Derrick Dockery has a message for his brother Cedric, an offensive line prospect in the April 25-26 NFL Draft.
"Don't come here," Derrick said with a laugh.
Why not?
"He'll try to take my job!"
All joking aside, Derrick has been watching from afar as his brother embarks on his own NFL career.
Certainly, Cedric Dockery is experiencing some of the emotions and the uncertainty that marked Derrick's draft day in 2003.
Cedric is a 6-4, 315-pound guard who started the last three years at Texas. He is expected to be a late-round draft pick.
"I just told him, 'Take care of what you can control,'" Derrick said. "'Make sure you're in shape and you're working out hard every day. You don't know when your name is going to be called.
"'All it takes is one team to fall in love with you.' That's what happened in my case on draft day."
Derrick, of course, was a third-round selection (81st overall) by the Redskins.
He started as a rookie at left guard and was a tireless worker as he establisedh himself in the NFL. In March 2007, he signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Buffalo Bills.
Derrick re-signed with Washington this offseason after he was released by the Bills.
By returning to the Redskins, Derrick has--in a sense--rediscovered his NFL home.
Now it's Cedric's turn.
"I'm very excited for him," Derrick said. "He's a great kid, he's very humble and he works hard. I'm sure he's very anxious right now, just wondering, 'Am I going to go here? What round am I going to go in?
"I said, 'Hey man, don't worry about that. Go out, play ball and have fun. Wherever you go, it doesn't matter. It's not how you start, it's how you finish'
"'Whatever you do [in the NFL], you will earn it and deserve it. You'll reap the benefits and rewards later on. Just have fun, stay positive and upbeat, and keep a level head.'
It has certainly caught Derrick's attention that the Philadelphia Eagles have brothers Shawn and Stacy Andrews playing on their offensive line.
That led to the question of whether Derrick could envision himself playing alongside Cedric one day.
"No, I don't think about that," he said. "Maybe one day. Who knows? That would be fun."
