Jerry Harris, Adam Fenton among 11 Chippewas at Pro Day
There’s no guarantee there will be a Chippewa selected on May 8 during the 2014 NFL Draft.
Nine seniors and two former Chippewas tried to better their chances at Wednesday’s Pro Day.
Scouts from 10 NFL teams were in attendance to gauge the skills of the graduating seniors. Teams with scouts in Mount Pleasant included the Detroit Lions, New York Jets, San Diego Chargers and Green Bay Packers, among others.
“I feel like I had a pretty solid day,” said senior wide receiver Jerry Harris. “I could’ve been a little better at some drills, but for the most part I’m pretty happy with today.”
Harris had the longest broad jump of the team, stretching to 10-foot-7.5. He also had the tallest vertical jump, measuring 36 inches and the quickest 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill.
The Florida native was more of a kick returner than a wide receiver in 2013, collecting 602 kick return yards compared to 28 receiving yards. Harris said he doesn’t know how good his odds are of being drafted, rather he’s just looking for a chance to prove himself.
“I just need a shot in camp, that’s all,” Harris said. “Whether I’m drafted in the sixth, seventh (round) or a free agent, I’m ready to work.”
Harris is one of four Chippewas listed on ESPN Insiders prospect list, which also includes senior running back Zurlon Tipton, senior safety Avery Cunningham and senior offensive tackle Jake Olson.
Another Chippewa that performed well in the weight room was senior fullback Adam Fenton. The 236-pounder was one of three Chippewas to broad jump at least 10 feet, and came in second with 30 bench presses at 225 lbs. Fenton’s hamstring injury prevented him from running the 40-yard dash.
“I think I did better on the indoor events,” Fenton said. “I don’t think my hamstring really affected too much into the shuttle, but it all felt good.”
Fenton took the top time in the 20-yard shuttle.
At the end of the morning, the players did drills with the scouts based on their position. A few players also looked at film with scouts after the workout.
“The Jets and the Bengals were doing a lot of the running back drills, so we just went over protections (in the video room),” Fenton said. “(They were) testing us on some wild defenses that we have never seen before, but nothing crazy out of the ordinary.”
This year’s seniors did not bring in big names like NFL quarterback Jon Kitna and Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who both visited Mount Pleasant last spring, but 2013 Chippewa and current San Diego Charger Jahleel Addae was in attendance.
Addae went undrafted in last spring’s draft, but made the Chargers 53-man roster and played all 16 games in 2013, which could be a motivator for this year’s seniors, many of whom are also on the draft bubble.
“I was a little nervous, but more excited than nervous," Harris said. "(I was) anxious to get it going because I’ve been training for a long time. It’s been a long time coming. I couldn’t wait.”
