Cameras caught Jordan Zumwalt cursing at himself at least once a few moments into his 40-yard dash at February’s NFL Combine. The former UCLA linebacker did not think media members would be able to hone in on his slip of the tongue during a 4.76-second run.
“I didn’t anticipate that they’d be so zoomed in on my face. I didn’t think that was going to happen,” Zumwalt said. “That’s not running through my head as I’m running my 40. I just let my emotion get the best of me.”
Zumwalt and 14 other Bruins experienced a higher degree of scrutiny by NFL scouts Tuesday at Spaulding Field, in a UCLA Pro Day series of workouts much more intimate compared to the 355-invitee NFL Combine.
According to Zumwalt, his most recent performances, including a new 4.61 40 time, warranted no swearing. His fellow Bruins might say the same about a close-up that featured numerous improvements across the board for the UCLA athletes.
A series of fast, electronically timed 40-yard dash times, the validities of which coach Jim Mora defended vehemently, highlighted the Bruins’ athletic showcase. Outside linebacker Anthony Barr and wide receiver Shaquelle Evans made particular strides in their sprints. Each improved his combine 40-yard dash time by about two-tenths of a second. Barr ran a 4.45 at Spaulding Field, while Evans turned in a 4.32.
“People are going to hear about, and they’re going to go, ‘That’s insane, we don’t have that many fast guys,’” Mora said. “Once again, these are electronic times. If I was out there scouting and I heard that, I’d say, ‘Oh I don’t know about that.’”
The former UCLA athletes drilled in various workouts that also included route-running and cone and bag exercises, among other activities. Cassius Marsh drew acclaim from his college coach in a showcase of versatility that Mora claims to have never seen before. In addition to drilling at his traditional defensive end position, Marsh dropped into coverage as a linebacker and caught passes on deep routes from the tight end spot.
Xavier Su’a-Filo’s flexibility proved to be another takeaway from UCLA’s pro day. The former offensive guard said that scouts are also looking at him as a tackle or center, despite Su’a-Filo’s never playing the latter before.
Mora praised his coaching staff, which he feels is the most NFL-seasoned program in college football, for its preparation of players in the physical and mental rigors of being scouted for professional football.
He gave particular emphasis to the work of strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi, whom Barr credited as having an instrumental role in building upon what the linebacker felt was a disappointing Combine showing. Barr said that all of his Tuesday metrics improved his combine numbers. He highlighted a 6-inch increase in the broad jump and a four-rep bench press improvement.
Closer and more formal interactions between players and evaluators cause the Pro Day workouts to hold more weight in Mora’s mind than do combine performances.
“You get to spend more time with (the players). They (are) in their environment,” said Mora, who estimates having evaluated 1,000 players on everything from punctuality to car cleanliness during a 26-year NFL career.
He pointed to a 7:30 a.m. film session including Barr and representatives from the San Diego Chargers as an example of the depth to which players are analyzed at pro days.
Barr and Zumwalt both recognized the importance of good showings in the scouting process by likening the pro day to a job interview. Zumwalt, however, concluded that words only mean so much in his desired profession.
“Out here, our body does the talking,” Zumwalt said. “You don’t have to go and (win) some guy over. You don’t have to get buddy-buddy with him, you just have to go out and play ball.”
Since 1919
