03/20/10 - Ramon Harewood, Sr/2010, Morehouse, 6-6, 353 (DS#17 OG) Morehouse offensive tackle Ramone Harewood and Albany State quarterback A.J. McKenna strutted their stuff at Decatur High School this week trying to impress scouts from 20 NFL teams, including the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots. Harewood, a three-time All-SIAC selection who hails from Christ Church, Barbados, saw his pro stock rise after an impressive performance at the HBCU Senior Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama last December. McKenna, the SIAC's Most Valuable Player this year, also saw his stock rise in post-season all-star games. He threw four touchdowns in two all-star games, including three scores at the East Coast Bowl. The New Orleans Saints seemed particularly impressed with McKenna. Other Morehouse players who showed off at Decatur High School included All-SIAC selection Achille Hendje, defensive lineman Jamal James, defensive back Randall Ward and former Maroon Tiger Eddie Rowe. "It was another wonderful opportunity for the school and the community as well as the kids to see these guys with NFL aspirations," said Decatur High School athletic director Carter Wilson. - Gregory Smith, The Examiner
03/20/10 - Toby Gerhart, Sr/2010, Stanford, 6-0, 231 (DS#5 RB) There is no debate that Stanford's Toby Gerhart is a powerful running back who should be able to pound his way through for short yardage in the NFL for whatever team ends up drafting him. But can he catch a a football? The way Gerhart is built makes him a potentially dangerous back on screen packages. With his ability to burst with speed and elude defensive players and stay on his feet, Gerhart will fit nicely in a West Coast offense somewhere. But he admitted after his NFL Combine appearance that he needed to work on his catching. This is why his pass reception skills were the focus of his pro day on Thursday on the fields of Palo Alto High School, ten minutes from Stanford (the pro day festivities had to relocate and were delayed as the players did not have the correct shoes for the new turf that was being installed on Stanford's campus). During the most recent season Gerhart caught just 11 passes, but for 157 yards (14.3 yard average per catch). In his three years in the Stanford backfield Gerhart caught a total of 39 passes. On Thursday Gerhart believes he may have done enough to prove to representatives from 30 NFL teams that he will be reliable as a receiver. Gerhart said that he dropped one ball and got heated over it, but over all he felt his passing drills went well. Gerhart did not participate in any drills that were initially held at the NFL Scouting Combine. He felt confident in his performance in Indianapolis so he just focused on the passing drills. This is somewhat surprising as many players have historically performed better in their pro days than they do at the combine. - Kevin McGuire, Examiner.com
03/20/10 - Myron Lewis, Sr/2010, Vanderbilt, 6-2, 203 (DS#20 CB) Considering his rare 6-1 (5/8), 202 pound frame and 4.42 speed, there were few players I was more looking forward to scouting in person at the 2010 Senior Bowl than Vanderbilt cornerback Myron Lewis. I liked his production, but wanted to see myself if he had the agility to handle cornerback or would be better suited to moving to safety in the NFL. The problem was Lewis, despite twice earning second team all-SEC honors and possessing the unique blend of size and speed NFL scouts drool over, stunningly wasn't invited. Lewis proved athletic at the Combine. He posted a 4.48 second showing in the 40-yard dash. Only 6 of the 35 cornerbacks tested at Indianapolis were faster. Lewis also impressed with his explosiveness (37" vertical and 10'6" broad) and posted 10 repetitions of 225 pounds. He cramped up late in the workout and was unable to compete in the short and long shuttle, as well as the 3-cone drill. He competed in these drills at Vanderbilt's Pro Day Friday, posting times of 4.21, 11.36 and 6.89 seconds, respectively, according to Mike Organ of the Tennessean. These drills are designed to show an athlete's ability to change direction quickly and accelerate explosively. They are one of the better quantitative indicators of if a player has the "wheels" to make it as an NFL cornerback or should be considered making the transition to safety. Lewis' times in the shuttles and 3-cone are slower than those of most cornerbacks tested at the Combine. They fall in line, however, with many of the top safeties tested in Indianapolis. Considering his size, speed and willingness to play with some physicality, Lewis could prove one of the better cornerback-safety transitions of this draft, and an underrated prospect. - Rob Rang, The Sports Xchange, NFLDraftScout.com
