College football players flock to Tampa for NFL draft dreams

TAMPA, Fla. - College football players from across the country are descending on Tampa to train as the countdown to the NFL draft draws near.  

Fabien Lovett wants to hear his name called during April's NFL Draft.

"I would be the first from my family to ever be drafted and experience something like this," Lovett said. "And I would be the first, probably, from my city to every be drafted."

If Cliff Brown has anything to say about it, Lovett, a defensive lineman from Florida State, will see his dreams become a reality.

"Our main mission for the guys here at Athlete Innovations is for them to make a 53-man roster so we can see them on Sundays," Brown shared.

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For the last few weeks, Brown, the CEO and head of performance at Athlete Innovations, and his coaches have hosted a roster of college football players from around the country for something they call "Operation 53."

Cliff Brown is coaching NFL draft hopefuls in Tampa. 

"Because it's all about making that 53-man roster," Brown explained.

These players come to Tampa to train with Brown and hone skills they otherwise wouldn't practice during a football season.

It is as much about preparing mentally as it is physically.

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"It is like a nervous and an eager feeling at the same time," said Braxton Clark, a cornerback from USF. "You want to make sure that you're ready and sometimes you're wondering if you're working hard enough."

Joining Brown as coaches for Operation 53 are former NFL players such as Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Bobby Richardson and Devonte Bond.

Cliff Brown helps Fabien Lovett train on the field. 

"They like pulling me to the side and asking me questions," Richardson said. "The other week one of them asked me what the key is to staying there (in the NFL)."

While Brown's stable of players are here to prepare themselves for the pre-draft process, they are also there to help each other prepare.

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"Everybody comes from a different conference. Everybody has their own standards," Lovett stated. "But at the end of the day, we are all working toward the same goal. It brings everybody up to the same page on how we need to work, dominate and do things."

After all, the pre-draft process is stressful enough.

Fabien Lovett hopes to be drafted into the NFL. 

"Through this process, the biggest thing is, they only get one shot at this. So, there is no room for error," Brown said.

But these prospects are hoping their time spent in Operation 53 will lead to a spot on a 53-man roster for good.

The NFL Draft, meanwhile, begins on April 25 in Detroit.

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