Haden upset at his combine 40 but still confident

UPDATE: Early reports indicate Joe Haden ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at Florida’s Pro Day.

Former Florida Gators cornerback Joe Haden spoke with Dennis Dillon of SportingNews recently about a number of topics relating to his workout at the 2010 NFL Scouting Combine and what he plans to do Wednesday at Florida’s Pro Day. Below are some excerpts from the interview. To read the entire thing – click here.

On re-running the 40-yard dash: “I can’t wait. My back is finally 100 percent, so I can’t wait to go out there and perform. I’m just anxious and ready to do it. […] All I’ve been working on is my 40 starts. That’s basically it. I’ve probably run about a thousand 40s. […] I haven’t run that slow [4.57 seconds] since my freshman year off high school, so I was really disappointed. Down in Florida, all I ran were 4.34s or 4.33s. So I’m looking forward to running in the 4.33 range like I always have.”

On why he failed to run as fast at the combine: “I had a back strain.”

On being tops at his position: “I feel like I’m definitely the best corner [in the draft]. What you get from me is what nobody else can give you at corner – a strong, hard-nosed player who can lock down one side of the field and isn’t afraid to play man, isn’t afraid to blitz and isn’t afraid to tackle.”

On being recruited as a quarterback: “It would have been a whole lot different. I don’t think I would be in the situation I am now. I know God put me in the best situation for me, and that was to go to Florida and switch over to corner. If I had been a quarterback, I don’t think I’d have left school early and I don’t think I’d be projected to go in the first round of the draft.”