R.J. Proctor
Offensive Lineman / Oklahoma
Alex Khvatov: What are your measurements (height, weight and forty time)?
R.J. Proctor: I am 6’4, 320 right now and I have been working on my 10-yard splits during training. I am looking to run 5.0 or 5.1. At Oklahoma, they want their O-linemen to be as big as they can be. At Oklahoma, my playing weight was 328 pounds. At UVA, I was a guard. I was 325 when I left UVA.
Alex Khvatov: When is your Pro Day? What can we expect from you on that day?
R.J. Proctor: March 11th. My goal is to get noticed and be known. I want to show them my versatility. I can play guard, center and tackle. I can be a top tackle in the NFL Draft. My freshman and sophomore year, I played center and then I played guard at Virginia. I played tackle at Oklahoma. I want to show up during workout drills and the bench press.
Alex Khvatov: Where are you currently training for the NFL Draft?
R.J. Proctor: At first, I was going to train in Florida, but I have a dog that can’t fly. I go to Oklahoma City. I travel about 40 minutes. I am training at Athlete Inc. They know my needs. Lane Johnson trains there.
Alex Khvatov: Coming out of high school, what programs showed interest in
you?
R.J. Proctor: It is a funny story. I grew up in Maryland and moved to Virginia. I was a smaller kid. I was 195 or 200 pounds. I developed the love for blocking. My freshman and sophomore year, I was small. Wyatt Teller, a friend of mine, went to high school together. He played at Virginia Tech. He told me to get a loaf of bread, put peanut butter on it and drink milk. Using that type of plan, I went from 210 pounds to 300 pounds my junior year. My parents got my sister through college. I wanted to make sure that they don’t have to worry about putting me through college. I worked out every day. I perfected my craft and went to Nike camp. I got an offer from UVA. I committed on the spot. I am a man of my word. We went 2-10 my first year. Then Bronco Mendenhall was hired as the new head coach. We got better as a team.
Alex Khvatov: Why did you transfer to Oklahoma?
R.J. Proctor: I wanted to win a national championship. I wanted to be on a bigger platform. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. Oklahoma is one of the best programs in CFB. They consistently put OL into the NFL. Coach B is a great OL coach. I was supposed to be at guard, but they wanted me to play LT. I went out of comfort zone and started some games. I started the first two games at LT then I went to LG and went to LT again. I had competition with someone else. I rotated with another OL.
Alex Khvatov: What are your strengths?
R.J. Proctor: Versatility. I have played C, OG and OT. I love run blocking and I am a good pass blocker. I was new to the OT position. I got better at tackle and worked on my technique. Communication is the most important thing for an OL. I do that well. I am able to see the field and call out the blitz.
Alex Khvatov: What was the biggest difference between Virginia and Oklahoma?
R.J. Proctor: Playbook is way more complex. I had a month and a half to soak it all in. I came in and expected to play at guard. The week before the season, I had to learn OT. I had to adjust to the speed of the game and the hurry up offense in the Big 12.
Alex Khvatov: What areas of your game are you trying to improve upon?
R.J. Proctor: I am working on pass protection every day. It is the little things. I am working on my technique at tackle.
Alex Khvatov: What position do you see yourself playing at the next level?
R.J. Proctor: I see myself as a guard. I am agile and quick enough to play tackle. Now teams are going with shorter tackles with longer arms at the next level. But I am most comfortable at guard.
Alex Khvatov: How would you describe your overall career?
R.J. Proctor: Lots of lessons learned. I had four different O-line coaches in college. Every coach is different. I didn’t just learn one technique. I have a good grasp of different techniques because I was coached by so many different people.
Alex Khvatov: Tell me about the semifinal game against LSU this past season.
R.J. Proctor: I never won a championship before. I was crying after winning the Big 12 Championship. LSU had a lot of All-Americans. I was trying to treat it like any other game and not get overwhelmed. It was very loud. We had communication problems. We had to keep our composure. It was great to compete against #18, #90 and #91 from LSU. When you compete against the best, you get to see where you are at. It was fun. We were working our technique. Unfortunately, we lost the game.
