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Courting NFL Interest

Five broken noses later, JC Tretter '13 remains headed for an NFL contract.

"Absolutely, I will continue to train and prepare," said the Big Red star, sidelined for the Jan. 26 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., after a training camp mishap in Florida.

"We were doing one-on-one pass protection drills and I had the defender locked out. He tried to spin and slipped and the back of his head hit the side of my nose and moved it across my face," Tretter said in an interview.

Surgery repositioned Tretter's nose.

On Jan. 29, he resumed training. This week, he travels to Indianapolis, Ind., for the NFL Scouting Combine Wednesday through Saturday.

Coaches, executives and others from all 32 NFL teams will be watching 300 elite football players perform.

A 50-question intelligence test administered in 12 minutes, 20- and 60-yard dashes, bench pressing and other drills in Indianapolis provide pro football's last deep look at candidates before the 2013 NFL Draft. It will be held April 25-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Tretter hopes the Indianapolis event makes up for being idled during the Mobile showcase.

"Not being able to play was a huge missed opportunity. Every team wanted to see me play against higher competition," he said. "But I tried to make the most of a bad situation and stayed in Mobile a couple of nights to meet with over 20 NFL teams."

Tretter isn't worried about his nose.

"I have had much worse," he said, referring to a torn meniscus repaired in his sophomore year.

Tretter, who played tackle for Cornell, would probably transition to professional football as an offensive guard.

If he isn't drafted this spring, Tretter said, "I will look to jump on with a team as an undrafted free agent."

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