March 10, 2010

Coach Jones Interview | Sights & Sounds | Pro Day Log

CINCINNATI - Thirteen former University of Cincinnati football players worked out for NFL scouts representing 26 teams Wednesday, as the Bearcats held their annual Pro Timing Day in the Richard E. Lindner Center and Nippert Stadium.

Craig Carey, Alex Daniels, Mardy Gilyard, Brad Jones, Chris Jurek, Jeff Linkenbach, Ricardo Mathews, Tony Pike, Jacob Ramsey, Marcus Waugh, Aaron Webster, Mike Windt, and Curtis Young all worked out for the scouts.

They were measured and weighed by the scouts in the weight room before starting the day off with the vertical jump and broad jump.

Jones had a 39-inch vertical, top mark of the day. Gilyard was on his heels with a 38.5-inch leap. The all-America wide receiver had leapt 39 inches at the NFL Combine last month.

Daniels had a 10-9 broad jump, the best mark ahead of Jones, who had a mark of 10-5.

Next up was the bench press, with Daniels and Young benching 225 pounds 31 times apiece. Waugh was on their heels with 29 reps. That mark would have ranked tied for third among all linebackers at the NFL Combine.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary was present for the workout and took time out to talk to the 2010 UC football team in the Bob Goin Team Room. Singletary spoke to the Bearcats about passion, and having a vision about where you are going and living that message every day.

The 2010 Bearcats observed the workout as did a number for former players including: Connor Barwin, Mike Daniels, Artrell Hawkins, Mike Mickens, Justin Moore, Haruki Nakamura, and DeAngelo Smith.

Also on hand was Mitch Stone, his twin brother Nick, and mother Dee. Mitch is the 12-year old the Bearcats adopted last summer through the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation. Now cancer-free, Mitch has returned to sixth grade and is growing out his hair. When asked by GoBEARCATS.com's Tom Gelehrter about the future of his hairstyle, Stone responded that he was thinking about braids and shells, an homage to Gilyard.

The group moved outside to the Nippert Stadium turf for the 40-yard dash and Gilyard was able to improve on his NFL Combine time with an effort of 4.47, the top mark of the session. Jones had a 4.56 and Webster had a 4.66.

Gilyard added a 4.06 in the 20-yard shuttle and 6.71 in the 3-cone drill, the fastest in each event. Gilyard's 4.06 effort in the 20-yard shuttle would have tied for the third-best time overall among all players at the NFL Combine.

Jones recorded the top time of 11.38 in the 60-yard shuttle, along wtih a 4.22 in the 20-yard shuttle and a 6.82 in the 3-cone drill. Young's 4.34 in the 20-yard shuttle ranked among UC's top-three times Wednesday.

The workout transitioned into position drills with Pike up first to throw for the assembled crowd, which included several NFL offensive coordinators. Pike threw to a number of receivers, including Carey, Daniels, Gilyard, Ramsey, and Waugh, working through a script and then being put through other reps by scouts.

Gilyard also did some 1-on-1 work for the scouts and coaches.

Other position-specific drills included offense line (Jurek & Linkenbach), defensive backs (Jones, Webster), defensive line/linebackers (Daniels, Mathews, Waugh, Young), and Windt showing off his snapping skills for the scouts and coaches present.

The 2010 NFL Draft is scheduled to take place from April 22-24 in New York. Check GoBEARCATS.com for complete coverage leading up to the draft.

PRO DAY EXPLAINED:

• 40-Yard Dash
  The 40-yard dash is a test of speed and explosion. The player starts from a three-point stance and runs 40 yards as fast as possible. The player is timed in 10, 20 and 40 yard increments, to gauge the player’s explosion of the line and time to top speed.
• Bench Press
  All players, with the exception of quarterbacks and wide receivers, participate in this test of strength. The player’s goal in this event is to bench press 225 pounds as many times as possible.
• Vertical Jump
  To measure vertical jump, a player stands flat-footed in front of pole with a multitude of plastic flags sticking out. The bottom of the pole is adjusted to the height of the player’s fingertips when raised straight above his head. The player then jumps from a standing position, and tries to swat as many of the plastic flags as he can. The flags, staged every half inch on the pole, rotate and give the event judge a reading of the height the player jumped.
• Broad Jump
  The broad jump is also done from a standing position, but this drill measures how far a player can jump. This drill is most important to positions that use lower body strength to gain an advantage. The length of the jump is measured from the starting point to the back of the heel closest to the starting point upon landing.
• 3-Cone Drill
  Tests speed, agility and cutting ability. Three cones are set up in a triangle or L shape, with each cone 5 yards apart. The player starts in a 3-point stance at the first cone. The whistle blows and the player sprints 5 yards ahead to the first cone, reaches down and touches a white line and then sprints back to the starting cone. At the starting cone, he reaches down and touches a white line, then heads back to the second cone. This time, he runs around the outside of the second cone, and cuts right to the third cone. He runs a circle around the third cone from the inside to the outside, then runs around the second cone before returning to the first cone.
• 20 Yard Shuttle
  The 20 yard shuttle test lateral speed and coordination. The player starts in a three point stance, straddling a yard line facing the sideline. When the whistle blows, the player runs 5 yards to one side, touching the yard line. He then sprints 10 yards in the other direction and again touches the yard line, at which point he sprints back to the yard line he started from.
• 60 Yard Shuttle
  The 60 yard shuttle is basically the same drill as the 20 yard shuttle. The only difference is that instead of running 5 yards, 10 yards then 5 yards, the player runs 10 yards to one side, then back 20 yards and then 10 yards to the starting point. This drill is probably the best test of endurance.
• Position Specific Drills
  Maybe one of the best ways to test a player’s ability to play a position is to run them at drills specifically designed for players of their position. Coaches and Scouts typically run the players through the drills, taking note as to their performance. These drills are typically overlooked for some of the other drills, like the 40 yard dash and bench press.