something to bitch about??
Last I checked Steve White agreed with us , and he is the resident D-Line expert around these parts….
July 20th, 2010 at 11:44 am
If they play him as a NT in a 4-3 the intent is for him to attack a one gap and disrup[t the backfield. This is how I see TB using price. If we ran a 3-4 than I would agree he is undersized. The 3-4 NT is designed to take on bouble teams and make plays at the line of scrimage. This kid is very athletic and very strong.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:46 am
I have lots of respect for Steve, but I just disagree with him on this one. I never claim to have more knowledge than Steve either, but plenty of other pros have said that it was great to pick both of them up…including Sapp.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:47 am
“”eric Says:
July 20th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Ok, when McCoy and Price play at the same time, where does Price line up?””
and who stops the run ?? We know it’s never been either of our rookie tackles forte in college , and it’s not the forte of the guy behind them (Rudd) ,or the guy behind HIM ( Piscitilli) …
The Panthers should have a field day against us next year.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:12 pm
Last year Price had 20+ TFL. I think he can handle the run pretty well. I guess we’ll see what happens. Plus, The DEs in this past draft SUCKED. Dunlap? Are you serious? Hes a physical speciman, but put up nothing numbers wise. Not counting 3-4 OLB, there wasnt another DE taken in the draft until after we had picked in the 3rd, and that was a 3-4 DE. This class was weak for DEs. No need to reach for a player. Price could have gone in the top 15, so getting him with the 35th pick is a great value.
July 20th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Yeah, we will see.
We are goin to get steam-rolled by every physical team we face.
But , hey, at least I will get SOME solace after this embarassing season knowing that I can laugh in all the idiots faces on this board who actually think this pick makes any sense at all….
July 20th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Mushmouth…everything seems to point at Price being solid against the run.
July 20th, 2010 at 4:39 pm
Well, I guess anyone that disagrees with you is an idiot…hmmm, all class.