Penn State's Pro Day

**Tribal Warfare** · 03-17-2006, 07:44 AM

http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...dsports-06.asp

NFL scouts take over Holuba Hall

By Sirage Yassin
Collegian Staff Writer
They are football players working toward their not-yet-determined professional futures, some of which appear to be in good standing, but the majority of which are extremely blurry.
The questions remain as vertical as Mount Nittany.
Is Michael Robinson equipped to be an NFL quarterback? Is he fast enough to be a receiver or running back? If need be, could he convert to safety?
Yesterday in Penn State's Holuba Hall, a bevy of NFL scouts, coaches and executives tried extensively to answer these questions and more as Penn State held its annual Pro Day, a mock setting of the NFL combine solely for Penn State players.
Most notably on hand were Detroit Lions president and former Penn State football player Matt Millen and current Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. The men packed Holuba to get a closer look at what Nittany Lions prospects, including Robinson, have legitimate chances at being selected on April 29-30 in the NFL Draft.
They know about defensive end Tamba Hali, who continues to impress all with his work ethic. The general consensus among a number of scouts is Hali is a bona fide first-round draft choice, and likely the only Lion who'll be selected that high.
But then there are those like Robinson, and former Lions defensive end Matthew Rice, whose draft status remain in the "wild card" category.
One NFC scout in attendance gave his take on Robinson.
"He should be tried as a quarterback," said the scout, who spoke under condition of anonymity. "Give him his chance at quarterback and let him prove to you that he can play [there] because I think he can. I think he's athletic enough and has got a good enough arm, he just lacks a little experience at that position."
The scout said he thought Robinson would probably be a second-day draft choice because his time playing quarterback at Penn State was limited.
As a unit, the Lions' secondary received the most praise from scouts, and the NFC representative said it's possible that all four members -- Alan Zemaitis, Anwar Phillips, Chris Harrell and Calvin Lowry -- could potentially be first-day picks.
An AFC scout, who also asked to remain nameless, estimated that Zemaitis and Phillips would go in the third round.
"They didn't run real fast, not as fast as we expected them to run [but] they have very good ball skills and good technique. They know how to make plays," the scout said.
The scouts declined to release any of the players' 40-yard dash times, but the NFC scout was satisfied with the speed of both cornerbacks.
"Yes, they were fast enough, plenty fast enough," he said. "The speed was fine, the speeds were what we expected them to run."
The surprise of the day for the scouts was safety Lowry, who was said to have improved his draft status with his workout.
"He's gonna be a good NFL prospect," the AFC scout said. "He ran well, he catches the ball well, he's tough. He makes a lot of plays, and, when you watch him on tape, he's very productive [and] he shows up consistently."
The NFC scout also said Rice opened some eyes with his performance. Rice said he traveled to Cleveland four days after Penn State's FedEx Orange Bowl victory to train for such an event.
"Out there it was like a Rocky movie, man," Rice said. "It wasn't nothing fancy, nothing out there to make you feel good about yourself. It was just straight work."
Though he did not compete in every event at the NFL combine held in Indianapolis, he did improve on all of his previous combine times.
"I was surprised with his workout," the NFC scout said. "He's a better athlete than I thought he would be."
Rice admitted he certainly falls into the uncertain category, but that one scout assured him his stock rose after yesterday.
Another prospect whose NFL future hangs in the balance is wide receiver Ethan Kilmer. The NFC scout said Kilmer caught the ball well and was impressed with his athletic ability. He added that it wouldn't surprise him either way if Kilmer was drafted or not.
Other team notables who participated were Lance Antolick, Dorian Burton, Paul Cronin, Scott Paxson, Tyler Reed, Andrew Richardson, Charles Rush, E.Z. Smith, Isaac Smolko and John Wilson.
As for the future of Robinson, it seems as if his best attribute is his versatility.
"Some of the best players in the league are guys who can play more than one position," the AFC scout said.
Notes
After being charged with sexual assault, indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault stemming from an on-campus incident in late 2004, defensive tackle Paxson participated in yesterday's Pro Day.
The NFC representative elected not to comment on whether or not Paxson's legal issues have caused his draft stock to fall. The AFC scout said he thought Paxson competed well and has a chance to play special teams at the next level. Paxson is currently awaiting trial and, if convicted, could face three to six years in a state prison.
Former defensive end LaVon Chisley, who was ruled academically ineligible for the 2005 season, also performed for the scouts. The AFC scout said Chisley will probably be a situational, third-down pass rusher.
"He's a guy that should try to gain some bulk and strength," the scout said. "Long term, as a developmental prospect, he's a pretty good possibility."

**Tribal Warfare** · 03-17-2006, 08:01 AM

With the 20th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft Kansas City Chiefs select Tamba Hali

Chiefnj · 03-18-2006, 06:35 PM

Anyone have any of Hali's #'s from the 40, 3-cone,etc.