03/20/10 - Brandon Spikes, Sr/2010, Florida, 6-3, 249 (DS#2 ILB) For all of the attention that Florida's first Pro Day received, it is hard to believe the team could possibly schedule another. And yet that is precisely what Florida is doing. Pro Day, part two is scheduled for April 7, 11 am. Like last week's workout, it will take place on the University of Florida campus. Pass rusher Jermaine Cunningham, who was unable to work out at the Combine or Florida's first Pro Day, March 17 due to a shoulder injury, will be featured. the 6-4, 266 pound Cunningham has 19.5 career sacks. Scouts would like to see him work out to better decide if his best chance at duplicating his collegiate success into the pros will be in remaining at defensive end in the 4-3 or switching to outside linebacker in the 3-4 alignment. Others likely to take advantage of the workout are running back Brandon James and linebacker Ryan Stamper. Though quarterback Tim Tebow, cornerback Joe Haden, defensive end Carlos Dunlap and tight end Aaron Hernandez aren't likely to workout - and may elect to not even attend the event - one highly touted prospect that should consider working out is inside linebacker Brandon Spikes, considering his disappointing workout at the March 17 Pro Day. Spikes' is slow on film, but isn't 5.05 slow. Considering the rebound performance Joe Haden saw in his second workout, perhaps Spikes could generate some late buzz with a better time. - Rob Rang, The Sports Xchange, NFLDraftScout.com
03/20/10 - Clay Harbor, Sr/2010, Missouri State, 6-3, 252 (DS#1 FB) For Clay Harbor, performing in front of nine National Football League scouts Friday at Plaster Sports Complex was fun. "This is like my backyard," said Harbor, who concluded his Missouri State career last fall and appears a likely NFL draft selection next month. Four others hoping to make a favorable impression were a bit more on edge. "I was very nervous," former Bears defensive tackle Mike Daniels said after MSU's first "Pro Day." Representatives of nine NFL teams - including Kansas Chiefs college scouting director Phil Emery - watched closely as players lifted weights, ran sprints and performed agility drills. NFL scouts know how to beat the bushes for pro prospects. "The days of hiding them are no more," Cleveland Browns tight end coach Steve Hagen said. "With the Internet and so forth, you're going to find players no matter where they are. "You just have to find out who fits your program. It's hard to win a Kentucky Derby with mules." Hagen flew in specifically to watch Harbor, a three-time Football Championship Subdivision all-America tight end. Hagen said Harbor's workout, which included a 4.57-second 40-yard dash, was impressive. "That's fast for his measurements," Hagen said of the 6-foot-3, 252-pound Harbor. Harbor was beaming about trimming his 40-yard-dash time from the 4.69 he ran at last month's NFL Combine in Indianapolis. "I knew I could run it better than that," Harbor said. - Lyndal Scranton, News-Leader
03/20/10 - MiQuale Lewis, rSr/2011, Ball State, 5-06, 195 (DS#999 RB) Stan Parrish has planned on having running back MiQuale Lewis back next year for at least six months. Now, six months after filing paperwork with the NCAA, Ball State University knows the player with the third-most career rushing yards in school history will have one more year in Muncie. Ball State announced Friday that the NCAA awarded Lewis a medical redshirt, replacing his shortened 2007 season. The tailback played in only four games that year before tearing his ACL in Ball State’s loss at the University of Nebraska. “Quale is set and ready to go for spring ball,” Parrish said. Lewis has also been operating on the premise that he would still be a Cardinal next year. He told The Ball State Daily News in January he had received word his petition had been granted. But it took another three months before the NCAA officially informed Ball State of the decision. Throughout last season, Lewis repeatedly said he hoped he would be able to come back for 2010. Now that he as the opportunity, he will likely make a run at Ball State’s record book. Lewis has 3,334 career rushing yards, just 668 behind Ball State’s all-time leading rusher Marcus Merriweather. Lewis also needs only five touchdowns to pass Merriweather for the career record. Last year, Lewis rushed for a team leading 871 yards and five touchdowns. He was named All-Mid-American Conference for the second consecutive year. But Lewis will have company in the Ball State backfield. Also returning are Cory Sykes and Eric Williams, who combined for 921 yards last year. - Teddy Cahill, BSU Daily News
