Andre
Dillard steals show at WSU’s Pro Day
Former
Cougar football stars compete in front of scouts to prove worth
By JOHN
SPELLMAN, Evergreen April 3, 2019
NFL scouts
and national media flocked to Pullman on Wednesday to watch 14 former football
players take part in WSU’s Pro Day and see if they have what it takes to play
at the next level.
The main
attraction was offensive lineman Andre Dillard, who is projected to be a
first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, which starts on April 25.
The NFL
scouts in attendance paid close attention whenever Dillard was on the field and
Carolina Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney flew all the way to Pullman just
to watch him.
“I was
honored for him to be with us,” Dillard said about Hurney coming to WSU to meet
with him. “It felt good to put on a bit of a show.”
Other
Cougars that participated in the Pro Day included wide receivers Kyle Sweet and
Robert Lewis, running backs James Williams, Jamal Morrow and Keith Harrington,
linebackers Peyton Pelluer and Logan Tago, defensive backs Darrien Molton,
Hunter Dale and Sean Harper Jr., and quarterback Gardner Minshew II.
The
players started the day in the weight room in the Cougar Football Complex with
the bench press, broad jump and vertical jump.
Minshew
and Dillard, two of the three Cougars that participated in the NFL Scouting
Combine in early March, decided that they didn’t need to improve on their
results from the combine, so they did not partake in the weight room portion of
the day.
The most
impressive Coug in the weight room was Pelluer, who cranked out 24 reps of 225
pounds on the bench press.
The
players and the scouts then moved to the Indoor Practice Facility so the athletes
could perform their drills without having to worry about slipping on the slick
grass from the rainfall.
The former
Cougs started with the 40-yard dash, a key metric that scouts focus on as they
evaluate a player’s talent. However, the official times are not made public
during the Pro Day event.
The
players then transitioned into position-specific drills, with Dillard up first.
Despite
all the attention on him, Dillard said he stayed focused and performed well.
“My
portion was pretty quick, but I had fun doing it and it felt good so I was glad
to be out here,” Dillard said. “This has become a little bit normal, football
is my comfort zone so there’s no need to be nervous anymore.”
Following
Dillard was the trio of running backs, highlighted by Williams, who was looking
to improve off a strong showing at the combine. Williams, who had one season of
eligibility left at WSU, feels good about his decision to enter the draft
early.
“I was
happy with how today went … there was a lot of adversity, I went from being
homeless to tearing my ACL,” Williams said. “I always say, adversity is going
to hit you, and it’s going to hit you hard. Fight through every single thing,
embrace everything you go through, and everything will be fine.”
Minshew
and the wide receivers took to the field after the running backs. Minshew
seemed to have a solid day throwing the ball as he looked to leave an
impression on scouts for the last time in front of them before the draft.
“Definitely
could be better, but I always feel like that no matter what we do, but all in
all it was a good day,” Minshew said. “It’s been a crazy process, but you learn
so much, I get to be around so many different people with so many different
views, but I think it’s really prepared me well for what I’m going through
now.”
The
players will now wait until the 2019 NFL Draft at the end of April to see if
their dreams of playing professionally come true.
::::::::::::
April 4,
2019
Washington
State track & field set to compete
at WSU vs. UW Dual
Cougars
head to Seattle to face rival Huskies.
From WSU
Sports Info
WSU vs. UW
Dual
Saturday,
April 6 | Seattle | Husky Outdoor Track
Event
Start - 10:20 a.m. (PST)
COUGS HEAD
TO RIVAL UW FOR DUAL MEET
>>
The Washington State Track and Field program heads to the west side of the
state to compete in a dual meet against the University of Washington. This is
the fourth week of outdoor competition for the Cougars, who have started the
season hot, and continued to pick up multiple individual wins throughout 2019.
The dual will be conducted, Saturday, April 6 at Husky Track, and will look to
start around 10:20 a.m. with the men's hammer throw.
T&F
SPLITS DISTANCE SQUADS IN CALIFORNIA
>>
Zorana Grujic stood out during the Stanford Invite as she posted a mark of
10:31.62 during the 3000-meter Steeplechase, which is now eighth best all-time
in Washington State history. Kaili Keefe turned in a ninth overall place finish
during the 1500-meter race as well with a time of 4:34.91. Melissa Hruska
anchored the Cougars at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in the 5,000-meter
event, as she placed ninth overall with a time of 17:16.28.
