Not since Nate Lawrie was drafted by Tampa Bay in the sixth round of the 2004 NFL draft has a Yale player heard his name called on draft day.
That could all change on Saturday as fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm and defensive end Tom McCarthy have drawn interest from NFL squads.
Bannon ran the 40 in 4.69 seconds in front of NFL scouts last month and was right in that range both at Yale's pro day and when he worked out for agent Joe Linta. Now Linta believes there's a very good chance that Bannon will be drafted on Saturday on the final day of the draft.
"He had a great workout. Then I got his highlight film and there was no question he was a draft pick. In my opinion, he is better in my opinion than the kid from Stanford, Owen Marecic. At that point I started calling around like a crazy person. A lot of the teams called me back right away."
Linta estimated that 14 teams have expressed an interest in Bannon.
"He is the No. 1 guy in the country in terms of combination of size and speed," Linta said. "That is the most compelling thing. He is 25-30 pounds heavier than a lot of the fullbacks and he is at least a tenth or two tenths (in the 40) faster than all of them. If we have free agency Saturday night in case Shane doesn't get drafted, I can guarantee you - I'll give you $100,000 - that he will sign, it is lock."
That's not bad for a player who was pondering skipping the 2010 season to allow his ailing shoulder to recover.
Bannon was able to get a clean bill of health and became a key component on Yale's offense as the starting fullback. Although he did not carry the ball, he did catch 13 passes and opened up the holes so Yale's top three rushers (Alex Thomas, Mordecai Cargill and Deon Randall) combined to average 4.6 yards per carry.
When the season ended, Bannon worked out diligently with Blohm, Adam Money and Sean Williams and now the dream of playing in the NFL is close to becoming a reality.
"I think going into my junior year was the first time Coach (Tom) Williams had mentioned that he thought I had the ability to play at the next level," Bannon said. "I think from there, the shoulder (injury) put me back a little bit not really being sure if I was going to have to redshirt or not. This year, not missing any time, not missing any practice it was great. My doctors did a great job on my shoulder and I didn't have any issues, never second guessed it. This season I felt like I developed myself and put enough on film to put me in a pretty good position to try to get to the next level.
"I think it is great, especially that I have had somebody to work out with. Blohmer, Money and Sean Williams to work out with has been great. It is really easy to lose focus through this whole thing because it is such a long process, you work 12 weeks, you have a 12-week workout regiment. It has been even harder since pro day with individual team workouts, doing extra conditioning under our strength coach. It has been awesome."
McCarthy graduated in December so he has been working out in New Jersey. Like Bannon, he got bigger and faster since the end of the season. At the Fordham pro day, McCarthy put on a show. At Yale pro day, he only did selected drills but still when the event ended, the New England Patriots scout on site asked McCarthy for his contact information. McCarthy has worked out for about 10 teams and 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive ends who run 4.7 40-yard dashes tend to draw interest from NFL teams and that is the case with McCarthy.
"Teams have called me in the past few days to verify my contact information for draft day so I take that as a good sign," McCarthy said.
McCarthy was drawing interest from Division III schools before Yale began recruiting McCarthy. Now he is perhaps only a couple days from possibly hearing his name called in the NFL draft,
"I think I am going to be pretty anxious that day," McCarthy said. "If I get drafted, it will be in one of the later rounds. I will be sitting around all day playing the waiting game. I am sure I will be looking at the clock and I am sure it will be going by pretty slowly.
"I can't even begin to imagine what that will be like. I won't be able to say for sure what that will be like until if it happens I guess. obviously I'll be very excited at the opportunity to play in the NFL but other than that, it is something I won't know until it happens."
Blohm, a native of San Francisco, worked out for the San Francisco 49ers recently. It doesn't hurt that the 49ers have 12 picks in the draft, more than another other team.
"His best chance (of being drafted) would be the 49ers in the sense that they were the last team to see him in person," said John J. Perez, who is representing Blohm and former Yale defensive back Adam Money.
