Missouri's Weatherspoon sure has the NFL talking

Not only is Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon a likely first-round draft pick and a potential Pro Bowl player, he's already on the all-interview team.

Ask him for the time, and Weatherspoon will tell you how to build a watch.

The 6-foot-1, 239-pounder had over 400 tackles for the Tigers, which earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he talked so much that some coaches and scouts couldn't believe was they saw.

"Some teams (at the Scouting Combine) kind of asked me if I put on a front at the Senior Bowl," Weatherspoon said. "They were like, 'Is that you all the time?' I was like, 'Yeah, that's me.' That's the way I grew up. I've always been that loud guy. When I was a kid, I would always get those marks on my progress reports that said, 'talks excessively.' I'm very loquacious. That's what I do. I chitchat and I chatter."

But, what some coaches and players might consider outgoing, others view as overbearing. He's not for everyone.

According to Nolan Nawrocki in Pro Football Weekly's 2010 Draft Preview, "Weatherspoon is not universally liked among scouts. (He) is viewed by some decision-makers as a potential locker room toxin because he talks too much and carries a prima donna attitude."

But, for the most part, Weatherspoon has backed up his talk with his play on the field. He had 42.5 tackles for loss in his three years as a starter at Missouri, and he tested exceptionally well at the Combine, bench-pressing 225 pounds 34 times and flashing a 40-inch vertical jump, both of which were second best among all linebackers.

The toughest question Weatherspoon got at the Combine was why the film from his junior season (155 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks) was more impressive than his senior season (111, 14.5, 4.5).

"Having to answer that question was pretty tough, but you've got to be honest, you've got to be blunt, you've got to step up and be a man," Weatherspoon said.

"We had a new defensive coordinator. My part in the defense was a little bit different. I played a little bit more inside (in addition to) outside so I was kind of going from (middle) to (weak side) within the same drive at times, and sometimes it would be kind of confusing."

Weatherspoon also added 12-15 pounds of weight that wasn't helping his game.

"Once it was brought to my attention," he said, "I went back and watched film from my junior season, and I was moving a lot more fluidly, and that's when I decided to get back to this weight I'm at now."

And, if you want a detailed description of how he lost the weight and kept it off, Weatherspoon would be more than happy to provide a step-by-step program with plenty of commentary.

That's just who he is.

Top 10 linebackers

Sergio Kindle, Texas

Rolando McClain, Alabama

Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri

Jerry Hughes, TCU

Sean Lee, Penn State

Daryl Washington, TCU

Brandon Spikes, Florida

Navorro Bowman, Penn State

Eric Norwood, South Carolina

Ricky Sapp, Clemson

LeGere's view: As usual, Penn State lives up to its reputation as Linebacker U with Bowman and Lee looking like second-round picks. McClain is the best inside 'backer of an ordinary group, although several of the outside 'backers - especially Hughes, Kindle and Norwood - provide intriguing pass-rush ability, which could skyrocket their stock and might make them candidates for defensive ends in some NFL schemes.

Kindle, Spikes and Bowman all come with some character concerns, especially Bowman. Kindle is the first player ever to be a finalist for the Butkus Award (top college linebacker) and Hendricks Award (top defensive end) in the same season.