>>
Justin Janke helped pace the WSU men at the Stanford Invitational with a fifth
place finish in the 1500m event at 3:51.79. Paul Ryan and Amir Ado turned in
solid overall performances in the 5,000m race as Ryan posted a mark of
13:55.89, and Ado finished at 14:10.22 overall as well. Kyler Little record a PR
performance at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic in the 5,000m event, finishing
13th with a time of 14:16.99. Nathan Wadhwani led Washington State in the
10,000-meter event as he also turned in a PR result, with a time of 30:07.72.
COUGARS
POST 22 TOP FIVE FINISHES AT UCLA INVITATIONAL
>>
Charisma Taylor notched yet another win during her early WSU track career, this
time around in the triple jump with a mark of 41-feet 8 3/4 inches (12.72m).
Mackenzie Fletcher added a win for the Cougars as well in the 400-meter hurdles
event with a time of 1:00.89, and Jelena Grujic was close behind in third with
a PR of 1:01.23. Throwers Chrisshnay Brown and Aoife Martin each recorded third
place finishes in their respective events with Brown posting a mark of 47-feet
5 1/4 inches in the shot put, and Martin with a mark of 180-feet 7 inches in
the hammer throw.
>>
Brock Eager continued to power his way up the ranks of not only the national
standings, but the all-time Washington State top ten as well. Eager posted a
winning mark of 232-feet 5 inches (70.85m) in the hammer throw to move him up
to third all-time in Cougar history, and currently sits at third in the nation
in the event as well. Nick Johnson had himself a great run in the 110-meter
hurdles, winning the event with a time of 14.06. Fellow Cougar Sam Brixey took
home second in the event at 14.15 seconds, and Christapherson Grant finished in
fourth at 14.39. Emmanuel Wells Jr. picked up the victory in the 100-meter dash
with a time of 10.50 seconds, and along with teammates Ja'Maun Charles, Ethan
Gardner, and Jake Ulrich, won the 4x100-meter relay with a time of 40.21 to cap off a solid overall meet at
UCLA.
:::::::::::::::
Coug runningf back James Williams shocks even
himself at WSU's Pro Day
By Braden Johnson Coufan.com
PULLMAN –
Seeing him put together a perfect receiving tally on the day wasn’t much of a
shock for running back James Williams at Washington State’s Pro Day on
Wednesday. After all, Williams set the Pac-12's single-season receptions record
for running backs (83) with the Cougars in 2018. So perhaps the bigger surprise
was Williams’ mark in the 225-pound bench press inside the Cougar Football
Complex. Or maybe, simply the fact that Williams even benched at all.
Williams
repped the barbell 15 times – fourth-best out of the 14 former Cougs
participating. He sat out the event at the NFL Scouting Combine in February
while nursing a shoulder sprain that is still on the mend. But after a light
warmup on an adjacent bench press station and stretches with exercise bands,
the Burbank, Calif., native decided to give it a go in front of 28 NFL teams.
For a
player who wasn't quite 100 percent, Williams worked in a fluid motion. He
didn’t show any visible signs of discomfort during the exercise.
“I felt
amazing,” he said. “I was shocked I got that 15. My shoulder before
Indianapolis, I had a little shoulder sprain, so I really couldn’t lift
anything. I wasn’t about to go and get five (reps) and have them record that on
me – look like I was weak. But when I got here, everything felt amazing. I took
my time and I got higher than I thought I was going to get.”
OUTSIDE OF
THE bench, Williams chose to let his measurements and on-field tests from the
NFL Combine stand. He told CF.C recently he wanted to try and get into the
4.4-second range on his 40-yard dash but would sit out if speed and agility
drills took place inside the Indoor Practice Facility, where players worry
about an injury on the Astroturf and the lighting is poor.
And sure
enough, intermittent showers made the Rogers-Orton practice fields turf too
slick for players to work out on. When Williams got inside the IPF, he devoted
his full attention to his positional workout and running routes with QB Gardner
Minshew.
Williams
went through a running backs workout alongside fellow Cougs Keith Harrington
and Jamal Morrow with New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas. The
vocal coach had Williams first work through a series of high knees, shuffles
and sprints before pivoting into blocking drills.