03/20/10 - Scotty McKnight, rJr/2011, Colorado, 5-11, 185 (DS#23 WR) Colorado wide receiver Scotty McKnight planned to spend a restful spring break in New Jersey with his best friend, New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, who is recuperating from surgery on his left knee. McKnight still plans to head east for the week, but he will be doing so on crutches with an injured leg of his own to worry about. The senior was hurt late in the first of three spring scrimmages Thursday and did not return to action. McKnight caught a ball along the west sideline and was forced out of bounds by defenders. He ran hard into the wall and railing and appeared to step awkwardly there. He went down in pain and had to be helped from the field. Coach Dan Hawkins said he did not have a report on McKnight's injury after the scrimmage, but quarterback Tyler Hansen said McKnight was in a boot and on crutches and had told him he suffered a broken fibula and would miss the remainder of spring drills. - Kyle Ringo, The Daily Camera
03/20/10 - *Dez Bryant, Jr/2010, Oklahoma State, 6-2, 225 (DS#1 WR) There has been much debate about whether the Miami Dolphins should select embattled Oklahoma State star wide receiver Dez Bryant if he's available at No. 12 in next month's NFL Draft. Regarded as the best receiver in the draft, Bryant (6-2 and 225 pounds) has drawn comparisons to Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans with his size, speed and athleticism, but concerns about his character have plagued the wideout. "All of it is just rumors," Bryant said in an interview Thursday with Orlando Alzugaray of WQAM (560-AM). "I don't know why people are saying those things. I feel like if you're going to write something about somebody you need to ask that person instead of writing things like that. I surround myself with positive people. I don't have time to get into trouble. I'm trying to pursue my dream, which is to play in the NFL. ... I never did anything wrong. I never committed a crime. "It bothers me a lot," he said. "I just had a talk with my advisor and my agent [Wednesday], and I told them that I'm not a bad person and I'm not used to people saying bad things about me. I like to make people smile. I like to bring excitement because that's what I do, and I want to keep it that way. I don't want a bad image. My bad image in my childhood, that is long gone. I've surrounded myself with bright people and I'm going to continue to stay out of trouble and move forward and play in the NFL." Bryant also dismissed reports that he's shown up late for practices and games. "I've never been late to a game or a practice. My freshman year, I've been late for a meeting. But as my career got going at Oklahoma State I [became more responsible]. I overcame a lot. Everything is positive now." Bryant said he believes much of the criticism he's received stems from his suspension for lying to the NCAA about his relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders. "I really do feel like that's when it started," he said. - Keven Lerner, The Sun Sentinel
03/20/10 - Tim Tebow, Sr/2010, Florida, 6-3, 236 (DS#4 QB) Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne wants the world to know: He isn't predicting Tim Tebow will fail as an NFL quarterback. Yes, Henne went on WQAM radio this week and basically dissed the former Heisman Trophy winner from Florida. "My judgment is he's not an NFL quarterback," Henne said on the air Wednesday afternoon. "I'll leave it at that." Friday morning, however, as he prepared to play in a charity golf tournament to benefit Athletes in Action at Inverrary Country Club, Henne was far more supportive of Project Tebow. "I didn't really say he wasn't able to be [an NFL quarterback]," Henne told a handful of local reporters. "We're all in this process of learning how to be an NFL quarterback. Obviously he's taking the right steps to improve his game. His throwing motion actually looks a lot better with his release and everything. I think his Pro Day went really well and he was happy with it. "I can't say anything. My quarterback coach from college [Scott