"He has done everything we have asked him to do. His film is very strong. He is a very consistent player, a steady blocker. That is his strength, he is a prototype NFL kind of blocking tight end. I think he has better than average, above average receiving skills when they put him through the workouts and watch the film. He had limited opportunities in the Yale offense but he catches the ball when it is thrown to him. I think he fits that role as a blocking tight end, No. 2 tight end in the red zone. There are teams who are looking for those guys. Jacksonville, a run-orientated team, New York Giants, the Patriots play with multiple tight ends, Miami Dolphins are looking for a tight end. Teams that are communicating with the (Yale football) office and us are teams that are in need of tight ends and specifically blocking tight ends. It is going to be the right fit for him and nobody really knows what is going to happen.
"If this was a normal year, i would say that he is an undrafted rookie free agent but with this year what we hear is maybe teams will start reaching in that seventh round and try to collect extra picks to kind of dip into those rookie free agent guys and try to gobble them up in the seventh round because they just don't know whether they can offer them contracts after the draft. There could be a surprise for Chris. It would be a great surprise for him, his family and Yale. I think most likely if everything is normal, he is a guy after the draft."
At the request of the Yale coaching staff, Perez was asked to look at Money and liked what he saw.
"There has been a last minute rush (of interest in Money)," Perez said. "From Adam's pro day there was a buzz with him as well in terms of the numbers he put up, the speed numbers, quickness. We reviewed the film, liked him, met with him and represent him too. He is more of a long shot but you never know."
The NFL draft begins on Thursday with the first round. The second and third rounds will be held on Friday with rounds 4-7 on Saturday.
If more than one former Bulldog is taken, it would be the first time that has happened since Eric Johnson and Than Merrill were taken on consecutive picks in the 2001 draft. Three Yale products have not been taken in the same draft since 1982.
"I think there is a great chance that all three could be drafted and at the very least, two of the three will be drafted," said Yale coach Tom Williams, who was an assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars before coming to Yale.
"I will be as anxious as they are. I will definitely be watching. The NFL draft is something I get drawn into so I will be watching and I will certainly be keeping in touch with those kids and keeping my fingers crossed that it will work out the way they want it to."
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Rabu, 27 April 2011
Selasa, 26 April 2011
Bannon working out with Bears today
Former Yale fullback/h-back Shane Bannon is working out with the Chicago Bears today.
Bannon, who opened some eyes with strong performances at a couple of pro days last month, had previously worked out with the Green Bay Packers and more than one national publication has proclaimed Bannon to be one of the sleepers in the draft.
Bannon was one of five Yale players who worked out in front of scouts for the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
Defensive end Tom McCarthy had an impressive showing at Fordham's pro day while tight end Chris Blohm, linebacker Sean Williams and defensive back Adam Money are also on the radar of NFL teams.
I just got off the phone with John J. Perez, an agent who represents Blohm and he recently added Money as a client.
With the five former Bulldogs aren't showing up on many of the prospect databases on the internet, there is a chance that a team takes a chance on them late in the draft. I could be way off base but I truly think McCarthy could get drafted and it's possible that Bannon and Blohm would hear their names called on Saturday when the draft wraps up.
If that is the case, it would be the first time since 1982 that three Yale players were drafted as Jeff Rohrer went in the second round to Dallas, Rich Diana to the fifth round to Miami and Curt Grieve to Philadelphia in the sixth round.
Look for a story in the Register later this week, perhaps as early as Thursday, on Yale's NFL draft prospects.
Bannon, who opened some eyes with strong performances at a couple of pro days last month, had previously worked out with the Green Bay Packers and more than one national publication has proclaimed Bannon to be one of the sleepers in the draft.
Bannon was one of five Yale players who worked out in front of scouts for the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.
Defensive end Tom McCarthy had an impressive showing at Fordham's pro day while tight end Chris Blohm, linebacker Sean Williams and defensive back Adam Money are also on the radar of NFL teams.
I just got off the phone with John J. Perez, an agent who represents Blohm and he recently added Money as a client.
With the five former Bulldogs aren't showing up on many of the prospect databases on the internet, there is a chance that a team takes a chance on them late in the draft. I could be way off base but I truly think McCarthy could get drafted and it's possible that Bannon and Blohm would hear their names called on Saturday when the draft wraps up.
If that is the case, it would be the first time since 1982 that three Yale players were drafted as Jeff Rohrer went in the second round to Dallas, Rich Diana to the fifth round to Miami and Curt Grieve to Philadelphia in the sixth round.
Look for a story in the Register later this week, perhaps as early as Thursday, on Yale's NFL draft prospects.