There,
Williams assumed the responsibility of picking up Harrington and Morrow, (who
played the role of a blitzing defensive end), in either direction. Williams
finished the fast-moving segment with a blend of dives, counters and short
sweeps off handoffs from Minshew.
“It was
intense,” he said of working with Thomas. “It was nerve-wracking. I’ve got an
NFL coach running me through drills, you know? But I felt like everything went
well.”
It could
mark the first of many workouts Williams shares with Thomas. In addition to the
Buffalo Bills, Williams said he met with the Saints on Tuesday night and
Wednesday morning.
WILLIAMS
LOOKED COMFORTABLE running routes with Minshew. Ken Mastrole, whom Minshew was working
with, often dialed up short patterns between the hashes for a noticeably
stronger Williams. He weighed in at an even 200 pounds and was measured at 5-10
at WSU's Pro Day.
Williams
also joined Harrington and Morrow on screens, hitches and short slants. He
didn’t have any nerves working with Minshew for two reasons. For starters,
Minshew got participating offensive players together for a pair of workouts
over the weekend. Williams also had a good idea what drills he’d be asked to
perform and rounded up Harrington and Morrow for run-throughs.
“I was
informed by my combine coaches on what we were going to do,” Williams said. “So
I kind of prayed in my head about what I was going to do here and I practiced a
couple times with the rest of the running backs. We were well prepared for
today.”
Williams,
who lives in Lewiston, Idaho with his fiancé, Rye Hewitt, said he’ll continue
commuting back and forth between WSU and Idaho to train. With a potential
rookie camp on the horizon, he doesn’t intend to take a break.
It's still
a nervous time fir Williams, though. He’s projected by many draft analysts as a
mid-to-late round pick but he also knows there’s no guarantee he’ll hear his
name called when the NFL Draft come on Apr. 25-27.
“I’m glad
all of this is over, because I’ve been stressing and I’ll probably stress a
little bit more – just about where I’m going to end up,” Williams said. “But I
don’t care where I end up. Even if I don’t get drafted, I still need an
opportunity. That's all I need.”
2018 WSU FOOTBALL
team awards: QB Gardner Minshew team MVP
From Cougfan.com
PULLMAN -
Washington State’s 2018 season-ending banquet was hosted at Martin Stadium
Wednesday night and the awards handed out by the coaches ranged from the most
valuable player to academic excellence. The Cougars' overall MVP - presumably
in a landslide margin - was the Mississippi Mustache himself, quarterback
Gardner Minshew.
Count one
more award Minshew can throw up on the mantle to accompany the Pac-12 Offensive
Player of the Year award as well as the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Here is
a look at what Minshew did in 2018 and where it stacks up in Cougar
single-season history:
70.7
completion percentage (2nd)
468
completions (1st)
38
touchdown passes (T-1st)
4,779
passing yards (1st)
11
300-yard passing games (1st)
THE 2018
OFFENSIVE MVP AWARD had co-recipients in a pair of 2019 NFL Draft hopefuls:
left tackle Andre Dillard and running back James Williams.
Dillard, a
projected first round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, anchored a WSU offensive
line that boasted the lowest sack rate percentage in the nation at 1.9 percent,
according to Football Outsiders.
Meanwhile
Williams, who has plenty of impressive stats to rattle off in his own, produced
this play among his many 2018 highlights.
If that
run wasn’t enough to win co-offensive MVP alone, then surely his 16 total
touchdowns on the year was enough to get the nod from the WSU coaches.
ON
DEFENSE, junior safety Jalen Thompson took home Defensive MVP honors. In
addition to Thompson’s outstanding leadership he ranked fourth in total tackles
for the Cougar defense with 67 and tied for second on the team with two
interceptions.
FOR THE
SENIOR-SPECIFIC AWARDS, the Washington State coaching staff hit the nail on the
head. The Laurie Niemi Award winner was running back Keith Harrington. The
award is given to the Cougar who exemplifies the courage and attitude of former
WSU assistant coach Laurie Niemi.
Harrington
had three starts in his career as a Cougar and only rushed the ball 14 times in
his senior season. However, for what Harrington lacked in stats, he certainly
made up for in his leadership and attitude, which his teammates have raved
about for nearly his entire career.
