MR. RYANS FINALLY GOES TO WASHINGTON

Like a bill headed for Capitol Hill, DeMeco was stalled in his efforts to make it to Washington on Thursday. Originally scheduled to meet with head coach Joe Gibbs and the Redskins' staff on Wednesday, his trip to the nation's capital was postponed due to weather and security concerns. After spending an entire day at Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta, DeMeco made it to D.C. late Wednesday night.

Finally, after a short night's rest DeMeco made it to Redskins' headquarters Thursday morning. The two day journey to Washington caused Ryans to ponder his D.C. fate. "I was beginning to wonder if it was meant to be. When it seems like everything is happening to keep you from going. Thank goodness we caught a break and I made it."

One of the first to meet with DeMeco was legendary head coach Joe Gibbs. "You can tell he's a winner. You can tell he's still got that fire. He's one of those guys you can tell has what it takes to be successful. Coach Gibbs does a great job communicating that will to those he's speaking with." DeMeco said Gibbs shared his thoughts on the Redskins' need for a linebacker. "He said that they were definitely looking for a linebacker in the draft and liked the way I played the game."

After meeting with Gibbs it was off to meet with Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams. "We mostly talked about their system and how I could fit in. He's a detail person. You can tell he's been a head coach before. Gibbs has done a good job of hiring assistants."

Overall DeMeco was very impressed with the Redskins' organization. "Their facilities are very impressive. All the coaches and staff I met were very courteous."

After spending the morning with the Redskins', DeMeco headed for the airport and a return flight to Birmingham. From his perspective, the trip looked as if it would end as it began...waiting an entire day in an airport. "The weather held us up getting back to Alabama. This has been the wildest 48 hours of my life. I loved the visit but the journey was crazy."

With NFL interviews completed, DeMeco will spend the week leading up to the April 29th NFL Draft in Tuscaloosa. "I hope to get back to a more normal routine. Not having to travel will allow me to get back into my normal workouts."

DeMeco will spend draft day with family and friends. Get behind the scenes at DeMecoRyans.net