Loeffler] is coaching him in college. We're coming from the same people. He's obviously learned from a lot of good people, and with Urban Meyer up there he's learned from the best." Henne's biggest regret, it seemed, was letting an eight-word response stand. He said he wanted to circle back to the topic but the radio hosts never asked a follow-up about Tebow. The national reaction that followed only made Henne feel worse about dissing Tebow. "Those were [blown] way out of proportion, not saying he's an NFL quarterback," Henne said of his comments. "Wherever he goes he's going to make that team better because he's such a competitor and a great person." - Mike Berardino, The Sun Sentinel
03/20/10 - Joe Webb, rSr/2010, UAB, 6-3, 223 (DS#25 WR) During the Senior Bowl practices, I put a little item on the Web about Alabama-Birmingham quarterback Joe Webb, who was trying to practice at wide receiver in Mobile, Ala., to show scouts he might be able to make the transition to the position for the NFL. I said teams would be wise to give him a look, given what he had showed in his games and his willingness to dive into a new position in such a high-profile, pressure-packed environment. And now, two months later, a lot of people are going to have to give him plenty of consideration after what Webb did in his pro day workout this week.Some of his routes in Mobile weren't as crisp as they needed to be and he looked tentative running them. That's because Webb, who was a two-year starter at quarterback for UAB, absolutely was a star during his pro day. At 6-feet-2¾, 223 pounds, Webb was hand-timed by some scouts in attendance at 4.44 in the 40-yard dash, had an astounding vertical jump of 42½ inches and an 11-foot-5-inch standing broad jump. Just for reference Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson had one of the best combine workouts in recent memory for a big-framed wide receiver and his vertical was 42½ at the 2007 combine to go with an 11-7 broad jump. Webb's vertical would have been the best among the wide receivers who were at the combine (Webb was not there), and his 40 time would have put him among the fastest and his size would have made him among the biggest. So, in short, with that kind of explosiveness somebody will try to find a position for this guy to play. It's not like he doesn't understand the game. He threw for at least 2,200 yards and rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his two seasons as the Blazers' starting quarterback. - Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post
03/20/10 - LeGarrette Blount, Sr/2010, Oregon, 6-1, 241 (DS#14 RB) It was nearly impossible for anyone with a television or Internet connection to miss the violent punch. University of Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State linebacker Byron Hout and had to be restrained by a number of coaches and teammates from doing further harm after a game last September. The incident was replayed endlessly and resulted in Blount's immediate suspension. But he is now attempting to resurrect his career after a late-season reinstatement and an appearance in January's Senior Bowl. Now, the Bucs have reportedly set up a visit with Blount who on Thursday performed at a pro day on campus. Blount was once thought to be a early- to mid-round selection, but it's unclear what impact the incident will have on his draft status. It's likely to affect it to some extent, though the amount of time that now has passed might lessen the damage. Whatever happens, Blount is a big, bruising running back whose running style would differ from that of current Bucs Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward. He would, however, seem to have at least some similarities to Earnest Graham, who also is on the roster. - Stephen Holder, St. Petersburg Times
03/20/10 - Chris Ivory, Sr/2010, Tiffin, 6-0, 225 (DS#999 RB) Tiffin University football coach Dave Walkosky has business cards displayed on the desk in his office. The cards are from scouts of nine NFL teams. The scouts came to visit about running back Chris Ivory, who will enter the NFL Draft next month. He has an opportunity to be the program's first player to be selected in the draft. Walkosky said representatives from other teams have come to talk about the 5-11, 225-pound running back, who came to the Dragons last August after three seasons at Division I Washington State. In 2007, he worked with Walkosky, who was Washington State's special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach. Ivory