If a Pro Day happens in the woods, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
By Brandon Hamm
Mar 20, 2014; Notre Dame, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish former football players Zack Martin (left) and Chris Watt run a drill during Notre Dame pro day at the Guglielmino Athletics Complex. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
The Pro Day
Wikipedia describes Pro Days as:
"“Each university has a Pro Day, during which the NCAA allows NFL scouts to visit the school and watch players participate in NFL Combine events together. (Some smaller universities join with nearby schools.) Essentially job fairs for prospective NFL players,[64] pro days are held under the belief that players feel more comfortable at their own campus than they do at the Combine, which in turn leads to better performances. College teams which produce a large quantity of NFL prospects generally generate huge interest from scouts and coaches at their Pro Days.”"
We all know of the buzz about the Pro Days of the main players in this draft. The media circus that surrounds each one of players in the spotlight, pointing out things that were either already known, already skeptical of, or things like what a players favorite Drake song is.
But what about the Pro Days that no one hears about? The ones that happen at smaller schools with capable athletes who will likely get drafted in the later rounds, but could still significantly increase a NFL teams potential in the following years? For the sake of Houston sports, lets take a look at some of the positions the Texans need. As well some of them that are currently in them, have previously been, and some of most talked about, and their lesser known counterparts in their Pro Days around the country.
Quarterback
Johnny Football #Johnnyday (Texas A&M)
Jimmy Garrappalo (Eastern Illinois)
Tom Savage (Pitt)
"Pitt Football Pro Day 2014 | Aaron Donald / Devin Street / Tom Savage | PittLiveWire http://t.co/fDY3i4MoNw they are representing well #H2P— Pat Amara ?? (@_PatLiveFrom215) March 3, 2014"
Offensive Tackle:
"Pacquaio mom just put a hex on Bradley ??????— Duane Brown (@DuaneBrown76) April 13, 2014"
Zack Martin (Notre Dame)
6’4 308 lbs, started almost 40+ games since 2011. Captained more games than anyone in the schools history. Smart, natural leader. Didn’t even participate in the combine or much in Notre Dames Pro Day. Projected 1st round, top 10 pick.
Click here for more on Martin.
Defensive End:
JJ Watt
"No dream is too big if you have the right attitude & work ethic. Stop making excuses and start making things happen. #DreamBigWorkHard— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 26, 2014"
Franchise this guy faster.
Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina)
Linebacker:
"Here’s Whitney Mercilus on the #Texans defense, Jadeveon Clowney and Johnny Manziel: http://t.co/TywE9qw6Zv— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaro) April 12, 2014"
All -American, All-MAC, All everything. Lead team in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles, and pass breakups in many different years. Didn’t get one offer letter to a college besides Buffalo and Liberty. Projected top 10 pick.
Safety
Just did the math, Ed Reed got paid INFINITY dollars per interception.
— John Wessling (@johnwessling) November 12, 2013
Kicker/Punter Randy Bullock
"Duck Dynasty is back! — Randy Bullock (@randybullock28) August 15, 2013"
Pat O’Donnell (Miami)
"Miami’s Punter Pat O’Donnell had 23 reps at 225, Clowney had 21. O’Donnell also ran 4.64, 0.17 seconds slower than Clowney — Mark Blankenbaker (@UofLSheriff50) February 24, 2014"
Pat wanted to work out at a Pro Day, but was told not to bother with going through drills. He ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash and posting more reps on the bench press than Jadeveon Clowney. He probably wont even be drafted in the NFL.
Coach
Gary Kubiak
"5 Houston Texans Who #shouldn’t Be Back In 2014 – In less than two months the free agency… http://t.co/E3i89w09N2 #GaryKubiak #RonRivera — Sports News Junkie (@SportNewsJunkie) January 28, 2014"
Heres to hoping the Texans for a little more JJ Watt and a little less Ed Reed this year. As well as hoping the Texans front office uses a little more than a combination of Pro Days, hearsay, Drizzy Drake, and thinking outside the box, to solidify a winning team for us Houstonians.
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