As Maverick told Goose in the movie Top Gun,

"I feel the need — the need for speed."

Some 330 NFL draft prospects felt that need at the league's annual scouting combine last month in Indianapolis. The faster you run, the more money you can earn for yourself on draft day.

That's the perception anyway — that the NFL combine is all about how fast you run, how high you jump, how much weight you lift at the various testing stations around the RCA Dome. But the underwear Olympics is only one part of the annual draft evaluation process at the combine.

"Character, medical and speed," said Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney. "Those are the three elements."

Each prospect spends four days at Indianapolis. The first day he visits with all the team doctors to go over his medical history. The second day he is measured — height, weight, arm length, hand size and such — and also undergoes psychological testing.

Each player sits through an NFL Players Association seminar on the third day. On the final day, he participates in a workout by his position group. All three of his evenings in Indianapolis are spent being interviewed individually by the teams. That's where all the character issues surface.

If a player has been arrested, suspended or been in any other kind of trouble, it all comes out during those sessions. NFL teams have already done the background checks on each player, so they know the answers before they ask the questions. They want to look the player in the eye and hear what he has to say. If a player isn't being honest, the team knows.

"When a guy has a bad interview, it spreads through all 32 teams like wild fire," Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage said. "It can really hurt him. He could lose a round or two based on an interview."

LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey projects as a top-five pick. The medical staffs of all the teams were able to examine the stress fracture in his leg he suffered during the 2006 season to determine if he's a risk worth taking.

"The medical part is huge for us," New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese said. "The interview process is huge for us. It's all part of the puzzle. You put all the pieces together and build a profile, then try to get the right guys together to do the job."