INDIANAPOLIS -- Iowa offensive tackle Brandon Scherff is the popular mock draft pick of the moment for the New York Giants. Both Todd McShay and Mel Kiper have the Giants projected to take Scherff with the No. 9 overall pick in the draft right now, and given their needs on the offensive line it's entirely possible. Scherff is scheduled to meet with the Giants here at the combine Thursday night.

We just got to spend a little bit of time talking to him here in the media room at Lucas Oil Stadium, and here are five things we learned about him:

1. He played quarterback in high school, when he weighed over 280 pounds. "My center was 190, so it should really have been reversed," Scherff said before recalling a successful quarterback sneak play he executed on second-and-5. Of his much smaller center on that play, Scherff said, "I told him to go left, and I went right."

2. His freshman year of high school, he played tennis, baseball, basketball, football and threw shot put and discus. He said he played No. 4 on the varsity tennis team as a freshman, when he weighed 230 pounds, and that he didn't have a power serve. "I tried to spin it," he said. "They never expected that."

3. There's video on the Internet of Scherff hang cleaning 443 pounds three times in the Iowa weight room. He says his one-rep max is up to 480. So he's strong.

4. He's an Iowa kid who stayed home for school but is eager to get out and see the world a bit as an NFL player. "Small-town guy in a big city," he said. "That would be perfect."

5. He's aware that some project him as a guard at the NFL level and doesn't worry about making that transition. "I don't know that it would be a challenge," he said. "I like run blocking, and I know sometimes when you're in there you get help from the center. It would be a smooth move for me, I think. And I'll be happy wherever they want me to play, guard, tackle, whatever."