Pro day hosted a variety of scouts including the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Courtesy of Vanessa Wenzl
By Brandi Bottger
NFL Pro Day is something that every college football player dreams of going to. Scouts from both the NFL and CFL traveled to the University of South Florida on March 29 to watch nine USF prospects and 13 international players present their skills at the new Indoor Practice Facility.
Players began the day in the weight room with measurements, followed by bench presses and vertical jumps. Players then shifted to the IPF to demonstrate their skills in the 40-yard dash, broad jump, and 3-cone drills.
Demetris Harris, a USF offensive lineman from Jacksonville, has been dreaming of this day since he was young.
“It’s a dream come true to be out here. My whole life I’ve been training for this opportunity and this moment and to put on the performance that I did, I think it was great,” Harris said.
At the end of the 2022 season, Harris finished his career with the franchise record for most career starts at 53 and tied for second for all-time in games played (53).
Thirty three scouts representing 28 NFL teams and one CFL team attended Pro Day, with hopes of finding their newest rookie. Even Todd Bowles, head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, made a presence in the facility.
Dwayne Boyles, a linebacker for the team, says he felt no nerves going into Pro Day.
“I didn’t really care who was watching. It could be one scout or all 32 teams, it doesn’t really matter as long as I do what I got to do,” said Boyles. “I appreciate this opportunity to come out here and put on for the city.”
But the chance to participate in this event doesn’t just happen overnight. Players have been training six days a week for months leading up to this day.
“Everything I did was for this day, what time I went to sleep, what I ate, how often I stretched, not doing things on the weekend that my friends are doing. It’s sacrificing for the bigger picture, which is obviously Pro Day,” said Brad Cecil, who’s an offensive lineman for the team and has played at USF his entire collegiate career.
With plenty of eyes on these players, the nerves are surely there, but that didn’t stop them from performing at their best.
“I didn’t sleep at all last night, but as soon as I start the drill, I’m not even thinking about it. My mind is free all I’m thinking about is my technique, my fundamentals,” Cecil said.
But in the end, those nine USF players are hoping to receive that phone call for the NFL Draft, which will take place on Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29.
