INDIANAPOLIS — Daryn Colledge got a good chuckle out of it. Home in Arizona, the ex-Green Bay Packers and current Arizona Cardinals guard didn't realize he was quite old enough to have been a role model for another soon-to-be NFL player.

But sure enough, when University of Wisconsin guard Ryan Groy, who grew up in Middleton, was asked Thursday which offensive linemen he'd patterned his game after, his reply included one ex-Packer and one ex-Badger.

"I watched Daryn Colledge for years, when he was with the Packers and the Cardinals, and he's somebody I've always kind of looked up to," Groy said at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium "As well as always watching [Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl left tackle] Joe Thomas. A little different position, but as far as watching former Badgers, he's definitely my priority."

Colledge, a 2006 second-round pick by the Packers out of Boise State, played five seasons in Green Bay, starting 83 regular-season and postseason games and never missing a game due to injury. After starting at left guard for the Packers in Super Bowl XLV, he signed as a free agent with the Cardinals in July 2011.

"Just crazy," Colledge said. "But it really is flattering to hear a young guy has tried to pattern his game after yours. I think it helps to reaffirm that you have played a long time at a high level."

Not Groy is hoping to get an opportunity to play at the NFL level. He played center, guard and tackle at UW and even lined up as a fullback during his freshman season. He played in a school-record 54 games for the Badgers, and he projects as a guard in the NFL. He's viewed as a third-day pick in the May 8-10 NFL Draft but certainly comes from a program that has sent its share of linemen to the NFL.

"It's exciting. It really is. I've always dreamed of being at the Combine and doing all the drills on TV. It's a dream come true. It'll be a good experience," said Groy, adding that he talked with Dallas center Travis Frederick and Baltimore Ravens tackle Ricky Wagner, two ex-Badgers who were drafted last year.

"Everybody's watching, from the lobby of the hotel to doing drills to doing your interviews. (I just want to be) a good story in the end. I don't have to be a standout guy, be a flashy guy, just a guy who comes across well-spoken and works hard."The Packers were among the teams Groy met with on Wednesday night during his first session with NFL scouts and coaches. Groy said he met with Packers offensive line coach James Campen, who put him through the paces of some offensive plays and quizzed him on various defensive fronts.

"I met with I think 10 teams yesterday, and a lot of the offensive line coaches. They want to go over what you know and they kind of want to pick your brain as far as what kind of plays you ran, how much football IQ you have," said Groy, who measured 6-foot-4 1/2 and weighed in officially at 316 pounds. "They just have plays drawn up or they have just Xs and Os drawn up and they want to know your favorite play [and] what you know about defenses and that kind of stuff."

Jason Wilde  wrote: