Sometime early in the process, Darrius Heyward-Bey removed the mystique from the NFL draft and reduced his interminable offseason to a series of job interviews.
Less than two weeks from a destination, the 6-foot-3 wide receiver from Maryland with 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash has handled it all - the workouts and interviews, the poking and probing - with good humor and a keen sense of responsibility.
It's almost as if Heyward-Bey, 22, has been preparing for this all his life. In a way, he has.
When he was 14, he left his mother, Vivian Heyward-Bey, and his safety net in Silver Spring to attend McDonogh in pursuit of a better education and a future in basketball.
"I had to grow up early," Heyward-Bey said recently. "The decision to go to private school and move away from home was a big thing for me. Being away from home, you have to make [some important] decisions.
"There's a lot of peer pressure as a young male. I feel I always made the right decision. It made me the person I am today."
From dozens of game tapes, on through the scouting combine, Maryland's pro day and four private workouts - so far - the picture the NFL gets of Heyward-Bey is that of a gifted athlete with world-class speed. He possesses the ability to separate from defensive backs and make game-changing plays.
From combine interviews and four team visits he has made, Heyward-Bey has presented another dimension to NFL executives. He is a quick study, wise beyond his years, and has a desire to be the best and a willingness to work to get there.
It's that dimension that might push him over the top April 25 and higher into the first round. Projected as a mid- to late-first-round pick, Heyward-Bey has attracted the interest of the Oakland Raiders, who have the seventh pick in the draft and place a premium on speed.
If character really is important in the NFL, Heyward-Bey goes to the head of the class.
"You can't get better character," said Dom D'Amico, his football coach at McDonogh. "He was never in any trouble at McDonogh. He has good friends in the NFL guiding him. His roots are grounded, his personality set. ... He's one of the best [people] I've ever been around."
What stood out to Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen was the way people responded to Heyward-Bey.
"It was really unusual for me to see so many people striving to help him be a success, from high school and college," Friedgen said. "I think it's because of the way he is. He cares for everybody. He has no ego. He's just a wonderful person."