Sabtu, 09 April 2011
Former Yale tight end finds his calling
Shortly after hanging up his cleats for the final time, Caleb Smith bid adieu to his football career and began to pursue his other passion - film making.
Smith wrote the script, produced, directed, provided the background music, edited and cast the movie with several of his former Yale teammates in prominent parts.
The Belly of the Whale, with former Yale defensive end/linebacker Sean Williams in the lead role as a well-meaning but down on his luck bouncer who was forced into running errands for a mobster, premiered at the Whitney Humanities Center on the Yale campus on Thursday.
The 23-minute screening was attended by the cast as well as other teammates, classmates and the Yale football coaching staff as well as leading figures in Yale's Film Studies Program.
The film was warmly received by those in attendance.
"It has been a labor of love for us," Smith said. "We worked incredibly hard on it. The amount of blood and tears that went into it can't be measured. People reacted really well to us, not just because they know us but I think the connected a little bit. Some people were coming up to me and saying they got some goosebumps afterwards so that is the kind of thing I like to hear as a story teller."
Smith, who has dabbled as a director and intends to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film making, had various versions of the script before ending up with the final product. The filming took place over a span of seven days in February with the entire project costing about $3,000.
"I would have some ideas and I would meet with Sean, Alex (Golubiewski, the film's director of photography) and a couple of other guys but mainly Sean and Alex giving them ideas and they would give me feedback," Smith said. "I had a pretty solid narrative in place so I went back over Christmas break and I wrote it all over Thanksgiving break. I came back, I pitched it to some of my screen-writing peers. They gave me some feedback and I revised it a couple more times. Then I said 'OK, I am ready, let's shoot this thing.'"
Williams, who would like to pursue acting, felt a sense of relief when he saw the crisp, final product.
"I was definitely nervous but at the same time excited to show the product, the fruits of our labor," Williams said. "This was something that was pretty tough to put together because of all the moving parts. It was fun to see on the big screen."
Smith, who drew the praise of both his professors and coaches for his work, has high hopes for the film.
"I am going to look at recutting it, changing, get it better than it is and keep improving it," Smith said. "Then getting it into the festivals is really the next thing, playing it hopefully at some big festivals that can bring it some recognition for the work me, Sean and others have put in.
"I have always liked making videos from the time I was a kid. When I showed up at Yale, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. My sophomore year I decided I wanted to do film, from there on I have been working on it. I want to take on some more directing projects and stay behind the camera, keep working as a director. I have done a commercial, want to keep doing commercials and music videos and get paid to direct."
Both Smith and Williams believe the process of preparing for a football game and making a movie are eerily similar.
"Moving into the film realm, I feel like the same things transfer over, a different style of working together," Williams said. "It's the same thing of being able to feel out each other, kind of the way that they work and how their mind ticks. It helps to know that because it makes for a smoother run through.
"The preproduction stuff is watching the film and looking at the playbook. The actual filming is kind of like game time, it is Saturday for us. There is the breakdown and post production so it is almost like the same exact thing."
Smith wrote the script, produced, directed, provided the background music, edited and cast the movie with several of his former Yale teammates in prominent parts.
The Belly of the Whale, with former Yale defensive end/linebacker Sean Williams in the lead role as a well-meaning but down on his luck bouncer who was forced into running errands for a mobster, premiered at the Whitney Humanities Center on the Yale campus on Thursday.
The 23-minute screening was attended by the cast as well as other teammates, classmates and the Yale football coaching staff as well as leading figures in Yale's Film Studies Program.
The film was warmly received by those in attendance.
"It has been a labor of love for us," Smith said. "We worked incredibly hard on it. The amount of blood and tears that went into it can't be measured. People reacted really well to us, not just because they know us but I think the connected a little bit. Some people were coming up to me and saying they got some goosebumps afterwards so that is the kind of thing I like to hear as a story teller."
Smith, who has dabbled as a director and intends to move to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film making, had various versions of the script before ending up with the final product. The filming took place over a span of seven days in February with the entire project costing about $3,000.
"I would have some ideas and I would meet with Sean, Alex (Golubiewski, the film's director of photography) and a couple of other guys but mainly Sean and Alex giving them ideas and they would give me feedback," Smith said. "I had a pretty solid narrative in place so I went back over Christmas break and I wrote it all over Thanksgiving break. I came back, I pitched it to some of my screen-writing peers. They gave me some feedback and I revised it a couple more times. Then I said 'OK, I am ready, let's shoot this thing.'"