Alex Khvatov: How would you describe your QB Jalen Hurts?
R.J. Proctor: Jalen Hurts is a composed dude. He always has the same emotion. He had a short-term memory. He was a good team leader. He was always ready for the next play.
Alex Khvatov: What is the highlight of your career up to this point?
R.J. Proctor: At OU, every day in practice. Finally getting a ring in the Big 12 Championship Game. I contributed to greatness, and we made the playoffs.
Alex Khvatov: What is your biggest accomplishment in college that you are most proud of?
R.J. Proctor: Getting my degree from UVA. I got a bachelor’s degree. I majored in sociology and minored in kinesiology. I am working on my master’s degree in human relations.
Alex Khvatov: What is the most important trait for an OL?
R.J. Proctor: Aggression and being prepared for anything. You have to study the whole play and understand what the offense is trying to achieve.
Alex Khvatov: What is your favorite NFL team?
R.J. Proctor: Ravens till I die.
Alex Khvatov: Who is your favorite NFL player?
R.J. Proctor: I like Lane Johnson. I love his first step and how he approaches different blocks. He was a TE and a QB before. Richie Incognito and Quenton Nelson. LT Joe Thomas when he played for the Browns.
Alex Khvatov: Before the ball is snapped, what are the tendencies that you are looking for from the defense?
R.J. Proctor: I am looking whether they have three or four defensive linemen, two or three linebackers. I look at safety to corner. You can tell if it will be a corner blitz by the position of the safety. I have to look at the depth of the LB and whether the linemen are stunting. I look at their tendencies and look at the pressure in the DL hands. I am trying to pick on their calls. You have to be quick to pick up on everything. You don’t have a lot of time at the line of scrimmage.
Alex Khvatov: Were you disappointed that you didn’t get invited to the Scouting Combine?
R.J. Proctor: I wanted to go there. It was one of my dreams. I am not worried about it. My numbers will speak for themselves. People will know my name in March at the pro day.
Alex Khvatov: What players on your team should we keep an eye on for next season?
R.J. Proctor: Of course, center Creed Humphrey. LG Marquis Hayes is getting better every day. Adrian Ealy is my boy. We helped each other. He should have a good season.
Alex Khvatov: What can we expect from Oklahoma next year?
R.J. Proctor: National Championship. We have two great options at QB. They should be special next year.
Alex Khvatov: Who is the best player that you have faced on an opposing team?
R.J. Proctor: The best pass rusher was #18 (K’Lavon Chaisson) from LSU. The best run stopper would be Tim Settle from Virginia Tech. We grew up together.
Alex Khvatov: What do you enjoy most about football?
R.J. Proctor: I love moving people against their will. I love the brotherhood. You are always spending time together and traveling to different parts of the world. Everyone comes together on a team. All of this training and you leave it all out on the field. I love the physicality and composure that you have to play with.
Alex Khvatov: What are your hobbies?
R.J. Proctor: I play with my dog. I used to be into powerlifting. I like to go to the range and shoot. I like to chill with friends. I am boring. I like to stay low key.
Alex Khvatov: Who is the best draft prospect coming out of Oklahoma this year?
R.J. Proctor: CeeDee Lamb is the best WR. He is special. His hands are crazy. He is an athlete. He has that dog in him. When the ball in the air, he will come down with it. He is resilient. You can tell that he has a different mindset when it comes to football. It sets him apart from rest.
Alex Khvatov: What makes you unique?
R.J. Proctor: On the football field, I am versatile and easy to talk to. I am coachable and personable. I have a good work ethic. There are good athletes out here, but I know that I never worry about anyone else. It is just my mindset.
Alex Khvatov: What do you want to do with your life after your football career is over?
R.J. Proctor: I want to become a strength and conditioning coach or an academic coordinator. I want to be around the game.
Alex Khvatov: What five words best describe you?
R.J. Proctor: Hard working, versatile, coachable, confident and passionate.
