Ever since he first began playing football, it was Phillip Dillard's goal to play in the NFL.
That dream will likely be realized at some point in the next two days, as the former Nebraska linebacker is expected to be selected in the NFL Draft.
However, Dillard's path from high school standout to NFL hopeful wasn't as smooth as first anticipated.
The goal wasn't so far-fetched when Dillard arrived as a key member of Bill Callahan's highly-touted first recruiting class. After a strong freshman campaign, which included a start against Missouri, Dillard was expected to vie for a starting position the coming fall. Then injuries struck. Dillard tore his ACL and missed almost all of the 2006 season. The setback allowed Corey McKeon to establish himself at middle linebacker, and Dillard struggled to crack the starting lineup consistently. He was limited by injuries his junior year, missing the last four games of the regular season before returning for limited action in the Gator Bowl.
Dillard is, however, quick to point out those injuries were outliers, not the result of his body breaking down. The knee injury came when he was pushed in kickoff coverage, and he later sustained an ankle injury after a teammate ran into him.
"They were mostly freak injuries, but other than that I feel great about my career," Dillard said.
Dillard's dream looked as if it would go unrealized at the beginning of his senior year, as he didn't see the field during NU's first two games.
After earning a start against Virginia Tech, Dillard's season took off.
He totaled 83 tackles, second on the team only to Ndamukong Suh and had three sacks and an interception. He was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team by Big 12 coaches and the Associated Press. It was then that Dillard's name began popping up in NFL discussions.
The linebacker attributes much of his success to NU head coach Bo Pelini and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler. Pelini himself was a linebackers coach in the NFL for six years before becoming the defensive coordinator at Nebraska in 2003.
"He was always in our meeting rooms," Dillard said of Pelini. "Half the time, he wouldn't say anything. He'd just ask us the questions and make us the coaches. I think that made me, as well as everyone else, better players."
After the season, Dillard jumped into his draft preparations, including watching film to go along with physical training. Dillard watches both film from his college career and NFL teams.
"I watch film all the time," Dillard said. "I watch everything and see how it translates over. It's a lot the same. They're just a little faster and a little stronger."
Dillard must now rely on his own determination to push himself through workouts. No longer are there coaches or other players in his ear pushing him to improve.
"I make sure that I get up every day and that I go and push myself in the weight room and in running," Dillard said. "Through the pro day and the combine and everything else, it's just me doing it. There's no one there to wake me."
Dillard participated in the Senior Bowl and was invited to February's NFL Combine in Indianapolis. There, he had personal interviews with coaches and was put through a series of drills.
Most are designed to test the linebacker's ability to quickly change direction, a trait which helps teams determine whether a linebacker can play on both running and passing downs in the NFL. Dillard stayed on the field when the Cornhuskers used nickel and dime packages last year, and he felt that experience showed, despite one slip-up.
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