Williams, who would like to pursue acting, felt a sense of relief when he saw the crisp, final product.
"I was definitely nervous but at the same time excited to show the product, the fruits of our labor," Williams said. "This was something that was pretty tough to put together because of all the moving parts. It was fun to see on the big screen."
Smith, who drew the praise of both his professors and coaches for his work, has high hopes for the film.
"I am going to look at recutting it, changing, get it better than it is and keep improving it," Smith said. "Then getting it into the festivals is really the next thing, playing it hopefully at some big festivals that can bring it some recognition for the work me, Sean and others have put in.
"I have always liked making videos from the time I was a kid. When I showed up at Yale, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do. My sophomore year I decided I wanted to do film, from there on I have been working on it. I want to take on some more directing projects and stay behind the camera, keep working as a director. I have done a commercial, want to keep doing commercials and music videos and get paid to direct."
Both Smith and Williams believe the process of preparing for a football game and making a movie are eerily similar.
"Moving into the film realm, I feel like the same things transfer over, a different style of working together," Williams said. "It's the same thing of being able to feel out each other, kind of the way that they work and how their mind ticks. It helps to know that because it makes for a smoother run through.
"The preproduction stuff is watching the film and looking at the playbook. The actual filming is kind of like game time, it is Saturday for us. There is the breakdown and post production so it is almost like the same exact thing."
Kamis, 24 Maret 2011
Blohm opens some eyes at Yale's pro day
Tight end Chris Blohm didn't waste much time making an impression in front of New England Patriots scout James Liipfert and Ray Walsh Jr. of the New York Giants.
Blohm benched 225 pounds 30 times at Yale's pro day on Thursday and also was the only participant to clear 10 feet in the broad jump, maxing out at 10-1 throw in a 35 inch vertical leap and 40-yard dash times of 4.89 and 4.91 and it's easy to understand why Green Bay and Atlanta are among the teams showing interest in Blohm.
"It's been intense," Blohm said. "I was hoping to hit the number, the magic number (30 on the bench press) so it was exciting to get it. I am excited to see what happens and hoping for some positive reaction to these numbers. I was pretty pleased with all of them. The 40 was a question mark and it turned out to be OK. I am going to keep working out with these guys (fellow Yale seniors Shane Bannon, Tom McCarthy, Adam Money and Sean Williams) and (Yale''s head strength and conditioning coach) Emil (Johnson) and wait to see if there is any feedback."
While Blohm took part in every drill, Bannon, McCarthy and Williams picked their spots since all three had strong performances at other pro days.
"It's hard when you are an Ivy League guy," Yale defensive line coach Duane Brooks said. "I think all these guys can get in (camps). Tommy had the breakout at Fordham's (pro day). Blohm had a great day today and Bannon (Wednesday in Tolland). The question is can they get into a camp. The Jaguars and Miami are in the (Yale football) office. Tommy's going down to Jacksonville, Blohmer is probably going to San Francisco at some point. Detroit called, Atlanta called because when your numbers hit, people want to be involved. Money is a wild card guy. He is a guy who can do a lot of things and it's something he didn't think about before. It is a lot to think about. I think Tom (Williams, Yale's head football coach and a former assistant coach with the Jaguars), the way he talks to us, the way we practice it gives you a feel of what that life can be if that's what you want. Who thought about Shane Bannon (as an NFL prospect) and all of a sudden he is on the radar."
McCarthy's stock has been soaring since a standout effort at Fordham's pro day earlier this month. Before leaving on Thursday, McCarthy gave Liipfert his e-mail address, a pretty good indication that the Patriots are interested. Jacksonville and the Giants head the teams who have reached out to McCarthy and he is expected to have private workouts for both teams next month.
Bannon had a strong effort on Wednesday at a pro day in Tolland highlighted by a 4.69 clocking in the 40 and testing out well in the agility drills as well. He made a brilliant one-handed catch during pass receiving drills on Thursday.
"It is kind of a relief," Bannon said. "It is kind of emotional being here doing this after all this time. It is something we dream of and the fact that we got to do it was pretty awesome. For my size, my numbers are right where I wanted them to be. I am pretty pleased what I was able to do and accomplish these past couple of days."
