ABILENE – The final two members of the ACU Wildcats' "Vernon Connection" went through NFL Pro Day on Tuesday at the
Wally Bullington Practice Facility, and both
Aston Whiteside and Darryl Richardson believe they helped their stock in the eyes of NFL scouts in advance of this month's NFL Draft.
Whiteside and Richardson – both represented by Scott Casterline, who also represents Bernard Scott and Clyde Gates – are both projected to be late-round selections in the draft, which is scheduled for April 26-28 in New York City.
Other prominent Wildcats who worked out for scouts from the 15 NFL teams in attendance were tight end
Ben Gibbs, fullback
Justin Andrews, offensive tackle
Neal Tivis, defensive tackle
Donald Moore and linebacker
Derek Drummond. Other Lone Star Conference players who worked out were former West Texas A&M standouts Brittan Golden (receiver) and Simi Kuli (defensive end), Texas A&M-Commerce linebacker Cory Whitfield and Tarleton State quarterback Nick Stephens.
Whiteside – who finished his career No. 2 on ACU's all-time sacks list – went through drills at five different positions on Tuesday: defensive end, defensive tackle, outside linebacker, fullback and tight end. Whiteside said at least 12 teams have shown interest with perhaps the Steelers , Bears and Cowboys showing the most interest.
"I feel like I did pretty well out here (today)," Whiteside said at the conclusion of the three-hour workout. I did every drill except the offensive line drill, and I think that showed the kind of versatility I can bring to a team."
Whiteside ran the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds, had a 33.5-inch vertical leap, and did 19 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. He also showed good quickness and first-step explosion on the three-cone and shuttle drills. And in the pass-catching drills he ran his first routes since his days as a Lion at Vernon High School and did well catching balls thrown by former Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts and Stephens.
And while he did look good catching the ball, Whiteside said his obvious preference in the NFL would to be on the defensive side of the ball, whether as an outside pass-rushing linebacker, a defensive end or as a defensive tackle.
"I'll play anywhere I'm asked to play... it really doesn't matter," he said. "I just want to get my foot in the door and let my ability take over from there. Teams have been telling me to be open-minded as to the position I play in the NFL, and I will be. I just want a shot."
Richardson, meanwhile, has been quietly sneaking into pre-draft conversations, which mirrors his three-year career as a Wildcat. Richardson – who finished his career as the second-leading touchdown producer in school history, fourth in points scored and fifth in rushing yards – posted one of the fastest 40-yard dash times of any player eligible for the draft with his time of 4.45 seconds.
Richardson also went 11 feet, 3 inches on the standing broad jump, 40.5 inches on the vertical leap and did 16 reps off 225 pounds at the bench press.
"I think I did OK (today)," Richardson said. "I ran a 4.35 last week during training, so I came in here expecting to go 4.3 seconds so I'm a little bit disappointed in my time."
Richardson has had the benefit of watching his older brother Scott go through the NFL Combine, Pro Day
workouts, private workouts and three seasons in the NFL, and that experience – as well as Scott's own success in the league – has helped make Richardson's transition from ACU to draft-eligible player a bit smoother.
"No doubt about that," Richardson said. "I played in an all-star game earlier this spring and they (scouts) kept saying that I moved like Bernard and used my body in similar ways. They kept saying that we had a very similar look."
And with a brother playing for the Cincinnati Bengals (Scott) and a cousin playing with the Miami Dolphins (Gates), Richardson said he's just hoping he gets a chance to play at the next level.
"I don't care who I end up with to be honest," he said. "I'm blessed to be in this position and getting these looks from teams. I think it's helped me a lot that I was at ACU the last three years. ACU is on fire right now in terms of getting guys to the next level. It's a great school and the NFL knows about ACU because of the type of program that (former head coach) Chris Thomsen and (current head coach)
Ken Collums run."
Gibbs, recovering from a serious knee injury suffered late in the 2011 season, looked solid in pass-catching drills, moving freely despite wearing a brace on his right knee. Tivis measured in at 6-5, 308 pounds with an 80-inch wingspan. Andrews, meanwhile, put up 31 reps on the bench-press bar and looked solid in pass-catching drills.
OTHER PRO DAY NOTES
Fifteen teams sent scouts to the ACU Pro Day: St. Louis, Green Bay, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Seattle, Minnesota, Dallas, Arizona, Buffalo, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago, New England and Tennessee. ... Other players who went through drills were former ACU safety Darrien Williams, former McMurry standouts Will Morris, Justin Johnson and R.J. Long, and former Hardin-Simmons standouts Steven Rockwell and Travis Tatsch. ... Scott is about to enter his fourth season with the Bengals, and this year he does so without former starter Cedric Benson in front of him on the depth chart. Benson was released in the off-season and the Bengals recently traded for former New England running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Barring the Bengals selecting a running back early in the draft, Both Scott and Casterline believe the former Wildcat will have a legitimate shot at being the Bengals' starter in 2012. ... Scott is entering the final year of his rookie contract, which was a four-year, $1.828 million deal.
