Alex Khvatov:  What are your measurements (height, weight, forty time and bench press)?

Branden Albert:  I am 6'5 ½, 310 pounds.  I did the 225 bench press 23 times and ran a 5.17 forty.

Alex Khvatov:  Did you surprise yourself in how well you ran the forty at the Combine?

Branden Albert:  No, I knew that I was pretty fast guy.  I knew that I was fast.  I just had to get the technique down. 

Alex Khvatov:  Why did you decide to come out after your junior season?

Branden Albert:  I felt that I was ready to compete.  It was my time to move on.  I felt that I couldn't improve at the college level anymore.

Alex Khvatov:  You didn't start playing football until your junior year of high school, why such a late start? 

Branden Albert:  I just got exposed to football late.  I decided to play football during my junior year of high school after I moved from New York to Maryland with my older brother.  He transferred from the JUCO college to the University of Maryland and played DE there.   

Alex Khvatov:  What kind of influence did your older brother have on you in regards to football?

Branden Albert:  He was the one who forced me to play football.  It was a stipulation that I start playing football.

Alex Khvatov:  I heard that you have some skills on the basketball court, give me a scouting report on yourself?

Branden Albert:  I was a very good basketball player in high school.  I got recruited by a number of Division I schools.  I also played on one of the best AAU teams in the Maryland area.  I was a post up player because I was so big, but I couldn't jump.  Once I started weightlifting in football that helped me become more explosive.

Alex Khvatov:  Since you are a basketball fan, who do you think is going to win the NCAA Tournament and why?

Branden Albert:  I believe Memphis is going to win.  Derrick Rose is one of the best players in the country.  They have gifted players like Chris Douglas-Roberts and Joey Dorsey.  They have the best chance because they have the most talent.

Alex Khvatov:  Why did choose Virginia coming out of high school?

Branden Albert:  Basically that is the only school that showed interest in me.  Most teams didn't know about me.  Virginia heard about me from basketball.  Coach Prince came to see me and that was the end of the story.

Alex Khvatov:  Tell me about your overall experience at the Scouting Combine.

Branden Albert:  I just wanted to show them that I have good character and a good personality.  I knew that I would do well in the physical part.  I wanted to put my skills on display.  It was stressful, but it was time to go to work.

Alex Khvatov:  What was the most unique question that you had to answer during the interview process?

Branden Albert:  It was about my weaknesses.  They wanted to know from me what I needed to work on.  Many players don't want to tell them that they have a weakness on display.  I let them know what it is and I told them that I would work on it.   

Alex Khvatov:  Tell me about your Pro Day.

Branden Albert:  I did my position drills.  I talked to Joe Bugel from the Redskins and Coach Warren from St. Louis Rams.  I think that they were impressed with me.

Alex Khvatov:  What was it like to play for your head coach Al Groh?

Branden Albert:  It was a pretty good experience.  I played in a pro style offense.  It will help me make an easier transition to the NFL.

Alex Khvatov:  What was it like to go up against Chris Long in practice?

Branden Albert:  It was an experience.  It helps you get better.  I learned from him that I have to play hard if I want to be a better football player.  It brings the best out of you.

Alex Khvatov:  Do you feel more comfortable at guard than at tackle?

Branden Albert:  I mean I get that question a lot.  It doesn't matter.  I played mostly guard in college.  But I was just as comfortable on the outside.  I am one of the top athletes in the draft.  I am comfortable at both. 

Alex Khvatov:  What is the highlight of your football career up to this point?

Branden Albert:  Has to be the University of Virginia winning nine games last season.  It was a big accomplishment.  We had a rough start when we lost to Wyoming in the first game.  When I got back, a lot of people were saying that we needed to fire Coach Groh.  It was a great accomplishment for us.

Alex Khvatov:  What is your favorite NFL team?

Branden Albert:  The Dallas Cowboys.  The way they conducted themselves on the field and the aura that they had. 

Alex Khvatov:  Who is your favorite player?

Branden Albert:  I was a big Emmith Smith fan.  I liked how he played.

Alex Khvatov:  What are your strengths on the football field?

Branden Albert:  My main strengths are my athleticism and my intelligence as a football player. 

Alex Khvatov:  What areas of your game do you need to improve upon?

Branden Albert:  Just my pad level.  I play too high sometimes and I need to work on it.

Alex Khvatov:  Who is the toughest player that you have faced during your career?

Branden Albert:  I would have to say Brodrick Bunkley.  He was a first round pick.  I faced him during my first year.  He was tough.  He was very explosive and strong.  I would have to say him.

Alex Khvatov:  Which underclassman on your team should we keep an eye on in the future?

Branden Albert:  Left tackle Eugene Monroe.  He is already a number one tackle.  He should be a very high pick.  He has a lot of strength and good feet.  He shut down a lot of good defensive ends last year.  He plays with a mean streak and shows a lot of explosion for a bigger guy.

Alex Khvatov:  What do you enjoy most about playing football?

Branden Albert:  What I enjoy most is just dominating my opponent.  I pride myself on being a dominant force.

Alex Khvatov:  What is the one thing in your daily life that you can't live without?

Branden Albert:  Probably talk to my mother.  She means the whole world to me.  She grew me into the man that I am today.  She never ran out on me.  She was always there for me.

Alex Khvatov:  What are you going to buy when you get your first paycheck?

Branden Albert:  I am going to buy my mother a house.  She wants a nice house.

Alex Khvatov:  Tell me something about yourself that makes you unique.

Branden Albert:  My personality.  I have a very likable personality.  People enjoy talking to me because I make them feel comfortable.

Alex Khvatov:  What are your hobbies away from the football field?

Branden Albert:  I don't have any hobbies.  I like sleeping and relaxing.  No more basketball for me because football is my job now. 

Alex Khvatov:  Do you think that you are a first round talent?

Branden Albert:  Oh yeah, it is no doubt that I am a first round talent.  A lot of people think that and I believe that I am.

Alex Khvatov:  Finish the sentence, Branden Albert is:..

Branden Albert:  He is a dominant force on the football field.  He is a very nice young man.  He is very personable.  He likes to enjoy life.  People are in awe of him once they meet him.