RICHMOND, Va. -- All Rayshard Ashby wants is one team to take a chance on him in this year's NFL Draft.
Ashby, a former Virginia Tech and L.C. Bird standout, is hoping that he will have the chance to fulfill his athletic dreams this weekend.
"They gonna get a dawg," Ashby said. "They gonna get somebody who's ready to work. Doesn't care about the outside noise, give it all he's got. I'm going to give everything to them as long as they give me a fair chance, that's all I look for."
Ashby will be one of many that will be in front of the television this weekend, waiting to hear from an NFL team with the hopes that the last several months of workouts and interviews have paid off.
"We've been working on the '40s, all the drills, the L drill, the shuttle," Ashby explained. "And we also have skill position work so I'm still getting that work. I'm getting all of it. We got interview training also and I've been talking with some guys that my dad and uncle know that's played in the league."
Last December after serious thought, Ashby decided not to use the NCAA's extra year of eligibility and entered his name into the draft. However, the idea of returning to Blacksburg for one more season was something he seriously considered.
"It was definitely tempting," Ashby expressed. "That's my second home right there. I love Blacksburg. I love Virginia Tech. I love the program and everything about it. It was definitely tempting but it was just my time to move on."
As Ashby looks forward to the potential of his weekend, his great career at L.C. Bird is still something he remembers fondly.
"The type of mentality going into Bird my 8th-grade year that the players and coaches had was a big help for me," Ashby mentioned. "I had that mentality but just seeing them do it day in and day out, work in the weight room, going on the field and do 7x7's and 1x1's every day and compete against anybody, that just kind of helped me and it clicked to me. It was definitely a great experience at Bird. I love Bird."
