The Panini America Interview: Skyrocketing 2011 NFL Draft Sensation Andy Dalton

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LInpUuqc-8c&w=585&h=359] 

In the early January days after quarterback Andy Dalton led Texas Christian University to a win over Wisconsin in the 2011 Rose Bowl (punctuating one of the greatest seasons in Horned Frogs history with a No. 2 ranking in the final BCS standings), ESPN draft expert Todd McShay considered the unassuming star worthy of a third- or fourth-round pick in next week’s 2011 NFL Draft.

Clearly, a lot has changed for Dalton in the three short months since.

Earlier this week, none other than Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, one of the most highly regarded football pundits in the country, compared Dalton to Peyton Manning and Drew Brees and suggested he could be drafted as high No. 12 overall.

That’s a remarkable ascension for a down-to-earth Dalton, who finished his career at TCU with more wins than any quarterback in school history, ahead of the legendary Sammy Baugh. This past Thursday, exactly one week before a draft that will likely see him become one of the first four quarterbacks taken, Dalton dropped by Panini America headquarters to sign autographs for what promise to be some of the most coveted NFL Rookie Cards of the 2011 season.

During his visit to the company that inked him to his first trading card deal, Dalton sat down with Panini America’s Tracy Hackler for an exclusive interview to talk about his whirlwind last three months, impending nuptials and just what he thinks of these comparisons to the likes of Manning and Brees.