ran a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, the fastest time among the players at the event - which included University of Toledo players Barry Church and Stephen Williams, as well as Dragons receiver Greg Raspberry. Walkosky said the injury made some wonder about Ivory's quickness. "Well, 4.47 is unbelievably fast enough [for the NFL]," Walkosky said. "It's top five in the country of running backs who were at the combine. And he's bigger than all the guys, except for one guy, the kid from Fresno [Ryan Mathews]." Ivory also had a vertical jump of 35 inches. "I knew I had to perform, but it was never really heavy on my mind," Ivory said. "I just went out and did what I do best. Like I said, I've been doing it for a long time. I've trained for it for a couple of months." While the performance certainly improves the chances of Ivory being drafted, Walkosky is sure of one thing. "He's gonna be in the camp," he said. "Six weeks from now he's going to have an NFL helmet on." - Zach Baker, Tiffin Advertiser Tribune
03/20/10 - Jerry Hughes, Sr/2010, TCU, 6-2, 255 (DS#5 DE) After the much publicized workout of Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon on Wednesday, the Falcons flew to Dallas and went over to Fort Worth to work out Texas Christian standouts Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes, according to an associate of the Willis & Woy Sports Management Group. Hughes, played defensive end in college, but was worked out as a linebacker. TCU's Jerry Hughes played defensive end in college, but some teams, like the Falcons, think he's a linebacker. TCU's Jerry Hughes played defensive end in college, but some teams, like the Falcons, think he's a linebacker. General manager Thomas Dimitroff, head coach Mike Smith and linebacker coach Glenn Pires were on the trip, according to the associate. The knock on Washington is that he's a little light at 230, but it's believed that with a proper diet he can pack on some pounds quickly. He's listed as 6-foot-1, 3/4. He played inside linebacker in the Horned Frogs' 4-2-5 alignment. The Falcons were looking at him as a weakside linebacker candidate. Hughes is the more publicized of the two Horned Frogs. He had 28.5 career sacks and started 27 of 49 games over his career. - D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Journal Constitution
03/20/10 - Sean Lee, rSr/2010, Penn State, 6-2, 236 (DS#3 ILB) Penn State inside linebacker Sean Lee and outside linebacker Navorro Bowman told pennlive.com that they have pre-draft workouts scheduled with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys could use some depth on the inside behind Bradie James and Keith Brooking and on the outside behind Anthony Spencer and DeMarcus Ware. For more on the Cowboys' needs check out the Inside Linebacker Prospectus and Outside Linebacker Prospectus. According to pennlive.com, Lee missed the 2008 season recovering from a torn right anterior cruciate ligament and dealt with sprained left ACL last season. Bowman, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten choice, had a pair of off-field issues - he was involved in an on-campus fight a couple years back and also admitted to using marijuana prior to his senior year. "I think each time that I work out, I prove that I'm healthy and 100 percent,'' Lee told the Web site. "I think I've shown that I can come back from an injury. ... It's a big concern and it should be. I haven't been healthy for the last two years. But now I think I'm training a little bit differently, kind of gearing more toward the weaknesses in my body, I think I've made some big strides.'' Lee told pennlive he also had workouts scheduled with Atlanta, Arizona, the New York Giants and Indianapolis. Bowman said he had a workout also scheduled with Pittsburgh. - The Dallas Morning News
03/20/10 - Myron Lewis, Sr/2010, Vanderbilt, 6-2, 203 (DS#20 CB) Cornerback Myron Lewis made another good impression at Vanderbilt Pro Day on Friday, and according to one pro scout may be a better prospect than his former teammate D.J Moore. Moore, also a cornerback, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears last year. Lewis (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) has an edge on Moore (5-9, 185) in terms of size and cover skills, Houston Texans national scout Ed Lambert said. “Lewis has got better length and he’s got good ball skills,’’ Lambert said. “Of course, Moore has good ball skills also. Lewis is a little bit better cover guy overall and