Fellow
fifth-year senior Nick Begg was awarded the Frank Butler Award, given to the
Cougar who demonstrates the most spirit. There are plenty of instances
throughout 2018 and previous seasons where Begg had been the guy waving a towel
cheering on his offensive teammates on the sideline, but Cougfan feels this GIF
best embodies Begg’s outstanding spirit.
To round
out the senior awards, cornerback Darrien Molten was awarded the J. Fred Bohler
Award, given to the Cougar who is the most inspirational. Not the biggest or
physically intimidating man on the field, Molton arguably showed the most heart
out of any player on any field he stepped on, and often wore it on his sleeve.
The full
list of awards can be found below.
SENIOR
AWARDS
Laurie
Niemi Award (Cougar Courage and Attitude) – Keith Harrington
Frank
Butler Award (Cougar Spirit) – Nick Begg
J. Fred
Bohler Award (Cougar Inspiration) – Darrien Molton
TEAM
AWARDS
Team MVP –
Gardner Minshew II
Leon
Bender Award (Defensive Lineman of the Year) – Logan Tago
Mike Utley
Award (Offensive Lineman of the Year) – Fred Mauigoa
Tim Petek
Award (Strongest Man Award) – Hunter Dale
Offensive
Most Valuable Player – Andre Dillard and James Williams
Defensive
Most Valuable Player – Jalen Thompson
Special
Teams MVP – Tristan Brock
Randal
Simmons Award (Coaches Award) – Taylor Comfort
Offense
Captain Award – Kyle Sweet
Defense
Captain Award – Peyton Pelluer
Cougar
Academic Excellence Award – Brandon Arconado
Offensive
Scout Team Player of the Year – Brandon Gray
Defensive
Scout Team Player of the Year – Hank Pladson
::::::::::::::
Cougars strut their stuff during WSU football ‘pro
day’ on campus in Pullman
By Dale
Grummert
Lewiston Trib
Apr 4,
2019
PULLMAN —
Peyton Pelluer failed to land an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine at
Indianapolis earlier this year, and he swears he couldn’t care less. But here
in Pullman on Wednesday, he was obviously trying to prove the injustice of that
snub.
The same
was true of 11 other under-the-radar Washington State football players, who
joined Combine invitees Andre Dillard, Gardner Minshew and James Williams for
the Cougars’ Pro Day drills at the WSU Football Complex and indoor practice
bubble.
Dillard, Minshew
and Williams are known commodities by now. They probably didn’t significantly
improve or harm their stock for the NFL draft later this month, though Williams
gamely participated in most of the drills and put his alarming quickness on
display in Pullman one final time. He took a gamble in forfeiting his senior
season to turn pro, but appears to have a solid shot of making the move pay
off.
“I’m glad
all this is over,” Williams said of the NFL testing process, “because I’ve been
stressing. I might stress a little bit more, but I’m curious where I’m going to
end up.”
This Pro
Day, in any case, afforded some welcome NFL exposure to players like Pelluer,
an overachieving linebacker whose football talents aren’t always reflected in measurables like height,
weight and footspeed.
Well, how
about pure physical strength? In the 225-pound bench press, Pelluer rattled off
24 repetitions in a no-nonsense style seemingly inspired by the Cougars’ Speed
D.
That
matched the highest Combine score among the top 16 linebacker prospects in the
country. It also matched the Combine score of Dillard, the 315-pound Cougar
offensive lineman who would shock nobody if he’s among the first 10 players
selected in the draft.
“It would
have been nice to beat that guy,” Pelluer said.
“A lot of
scouts are saying they like the way I play,” he said. “I’ve got the film. It’s
just a matter of me coming out here and validating it with my drills, whether
it’s the position drills or running fast and jumping high. The feedback was
good in that regard, and that was kind of across the board.”
Cougar
fans, of course, are keenly aware of Pelluer’s skills. But even players who got
lost in the Wazzu shuffle in recent seasons had a chance to shine on Pro Day.
Running
back Keith Harrington, overshadowed by Williams last year and limited to 14
carries, popped the highest score in the vertical jump, 36 inches, edging
Williams by an inch. Robert Lewis, the slotback who gleaned a sixth year of
eligibility in 2018 but was marginalized by WSU’s remarkable depth at receiver,
zipped to a 40-yard dash time thought to be between 4.4 and 4.5. (No Pro Day
marks were officially released to the media.)
