INDIANAPOLIS — Throughout nearly all of A.J. Klein and Jake Knott’s careers, they have been known as a tandem. The notoriously effective and utterly invaluable pair have been the glue to Iowa State’s defense for the past three years.

Even scouting the two, they have been called nearly transposable. Todd McShay, of Scouts Inc. and ESPN, said he gave them a “very similar grade” and CBS’ Bruce Feldman said “the two are almost interchangeable.”

Although their ultimate goal of being drafted by an NFL franchise is the same, the ways the two have approached the NFL and the NFL Combine have been entirely different.

On Jan. 2, only three days after the 31-17 loss to Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl, Klein traveled to Pensacola, Fla., to start his training for the NFL at Athletes Performance, a training institute connected to the James Andrews Institute, with a business-like approach.

Klein is performing in every test at the NFL Combine.

It wasn’t until the end of November that Jake Knott even had the ability to start rehabbing his shoulder, which underwent season-ending surgery on Oct. 29.

The week of Feb. 19 was the “four-month mark” that Dr. Gordon Nuber told Knott would be the time it took for his shoulder to be completely healed. Now Knott is still working on his strength and physical ability, waiting to perform all physical tests until March 26, which is Iowa State’s Pro Day.

Knott talked to NFL general managers and coaches Saturday night, missing Friday night’s interviews due to the weather causing flight delays. With Saturday being Knott’s first day at the combine, he admitted he was a little starstruck, but that didn’t stop him from seeing this as the first step in making his dream come true.

“It almost makes you realize how small you are,” Knott said. “You see all these big-time first-round guys getting all the attention, and it almost motivates me. You watch film on some of them, and you say ‘Hey, I’m better than that guy’ and it’s nice to stand next to them and know that.

“And know that the competition and this level, it allows me to put all those dreams and hopes and wishes and come to the realization that this can all come true because these are the guys that are going in the first round and I think I can compete with them.”

Klein’s message also rang similar to that of Knott’s. However, Klein said he’d envisioned and anticipated this moment since he was an underclassman at Iowa State.

“You always have a dream,” Klein said. “Anybody that’s lucky enough to be here and be able to compete this week, everybody will say it’s a dream growing up as a kid. I don’t think one person here will deny that.

“It was a dream, but in college as I got done with my sophomore season and my junior year, it’s always been a goal, so just something I wanted to work towards.”