he’s instinctive. His size is such a big plus with that height, long arms, long legs. Moore was a little shorter guy. Lewis has all the measurables for the position.” Lambert was among 29 scouts representing 21 NFL teams on hand to watch 14 Vanderbilt seniors. Moore also showed up to watch, along with Bears teammate and former Commodores quarterback Jay Cutler. Lewis, a three-year starter, will be one of the tallest cornerbacks in next month’s draft. His wingspan measured 34 inches Friday. Lewis performed well at the recent NFL Combine, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash and a 2.55 20-yard dash, and posting a 37-inch vertical jump, a 10-6 broad jump, and bench-pressing 225 pounds 10 repetitions. He cramped up at the combine and did not run the 20- and 60-yard shuttles or the 3-cone drill. Those were the only three drills he ran on Friday, posting unofficial times of 4.21 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, 11.36 in the 60 and 6.89 in the 3-cone. “You know you could always do better, but overall I think I did pretty decent,’’ Lewis said. “The combine was more nerve-wracking than this. It was a first-time experience and this was just pretty much the same thing over again.” Lewis said he was determined to prove to the scouts that his rare height for a cornerback is a valuable asset. - Mike Organ, The Tennessean
03/20/10 - LaMarcus Coker, rSr/2010, Hampton, 5-10, 205 (DS#31 RB) Tennessee State also held its Pro Day (Friday), with nine NFL scouts and one CFL scout on hand. TSU strength and conditioning coach Chuck Losey said defensive end Kellen Woodard, a transfer from Western Michigan, safety Anthony Levine and defensive end Rodney Fritz turned in the best performances. Receiver JaJuan Spillman, who did not play in 2009, also participated in the drills. Former Antioch and Tennessee running back LaMarcus Coker, who finished his college career at Hampton, was expected to participate but did not show up. - Mike Organ, The Tennessean
03/20/10 - Jeremy Williams, rSr/2010, Tulane, 6-0, 206 (DS#16 WR) On a sunsplashed Friday, roughly 15 years of hard work came down to fractions of seconds for a handful of athletes at Tulane's Pro Day. Most eyes were on Green Wave receiver Jeremy Williams and tailback Andre Anderson, particularly when they ran the 40-yard dash, that sub-5-second moment in which a young athlete's future is often compressed. Anderson wasn't invited to the NFL combine and thus had to seize the moment. "It's what we train for, you've trained your whole life and you get one shot to do it, " Anderson said. "This is my chance to show what I can do, and I think I did all right for myself today. Hopefully we'll go from here and get some private workouts and pray for everything to be all right." Williams is in a considerably less-precarious position than his teammate when it comes to next month's NFL draft. For one thing, he was invited to the combine in Indianapolis. For another, he was also invited to January's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., where he emerged as the South team's MVP. The 40-yard dash has assumed a central place with NFL prospects, especially at the skill positions. "I went to the combine, and I didn't run the 40 I wanted, " Williams said. "So I came back and I trained on basically all 40 and running my routes and things like that, and I came out here and ran a much better time, so I was happy with it." At Indianapolis, Williams turned in a 4.59 40, blazing fast for nearly any profession other than professional wide receiver. At Tulane, Williams shaved that time even more, clocking in at 4.4, according to several people familiar with the records. - James Varney, The Times-Picayune
03/20/10 - MiQuale Lewis, rSr/2011, Ball State, 5-06, 195 (DS#999 RB) Stan Parrish announced Friday that running back MiQuale Lewis was awarded his medical redshirt by the NCAA, allowing him to return for a fifth season. Lewis told The Ball State Daily News on Jan. 13 that he received the extra year of eligibility, but the NCAA had not officially notified Ball State at that time. Lewis missed eight games in 2007 after he tore his ACL in Ball State’s loss at the University of Nebraska. He is the third leading rusher in Cardinals history, with 3,334 yards. He also holds Ball State’s single-season rushing record and is a two-time All-Mid-American Conference selection. Tight end Madaris Grant has also applied for a medical redshirt, but Parrish said the NCAA has yet to rule in his case. Grant tore his ACL in last year’s loss to the University of North Texas. - Teddy Cahill, BSU Daily News
