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Former Oregon defensive tackle is making last-minute preparations for this weekend's NFL Scouting Combine.

(Bruce Ely/The Oregonian)

Welcome to the "NFL Draft Diary," The Oregonian's series that follows former Oregon defensive lineman Taylor Hart in the months leading up to the NFL draft, May 8-10.

Every few weeks, Hart -- a Tualatin native -- will take readers inside training for the NFL draft. Hart finished his Oregon career on Dec. 30 with a 30-7 victory against Texas in the Alamo Bowl that finished a season where he shared team co-MVP honors. He now trains near San Diego.

In the first "Draft Diary" he discussed his rehab after breaking his foot during his early training sessions. In today's installment, Hart discussed this weekend's upcoming NFL Scouting Combine. Here's Hart, in his own words:

“Training is going well. The combine is coming quick but I leave on Thursday, and so right now I’m just fine tuning things that I’m able to do as far as bench press and the interview process and speed work and what I’m able to do with my foot. I’m not sure yet what I’ll be able to do on it; we’re going to have to come down to the wire but we’ll find out soon.

"(At the combine) from what I know there are different groups and I know you start doing the medical tests the first day you get there and after that you do the interview process with coaches and with scouts and whoever else is there. Then you start doing the training, as far as running and working out and testing and the Wonderlic test and all that.

“It definitely came quickly. I’ve been counting down the days to get this foot as healed as possible. It’s definitely come fast but we’ve planned and I’m feeling really confident about things. I just feel, obviously my foot is hurt but I’ve done everything I can. I’m staying in shape with pool workouts. On the mental side, we have a great staff with the interview process and it just makes me feel more confident going in and talking with these coaches.

“I think I’m just excited to show myself as an athlete. You know, it’s a different deal for me. Obviously I’ve shown the football side of me but now it’s more of an athletic deal and people can see it on TV (NFL Network will broadcast the combine). It’s just going to be a fun experience and a good time and I’ve been looking forward to doing this for a while. I’m pretty excited about this for a while.

"I just try to stay off my foot as much as possible so I haven't been able to go and do too much. It's nice to be next to the beach but football is six days a week so it's mostly football. Sometimes I call the fiancé and my mom, but other than that, it's mostly football.

On training with a hurt foot: “It’s mostly just pool workouts and getting on the elliptical and the bike and just lifting. I’m able to walk around and I’ve been running on it, it’s just a matter of how it’ll feel when I really go on it.

On mock drafts: “You see that stuff and I don’t have any idea how these people make these up. Obviously with the first-round guys there are some great guys but for me, I’m out to prove myself at the combine and the pro day. I can’t control what a reporter thinks.”

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, as told to