Northwestern University Athletics
Skip Myslenski's Scenes from Pro Timing Day
3/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 29, 2010
By Skip Myslenski
NUSports.com Special Contributor
It is officially known as Pro Day, but in so many ways it is little more than a beauty contest, a dog-and-pony show, a livestock exhibition at the local county fair. This is not to say it is unimportant. A player's draft status or signing bonus can hinge on his time in the 40 or his ability to circle cones as nimbly as the late-and-great Rudolf Nureyev once danced. That is why 29 NFL scouts and 11 NFL assistant coaches representing all the NFL teams but the Patriots gathered Monday at the Nicolet Center, where they watched 10 'Cats do bench presses and the vertical jump, do sprints and agility drills and even the standing broad jump. Some scenes from this, well, scene.
THE OBJECT OF CURIOSITY
This, of course, would be defensive end Corey Wootton, who struggled last season while coming back from the serious knee injury he had suffered in the '08 Alamo Bowl. He had skipped the NFL Combine in Indianapolis and an earlier Pro Day on campus and so this was his first chance to impress. "It was a nerve-wracking day, definitely," he said when it was finally over. "I didn't do the Combine, I didn't do the last Pro Day. So it was all on the line today and I thought I did a pretty good job there. I wish I could have run a little bit better. But, you know. I was looking forward to today and I thought I did a pretty good job."
What did he run in the 40?
"In the 4.8s. It was about in the range I expected. I expected it to be in the 4.7s. But things happen and you've just got to make the best of it."
Has he heard anything about his draft status?
"No, not really. They talk about schemes and where they think I would fit, but nothing about round predictions."
Where do they think he would fit?
"Some teams want me to be a five technique in a 3-4 defense. You line up over a tackle, you're an end in the 3-4 scheme. Then some people think I could play a rush linebacker. I was doing some linebacker drills there." (He guarded Andrew Brewer as Mike Kafka threw lame ducks that Wootton could pick off. This was a way for the observers to check out his hands and he dropped just one of the some dozen balls thrown his way.)
Had he done that before?
"We've done stuff like that, dropping (off the line) from down in a stance. It's something I like to do."
Does he prefer one scheme over another?
"Not at all. Whatever any team needs me to do, I feel I can adjust to."
Does he think he convinced everyone that his knee is not a concern?
"Definitely. I felt I was out here moving around pretty well and from what I heard from most of them, I did a pretty good job. So I was excited with my performance today."
THE CRITIC
Kris Kocurek, the defensive line coach of the Detroit Lions, was one of those on hand at Nicolet and, when asked about Wootton, he said: "He worked hard. I think we worked him out for 40 minutes in here, he never complained about one drill and tried to follow instructions and worked as hard as he could. I think he did a good job."
Is he convinced he's past his knee surgery?
"I think he came out here and proved that today. We were anxious to see him work out at the Combine, but he wanted to wait a couple more weeks and let his quad heal up, whatever. I thought he did a good job. So, yeah. He showed he can move around a little bit."
Did he help himself?
"Yeah, I'd say. I think it's hard for a guy to come out and hurt himself. We just want to see him move around and, yeah, I think he helped himself."
What does he look for on a day like today?
"You just come out and you want to see them work and react to coaching and see how they react to different drills. Basically it's just a process of, after you see them on film and rank them on film, you want to come in and look at them. It separates guys on the board when you get closer to the draft. It's a way to separate one guy from another who are graded close on film."
ON THE SIDELINES
Corner Sherrick McManis was one of the 'Cats at Nicolet, but he had strained his left quad while preparing for this day and so was merely an observer. He had, earlier, worked out for the Patriots. But on this morning, he said, "I'm just worried about getting healthy before the draft and setting up some workouts in between now and then."
Does he have any idea when he will be healthy?
"I wish I did. But I'm just waiting on my body."
Does he hear anything from any teams?
"No. They just leave you hanging. They don't want to say too much."
How anxious does he feel?
"Man, I'm excited. This whole process has been a great experience other than my injuries."
THE SURPRISE GUEST
Twelve months ago, Zeke Markshausen was a walk-on with just one career reception in his resume. On this Monday, he has an agent and has just concluded strutting his stuff for the NFL. "Pretty cool, uh?" he says, smiling, when this acute status change is pointed out to him.
Who authored this story?
"I don't know. But I sure hope to write a book someday. I've had some blessings, some experiences I'd love to share with other people at least to tell them that I think I've done some pretty cool things that people told me I couldn't do. So you can do anything if you put your mind to it."
How did he keep his mind straight today knowing his future was on the line with everything he did?
"I try not to let that sink in. For me, what controls me is bigger than I am, bigger than what happens out here. So I just go out and try to have fun and push as hard as I possibly can. I think that's what I did today."
How does he prepare mentally for that?
"We've been doing the stuff we did today for the last 10 weeks. When I'd go up to the line and get ready to run a shuttle or something, they (Tom and Bob Christian, his trainers) would say, 'This is Pro Day, this is it, you've got 20 scouts around you, staring at you right now. This is it. This is going to be your best one.' That starts sinking in after awhile."
Was he able to blank the scouts out?
"Yeah. The unique thing about football for me is I never paid attention to the sidelines or what's in the crowd. I love the atmosphere and everything. But I was never too worried about what was going on on the sidelines. It all blurred away. I've just got to play football. That was similar to today."
What are his expectations?
"All we're looking for is a team to say, 'Zeke, we want you in camp.' From there, it's my job to make the team."
His style is now often compared to the current Patriot receiver Wes Welker and the former Bill receiver Don Beebe.
"I feel honored. He's (Beebe) a family friend. He's actually trained me in the past. A good guy. I talked to him before this whole process started and he gave me hints, stuff to focus on. He said, 'This is the rest of your life. You've got to go out there and give it everything you have.' That's what I did."
THE LAST WORD
This goes to quarterback Mike Kafka, who said this when asked how he felt knowing that his every throw would be parsed and analyzed: "I don't really think of it that way. I just go out and throw. I mean, they've seen enough. If they watched the Auburn game, that's 78 attempts right there. I'm just kidding. But it's fun to go out here and just play. I don't put too much pressure on myself."
