Former Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been up and down in mock drafts. He is known to be a very talented player who also might be a bit of a headcase who is undisciplined on the field. On Sunday at the NFL combine, he tried to explain some of those issues.
On his fight with teammate Kevin Ozier:
"It started in seven-on-seven and he ran a route and hit me, and we're not supposed to hit each other in seven-on-seven," he said. "We had an argument, and we brought it into the locker room. We started chattering about it, he started rough-housing me. He pushed me, and my first instinct was to swing, and everyone thinks I'm the bad guy because my first instinct was to swing on the guy."
He did express regret that it happened.
On his inconsistent play in 2011:
"I played average. I could've played better. That's what hurt me at times. The coaches kind of messed me up. I didn't know if I would start a game or be benched. It hurt me, but I tried to fight through it."
He also noted he was playing too heavy at 260 pounds.
His thoughts on his draft status:
"I'm not concerned about that. I just know I'm the best linebacker in this draft. I know I can get the job done."