Former Xavier High star Shea Dwyer, who set Wesleyan's single season record for rushing yards, as well as Southern Connecticut State defensive back Richard Kirkland also took part in the pro day on Thursday.
Yale will be having its junior pro day on Saturday with quarterback Patrick Witt, running back Alex Thomas, defensive linemen Jake Stoller and Pat Moran and linebacker Jordan Haynes expected to go through many of the same drills their former Yale teammates went through on Thursday.
Yale officially released its spring practice schedule and it will begin on April 4 and wrap up on Apr. 23 at 2 p.m. with the spring game which will start at 2 p.m. at the Yale Bowl.
Blohm benched 225 pounds 30 times at Yale's pro day on Thursday and also was the only participant to clear 10 feet in the broad jump, maxing out at 10-1 throw in a 35 inch vertical leap and 40-yard dash times of 4.89 and 4.91 and it's easy to understand why Green Bay and Atlanta are among the teams showing interest in Blohm.
"It's been intense," Blohm said. "I was hoping to hit the number, the magic number (30 on the bench press) so it was exciting to get it. I am excited to see what happens and hoping for some positive reaction to these numbers. I was pretty pleased with all of them. The 40 was a question mark and it turned out to be OK. I am going to keep working out with these guys (fellow Yale seniors Shane Bannon, Tom McCarthy, Adam Money and Sean Williams) and (Yale''s head strength and conditioning coach) Emil (Johnson) and wait to see if there is any feedback."
While Blohm took part in every drill, Bannon, McCarthy and Williams picked their spots since all three had strong performances at other pro days.
"It's hard when you are an Ivy League guy," Yale defensive line coach Duane Brooks said. "I think all these guys can get in (camps). Tommy had the breakout at Fordham's (pro day). Blohm had a great day today and Bannon (Wednesday in Tolland). The question is can they get into a camp. The Jaguars and Miami are in the (Yale football) office. Tommy's going down to Jacksonville, Blohmer is probably going to San Francisco at some point. Detroit called, Atlanta called because when your numbers hit, people want to be involved. Money is a wild card guy. He is a guy who can do a lot of things and it's something he didn't think about before. It is a lot to think about. I think Tom (Williams, Yale's head football coach and a former assistant coach with the Jaguars), the way he talks to us, the way we practice it gives you a feel of what that life can be if that's what you want. Who thought about Shane Bannon (as an NFL prospect) and all of a sudden he is on the radar."
McCarthy's stock has been soaring since a standout effort at Fordham's pro day earlier this month. Before leaving on Thursday, McCarthy gave Liipfert his e-mail address, a pretty good indication that the Patriots are interested. Jacksonville and the Giants head the teams who have reached out to McCarthy and he is expected to have private workouts for both teams next month.
Bannon had a strong effort on Wednesday at a pro day in Tolland highlighted by a 4.69 clocking in the 40 and testing out well in the agility drills as well. He made a brilliant one-handed catch during pass receiving drills on Thursday.
"It is kind of a relief," Bannon said. "It is kind of emotional being here doing this after all this time. It is something we dream of and the fact that we got to do it was pretty awesome. For my size, my numbers are right where I wanted them to be. I am pretty pleased what I was able to do and accomplish these past couple of days."
Former Xavier High star Shea Dwyer, who set Wesleyan's single season record for rushing yards, as well as Southern Connecticut State defensive back Richard Kirkland also took part in the pro day on Thursday.
Yale will be having its junior pro day on Saturday with quarterback Patrick Witt, running back Alex Thomas, defensive linemen Jake Stoller and Pat Moran and linebacker Jordan Haynes expected to go through many of the same drills their former Yale teammates went through on Thursday.
Yale officially released its spring practice schedule and it will begin on April 4 and wrap up on Apr. 23 at 2 p.m. with the spring game which will start at 2 p.m. at the Yale Bowl.
Rabu, 16 Maret 2011
Time to catch up
This is kind of the calm before the storm with spring practice just under three weeks away from starting but I do have some news to deliver.
Yale did get a commitment from John Dunion, an offensive lineman from Dos Pueblos High in Santa Barbara, Calif. Dunion is 6-foot-4, 260 pounds who was named to the CIF Southern Section's All-Western Division first team. Here is a link to a page with two videos taken of Dunion. He is the seventh offensive lineman to commit to Yale.
