Ohio State Hosts Over 130 NFL Reps for Annual Pro Day – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/11/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 11, 2016
COLUMBUS, Ohio — There is a line in a great movie that says “If you build it, he will come.” Well for 22 members of the Ohio State football team, they have been building towards this day, some for three years and some for five years. That day, was Ohio State’s annual Pro Day which was held inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center Friday morning.
In this case, the “he” was the NFL and yes, they indeed came. Over 130 NFL representatives, including members from all 32 teams with six head coaches, four general managers and one team president scheduled to appear and evaluate what quarterback coach George Whitfield termed earlier in the week as “perhaps the best NFL Pro Day ever.”
The atmosphere inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center was something not many have seen before and that’s saying something because one of the top college football programs in the country happens to practice in the facility on a regular basis. NFL head coaches, general managers, scouts, members of the media as well as friends and family of the athletes all came to see one of the best collections of talent in college football.
For some, it was a final opportunity to see Buckeye greats like Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Braxton Miller, Vonn Bell, Joshua Perry, Cardale Jones, Tyvis Powell, Darron Lee, Taylor Decker, Michael Thomas, Eli Apple, Jalin Marshall, Nick Vannett and Adolphus Washington and others in action one final time in Ohio State gear. For others, it was a chance to see their team’s future stars.
The workouts definitely weren’t lacking for national attention as the NFL Network and ESPN both hosted live shows throughout the morning. The Big Ten Network provided complete coverage of the day and ESPN The Magazine was on hand snapping photos for part of its NFL Draft issue. Well over 100 media credentials were issued.
Even the scouts who were working the event took a step back and admired what they saw.
“The atmosphere was electric and enthusiastic and I think that helps the players get a little bounce in their step. And it also helps the evaluators get a good look at the players in a big time environment,” said Jeff Shiver, assistant director of college scouting with the Chicago Bears. “From the moment I walked in the door today I could feel the buzz.”
That buzz was created in large part by the talent that was on display. A total of 14 Buckeyes who were invited to the NFL’s scouting combine in May worked out as well as six other members from a program that has won 50 games in four years under coach Urban Meyer plus two stalwarts off the 2014 national championship squad: linebacker Curtis Grant and defensive end Steve Miller.
“Every one of these guys was ready and they were as finely tuned as they could be,” Shiver added. “Coach Meyer has given us every opportunity we need to evaluate them and that’s what makes this place so special to come to.”
Steve Devine, a member of the New York Giants scouting department, was also impressed with the depth of talent that he saw on Friday.
“The truly impressive thing this year is that no matter what position you’re looking for, there is at least a player or two at each position who is going to help a team at the next level,” he said. “That makes it a great day for us as evaluators because we feel like our time is well spent.”
Another aspect of the day that made it special for the evaluators was how organized and prepared Mickey Marotti, the Assistant Athletic Director for Football Sport Performance, and his staff were for the workouts. That was a fact that certainly wasn’t overlooked by the scouts.
“I’m just an area scout but for me, this is one of the most impressive days in terms of the way it’s organized and the way it’s handled,” Devine said. “What really stands out to me is that when my boss and my directors come in here, they echo the same thing. Today is a great example of why Ohio State has the success that it has. The way the players handle themselves, the way the coaches try and provide us with all the information we need and the way the day is organized. It was top-notch.”
