Ex-Boise State QB Brett Rypien hopes to impress NFL this weekend in all-star game
The day after the cancellation of the First Responder Bowl, Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien was on a plane from Dallas to California to begin his next step — becoming NFL quarterback Brett Rypien.
After two weeks of training, Rypien was back in the air again, traveling to Tampa, Fla., for the East-West Shrine Game, which will be played at 1 p.m. MT Saturday (NFL Network).
“I’ve been dreaming about this moment for a long time, it’s such a blessing that I’m just trying to have fun, enjoy the whole experience because it’ll happen only once,” Rypien said. “... I started training two days after the bowl got canceled, since I wasn’t sore or anything.”
Since arriving during the weekend, Rypien estimated he’d talked with between 15 and 20 NFL teams as of Wednesday night. The Shrine Game is the first major opportunity for many of the potential pros to meet the decision-makers.
“That first practice, there was something like 200 people from NFL teams there, and that was kind of the moment it put it all into perspective,” Rypien said. “I’ve asked each time I’ve talked to them what they’re looking for, and anything good I can put on tape here can only help.”
Rypien, who will play on the West team, said he hopes to prove to teams this week he “has the arm strength to make all the throws.” He is rooming with the West’s other two quarterbacks, Fresno State’s Marcus McMaryion and North Dakota State’s Easton Stick, and former Fresno State receiver KeeSean Johnson.
“I’ve definitely had a little trash talk with them, lots of joking around,” Rypien said. “Having KeeSean on your side of the ball is nice. He’s a heck of a player.”
Working with new faces, learning new plays and calls, it’s a challenge, but it’s part of the experience. Rypien, who said he worked on the mental side of his game more than ever last summer, said teams want to see how players handle adversity. From taking classes on meditation to visualization exercises, Rypien feels he’s learned to handle the stresses of the position better than ever.
Rypien finished his career 13th in FBS history with 13,581 yards passing. He is trying to become the first Boise State quarterback drafted since 1975, when the draft had 17 rounds. He’d be the second family member drafted, as his uncle, Mark, went in the sixth round to the Redskins in 1986 after playing at Washington State.
Rypien is projected by most as a third-day pick, going in the fourth through seventh rounds. However, in his latest mock draft, USA Today’s Luke Easterling has him going early in the third round, 72nd overall, to Cincinnati. ESPN ranks him the No. 14 quarterback in April 25-27’s draft, and CBSSports.com’s Chris Trapasso said “Rypien looks like an early Day 3 pick primed to outplay his draft position.”
“I’m not taking anything for granted — to even be in that discussion is an honor — it would mean a lot to me to get drafted and represent Boise State,” Rypien said.
