12 USU seniors work out for annual Pro Day
The senior class from Utah State’s 2010 football season was put into the spotlight Thursday as 12 players participated in the annual Pro Day at the Stan Laub Indoor Practice Facility on USU’s campus.
On hand were 13 National Football League scouts to evaluate the strength, speed, agility and all-around athleticism of the players leading up to April’s NFL draft.
“This is an exciting time for them,” USU receivers coach Jovon Bouknight said. “The chance to play in the NFL is a great opportunity. We’re just so pleased there’s a good turnout with the scouts.”
While none of the day’s participants are widely considered to be a lock to have their name called on draft day, Pro Day offers players the chance for all college seniors to showcase their talents and potential to scouts from nearly half of the 32 teams in the league. With just more than 300 players from around the country receiving invitations to the NFL’s more highly-publicized NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Pro Day is what gives players an additional chance for exposure, and also an opportunity for the NFL scouts to get their eyes on any potential sleeper picks for the draft.
“This is a job interview where all the questions you’re going to be asked, you’re told in advance,” USU strength and conditioning coach Evan Simon said. “Essentially what we do is prepare them for the specific tests they went through today, which were the vertical jump, the broad jump, the 225-rep test, 40 (yard dash), L-drill, pro agility and long shuttle. And we just practice those with high levels of repetition, get familiar with the drill and the techniques.”
Simon said players, despite being in the offseason following their senior seasons, have kept a rigorous workout schedule which includes three days a week of strength training and three days of conditioning.
One particular player looking to make a big impression was three-year starting quarterback Diondre Borel, who was hoping to and succeeded in running a time below 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash in order to show scouts that he has what it takes to play in the NFL at a new position.
“I think Diondre did a good job of showing the scouts what they came to see,” Simon said. “Hopefully now he gets the opportunity to show off that he can play a little receiver at the next level as well. How he runs routes I think will be a big portion of what he does today too.”
Borel’s potential as both a passer and playmaker didn’t go completely ignored however, as he also participated in passing and punt return drills.
On top of the strength, speed and agility drills, scouts also ran several players through other drills to measure the players’ mechanics on-field. These included route-running for the receivers and read-and-react drills for defensive backs. Solid performances in those drills to compliment strong showings of athletic measurements are the kinds of things that get the attention of the NFL scouts and highlight players who might only be on the fringe of draft status, like Borel and defensive backs Chris Randle and Rajric Coleman.
While impressive showings of athleticism might make up for small shortcomings of receivers and defensive backs, one player was operating on Pro Day with a non-existent margin for error. Longsnapper Pat Scales is another player who was scouted more extensively to potentially bring his longsnapping talents to the next level.
Scales said, “I’ve got to be perfect, so that’s the way I trained and I just came in every day and worked hard.”
Scales took a handful of snaps in front of scouts in both a casual setting, and in a scenario where he simulated an expiring game-clock.
After the drill, Scales felt confident that his showing and work in the offseason made an impression on the scouts.
“I think it paid off today,” he said of his training. “Hopefully they liked it.”
One Aggie player not present at Thursdays festivities was defensive back Curtis Marsh, who was among the more than 300 athletes invited to Indianapolis to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds.
Marsh is considered Utah State’s top pro prospect in the 2011 NFL Draft, which will be held April 28-30 in New York City.
– matt.sonn@aggiemail.usu.edu