Scherff: 'It's a dream come true' for NFL Draft

CHICAGO – The sun was shining on the Windy City Wednesday. And on Brandon Scherff's football future.

"It's a dream come true," said Scherff, Iowa's consensus all-American and Outland Trophy candidate on the eve of Thursday's NFL Draft.

Where he'll go, nobody knows, though the first round appears a lock. Scherff said Wednesday he has no inkling, no inside information on his future. He has visited two franchises leading up to the draft. Who?

"I can't say," said Scherff, who took part in a youth football clinic sponsored by the NFL's "Play 60" program Wednesday morning in Grant Park.

Scherff later confirmed that one of them was the New York Giants, who have the ninth pick. The other remains a secret. Twenty-three teams talked to Scherff at the NFL Combine.

"You just have to go and have fun with it," Scherff said. "When your name is called, just be grateful for the opportunity to go out and play."

A lot of the pre-draft discussion around Scherff has centered on his future position.

"If you call my name, I'll play guard, tackle, center, and I'll go out and do my best," Scherff said.

The subject came up two weeks ago when Scherff visited the Giants.

"They said, 'Do you see yourself playing guard?'" Scherff said. "I said, 'I see myself playing wherever you want me to play. You just have to go out and do your best.'"

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Giants tackle Justin Pugh has campaigned for Scherff, and even said he'd move to guard to play next to the Iowa product.

"That's awesome, coming from a player like that," Scherff said. "I can learn a lot from a guy like that."

Scherff said when he reports to mini-camp later this month, he'll go with an open mind.

"Who knows, you might play guard one year and then they move you to tackle," Scherff said. "You've got to learn to play both."

Scherff said his dream of the NFL started as a kid growing up in Denison, where he was partial to the Minnesota Vikings and his favorite player, quarterback Daunte Culpepper. The dream had some legs early in Scherff's college career.

"My sophomore year (at Iowa) I thought, 'Maybe this can happen,'" Scherff said.

Iowa assistant coach Reese Morgan, who recruited Scherff and recruited him early in his career before moving to the defensive line, gave Scherff some advice.

"Coach Morgan said to set goals like that for yourself so you have something to reach for each day," Scherff said.

Scherff will be joined at the draft by, among others, his family; Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and strength coach Chris Doyle; and four of Scherff's coaches at Denison High School, including former football coach and now activities director Dave Wiebers.

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