The hopes and dreams of student-athletes often depend on how well they can perform on their direct opportunity to impress professional scouts. For FAMU, it is known to have one of the largest Pro Days of any HBCU. This week would be no different. With about 16 scouts representing both the NFL and CFL. The showcase commenced on Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
In all, 14 Rattlers were weighed, measured, jumped, ran, shuttled, and drilled their way through the workout. It is the interview of a lifetime. Most football players dream of making it to the NFL, and Pro Day is the opportunity to see if the athletes are as advertised.
Pro Day in Tallahassee
One player who helped his stock with a good Pro Day was on hand to cheer on his former teammates. Now, with the New England Patriots, Terrell Jennings stood on the sideline as encouragement for the auditioning Rattlers.
“Your job is to put on a great show for the scouts out here and make a lot of money.” Jennings said. “It feels good, man, to see I’m putting my family in a better position and gonna continue to do that as I continue on my journey on in the league. It feels good to see all my hard work is paying off and it’s still gonna pay off because I’m still putting the work to this day.”
Top Rattlers
The top FAMU players on the radars of the scouts were Kendall Bohler (defensive back), Jalen Goss (offensive lineman), Jamari Gassett (wide receiver), and Daniel Richardson (quarterback). However, much like the past, the scouts are there to recruit talent. Professional scouts are given much more credit for finding a “diamond in the rough” than they are for obvious professional prospects. For HBCU athletes, Pro Day offers the opportunity to audition in the same way that the top players experience in the NFL combine.
Big opportunity
FAMU head coach James Colzie III watched closely as his players with exhausted eligibility went through the gauntlet of drills and prodding. “You’ve got 15 or 16 NFL teams and two CFL teams. It’s an amazing opportunity for these guys, Colzie said. “It’s a credit to the guys we’ve had in the past that have come from this program and have flourished at the NFL level. There’s an opportunity. The reason these scouts are here is primarily because of what these guys have done in their careers and what the guys in the past have done,”
Jennings complimented the skill level in HBCU football. “I say HBCU football is good football as well. Football on the next level, it may be a little faster, but other than that. The guys on the HBCU level have a good chance of playing in the NFL and can play in the NFL because as you can see you got Markquese Bell, and Xavier Smith, and a couple other guys. Those guys are from my school, but it’s a lot of guys out here balling in the NFL right now. So you can’t just shut them out and I feel like everybody can ball on every level. It’s just about the right person to see you.”
