Da'Shawn Hand's message at Senior Bowl: ‘Hey world, I’m here’
MOBILE, Ala. — Da’Shawn Hand is at peace, even as he participates in the biggest job interview of his life. The Alabama defensive lineman faced a slew of questions from reporters Tuesday the same way he plans on talking to NFL scouts during formal interviews — with a smile and an honest answer.
“The thing about this job interview is you’ve got to be yourself,” Hand said. “Nobody knows yourself better than you. It’s just being me, honest. I’ve got nothing nervous to hide. As long as I am me and do what I do, I’ve got no worries.”
Hand figures to be a part of many more interviews as he participates in Senior Bowl activities this week in Mobile. Inevitably that will lead to some tough questions, none more obvious than his DUI arrest in July when he was found asleep in a parked car. Nevertheless, Hand claims he’s ready for whatever teams throw his way.
“If they ask the question, I’m going to answer honestly,” Hand said. “There’s nothing to lie about. I'm just being honest. That’s all you can do, just be honest.”
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman will also have to answer some on-the-field questions as well. First, there’s the MCL strain he suffered against Ole Miss that kept him off the field for three games earlier this season. Hand claims he’s completely recovered from that.
There’s also the issue of his inconsistent play. Hand finished last season with 27 tackles, 3.5 for a loss with three sacks. There were times when he was brilliant, like during the Sugar Bowl where he tallied a season-high five tackles including a sack. However, there were also games where he failed to show up on the stat sheet, such as the national championship game where he recorded just one tackle.
“In my opinion, it was a great season,” Hand said. “I faced adversity, pushed through it and at the end we capped it off with a national championship win.”
Regardless, the former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2014 class has faced criticism by some who feel he has yet to live up to his five-star potential. Hand is quick to brush off those remarks, stating he went into a system at Alabama and “did what I had to do.”
None of that matters anyway. Instead, Hand plans to use this week to silence critics and prove his talents can translate to a consistent performance on the field. For him, that starts by showing scouts his athleticism and versatility.
At Alabama, he lined up in the 3-technique (on the outside shoulder of the guard) on passing downs while moving to a 5-technique (on the outside of the offensive tackle) in running situations.
“It’s different techniques,” Hand said. “So I might be inside shade or head up or on a tight end or on a guard.”
While he’s willing to play anywhere his next team wants him, Hand said he’s looking to “dominate at the 3-technique” this week as that’s where he prefers to be deployed at the next level. He got off to a good start with that Tuesday during the South team’s first practice as he used a perfect swim move to slip past Georgia guard Isaiah Wynn.
“It’s kind of like ‘Hey world, I’m here’ especially with the 3 technique,” Hand said. “Just showing my ability to be consistent with my hands, just be dominant.”
In other words, just being himself.