The turf in Walter Fieldhouse is the place where so many Bobcat careers begin.
Four or five years ago, and every year since, baby-faced freshmen try to impress coach Frank Solich and their position coaches. Present day, those same baby-faceed freshmen were trying to impress a brand new group.
Wednesday, the stage was slightly bigger.
Ten former Bobcats went through one final workout in green and white at Peden Stadium's weight room and Walter Fieldhouse in front of 27 NFL scouts. It was a last chance for some to prove to scouts that each player deserves to be in the NFL.
"It's kind of hard to explain," Tarell Basham said. "It's like when you're a kid and you know Christmas is coming. You know Christmas is next week, but then Christmas comes, and you're like 'Oh, today is Christmas?' You knew it was coming, but you're full of excitement, some days you just can't sleep."
Today's numbers I recorded.
— Andrew Gillis (@Andrew_Gillis70) March 29, 2017
Reminder: I am a 20-year old college student timing these things. Not a professional scout. Numbers unofficial pic.twitter.com/gXZFEGJVeG
Basham, a defensive end, is a projected second round pick in April's NFL Draft. Basham did not bench or do a broad jump, but notched a 32.5-inch vertical, 4.65 40-yard dash and a 4.44 20-yard dash. Although unofficial, Basham's 4.65 40-yard dash would rank his fastest since the draft process began.
All numbers on the field were taken by The Post, as they were not read aloud by scouts. Stats are unofficial.
Basham wasn't the only one who participated in just a select few events, however, as Blair Brown did not run the 40-yard dash.
Brown, a linebacker, bench pressed 225 pounds 22 times, had a 9-foot-7 broad jump and a 38-inch vertical. The 38-inch vertical would've ranked No. 1 at the NFL Combine in Brown's position group.
"I feel like I did really good," Brown said. "I feel like I came out and just worked my hardest, went through every drill and did it to the best of my ability."
Brown is currently projected to be seventh-round pick.
"I think I surprised a lot of scouts," Brown said. "I heard an announcer on the TV say he had no idea who I was before the Combine, then he put on my tape and found out I was pretty physical coming downfield."
Though Basham and Brown are the only two Bobcats projected to be drafted next month, there were eight other Bobcats in attendance as well. Five of those eight were on last year's team.
The others in attendance were: Josh Cooper, Ceth Miller, Jordan Reid, Casey Sayles and Sebastian Smith. Cooper is an offensive lineman, Miller is a long snapper, Sayles is a defensive tackle, and Smith and Reid are wide receivers.
"I've heard low-round, priority free agent," Smith said. "They want to see me run my 40, see how I move. I was listed at 206 on the roster, but I came in today at 219. I'm a lot bigger, I moved well and had a solid day."
Smith had 24 reps on the bench, had a 30 1/2 inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-4 broad jump.
He wasn't the leader on the bench though, as Sayles led all players with 30 reps. Sayles was followed by Miller, who benched 27 times.
"Basically like a hairline difference, I still performed well on the bench for my position," Miller said. "Out of this class of long-snappers going in, I have the highest."
Now with just more than a month left before each player on the field will find out their football futures, there's not much else to do. The NFL Combine is gone, interviews have taken place and Pro Day is now gone.
The only thing left to do is wait.
"For me, getting drafted, it's been the biggest thing in my life since I was born, like, the biggest goal I've ever had,” Basham said. “The one thing I've chased more than anything is getting drafted to the NFL. Honestly, on that day I might cry. It's going to be an emotional day. For it to happen for another one of my teammates, it would be surreal."
