ASU football players will participate in the annual Pro Day event on Wednesday, showcasing their skills and athleticism in front of NFL scouts and coaches ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft. (Photo by John Bhasker/Cronkite News)
TEMPE – As the 2024 NFL Draft approaches, all eyes are on the next generation of talent. And at Arizona State's pro day, the players wanted to not only focus on their own success, but to see their teammates put on a show in front of the scouts and coaches in attendance.
ASU football held its annual pro day on Wednesday in front of NFL scouts and coaches and several representatives from Canadian Football League teams. The Sun Devil players felt ready for the event, looking to showcase their skills and prove that they have what it takes to play at the next level.
“It was exactly what I expected,” former ASU cornerback Roe Torrence said. “There were a lot of emotions going on, but I was just relaxing, having fun, and relaxing. But it was pretty much the experience I expected.”
The day started in the weight room, where the players' hands, arms, wingspan, height, and weight were all measured. From there, the players moved to the rack and performed bench presses, followed by vertical jumps and broad jumps. Offensive lineman Joey Ramos led all players in the bench press with 24, and wide receiver Gio Sanders had a vertical jump of 34.5 inches. Broad jump data was not available.
An interesting aspect of the day was that inside defensive lineman Dashawn Mallory was significantly lighter. His weight for the season was listed at 275 pounds, but he weighed 265 pounds Wednesday. Mallory came to light because the average defensive tackle in the NFL is about 310 pounds, according to the NFL Football Operations site, which says he intentionally lost weight for show. Two things are important: his speed and versatility.
“I know 260-265 (pounds) is not the ideal NFL weight for an inside D-lineman, but I wanted to showcase my speed today,” Mallory said. “There's a lot of spots here where I feel like I can be versatile, go out there on defense and maybe not cover anybody. I don't know. But I mean, I'm going to get that extra to rush off the edge. Adding a hat feels like it's quite possible to me, and yes, I think a strong case for me being able to run fast could add a bit more versatility to my profile. Masu.”
The players then moved to the Verde Dickey Dome for on-field drills and practices. These tests include tests such as the 40-yard dash, 3-cone, L drill, and several position drills. It was here that Mr. Sanders felt most comfortable. In his eyes, it was no longer a test, he was just playing a game.
“Football felt the most natural,” Sanders said. “When it came to this part of the day, it felt like all the weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was just really playing soccer, if that makes any sense.”
Of course, any college's pro day requires a lot of physical and mental preparation. Several players said they were pretty nervous heading into Pro Day, but knowing the NFL Draft was coming up April 25-27, they focused and did their best for those in attendance. Ta.
“I was definitely pretty nervous yesterday,” Mallory said. “I think it was around 5 p.m. and I was really just chilling in my room. I had a big heatwave for ages. I was sweating. I was panicking. But I had to understand that I've been doing this all my life. The drills are no different. Soccer is no different.
“For people watching me up close, there's money involved, I understand that. But at the same time, I've been doing these trainings since I was 13 years old.”
There was a similar vibe with former ASU linebacker Travion Brown.
“After I turned 40, I thought I could only do this once,” Brown said. “Why not have fun? And I just went in with that mentality, obviously, to work hard and do what I'm trained to do, but also just to have fun with it…so much This is my first time standing in front of the scouts and I just went with the spirit of having fun.”
During the morning session, the players developed camaraderie with each other and encouraged each other while relying on the support of family, friends and fans.
“I’m really glad they were there,” Sanders said. “It felt good to see all their hard work paying off. I hope that after this, we all have opportunities. It definitely helps a lot, but what they're doing is… It also feels good to see that.”
“It makes the game even more fun,” Torrence said. “You don't want to leave, you want to stay forever. Those friendships last a long time…When adversity hit, you know your brother had your back, and you knew you had his back. Masu.”