I read he only did 18 reps and weighed in at 262

**Tribal Warfare** · 03-19-2006, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj

Anyone have any of Hali's #'s from the 40, 3-cone,etc.

I read he only did 18 reps and weighed in at 262

You know what I know how to E-mail Tamba Hali directly.

htismaqe · 03-19-2006, 10:26 AM

18 reps?

He's a pussy. Obviously, it doesn't matter that he pretty much dominated on the field if he can't even do 18 reps.

**Bowser** · 03-19-2006, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

18 reps?

He's a pussy. Obviously, it doesn't matter that he pretty much dominated on the field if he can't even do 18 reps.

Heh.

Jared Allen's girlfriend will be along shortly to reprimand you.

milkman · 03-19-2006, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

18 reps?

He's a pussy. Obviously, it doesn't matter that he pretty much dominated on the field if he can't even do 18 reps.

Hopefully, those 18 reps make it even more likely that he'll still be there at #20.

Chiefnj · 03-19-2006, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideWinder

Hopefully, those 18 reps make it even more likely that he'll still be there at #20.

Htis is being facetious. Of course 18 reps isn't reason to discount a good collegiate career. But his weight fluctuations, lack of strength and decision not to run at the combine raise some red flags.

Hali came into the combine in the 276 range and he chose not to run. Then when it came to his Pro Day, he dropped about 12 pounds and didn't perform all that well. There is obviously a concern on his part that he couldn't maintain his speed around 276, so he dropped a lot of weight.

milkman · 03-19-2006, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj

Htis is being facetious. Of course 18 reps isn't reason to discount a good collegiate career. But his weight fluctuations, lack of strength and decision not to run at the combine raise some red flags.

Hali came into the combine in the 276 range and he chose not to run. Then when it came to his Pro Day, he dropped about 12 pounds and didn't perform all that well. There is obviously a concern on his part that he couldn't maintain his speed around 276, so he dropped a lot of weight.

I get that.

My point is the same as Parker's.

Because of those red flags, teams will 2nd guess his productivity in games.

I find the whole combine-pro day process somewhat rediculous when you have players who've produced on the field.

htismaqe · 03-20-2006, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideWinder

I get that.

My point is the same as Parker's.

Because of those red flags, teams will 2nd guess his productivity in games.

I find the whole combine-pro day process somewhat rediculous when you have players who've produced on the field.

Chad Greenway.

jspchief · 03-20-2006, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj

Hali came into the combine in the 276 range and he chose not to run. Then when it came to his Pro Day, he dropped about 12 pounds and didn't perform all that well. There is obviously a concern on his part that he couldn't maintain his speed around 276, so he dropped a lot of weight.

Hali's agent didn't allow any of his players to work out at the combine.

Do you have his numbers from his pro day? I don't care about his 40, but would like to see his 10 and 20 times.

Chiefnj · 03-20-2006, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jspchief

Hali's agent didn't allow any of his players to work out at the combine.

Do you have his numbers from his pro day? I don't care about his 40, but would like to see his 10 and 20 times.

Other than the bench press, I haven't seen any numbers. I just read that he came in 12 lbs lighter and his value was dropping. Maybe people with scout.com privileges can get the numbers off of penn state's site.

Edit - I just read that his 40 time was a 4.88. Since hand times at pro days are usually generous, you can assume he would have been in the low 4.9 range had he run at Indy.

**Tribal Warfare** · 03-20-2006, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chiefnj

Other than the bench press, I haven't seen any numbers. I just read that he came in 12 lbs lighter and his value was dropping. Maybe people with scout.com privileges can get the numbers off of penn state's site.

Edit - I just read that his 40 time was a 4.88. Since hand times at pro days are usually generous, you can assume he would have been in the low 4.9 range had he run at Indy.

With the 20th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft The Kansas City Chiefs selects Tamba Hali DE from Penn State

