Several scouts come to UNM's Pro Day

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It may not have been the NFL Scouting Combine, but Thursday’s Pro Day was a step in the right direction for several former Lobo football players.

“I’m proud of the guys,” said UNM football strength and conditioning coordinator Ben Hilgart. “I know they’ve worked hard. A lot of these guys have worked their whole lives to get an opportunity to play in the league and I think they did a good job.”

Modeled after the NFL Scouting Combine, UNM’s Pro Day started with general tests of athleticism before sending players to position-specific drills. The general tests consisted of the broad jump, vertical jump, bench press, 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill. Scouts from the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers supervised the process.

For many players, this was their first personal interaction with NFL scouts. Others, namely tight end Lucas Reed and long snapper Evan Jacobsen, had already met their fair share of scouts at all-star games in January.

Wide receiver Lamaar Thomas, Reed, and Jacobsen made themselves stand out during the general testing portion of the event.
Thomas, appropriately nicknamed “Flash”, had the fastest 40-yard dash time with his unofficial 4.35 seconds. Thomas also managed 17 reps in the bench press and an unofficial 6.6 seconds in the three-cone drill.

“I feel like I did pretty well,” Thomas said. “I’ve never hit 17 reps on the bench before, and I weighed in at 188 pounds. I’ve never been that heavy before. Those are the kinds of things that will help me.”

Jacobsen was able to bench press 225 pounds 27 times, setting the standard for the day. That mark was accompanied by an unofficial 5.10 time in the 40-yard dash.

“I showed off my strength,” Jacobsen said. “A lot of people don’t know how strong I am. I take pride in the gym, and I work hard to keep my strength up. It’s my biggest advantage.”

Reed came away with a strong performance in the vertical jump, reaching 37 inches. His height was bettered only twice, by safety Freddy Young’s 39.5-inch jump and Thomas’ 38-inch jump. Both Young and Thomas are significantly smaller than Reed, making the tight end’s mark even more impressive.

Following the general tests, the position drills began. Quarterback B.R. Holbrook threw for Reed and Thomas as the two ran routes and put their pass-catching abilities on display. Jacobsen showed off his outstanding ability to accurately snap the football consistently. Punter Greg Rivara nailed a 60-yard kick, showing scouts that his leg was reliable from a variety of spots on the field.

Hilgart had been preparing most of the seniors for the event since winter break.

“About 10 guys stayed on campus over break and have worked consistently each day for the past eight weeks,” he said. “This was the culmination of our training.”

Other players took preparation for Pro Day into their own hands. Thomas, for instance, trained in Chicago with his management company, Worldwide Career Management.

Though Pro Day is over, players with hopes of playing in the NFL still have work to do on a personal basis between now and the draft. Potential personal workouts with scouts in the near future are possibilities for the players, depending on whether their agents are able to get them workouts with other NFL teams. For the players, it is all just part of the path toward fulfilling their gridiron dreams.

“It’s always been a dream of mine,” Thomas said. “I have high hopes of being drafted, and, God willing, I will be drafted.”