March 17, 2009

Football: Former Players Strut Talents For NFL Scouts at Pro Day

    Youngstown – Seven former members of the Youngstown State football team improved their professional football chances during a workout in front of NFL Scouts on Tuesday morning at Stambaugh Stadium.

     Participating in the Pro Day workouts were long snapper Mike Barlak, offensive lineman Tyler Booth, cornerback Tyler Griffin, wide receiver Da'Michael Horne, tight end Louis Irizarry, offensive lineman Nhemie Theodore and wide receiver Ferlando Williams. All but Irizarry were seniors with the program in 2008.

    The players went through numerous drills testing strength, speed, quickness and agility as numbers were collected in the vertical jump, standing broad jump, bench press reps and 40-yard dash. Each player was also weighed and measured for the scouts.
    Horne was the top performer in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.49 seconds. Booth, at 6-5, 319 pounds, had an impressive vertical leap of 33.5 inches. Williams posted a time of 6.92 seconds in the 3-Cone Run.

   NFL teams in attendance on Tuesday morning were the Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions.

    The Youngstown State football program plays host to NFL scouts from almost every team throughout the year. Scouts are able to watch practice, attend meetings, watch hours of video and meet with players both during the season and in the offseason.

   The annual NFL Draft is set for April 25-26 in New York City. After the two draft days, players are eligible to sign free-agent contracts.