ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Teez Tabor popped up on the television moments after he was selected in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday night and all around him, the message was the same.
“Press Play Watch the Tape.”
Those were the words, in black lettering, on white T-shirts worn by those with Tabor.
The shirts were made by Tabor’s mother, Merri, after she grew tired of hearing about her son’s subpar 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine. At 4.62 seconds, the time tied for the third slowest of any defensive back in Indianapolis this year and brought questions about the 6-foot-1 former Florida Gator. Those questions about his speed led to him slipping out of the first round.
Tabor said he understood the poor 40 time hurt his draft status, but it also pushed his mom to make a statement. It led to him being on the phone with the Lions after being selected, people jumping around with the message splashed across their torsos.
So what would people see if they watched the tape?
“They would just see a kid who works hard at the game, a kid who studies film, a kid that is a student of the game and you can see what type of person I am through my film and how I can carry myself,” Tabor said. “Just the toughness that I bring to the game and stuff like that.”
The toughness helped him break up six passes as a senior and another 18 passes as a junior. It turned him into a lockdown corner at Florida, someone who eventually can be matched with Darius Slay as a pair of starting cornerbacks.
The 6-foot-1 Tabor is what Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin looks for in corners -- tall, long players who are willing to be physical and make tackles. Tabor has no issues there. The confident Tabor said at the combine he felt he was the best player in the draft -- it's nothing new for players to have strong beliefs in themselves -- and that the confidence he displayed would only help him.
He’s also clearly interested in marketing himself. In a recent Washington Times story, he mentioned he admired LaVar Ball and his sons Lonzo, LiAngelo and LaMelo for what they are trying to do with their brand.
“It was like how they have their own brand and it was really cool,” Tabor said. “More of that, how they have their own brand, like they have the Ball Brothers and just the concept behind how they have their own brand.”
So could Press Play, Watch the Tape be a burgeoning brand for the rookie Lions cornerback? He wasn’t quite ready to go there yet. Clearly, though, he’s thought about it.
“Maybe, not yet,” Tabor said. “That’ll be in college. I haven’t done anything in the NFL yet. Hopefully I’ll make a couple plays and help my team out to have success on the field. Then maybe we can make more shirts.
“But as of right now I have a clean slate and I am just ready to come in and prove to Mr. [Bob] Quinn and the Ford family that they made the right decision.”
If he does that, the 40 time that spurred the T-shirts and the slide in the draft won’t matter at all.
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