The Shadow
As the NFL Combine’s and Pro Day’s are currently going on, Covington High School and Richmond University graduate, Tyler Dressler, is preparing for the next stage of his career, the NFL.
For Dressler to get to the next level, if hasn’t already based on his success while playing for the Richmond Spiders, he has to impress the scouts that will be in attendance at his Richmond Pro Day, which takes place on March 25th at 8:30 a.m.
After recently talking with Dressler at length about the preparation he is doing heading into his Pro Day and all of the film and highlights from his college years, Dressler, has the attitude and skillset to reach the next level.
This is part one of a two-part article, with part two to come in Tuesday’s edition, about Dressler’s career while playing for the Spiders, his memories, his jersey retirement at Covington High School, his path to his Pro Day, and so much more.
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Since Dressler’s final game with the Spiders which resulted in a victory over William & Mary in the Capital Cup Game which Dressler was named the games MVP, Dressler has been busy training for his pro day.
“I have been training in Northern Virginia with Rhys Gully, who is with Explosive Performance. I’ve been training with them for the past seven weeks and getting ready for Pro Day.”
Dressler, has always been about team-first and never thinking about an individual accomplishment. Back at the beginning of the 2021-22 College Football season, Dressler was named the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) defensive player of the week for his team-high 12 tackle performance against Villanova, Dressler wasn’t thinking at all about the accomplishment, but rather was focused on the next game. Even as the season is now past him, Dressler, still hasn’t found the time to think about the individual accomplishments.
“In terms of my accolades and everything, it really hasn’t hit me yet. I haven’t really had the time to reflect on it just because I went straight from College Football to now training for an opportunity at the next level. I’m happy with the accolades I got, but I honestly don’t think maybe until football is over for me that I can sit there and give myself a pat on the back, just because I don’t think the job is finished yet.”
For most players who’s careers end at one level end up having to clean out their locker to make room for the next group to come in. Dressler, has not had that happen to him yet.
“If you have ambitions for the next level, they let you stay. I have great relationship with everyone there that it’s not a problem and they haven’t give it up to the next class. I still get together with the athletic trainers and use the cold tubs and the hot tubs and stretching. I will watch film with my coach (Russ Huesman) sometimes. It’s not like ok you’re done with football now we’re going to kick you out. It usually varies on the individual.”
Outside of a few transfers, Dressler, hasn’t talked to any of the new players/class coming in.
“They’ll all be here (freshman and transfers) training throughout the summer and then they’ll transition into the fall. That’s when I’ll probably lose my locker by that point (laughs Dressler).”
Dressler, not big on reflecting about individual accomplishments yet, does have one favorite memory that stands above them all and that was his final game, the win over William & Mary.
“I knew once the buzzer hit in that fourth quarter, I knew it was over (college career). It hit me pretty hard right there. I remember my mom and dad were on the sideline. It was all symbolic how I left everything out on the field, it couldn’t of been more poetic. It was the cherry on top of the career. We weren’t able to make the playoffs, but we were able to end on a winning season and it was a gritty performance throughout and I think it represented my whole career there. It was a lot of grit. I hope some of these other guys can run and pick up where I left off and hopefully take Richmond to the next level, which I think is going to happen. They have a lot of good players that will take them far in the next season. I think the best thing for me was to be able to see those guys I played with succeed and there’s nothing I want more just like they want for me.”
On December 28th, before the Covington-Alleghany boys varsity basketball game, Dressler, along with his brother Derek, and Sa’Mone Moore, each had their jersey number retired.
“My dad was working on it with for Derek, myself, and Sa’Mone and I knew they had some other players they were trying to get retired. But it was nothing crazy, my dad told me, we’re working on getting your jersey retired, when are you all free. And we found a date that Sa’Mone, Derek, and myself were all free and it was ok we’re making it happen. It was really that simple, it was not really complex. When I got the phone call, I said alright I’ll be there. We showed up and it was a huge honor.”
Dressler added about being inducted with Derek, “I think that was a really big deal. I played quite a few sports when I was a sophomore and he was a senior. We went through football together, we were on the same baseball team. It really is because of him and my father that I really worked so hard. They led the way for me to follow. It was a huge honor to have them by my side. He (Derek went to play football) and was the first player from Covington in a long time to get a full scholarship to play any type of athletics anywhere. So I just followed his footsteps and tried taking it to the next level. Just to have both our jerseys retired, is such a huge honor.
In part-two, Dressler, talks about the up coming Pro Day, his preparations & training, his NFL draft stock, the process of finding an agent, and so much more.
