Injury slowed Wootton, but NFL will come calling

Northwestern defensive end Corey Wootton is still trying to get back to where he was before the Wildcats' appearance in the Alamo Bowl after the 2008 season.

The 6-foot-6, 270-pounder had a monster junior season that included 16 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Considering an early departure for a shot at the draft a year ago, Wootton consulted the NFL's advisory committee and was told he'd likely be a late-first- or early-second-round pick.

Then, in the fourth quarter of the Alamo Bowl, he tore the ACL in his right knee pursuing Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel. Wootton had surgery in mid-January of 2009, a procedure that often takes a full year to rehab. He didn't miss a game last year, but he wasn't close to the same level of play.

"People say it takes up to two years," Wootton said. "It was unrealistic for me or anyone to think I could be the same player less than a year from knee surgery."

His numbers proved it. His total tackles were cut in half, from 42 in 2008 to 21 last season, with 6 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. Wootton started slowly, playing about 15 snaps in each of the first four games before increasing to about 40 plays per game after that.

"I started to feel more comfortable, (but) I still didn't have the same burst and explosion," he said. "(I was) playing the season in the 70s, percentage-wise."

So why did he rush back to the playing field?

"This game means more than anything to me," Wootton said. "Coming back from this injury, I could have sat out the whole year, got my leg to where I wanted it to be and then came to the (Scouting) Combine process or whatever. But I love the game so much I wanted to come back at 5 1/2, 6 months, even though I was barely even 70 percent. I don't want to sit out for one second. That's why I did everything this year."

Wootton is now projected to go in the second or third round. He got over the "Why me?" thing a long time ago.

"I'm still having an opportunity to play in the NFL," he said at the Scouting Combine. "I'm just fortunate to be able to be here."

If he gets back to his 2008 form, Wootton will make some NFL team glad to have him.

Top 10 D-linemenDT Ndamukong Suh, NebraskaDT Gerald McCoy, OklahomaDE Derrick Morgan, Georgia TechDE Jason Pierre-Paul, S. FloridaNT Dan Williams, TennesseeDL Jared Odrick, Penn StateDE Brandon Graham, MichiganDE Everson Griffen, USCDL Tyson Alualu, CaliforniaDE Corey Wootton, NorthwesternLeGere's view: This draft is loaded with defensive tackles, starting with Suh and McCoy, who could go second and third, overall, although there is major debate over who is the better player. The ends aren't bad either. Four tackles and four ends could come off the board in the first round.Pass-rushing ends are always overvalued in the draft, and the current boom-or-bust" DE flavor of the day is Piere-Paul, whose parents emigrated from Haiti. The 6-foot-5, 270-pounder played just one season of major college football, following two years in community college, where he had 391/2 tackles for loss and 241/2 sacks. Williams and Odrick are much safer bets but do not have the potential to become elite pass rushers.2010 NFL DraftFor the first time in its 75-year history, the NFL draft moves to prime time from Radio City Music Hall in New York City.First round: Begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22Rounds 2-3: Begin at 5 p.m. Friday, April 23Rounds 4-7: Begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 24TV: NFL Network and ESPNBears picksFirst round: 11th pick traded to Denver in Jay Cutler dealSecond round: 10th pick (42nd overall) traded to Tampa Bay for DE Gaines AdamsThird round: 11th pick (75th)Fourth round: 11th pick (109th)Fifth round: 10th pick (141st) Sixth round: 12th pick (181st)Seventh round: 11th pick (218th)Source: NFL.comFalse20001491Most NFL mock drafts have Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh as the No. 1 player. He was The Associated Press College Football Player of the Year for defensive stars last season.Associated PressFalse <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Stories</h2><ul class="links"><li><a href="/story/?id=373787">Bears can't afford to have Peppers take any plays off <span class="date">[04/16/10]</span></a></li></ul></div></div></div>