Tribal Warfare
03-17-2006, 07:44 AM
http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2006/03/03-17-06tdc/03-17-06dsports-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 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.
[b]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."
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 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.
[b]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."