03/20/10 - Ekom Udofia, rSr/2010, Stanford, 6-1, 326 (DS#37 DT) Ten former Stanford players displayed their talents before scouts and executives from all 32 NFL teams during Pro Timing Day which was held on the Stanford campus and Palo Alto High School. Stanford's participants included Toby Gerhart, Chris Marinelli, Jim Dray, Ekom Udofia, Bo McNally, Allen Smith, Tavita Pritchard, Clinton Snyder, Matt Kopa and Erik Lorig. The day began at 10:00 a.m. with weight room evaluations in the Stanford Football strength and conditioning facility. From there, the players and scouts moved across the street to the field turf at Palo Alto High School for on-the-field agility and position drills. Gerhart, coming off a strong showing at the NFL Combine last month, was impressive going through various position drills. Dray, a draft hopeful at the tight end position, opened eyes by clocking a 4.78 40-time and stringing together 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Marinelli, a second team AP All-American offensive lineman, was clocked at 5.06 in the 40. Udofia was impressive in the weight room, with 35 reps on the bench press. The NFL Draft is slated for April 22-24 in New York City. Over the last 12 years, a total of 35 Stanford players have been selected in the NFL Draft, including 26 since 2002. - Stanford football
03/20/10 - T.J. Ward, rSr/2010, Oregon, 5-11, 211 (DS#4 SS) LeGarrette Blount and T.J. Ward worked out for NFL Scouts in the 2nd Pro Day held by Oregon. Blounts biggest goal of the day was to improve his 40 time, and he did just that. He ran a 4.53 and a 4.55, much faster than his Combine 4.62. Blount weighed in at 238 pounds, that's a whole 3 pounds lighter than at the combine. Blount has 2 visits set up as of now, one with the Tampa Bay Bucs, which is near his hometown and he is excited about that. The other is with the Pittsburgh Steelers and he can't wait to see Dennis Dixon. Meanwhile, Safety TJ Ward improved his 40-time from a 4.54 to a 4.47. Ward told KEZI that he has put on 10 pounds of muscle. Ward worked out for the St.Louis Rams and has a visit set up with the Kansas City Chiefs. The 2010 NFL Draft takes place April 22nd and 23rd. - KEZI TV
03/20/10 - Ndamukong Suh, rSr/2010, Nebraska, 6-4, 307 (DS#1 DT) It's unclear whether Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will become a Lion when the No. 2 pick in April's NFL draft is announced, but the star Nebraska defensive tackle has left Detroit with positive feelings about the possibility. "From talking to him, he was very excited," Suh's agent, Roosevelt Barnes, said Friday in an interview with the Web site Mike O'Hara Sports. "He just felt really good about the whole visit." Suh, regarded by many as the best player available in the draft and the best defensive tackle prospect in some time, left the Lions practice facility in Allen Park on Friday afternoon. He spent parts of two days meeting with Lions coaches, officials and players. The Lions have already hosted Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy of Oklahoma this week. Suh is strong, explosive and proved he couldn't be blocked by just one player in college. The Lions, however, have to hope Suh slips past the St. Louis Rams, who hold the top pick in the draft. Most draft analysts have the Rams choosing Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford at No. 1. That is the best-case scenario for the Lions to be able to chose Suh, a player both Lions general manager Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz covet. Suh has not given up on being the first pick, though. "Not at all," Barnes said. "St. Louis hasn't made a decision yet. St. Louis is still in play." Suh will visit with the Rams in the coming weeks, according to Barnes. - Tim Twentyman, The Detroit News