Also
participating for the 2018 Cougars were Kyle Celli, Hunter Dale, Sean Harper
Jr., Darrien Molton, Chima Onyeukwu, Kyle Sweet and Logan Tago. They were
joined by Jamal Morrow, a WSU senior in 2017, and impressive Eastern Washington
receiver Nsimba Webster. The opportunity was especially valuable to Harper, the
cornerback who missed the final seven games last season with a shoulder injury.
Dillard
could afford to skip most of the tests, and he did so, but in lineman agility
drills he flashed the quickness that had allowed him to edge Minshew by a
hundredth of a second in the Combine 40-yard dash, at 4.96.
Minshew, for
his part, proved to scouts what they probably already knew: That 4.97 clocking
in Indianapolis, slow by today’s quarterback standards, was misleading. In
passing drills at the practice bubble, he displayed the same crisp footwork
he’d displayed all last season while rejuvenating the Cougars’ Air Raid
offense.
His
accuracy was subpar for him, but his esprit de corps was characteristic. “My
bad,” he kept telling receivers. And although he sat out the other drills and
tests, he handed out kudos with his usual panache.
“I expect
nothing less of that guy,” said Pelluer, a close friend. “He’s always
encouraging us to do our best. It’s kind of like, at the craps table, when
everybody’s on the same page, rooting for the same guy, you’re going to have
better chances. We kind of met for Pro Day and said, ‘Let’s encourage each
other all day and just have fun with it.’ That was our mentality, and
definitely his mentality.”
::::::::::::::::::::
PART OF
WHAT VINCE GRIPPI WROTE:
Sports
Grip on
Sports: All eyes may have been on Andre Dillard, but WSU’s Pro Day was about
others being seen as well
Thu.,
April 4, 2019, 8:36 a.m.
By Vince
Grippi of Spokane S-R
A GRIP ON
SPORTS • There is an old saying about a rising tide lifts all boats, which
seems a little hard-to-understand for someone, like me, who gets seasick in a
hot tub. But it does have a football connotation we will try to explain. Read
on.
• There
was a crowd at Washington State’s annual pro day yesterday. Not the Paul
Wulff-era crowd of eight or nine guys from the Seahawks’ equipment staff, but
actual scouts, player personnel guys and a general manager.
Why? It’s
simple. The Cougars have a first-round draft pick in their midst, tackle Andre
Dillard. And the perfect first-round draft pick, if you are one of his
teammates looking to be seen by NFL talent evaluators.
Dillard
isn’t so good only a couple teams will be in on him, a la Kyler Murray. He’s a
middle-of-the-first-round type of guy, someone every team has to have some sort
of connection to, just in case he’s still around when their pick comes up.
That
translates into 28 teams sending representatives to Pullman yesterday, holding
stopwatches, notepads and electronic devices that have a Star Trek: The Next
Generation look to them.
That seems
appropriate. After all, those 28 teams are looking for the next generation of
player. And while they are focusing on Dillard or Gardner Minshew or James
Williams, if someone else happens to catch their eye, that’s a good thing.
Not just
for the player who shines but for Washington State as well. It may mean the
next time the Cougars are in the running for a four-star linebacker and their
Pac-12 brethren are using Pullman’s remoteness against them, Mike Leach can
point to the picture above. If you are good enough, the NFL will find you.
Even if
they have to go through a speed trap to get there.
It
happened for Dillard. Why not Joe Recruit?
• The
general manager in attendance? That would be the Carolina Panthers’ Marty
Hurney, who took the long trip northwest to meet with Dillard, talk with him a
few minutes and then take off.
At least
Hurney picked up a few thousand frequent-flyer miles – and possibly the guy who
will be protecting Cam Newton’s blindside for the next few years.
The
Panthers pick 16th in the first round of the draft and they probably expect
Dillard to be available then. But by Hurney being so public yesterday, they may
have enticed someone picking a bit later to make a trade, leapfrog up the board
and pick Dillard instead.
That’s
good for him, as the higher a player goes, the more money is available.
But don’t
read too much into Hurney’s visit. In the Machiavellian world of the NFL Draft,
there is more misdirection than the latest episode of “Killing Eve.”
::::::::::::::
FOOTBALL
Carolina
Panthers GM shows up for Andre Dillard, four other takeaways from WSU’s Pro Day
UPDATED:
Wed., April 3, 2019, 9:56 p.m.
