Every football fan knows that the Spring is perhaps the most important time for college players hoping for their shot at the NFL. With the NFL Draft just over a week away, former BYU standouts have been hard at work prepping for the Draft, hoping for their shot at an NFL roster.
This year, however, has been different than years past for NFL hopefuls. With the spread of Coronavirus, schools such as BYU canceled Pro Days for college players leaving the NFL Combine as the only official showcase for players to demonstrate their skills and perform physical tests in hopes of catching the eyes of NFL franchises. Unfortunately for these former Cougars, none were invited to the NFL Combine, making the cancelation of Pro Days that much more impactful for these BYU stars. But that didn’t stop them from holding their own makeshift Pro Days with the help of their agents and under the watchful eyes of former NFL Scouts.
Here’s how former BYU Football stars fared in their Pro Days.
Bench Press
In the NFL Combine, players lift 225 pounds as many times as possible to test their muscle strength and stamina. Among former BYU players, defensive lineman JJ Nwigwe recorded the highest total, totaling 32 reps, which would have been tied for second-most among defensive lineman at the NFL Combine.
Broad Jump
In the broad jump test, players simply jump as far as they can from a standing position without any forward momentum. Wide Receiver Aleva Hifo led the way for former BYU players, recording a 130″ broad jump, which would have been good for sixth among WR at the NFL Combine.
Vertical Jump
Here, athletes compete in a similar test to that of the broad jump, but instead of jumping as far as they can from a standing position, they jump as high as they can. This time it was safety Austin Lee who recorded the best score of any former BYU player, recording a 40″ vertical jump which would have been the fourth-best score of any safety at the NFL Combine.
Three-Cone Drill
The three-cone drill is used to assess a player’s ability to change directions quickly, bend and accelerate. Athletes are timed as they sprint to the first cone, backpedal to the starting point and then sprint around the first and second cones before running back to the starting point. Micah Simon recorded the fastest time of former Cougars, completing the drill in just 6.67 seconds, which would have ranked second among WR at the NFL Combine.
Shuttle Run
In this drill, players begin at a center point and sprint towards a cone 10-yards away, stop at the cone and spring 20-yards back the other way to the final cone in an effort to showcase the athlete’s body control as he changes directions. Micah Simon yet again set the mark among BYU players, finishing the drill in 3.99 seconds which would have been the fastest of any WR at the NFL Combine.
40-Yard Dash
The 40-yard dash is the most well-known of any of the NFL Combine tests. Here, athletes start in a still position and sprint as fast as they can 40-yards straight downfield. Simple. It was speedster wide receiver Micah Simon who set the high score from any BYU player, running the 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds. Simon’s time would have been the second-fastest of any receiver at the NFL Combine.
So, who do you think had the best Pro Day among former BYU standouts? Let us know on Twitter at @espn960sports!