03/20/10 - Trevor Harris, rSr/2010, Edinboro, 6-2, 225 (DS#22 QB) Former Edinboro quarterback Trevor Harris is down to two more big dates before April's NFL draft. He will work out for a handful of scouts March 31 in California, Pa., and he is scheduled to visit the Jacksonville Jaguars training facility for a pre-draft interview April 13. Harris participated in Ohio State's pro day March 12. He ran a 4.75 in the 40-yard dash and bench-pressed 225 pounds 24 times. Both are considered good numbers for quarterbacks. He also threw passes for scouts from 30 NFL teams. "Everyone I talked to said I helped myself," Harris said. "That's better than the alternative." Before traveling to Ohio State, Harris trained in Florida with former NFL quarterback Peter Tom Willis. The Edinboro record-holder's focus was on improving his footwork and what he called "tweaking" some of his finer skills, including his delivery and where he fixes his eyes during dropbacks. "We talked about what people are saying about Tim Tebow's elongated delivery and how that affects his release," Harris said. "When you start to break things down, you can really start to see the differences between guys who have a quick, compact release and guys who have a more elongated release. "We also spent a lot of time on vision and timing. Putting your eyes to the field at a certain time on a certain route is so critical. When you get to the (NFL) it can mean the difference between a completion or an interception." - John Dudley, GoErie.com
03/20/10 - A.J. Jefferson, Sr/2010, Fresno State, 6-0, 193 (DS#18 CB) Nearly 30 representatives from 23 NFL teams, including San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith, came to Fresno State’s pro day on Wednesday to see departing seniors and other players from the area showcase their skills. It was said to be the biggest turnout in program history. Senior wide receivers Seyi Ajirotutu, Marlon Moore and Chastin West all showed off their talents by participating in workouts. Each individual participated in the 40-yard-dash and the 3 cone drill, as well as position drills. Moore had 18 reps on the bench press lifting 225 pounds. Senior running backs Anthony Harding, Lonyae Miller, Jamal Rashad and fullback Reynard Camp each had an opportunity to impress the many scouts that were present during the day. Senior defensive backs Moses Harris, Marvin Haynes, A.J. Jefferson and Damion Owens also had the chance to impress scouts at the pro day. Harris, Haynes and Owens, who were not invited to the NFL Combine, participated in all the events that were asked of them. However, Jefferson chose not to participate in the workouts. "I think I proved everything I had to [at the combine],” Jefferson said. Jefferson decided to stick with the results he had at the combine, but he did surprisingly run routes with the receivers even though he spent his entire career at Fresno State playing cornerback. Other players who worked out for scouts were former Fresno State players Tyler Clutts, Ikenna Ike, Damon Jenkins and local players like Arkelon Hall. Punter Robert Malone also impressed at the pro day, finishing with 22 reps on the bench press. - Vongni Yang, The Collegian
03/20/10 - A.J. Jackson, Sr/2010, California (PA), 6-5, 230 (DS#52 WR) The PSAC will hold its league day for NFL scouts 10 a.m., Wednesday, March 31 at Adamson Stadium. Luckhardt said wide receiver A.J. Jackson, cornerback Terrence Johnson and defensive end Willie Walker will work out. Luckhardt said Miami, Carolina and Jacksonville have shown interest in Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are looking at Johnson. BLESTO Scouting will be at the stadium this morning to gather information about quarterback Josh Portis, tailback Windell Brown, defensive end Kevin Crawford, and wide receiver Terrence Moore. - Joe Tuscano, The Observer-Reporter
03/20/10 - Blue Cooper, rSr/2010, Tennessee-Chattanooga, 6-2, 195 (DS#137 WR) Blue Cooper said Thursday felt like a game day, and he had the same feelings Wednesday night that he did on the eve of a big game. Such is the significance of a pro day - often the last, best shot at attracting scouts for most FCS players. "I went to bed kind of late last night and just kind of laid there," the former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wideout said. "It really did feel like a game. My mindset was, I'm about to go play a game." The Mocs held their pro day Thursday afternoon, running at Finley Stadium and doing the bench press at the Wolford Strength and Conditioning Center. With an NFL scout watching, seven of last season's seniors participated in the workout. Cooper, who was measured at 6-foot-2, 192 pounds, had as good a day as anyone. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds, had a vertical leap of 36 inches and was solid in the other exercises as well. "I didn't exceed my expectations, but I still ran some pretty good times," said Cooper, who had 84 receptions for 824 yards last season and trained five days a week for two months leading up to Thursday. - John Frierson, Chattanooga Times Free Press
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