It sounds like that will be the last commitment for a while and although there are some other candidates for Yale's incoming freshman class, there's a chance Yale could finish with the current 28 committed players.
I am hearing that Arizona is making a push for former Duke defensive lineman Tevin Hood. Hood, who walked on at Duke and appeared in four games as a freshman, has visited Yale and met with the coaching staff. However, at the current time it seems like Hood is giving serious consideration to accepting a scholarship to Arizona.
Spring practice opens on April 4 at Yale with the spring game on April 24. Former starting defensive lineman Pat Moran is back enrolled at school and will be taking part in drills. The biggest position switch is John Oppenheimer moving from defensive line to offensive line. Oppenheimer has some experience playing center in high school and the rising sophomore could contend for a starting spot since Yale wants to keep starting guard Gabe Fernandez where he is and Jeff Fell is expected to be in the running for a starting offensive tackle position.
Yale's pro day is March 24 with scouts coming to see fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm, defensive end Tom McCarthy, defensive back Adam Money and linebacker Sean Williams. Word of McCarthy's impressive workout at Fordham's pro day is beginning to spread as Yale football coach Tom Williams has heard from three NFL general managers. It's too early to tell if he will follow the path of Eric Johnson who went from sleeper to late round draft pick after strong workouts but if McCarthy improves on some of his numbers from the Fordham pro day, it's not out of the question that a team takes a flyer on McCarthy late in the draft.
Yale did get a commitment from John Dunion, an offensive lineman from Dos Pueblos High in Santa Barbara, Calif. Dunion is 6-foot-4, 260 pounds who was named to the CIF Southern Section's All-Western Division first team. Here is a link to a page with two videos taken of Dunion. He is the seventh offensive lineman to commit to Yale.
It sounds like that will be the last commitment for a while and although there are some other candidates for Yale's incoming freshman class, there's a chance Yale could finish with the current 28 committed players.
I am hearing that Arizona is making a push for former Duke defensive lineman Tevin Hood. Hood, who walked on at Duke and appeared in four games as a freshman, has visited Yale and met with the coaching staff. However, at the current time it seems like Hood is giving serious consideration to accepting a scholarship to Arizona.
Spring practice opens on April 4 at Yale with the spring game on April 24. Former starting defensive lineman Pat Moran is back enrolled at school and will be taking part in drills. The biggest position switch is John Oppenheimer moving from defensive line to offensive line. Oppenheimer has some experience playing center in high school and the rising sophomore could contend for a starting spot since Yale wants to keep starting guard Gabe Fernandez where he is and Jeff Fell is expected to be in the running for a starting offensive tackle position.
Yale's pro day is March 24 with scouts coming to see fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm, defensive end Tom McCarthy, defensive back Adam Money and linebacker Sean Williams. Word of McCarthy's impressive workout at Fordham's pro day is beginning to spread as Yale football coach Tom Williams has heard from three NFL general managers. It's too early to tell if he will follow the path of Eric Johnson who went from sleeper to late round draft pick after strong workouts but if McCarthy improves on some of his numbers from the Fordham pro day, it's not out of the question that a team takes a flyer on McCarthy late in the draft.
Rabu, 09 Maret 2011
McCarthy impresses scouts at Fordham's pro day
Tom McCarthy, the captain of the 2010 Yale football team, opened the eyes of some NFL scouts at Fordham University on Tuesday.
McCarthy, who bulked up to 265 pounds since graduating from Yale in December, had strong showings in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump as scouts from 16 NFL teams were in attendance.
As a point of reference, if McCarthy had performed the same at the NFL combine, his 40 time of 4.72 seconds would rank 10th among the 25 defensive ends and 13th among the 25 linebackers. His 35-inch vertical would have placed him sixth among defensive ends and eighth among linebackers while his 10-2 broad jump would be third among defensive ends and fourth among linebackers. His results are extremely similar to Mississippi State's K.J. Wright and Michigan State's Greg Jones, a pair of linebackers who are rated among the top 75 draft prospects in some databases. McCarthy also benched 225 pounds 19 times, had a time of 4.48 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle and did the 3-cone drill in 7.27 seconds.