By Theo
Lawson S-R of Spokane
PULLMAN –
Twenty-eight NFL teams were in attendance, meaning only four of them passed up
a trip to Pullman for Washington State’s Pro Day, held Wednesday morning inside
the Cougars’ weight room and indoor practice bubble.
Most of
the camera lenses and notepads were huddled around WSU’s “big three” – left
tackle Andre Dillard, quarterback Gardner Minshew and running back James
Williams – but 11 other Cougar players, as well as Eastern Washington’s Nsimba
Webster, also went through strength tests, speed drills and position-specific
work, hoping to boost their chances of landing a spot on an NFL roster.
Dillard
was the main attraction, even though he opted not to retest any of the drills
he completed at the NFL combine last month in Indianapolis. Minshew followed
suit and Williams’ workout was truncated, as the running back just went through
the bench press, broad jump and vertical jump, in addition to positional
drills.
Those
three have gone through the most important, and stress-inducing, phases of the
predraft process – Minshew and Dillard competed in the Reese’s Senior Bowl
before linking up with Williams at the combine – and now will wait three more
weeks to learn their NFL fate.
So, while
nerves aren’t completely settled yet, the tail end of the festivities had to be
fulfilling.
“I’m glad
all this is over, because I’ve been stressing,” Williams said. “I’m about to
stress a little bit more just being curious where I end up. But I don’t care
where I get drafted. Even if I don’t get drafted, I just need an opportunity.
That’s all I need.”
Below are
five takeaways from WSU’s Pro Day.
Panther on
the Palouse
The
majority of those wearing NFL fleeces and sweaters were club scouts, sent to
Pullman to gather information on players and report back to front office brass.
But there
were a few exceptions. New Orleans Saints running backs coach Joel Thomas took
in pro day, Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brain Daboll attended and
Carolina Panthers general manager Marty Hurney traveled across the country,
solely to meet Dillard and watch the offensive tackle go through position
drills.
Dillard is
thought to be one of the best offensive linemen available in the draft – and
the top O-tackle, according to most mock boards – and the Panthers have a
first-round pick, at No. 16.
Hurney
left the practice bubble shortly after a brief chat with Dillard.
“I was
just honored for him to be here with us,” the offensive lineman said, “and it
felt really good to put on a little bit of a show for him. Just feel honored.
“He’s a
normal guy, just like everybody, but it’s great to meet him for the first time
and it felt really good to talk to him. It felt amazing to hear kind words from
him.”
Dillard’s
name shot up draft boards after a strong week at the Senior Bowl, and the
Woodinville, Washington, native perhaps cemented himself as a first-round
choice by posting elite numbers at the combine. He clocked the fourth-fastest
40-yard dash time in Indianapolis and was first in the broad jump and 20-yard
shuttle.
Asked if
he’d been scanning the mock boards and draft projections with his name, Dillard
shot back with a decisive “no.”
“I can’t
look at those,” he said. “Opinions don’t really matter, with all due respect,
unless you’re coaching.”
Gauging
Gardner
Throwing
in a setting that was more comfortable and familiar than the one he was in at
the Senior Bowl and scouting combine, Minshew delivered 46 passes and completed
approximately 90 percent, barely missing a few of his targets on downfield
throws – a few of which were dropped.
Minshew
averaged 50 attempts per game his lone season in Mike Leach’s Air Raid, so the
volume was nothing new. Neither were the receivers. WSU’s Robert Lewis, Kyle
Sweet, Keith Harrington and Williams all caught passes from Minshew, as did
EWU’s Webster and former Cougar running back Jamal Morrow.
One of
Minshew’s misfires came on a vertical route to Lewis. Another deep toss fell
through Webster’s hands. But the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year connected
on every one of his short throws, and only a couple of his intermediate looks
were off-target.
“I thought
it was good,” Minshew said. “It definitely can be better. You always feel like
that no matter how well you do, but we did good things. I think our running
backs, receivers definitely helped themselves. I think I helped myself, so all
in all I think it was a good day.”
Minshew,
who’s been working out with QB coach Ken Mastrole in Boca Raton, Florida, said
he and a group of receivers went through a similar throwing routine on Sunday,
completing 60 of 60 attempts.
“I’m kind
of working on everything right now, trying to be the best I can be,” Minshew
said. “Felt all right with how I threw the deep ball today, our guys were a
little tired and that’s just how this thing goes.”
