Jay Tufele eager to show NFL scouts the work he put in during opt-out year

First, Jay Tufele has no regrets about opting out of the 2020 USC football season. It wasn't a decision made with NFL draft stock or really any football-related motivations in mind -- it was much bigger than that.

"It was more things that happened that was out of my control in terms of my family -- COVID really affected my whole family and my sister especially. She ended up being in the ER basically on her bed, and everyone around me I was able to speak to them and they really were counseling me the right way in terms of having this opportunity and also just believing in myself and knowing what I'm able to do," Tufele said Monday in a Zoom call with reporters.

"And knowing that I'm going to do it to the best of my ability, and I'm going to show everybody that I'm able to be a pro and come out and show what I can do. Throughout this process has just really taught me to believe in yourself and no matter what just work hard and in the end it will come and it will show."

The USC defensive tackle's older sister, Noreen Tufele, was in an intensive care unit on a ventilator in August battling COVID-19, which had also impacted other members of his family. He's spoken before about how grave the situation seemed at times.

Speaking Monday, Tufele offered a positive update on his sister's health.

"She's alive and that's all we can ask for. She's someone that I really hold dear to my heart, and the fact that she's breathing and she's able to watch my pro day on the TV and see it, that means more than the world because there was a point that I didn't know if she would even see this day," he said. "She's doing very well and she's going to keep on getting better."

Tufele will be back competing at USC again Wednesday as representatives from all 32 NFL teams are expected on campus for the Trojans pro day.

Because there is no NFL Scouting Combine this year due to COVID concerns, scouts are depending on these pro days to evaluate and test draft prospects.

In Tufele's case, it's an especially important showcase after he sat out the 2020 season.

"Every event, I'm doing everything, and I want to show that I left for a year and I'm stronger and I'm faster and I'm basically a new person in everything that I do," Tufele said. "I just want to show people that I wasn't just sitting on my butt for a year -- I actually was putting in the work, more work than a lot of people could expect, and that's just a testament to who I am."

Tufele has been training at Proactive Sports in Santa Ana, and says being on his own -- away from the structure of the USC football program -- forced him to mature even more.

"You're a pro now and you're no longer having people tell you what to do -- you're doing it yourself. I was really able to find that quick," he said. "... I was able to find a routine and keep on it. I've been [focused] more on my core, because I remember my coach telling me, 'Jay, if you don't get tired, you're going to make more plays than you can imagine.' I really keyed in on that, and watching guys like Aaron Donald and what they do I was able to start my core routine and really up it every day throughout the week and the month. It became a religion in everything I did and became who I am."

Tufele finished with 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks over 18 starts and 25 games total at USC. He was an All-Pac-12 second-team selection in 2018 and a first-team pick in 2019 as a redshirt sophomore.

Looking back on his time with the Trojans, though, Tufele said the most meaningful year might have been his redshirt season in 2017 when he was named USC's co-defensive service team player of the year for his work in practice.

"That was the year that I really learned how to work and I matured in a way that really blossomed me for my next two years," he said.

There aren't a lot of mock drafts that dive deeper than the first round, but NFL.com's Chad Reuter has Tufele projected in the fourth round (No. 124 overall) in his latest four-round mock.

Tufele said there isn't one drill or testing event in particular that he is focused on Wednesday -- just showcasing the body of work, and to that point, the work he's done on his body.

"My body has changed tremendously just because I knew what I wanted to do and I'm all about work. I don't really say that much -- I just put my head down and I work," he said. "My body will speak for itself. When you look at it, you can tell that this man, he loves what he does and he's able to take it to another level."

As for watching his teammates play this fall while no longer on the sideline with them, Tufele acknowledged that was tough at times. But he found the silver lining in it all, while knowing it was the decision he had to make.

"Throughout the whole year, don't get me wrong, it's very hard to watch and sit out, just being a competitor," he said. "... The weirdest part was just realizing that you're no longer on the field and you're no longer part of the team but now you're a fan. That was the weirdest part. But in terms of it, watching those guys and the way they played, especially the young guys I'm so grateful knowing they wouldn't have had the opportunity if I never was able to go out and having this happen. ...

"I love what I do and seeing these younger guys and seeing how passionate they are about the game, it makes me happy because I know that USC is in good hands."

Tufele said from the discussions he's had with NFL teams so far, his sitting out the season has not been viewed negatively from what he can tell.

"I have talked to teams and in reality they aren't [concerned] because we go over film and talking about who I am as a person, and they basically trust the people they're interviewing and they say nothing but good things," he said. "It comes back to who I am and what I represent and the type of player I am on the field. Being away for a year didn't really take away that -- it just made me better. And they realize how I've grown and become a pro.'