"I think I was happy with my body weight," McCarthy said. "I played at 248 or 250 (at Yale) so to put on 15 pounds in those two or three months and still have good times and do well in the running and jumping, it was a really good sign."
Much like the Yale pro day last year, the number of participants made it challenging for the scouts to focus on all the prospects. However, as the scouts cut the list from the initial group of 31 to about 15 and then to about 8 or 10, McCarthy was impressive enough to be asked to work out until the very end.
"I got the sense that a lot of the scouts were pretty impressed," McCarthy said. "I think the scouts were looking at the tight end at Fordham (Stephen Skelton) but by the end of the day, I'd say I had some good conversations with the scouts. I don't know the number but there were several. I went through the defensive line drills. They had me in different linebacking drills because I don't really have the bulk to play as a defensive end in the 3-4 so in the 3-4 they project me as an outside linebacker. That was really the first time doing any drills from the standup position. I had a lot of fun with it. I just like fooling around and showing off my athleticism. I think it went pretty well, especially for a first timer reading, reacting, getting to the quarterback."
Speaking of the Yale pro day, it will be on Mar. 24 and unlike last year when players from throughout the East showed up, it appears as it will be limited to Yale players. McCarthy said that fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm, defensive back Adam Money and linebacker Sean Williams are planning to work out for the scouts.
"It's a chaotic process, everything is up in the air and dependent on workouts and the numbers that I put up," said McCarthy, who had 31 tackles and four sacks in seven games as a senior at Yale. "It is really a play it by ear situation and I have to take it day by day right now.
"I am kind of at a loss for words. My senior year, I never would have expected this. It is a very exciting process. A few years ago, if somebody told me I was going to be in this position, I would have told them they were crazy. I am enjoying the process, working hard towards my goal of playing in the NFL."
McCarthy, who bulked up to 265 pounds since graduating from Yale in December, had strong showings in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump and broad jump as scouts from 16 NFL teams were in attendance.
As a point of reference, if McCarthy had performed the same at the NFL combine, his 40 time of 4.72 seconds would rank 10th among the 25 defensive ends and 13th among the 25 linebackers. His 35-inch vertical would have placed him sixth among defensive ends and eighth among linebackers while his 10-2 broad jump would be third among defensive ends and fourth among linebackers. His results are extremely similar to Mississippi State's K.J. Wright and Michigan State's Greg Jones, a pair of linebackers who are rated among the top 75 draft prospects in some databases. McCarthy also benched 225 pounds 19 times, had a time of 4.48 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle and did the 3-cone drill in 7.27 seconds.
"I think I was happy with my body weight," McCarthy said. "I played at 248 or 250 (at Yale) so to put on 15 pounds in those two or three months and still have good times and do well in the running and jumping, it was a really good sign."
Much like the Yale pro day last year, the number of participants made it challenging for the scouts to focus on all the prospects. However, as the scouts cut the list from the initial group of 31 to about 15 and then to about 8 or 10, McCarthy was impressive enough to be asked to work out until the very end.
"I got the sense that a lot of the scouts were pretty impressed," McCarthy said. "I think the scouts were looking at the tight end at Fordham (Stephen Skelton) but by the end of the day, I'd say I had some good conversations with the scouts. I don't know the number but there were several. I went through the defensive line drills. They had me in different linebacking drills because I don't really have the bulk to play as a defensive end in the 3-4 so in the 3-4 they project me as an outside linebacker. That was really the first time doing any drills from the standup position. I had a lot of fun with it. I just like fooling around and showing off my athleticism. I think it went pretty well, especially for a first timer reading, reacting, getting to the quarterback."
Speaking of the Yale pro day, it will be on Mar. 24 and unlike last year when players from throughout the East showed up, it appears as it will be limited to Yale players. McCarthy said that fullback/h-back Shane Bannon, tight end Chris Blohm, defensive back Adam Money and linebacker Sean Williams are planning to work out for the scouts.
"It's a chaotic process, everything is up in the air and dependent on workouts and the numbers that I put up," said McCarthy, who had 31 tackles and four sacks in seven games as a senior at Yale. "It is really a play it by ear situation and I have to take it day by day right now.
"I am kind of at a loss for words. My senior year, I never would have expected this. It is a very exciting process. A few years ago, if somebody told me I was going to be in this position, I would have told them they were crazy. I am enjoying the process, working hard towards my goal of playing in the NFL."
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