The
Brandon, Mississippi, native has met with all 32 NFL teams between the Senior
Bowl, combine and pro day.
“I was
able to shut it down for a bit,” Minshew said. “After the combine, you really
don’t want to talk to anybody for, like, a couple days, because you’re just
worn out. But it’s good, it’s all a great experience.”
All healed
up
A wounded
shoulder precluded Williams from getting on the bench-press rack at Lucas Oil
Stadium last month, but the running back made amends with 15 repetitions in
front of WSU teammates encouraging him each time the barbell went up.
Of the 26
running backs who performed the bench press at the combine, 22 had at least 15
reps, but Williams said he still outperformed his own expectations and seemed
more than satisfied with the result.
“I felt
amazing,” Williams said. “I was shocked I got that 15th one. But my shoulder,
before Indianapolis, I had a little shoulder soreness so I couldn’t really lift
nothing, and I wasn’t about to go and try to lift and get five, and they record
it on me, and I was look like I was weak.
“But when
I got here, everything felt amazing. I took my time and I got higher than I
thought I was going to get.”
The
running back also redid the vertical jump, posting a leap of 35 inches, and had
a broad jump of 118 inches.
“I felt
good on everything,” Williams said. “The only thing I felt I could’ve did way
better on was my vert, but I did better than that in Indianapolis, so hopefully
they just get that.”
Williams
said he’s had official meetings with the Saints and the Bills: “I hooked up
with them last night and this morning.”
Late pro
day benefits Pelluer
He
would’ve been gracious for an invite to the scouting combine, but Peyton
Pelluer didn’t dwell on the fact that three WSU teammates made the trip without
him.
Pelluer
may have been the next Cougar in line to go to Indianapolis and Washington
running back Myles Gaskin vouched for the WSU linebacker when asked, ‘Who is
the one guy from the Pac-12 Conference that not enough people are talking about
at the combine?’
“Peyton
Pelluer from Washington State,” said Gaskin, according to The Seattle Times.
“He is a football guy. He knows how to play football. He is always there. I
mean, just, like, he’s a football dude. I think that’s a big thing. A lot of
people talk about athleticism and stuff. I think he’s a real football player.”
There was
no Senior Bowl or scouting combine for Pelluer, but the linebacker who played
more games in a Cougar uniform than anyone in school history made good use of
the only 3 hours he had in front of NFL scouts.
Pelluer
put up the 225-pound barbell 24 times, matching Dillard’s total at the combine,
and logged a vertical jump of 28 1/2 inches. His broad jump came in at 11
inches.
Those were
all good numbers for Pelluer, who actually pointed out why it may have been
advantageous to skip out on the combine.
“I
honestly did not really care,” Pelluer said. “It would’ve been a cool
experience and I needed time to get better at everything, so I’m glad we had
this late pro day, and I think we made the most of it.”
Pelluer planned
to stay in Pullman for another week before traveling back to the Seattle area
to resume training at Ford Sports Performance. He’ll also participate in the
Seattle Seahawks’ Local Day on April 15.
“A lot of
scouts (are) saying they like the way I play, and I’ve got the film,” he said.
“It was just a matter of me validating it with my drills, whether it’s the
position drills or running fast and jumping high. So I feel like the feedback I
got was good in that regard.”
Taylor
returns after AAF fallout
One day,
he was practicing with the Alliance of American Football’s San Antonio
Commanders. The next, Robert Taylor was back at pro day, watching a cast of
former teammates participate but unable to do so himself.
Struggling
to stay financially viable, the AAF suspended operations on Tuesday – news
Taylor learned about in the middle of a skeleton drill during the Commanders’
afternoon practice. The club’s general manager informed the team of the news,
then sent players to their lockers to pack up their things.
“We just
had to go about our day,” said Taylor, who booked a flight to Pullman,
optimistic he could rebound less than 24 hours later and work out at pro day.
Taylor
expected to be released from his AAF contract by Wednesday morning, but that
hadn’t happened, denying him the opportunity to partake in pro day drills.
“Unfortunately,
that wasn’t the case,” Taylor said. “The contracts were supposed to be voided
yesterday with the suspension of the league. I don’t know, I’m hoping soon so I
can go work out for a team if a team wants to work me out.”
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