ABILENE – Former ACU wide receiver Edmond Gates had one last chance Monday afternoon to wow the home crowd, and he didn't disappoint, putting on an impressive show for NFL scouts at ACU's Pro Day at the Wally Bullington Practice Field.
Gates went through several drills during the workout, as did several other former Wildcats, former Texas Tech wide receiver Lyle Leong, former Angelo State quarterback Josh Neiswander, former ACU and McMurry wide receiver Marcus Franklin and former HSU wide receiver Zavious Robbins. All of those players performed in front of scouts for almost 20 NFL teams, including the world champion Packers, Cowboys, Colts, Steelers, Jets, Giants, Browns, Eagles, 49ers, Dolphins, Ravens, Raiders and Vikings.
Gates – who measured in at 6 feet, 189 pounds – stood on his impressive NFL Combine 40-yard dash
time of 4.37 seconds, but he improved his standing broad jump from 10 feet, 11 inches in Indianapolis to 11 feet, 2 inches on Monday in Abilene. He also had a best in the short shuttle of 4.13 seconds and 6.82 in the 3-cone drill.
After everyone went through the drills, the scouts brought Gates, former ACU receiver Raymond Radway (4.5 in the 40, 4.05 in the short shuttle), Leong and Robbins back onto the field to catch passes from Neiswander.
Gates didn't drop a ball as Neiswander was on target for each of the four receivers. Former ACU defensive end / outside linebacker Fred Thompson was at the workout and participated in the throw-and-catch drills as a fullback, catching a couple of passes in his first action on the offensive side of the ball.
After the workout, Gates said he believed he had helped his stock, which has been rising since he ran the impressive 4.37 in Indianapolis on Feb. 28.
"I was glad I was able to get out and run a lot of routes," Gates said. "I feet good about the shuttle drills, the way I ran my routes and caught the ball. This was a good workout for everybody today. They kept us moving through everything pretty quickly."
With almost 20 teams in attendance as well as several members of local media and media covering NFL teams, word of Gates' performance spread quickly. Less than two hours after the completion of the workout, nfl.com writer / scout and former Cowboys' personnel guru Gil Brandt had posted the following to nfl.com:
Edmond Gates might be small-school, but he has the potential to be big-time in the NFL.
As if the Abilene Christian wide receiver's performance at the NFL Scouting Combine last month hadn't done enough for his draft stock, Gates put on a show once again in front of representatives from 22 teams at the school's pro day on Monday held outdoors on FieldTurf.
The conditions were windy, but that didn't stop Gates from wowing the crowd.
During his individual workout, Gates was outstanding, looking more advanced than Bears WR Johnny Knox, another Abilene Christian alum who was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2009 and has done pretty well for himself overall in the NFL.
Gates is every bit as good as Knox, probably better based on what we've seen of him. The fact that (so) teams showed up to watch Gates work out tells you how good he is. It's not like he was just an OK starter at a small school; he was a star. And he has backed it up in workouts. Knox's success also gives credence to Gates' ability.
Knox was a fifth rounder. I'd say Gates is a third or fourth rounder. A team like New England has a great advantage because they've got two third-round picks. Somebody with two picks in those rounds can afford to take a little bit of a gamble on a player who has played lesser competition.
In this case, that decision could lead to a big payoff.
OTHER NOTES FROM ACU PRO DAY:
• Former ACU wide receiver Raymond Radway had a solid day and could sneak onto someone's roster as a free-agent signee. He looked as effortless catching the ball as did Gates and posted a quicker short shuttle time.
• Former ACU offensive tackle Trevis Turner checked in at 6-7, 333 pounds. He turned in 22 repetitions on the bench press (225 pounds), a 5.01 in the short shuttle and a best of 5.4 in the 40-yard dash. He had a 21-inch vertical and 7-10 in the broad jump. Look for Turner to be invited to a camp as a free agent based on his size alone.
• Former Abilene High and Texas Tech wide receiver Lyle Leong was on hand for the Pro Day, one of a handful of non-ACU players who participated in the Pro Day. Leong was nursing an injury when Texas Tech hosted its Pro Day a couple of weeks ago in Lubbock.
• Gates worked out for the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon at ACU, mostly fielding punts and kickoffs.
• Former ACU running back and current Cincinnati Bengals running back Bernard Scott was in attendance to watch his cousin Gates perform at ACU. Scott said that with the hiring of new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, he believes the 2011 season – if and when it happens – will be his breakout year.
"This offense will fit my skills better than what we've done the previous two seasons," Scott said. "I believe I'll be able to catch the ball out of the backfield more than I have in the past. I honestly believe this is going to be my breakout year."
Scott said that he doesn't know what to make of Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer's demands to be traded or he'll retire, saying, "he's been there nine years and I guess he doesn't think they (Cincinnati management) have followed through with things they've told him. Really, it's none of my business; I can only control what I'm doing and get myself ready for the season whenever it comes."
Scott also said he's ready for a lengthy lockout after heeding the advice of veterans and player reps who advised players as early as last fall to begin saving their money in anticipation of the lockout.
• The Steelers were well-represented at the workout as area scout "Mean" Joe Greene was on hand to watch Gates and the others. Another former player on hand was former Houston Oilers and Dallas Cowboys fullback Alonzo Highsmith, an area scout for the Green Bay Packers.
• Teams represented at the workout were the 49ers, Browns, Colts, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Giants, Jets, Packers, Panthers, Raiders, Rams, Ravens, Seahawks, Steelers, Texans and Vikings.
• When the workout was finished, Neiswander had a side workout with the Texans, while Robbins had a side workout with the 49ers.
