Former SU football players with big NFL aspirations descended upon Manley Field House on Thursday to show NFL scouts what they had to offer in anticipation of the NFL Draft in April. While many of the top-tier collegiate players showed those scouts their talents during the NFL Combine last month (including four of the Orange athletes), the rest of the athletes had their school's Pro Day to show what they could do.
Because they attended the Combine, Chandler Jones, Andrew Tiller, and Phillip Thomas already had a pretty good idea of where they could possibly land in the draft, so today was just a day where they could show improvement. The 11 others though, would be highlighting their talents for the NFL world to see.
Antoine Bailey, last season's leading rusher for the Orange, was one of those 11 who didn't take part in the Combine, but was still encouraging by what he showed the scouts at Manley Field House Thursday afternoon.
"I definitely think I impressed them with everything I was able to do," Bailey says. "There's a lot of guys at the NFL with my height and my weight. I think the film will talk louder than my size will."
Three athletes who were undrafted last season also participated, one being punter Rob Long, who encountered a brain tumor at the end of his senior season. Now back to full health, he's looking forward to this second chance.
"I think I punted really well," Long says. "I hit the ceiling every time so there's something to be said for that. I feel a lot healthier now, and I'm finally able to go out and do what I love."
