Former BSU QB Davis showed nerves, still had 'good' Combine

**Tribal Warfare** · 02-27-2009, 02:44 PM

Scout: Former BSU QB Davis showed nerves, still had 'good' Combine

By DOUG ZALESKI
dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com

MUNCIE -- A National Football League scout says Nate Davis showed some inconsistency with his throwing Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine, but overall came away impressed with all facets of the former Ball State quarterback.

The scout, who is employed by an AFC team, did not want his name revealed because his team doesn't allow him to comment publicly on prospects.

The talent-evaluator told The Star Press he could overlook some of the inconsistent throws Davis made because he appeared to show some nervousness while performing in front of hundreds of NFL head coaches, general managers and scouts in Indianapolis.

"He'll probably come back on his pro day and do better in more familiar surroundings," the scout said.

Davis gained a favorable review from the scout in many areas, saying the junior "had a good Combine."

"He absolutely translates to the NFL, that's obvious to me," the scout said. "He has a good, strong arm, he ran their offense at Ball State quite well, and he was productive. You look at his productivity, and you can't discount that when you look at a prospect."

During the 2008 Ball State season, when the scout saw the Cardinals live one time, Davis capped a record-breaking career. He finished as the Cardinals' career leader in passing yards (9,233), touchdown passes (74), attempts (1,124), completions (678), 250-yard games (20) and 300-yard games (9) before declaring in January he would give up his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Davis generally is considered the fourth-best quarterback available in the April draft, and is regarded as a second- or third-round selection.

The 2008 Mid-American Conference offensive player of the year returned to Ball State this week after training for the Combine since early January in Tampa Bay, Fla. Davis plans to continue his workouts at Ball State, and will conduct his own pro day at Scheumann Stadium sometime in March.

"The Combine was everything I expected," said Davis, who watched 10 of his teammates go through their pro day workouts Thursday at Ball State. "I thought I did OK. I made some bad throws, but you're always going to have ups and downs. You have to fight back. That's the way life goes.

"This is about to be my life, so I'm just giving it my all every day."

Ball State coach Stan Parrish, who has numerous contacts and friends who work with NFL teams, said the reports he received on Davis after the Combine were positive.

Davis will spend the next several weeks working with Parrish on studying film and fine-tuning his ability to read defenses in preparation for entry into the NFL. Davis' pro day will be important for him, the coach said.

"(NFL people) will want to see some improvement on things (from the Combine) that I'm sure they talked with him about," Parrish said.

The AFC scout said the first thing he looks at in judging a quarterback prospect is whether he is productive. He said Davis' stats of 7,258 yards and 56 touchdown passes and a 19-8 record for the Cardinals the past two seasons speak for themselves.

"He's a big kid who handled a multiple-set offense, he can get under center and take a shotgun snap, he knows how to read defenses and where to go with the football," the scout said. "He also did quite well in the interviews with us."

**RealSNR** · 02-27-2009, 02:49 PM

We traded our entire draft for Mike Vrabel. Too bad we don't have a shot at Davis.

02-27-2009, 02:44 PM	Topic Starter
Tribal Warfare The Boom Boom Room Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Far Beyond Comprehension Casino cash: $752813	Former BSU QB Davis showed nerves, still had 'good' Combine Scout: Former BSU QB Davis showed nerves, still had 'good' Combine By DOUG ZALESKI dzaleski@muncie.gannett.com MUNCIE -- A National Football League scout says Nate Davis showed some inconsistency with his throwing Sunday at the NFL Scouting Combine, but overall came away impressed with all facets of the former Ball State quarterback. The scout, who is employed by an AFC team, did not want his name revealed because his team doesn't allow him to comment publicly on prospects. The talent-evaluator told The Star Press he could overlook some of the inconsistent throws Davis made because he appeared to show some nervousness while performing in front of hundreds of NFL head coaches, general managers and scouts in Indianapolis. "He'll probably come back on his pro day and do better in more familiar surroundings," the scout said. Davis gained a favorable review from the scout in many areas, saying the junior "had a good Combine." "He absolutely translates to the NFL, that's obvious to me," the scout said. "He has a good, strong arm, he ran their offense at Ball State quite well, and he was productive. You look at his productivity, and you can't discount that when you look at a prospect." During the 2008 Ball State season, when the scout saw the Cardinals live one time, Davis capped a record-breaking career. He finished as the Cardinals' career leader in passing yards (9,233), touchdown passes (74), attempts (1,124), completions (678), 250-yard games (20) and 300-yard games (9) before declaring in January he would give up his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft. Davis generally is considered the fourth-best quarterback available in the April draft, and is regarded as a second- or third-round selection. The 2008 Mid-American Conference offensive player of the year returned to Ball State this week after training for the Combine since early January in Tampa Bay, Fla. Davis plans to continue his workouts at Ball State, and will conduct his own pro day at Scheumann Stadium sometime in March. "The Combine was everything I expected," said Davis, who watched 10 of his teammates go through their pro day workouts Thursday at Ball State. "I thought I did OK. I made some bad throws, but you're always going to have ups and downs. You have to fight back. That's the way life goes. "This is about to be my life, so I'm just giving it my all every day." Ball State coach Stan Parrish, who has numerous contacts and friends who work with NFL teams, said the reports he received on Davis after the Combine were positive. Davis will spend the next several weeks working with Parrish on studying film and fine-tuning his ability to read defenses in preparation for entry into the NFL. Davis' pro day will be important for him, the coach said. "(NFL people) will want to see some improvement on things (from the Combine) that I'm sure they talked with him about," Parrish said. The AFC scout said the first thing he looks at in judging a quarterback prospect is whether he is productive. He said Davis' stats of 7,258 yards and 56 touchdown passes and a 19-8 record for the Cardinals the past two seasons speak for themselves. "He's a big kid who handled a multiple-set offense, he can get under center and take a shotgun snap, he knows how to read defenses and where to go with the football," the scout said. "He also did quite well in the interviews with us."
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02-27-2009, 02:49 PM	#2
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $2200208	We traded our entire draft for Mike Vrabel. Too bad we don't have a shot at Davis.
Posts: 90,584