Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Football Pro Day draws 30 scouts to Marshall
3/13/2019 5:55:00 PM | Football, Word on the Herd
The NFL Draft is set for April 25-27
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Doc Holliday, like most who have played football, was once an NFL aspirant. Then, the Hurricane native came to grips with his chances of playing at the pro level.
"I don't think it took very long," Holliday said Wednesday after Marshall's annual Pro Day inside the Chris Cline Athletic Facility. "Probably the first time I was chasing (Pitt running back) Tony Dorsett around the field and I didn't have much of a chance of catching him.
"I knew if I didn't catch him there, I wasn't going to catch him at the next level. I knew if I wanted to stay in this game, I better get into coaching."
For 13 of Holliday's former players, however, Wednesday's Pro Day was still about the pursuit of a dream. Seniors Anthony Anderson, Ryan Bee, Tyre Brady, Keion Davis, Chase Hancock, Frankie Hernandez, Artis Johnson, Donyae Moody, Terence Ricks, Malik Thompson, Marcel Williams and Juwon Young, plus NFL early entrant, junior Malik Gant, went through testing in front of 30 representatives from National Football League teams and Canadian Football League teams.
The reps included directors of college scouting, scouts and position coaches.
"It's great to have the opportunity to watch these guys go to work and live their dreams," Holliday said. "Every kid out there has a dream to play in the NFL. We all did. We have a lot of guys who have that opportunity and we get a chance to showcase our program to just about every NFL team."
The Bengals, Dolphins, Colts, Seahawks, Ravens, Redskins, Browns, Patriots, Jaguars, Giants, 49ers, Vikings, Panthers, Bills, Chargers, Bears, Steelers, Texans, Eagles, Falcons, Buccaneers, Titans, Raiders, Lions, Rams and Jets were among the NFL teams in attendance at the event, which started at 9 a.m. and lasted about three hours.
Marshall had two players – receiver Tyre Brady and safety Malik Gant – who participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Brady was also invited to the Senior Bowl.
Both players are projected draft picks. The NFL draft is scheduled for April 25-27 in Nashville, Tennessee.
"It felt great to be back with my team and being back on this field," Gant said. "It felt like we were about to prepare for a game."
Williams posted the fastest 40 times – 4.56 and 4.59. The receiver caught 24 passes for 383 yards as a senior.
Johnson, a linebacker, stole the show. He posted the best vertical jump (35 inches), best broad jump (10 feet, 5 inches) and had the most repetitions on the bench press (29).
Bee, a lineman who finished in the top 10 in school history in sacks, said the hardest adjustment about the scouting process is focusing on individual goals, and not team achievements.
"You just have to be yourself," he said. "You've made it this far; you know you can do it. Just trust in yourself."
Official results from Wednesday's Pro Day:
40 – 4.82/4.88
Vertical – 26 ½ inches
Broad – 8 feet, 9 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 13
DL Ryan Bee
40 – 5.12/5.14
Vertical – 30 ½ inches
Broad – 8 feet, 4 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 21
WR Tyre Brady
40 – 4.74/4.77
Vertical – 29 ½ inches
Broad – DNP
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – DNP
RB Keion Davis
40 – 4.63/4.59
Vertical – 26 inches
Broad – 9 feet, 2 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 20
DB Malik Gant
40 – 4.65/4.72
Vertical – DNP
Broad – DNP
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – DNP
40 – 4.75/4.75
Vertical – 34 ½ inches
Broad – 10 feet, 2 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 16
40 – 4.62/4.59
Vertical – 29 ½ inches
Broad – 9 feet, 5 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 23
40 – 4.75/4.72
Vertical – 35 inches
Broad – 10 feet, 5 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 29
LB Donyae Moody
40 – 4.77/4.77
Vertical – 31 inches
Broad – 9 feet, 5 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 21
40 – 4.64/4.63
Vertical – 29 ½ inches
Broad – 9 feet, 11 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 10
40 – 5.28/5.37
Vertical – 20 inches
Broad – 8 feet, 0 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 12
40 – 4.56/4.59
Vertical – 33 inches
Broad – 9 feet, 9 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 15
DL/LB Juwon Young
40 – 4.76/4.82
Vertical – 30 ½ inches
Broad – 9 feet, 11 inches
Pro bench (225-pound reps) – 27
