Brown smiled, shrugged and began trotting toward the tunnel that leads to Kelly/Shorts Stadium, where he would showcase his special teams skills by catching punts and kicks.

Brown was garnering plenty of attention at CMU’s annual football Pro Day from many of the 28 scouts from 22 professional teams, who each have a say in deciding which CMU players are drafted April 22-24 at the NFL Draft.

Brown already had run the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds, eclipsing his previous 4.57 time he set at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind. He also impressed scouts with his route-running ability and chemistry with former CMU quarterback Dan LeFevour in the morning’s main event.

“I feel like if I go no later than second round, teams are getting a steal,” Brown said. “I bring so much to the table.”

ALL EYES ON DAN

Pro Day was not open to the public, but a crowd of scouts and other onlookers gathered in the end zone behind LeFevour, quietly examining him as he threw in front of NFL scouts for the first time.

He declined to throw at last month’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Ind., citing his desire to throw to receivers with which he felt more comfortable.

“Things like this and the Combine, it’s very silent and kind of dead,” LeFevour said. “You’ve got to bring your own energy and you’ve got to get focused on your own. There is no crowd, there is no opponent that gets you ready to go, so you’ve really got to take responsibility.”

LeFevour completed 55-of-62 total passes to Brown, former CMU receiver Bryan Anderson, former CMU defensive end Frank Zombo and former Wayne State running back Joique Bell with no defenders.

“I always want to do better,” LeFevour said afterward. “But I don’t think I hurt myself.”

Several times, receivers had to slow down to catch LeFevour’s pass on deep routes.

LeFevour completed nearly all his short and mid-range passes, taking the ball under center from former CMU offensive lineman Allen Ollenburger and dropping back or scrambling out of the pocket.

LeFevour, who plans to work out with the Carolina Panthers and visit the Tennessee Titans, said scouts told him afterward, “You’ve got a little more to improve on coming from the shotgun, but your stock has been going up and you’ll be just fine.”

TAKING ADVICE

LeFevour has prepared with Zeke Bratkowski, a former NFL quarterback with 26 seasons of coaching experience who has tutored quarterback such as Philip Rivers, Michael Vick and Patrick Ramsey.

Bratkowski, 78, who also worked with former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow in the past few months, said he thought LeFevour did exceptionally well.

“He’s got all the tools and tangibles you’d want — it just depends on what team wants him and when they want to draft him,” Bratkowski said. “He’s a diamond with some rough edges. It’s not coming in and making any wholesale changes, it’s all smoothing rough edges off.”

LeFevour approached Bratkowski after throwing and said, “I could have put more on the ball, but I completed most of them.”

ALL-IMPORTANT DAY

For the rest of CMU’s seven senior participants, Wednesday’s events could not have been more important. It was their only chance to impress scouts after not being invited to the Combine.

“It’s definitely more pressure than a stadium filled with 70,000 people,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of weird to say, but there’s a lot more riding on it because it’s a solo event.” Anderson, who has rehabbed his left shoulder since CMU’s GMAC Bowl win on Jan. 6, posted a 40 time of 4.53 to quell some doubts about his speed.

He also caught the ball well from LeFevour, including one ball he pulled in that was thrown near his knees.

“This was everything for me,” Anderson said. “I had one day, one shot.”

With many of the returning players in attendance, CMU coach Dan Enos said the amount of exposure the departing seniors got from the next level only helps.

“It’s a total compliment to those guys who worked out and where this program is,” Enos said. “For our young players to see that and imagine themselves there in a few years, it gives them a little more light at the end of the tunnel that, ‘Hey, that’s going to be me.’”

NOTES

Seniors who did not participate in the Pro Day were linebacker Tim Brazzel, who said he is focusing on getting healthy after a back injury; defensive end Sam Williams, who suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury; defensive back Tommy Mama; and offensive lineman Todd Johnson.

Safety Eric Fraser worked out in front of a Calgary Stampeders’ scout of the Canadian Football League, which selected him No. 8 overall in 2009.