03-17-2006, 07:44 AM
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $612813	Penn State's Pro Day http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive...dsports-06.asp NFL scouts take over Holuba Hall By Sirage Yassin Collegian Staff Writer They are football players working toward their not-yet-determined professional futures, some of which appear to be in good standing, but the majority of which are extremely blurry. The questions remain as vertical as Mount Nittany. Is Michael Robinson equipped to be an NFL quarterback? Is he fast enough to be a receiver or running back? If need be, could he convert to safety? Yesterday in Penn State's Holuba Hall, a bevy of NFL scouts, coaches and executives tried extensively to answer these questions and more as Penn State held its annual Pro Day, a mock setting of the NFL combine solely for Penn State players. Most notably on hand were Detroit Lions president and former Penn State football player Matt Millen and current Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher. The men packed Holuba to get a closer look at what Nittany Lions prospects, including Robinson, have legitimate chances at being selected on April 29-30 in the NFL Draft. They know about defensive end Tamba Hali, who continues to impress all with his work ethic. The general consensus among a number of scouts is Hali is a bona fide first-round draft choice, and likely the only Lion who'll be selected that high. But then there are those like Robinson, and former Lions defensive end Matthew Rice, whose draft status remain in the "wild card" category. One NFC scout in attendance gave his take on Robinson. "He should be tried as a quarterback," said the scout, who spoke under condition of anonymity. "Give him his chance at quarterback and let him prove to you that he can play [there] because I think he can. I think he's athletic enough and has got a good enough arm, he just lacks a little experience at that position." The scout said he thought Robinson would probably be a second-day draft choice because his time playing quarterback at Penn State was limited. As a unit, the Lions' secondary received the most praise from scouts, and the NFC representative said it's possible that all four members -- Alan Zemaitis, Anwar Phillips, Chris Harrell and Calvin Lowry -- could potentially be first-day picks. An AFC scout, who also asked to remain nameless, estimated that Zemaitis and Phillips would go in the third round. "They didn't run real fast, not as fast as we expected them to run [but] they have very good ball skills and good technique. They know how to make plays," the scout said. The scouts declined to release any of the players' 40-yard dash times, but the NFC scout was satisfied with the speed of both cornerbacks. "Yes, they were fast enough, plenty fast enough," he said. "The speed was fine, the speeds were what we expected them to run." The surprise of the day for the scouts was safety Lowry, who was said to have improved his draft status with his workout. "He's gonna be a good NFL prospect," the AFC scout said. "He ran well, he catches the ball well, he's tough. He makes a lot of plays, and, when you watch him on tape, he's very productive [and] he shows up consistently." The NFC scout also said Rice opened some eyes with his performance. Rice said he traveled to Cleveland four days after Penn State's FedEx Orange Bowl victory to train for such an event. "Out there it was like a Rocky movie, man," Rice said. "It wasn't nothing fancy, nothing out there to make you feel good about yourself. It was just straight work." Though he did not compete in every event at the NFL combine held in Indianapolis, he did improve on all of his previous combine times. "I was surprised with his workout," the NFC scout said. "He's a better athlete than I thought he would be." Rice admitted he certainly falls into the uncertain category, but that one scout assured him his stock rose after yesterday. Another prospect whose NFL future hangs in the balance is wide receiver Ethan Kilmer. The NFC scout said Kilmer caught the ball well and was impressed with his athletic ability. He added that it wouldn't surprise him either way if Kilmer was drafted or not. Other team notables who participated were Lance Antolick, Dorian Burton, Paul Cronin, Scott Paxson, Tyler Reed, Andrew Richardson, Charles Rush, E.Z. Smith, Isaac Smolko and John Wilson. As for the future of Robinson, it seems as if his best attribute is his versatility. "Some of the best players in the league are guys who can play more than one position," the AFC scout said. Notes After being charged with sexual assault, indecent assault and aggravated indecent assault stemming from an on-campus incident in late 2004, defensive tackle Paxson participated in yesterday's Pro Day. The NFC representative elected not to comment on whether or not Paxson's legal issues have caused his draft stock to fall. The AFC scout said he thought Paxson competed well and has a chance to play special teams at the next level. Paxson is currently awaiting trial and, if convicted, could face three to six years in a state prison. Former defensive end LaVon Chisley, who was ruled academically ineligible for the 2005 season, also performed for the scouts. The AFC scout said Chisley will probably be a situational, third-down pass rusher. "He's a guy that should try to gain some bulk and strength," the scout said. "Long term, as a developmental prospect, he's a pretty good possibility."
Posts: 42,158

03-17-2006, 08:01 AM	#2
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $612813	With the 20th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft Kansas City Chiefs select Tamba Hali __________________ Last edited by Tribal Warfare; 03-17-2006 at 11:34 AM..
Posts: 42,158

03-18-2006, 06:35 PM	#3
Chiefnj MVP Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Willis, Harris and Davis. Casino cash: $10004900	Anyone have any of Hali's #'s from the 40, 3-cone,etc. I read he only did 18 reps and weighed in at 262 __________________ "I always tell (the assistant coaches), 'Make it simple, 'cause I'm stupid,'" Edwards said. "This ain't computer football." Herm Edwards, 3-20-07 Q: Herm, back on December 25th you were asked if Trent Green was your starter going into next season and you said, ‘yeah, why wouldn’t he be?’ Have you changed your mind on that? EDWARDS: No, I have not.” (1-11-07)
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03-19-2006, 10:26 AM	#5
htismaqe 'Tis my eye! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Chiefsplanet Casino cash: $10269900	18 reps? He's a pussy. Obviously, it doesn't matter that he pretty much dominated on the field if he can't even do 18 reps.
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