FAYETTEVILLE — Greg Childs believes his performance at Arkansas’ on-campus Pro Day sent a strong message.
He’s completely healthy. Finally.
“Numbers don’t lie, you know?” Childs said with a big smile Tuesday afternoon. “Numbers don’t lie.”
The receiver was among 20 former Razorbacks working out for NFL personnel inside the Walker Pavilion, trying to make an impression less than two months before the 2012 NFL Draft. Childs, who struggled during the 2011 season because of the season-ending knee injury he suffered in Oct. 2010, flashed reminders of his potential by improving his NFL Scouting Combine numbers in strength, agility and position tests.
The biggest eye-opener came in the 40-yard dash, when Childs (6-foot-3, 212 pounds), was clocked at 4.41 seconds. It was the fastest 40 time of the day. It also came after he ran a laser-timed 4.55 in Indianapolis.
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So Childs deemed the day a big success.
“It was just mainly showing everybody that I was healthy again, showing everybody I was 100 percent,” Childs said. “I had some scouts tell me like, ‘You look 100 percent. You look explosive as ever.’”
Childs led Arkansas in receiving in 2009 and was on pace to do so again in 2010 before suffering a torn patella tendon in his knee, which required surgery and sidelined him for the final four games. The Warren native was cleared for preseason practice, but admitted Tuesday he may have come back too quickly and it contributed to his season-long struggles as a senior.
Childs – who averaged 47 catches as a sophomore and junior — had just 21 for 240 yards in 2012.
“I think I came back before I should have,” Childs said. “If I would have redshirted, I would have been better. Right now, I’m at 100-percent now.”
Teammates Jarius Wright and Joe Adams, meanwhile, enjoyed big senior seasons. They’ve become quality draft prospects, too, who are likely to be pulled off the board in the middle rounds in April.
But Wright was glad Childs also helped himself Tuesday, showing off the skills that made him one of the SEC’s top receivers when healthy.
“He wasn’t as happy as he would want to be after his combine,” Wright said. “It was good to see him get out here and put up great numbers and see a smile on his face. When you see friends happy, it makes you happy.”
All three receivers were the main attraction during Pro Day, which was attended by roughly 30 NFL representatives. Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino and his staff as well as several current players like receiver Cobi Hamilton, running back Knile Davis and linebacker Alonzo Highsmith watched portions of the workout, too.
Former Razorbacks and current NFL players D.J. Williams, Ray Dominguez and Ryan Mallett were in attendance as well. Mallett, who is New England’s third-team quarterback, even offered a helping hand by throwing passes to receivers and running backs.
“It just reminded me of two years ago when we were competing against other people, catching passes,” Wright said of reconnecting with Mallett. “Ryan still can throw the ball. He hasn’t lost a step.”
Childs said it was comforting to have a familiar face in attendance after struggling to catch passes from other quarterbacks at the NFL Combine last month.
“It’s very different from when I was down in Indy and I had quarterbacks I wasn’t familiar with,” Childs said. “I didn’t know how they were going to throw the ball when they were going to throw it. “With Ryan, I played with him for some years now, so it was just like playing catch.”
Childs said he was poked, prodded and examined closely by numerous teams during his time at the NFL Combine. But he said no problems were detected with his knee.
He’s confident his pro day workout proved it, too, showing he’s capable of producing in the NFL.
“Once teams find out I’m healthy and 100-percent, they have no choice but to go back to when I was 100-percent and look at the film from my freshman, sophomore and junior year,” Childs said. “It’s all good.”
Five More Notes From Arkansas Pro Day
1. WR Joe Adams didn’t improve on his 40-yard dash time Tuesday, running a 4.55 that was identical to his laser time in Indianapolis. Adams said he wasn’t satisfied, but added he is roughly 10 pounds heavier than his playing weight at Arkansas. “I’m going to get it down lower,” Adams said of his 40 time.
2. WR Jarius Wright and DE Jake Bequette didn’t participate in speed and agility testing Tuesday, choosing to stand by their marks from the NFL Scouting Combine. Both participated in position drills, though. “I put up a 4.42 laser time and I didn’t really feel it was going to change too much for me to come out here and run,” Wright said of his 40-yard dash time in Indianapolis. “So I stayed with my time.”
3. Bequette worked out extensively at linebacker during drills once again for scouts, saying he was a “little surprised” how much work he received at the position. Bequette — who played linebacker during the Senior Bowl — said teams that play a 3-4 defense view him as an outside linebacker, while 4-3 teams view him as a defensive end. “It’s a little bit awkward,” Bequette said of his linebacker work. “I’m still working on it, still getting better. It’s something I didn’t really do full-time at Arkansas and if I want to do that in the NFL I’ve got to get much better at it.”
4. LB Jerry Franklin was disappointed he didn’t receive an invitation to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s hoping his Pro Day work showed it was a mistake. “It was big for a lot of guys,” Franklin said of Pro Day. “This was our combine day. We’ve all been working toward this day.”
5. Mallett wasn’t available for comment after the workout, but Wright said he and the receivers got in one day of work last week to get on the same page for pro day. Adams said it was good to throw and catch with Mallett and is holding out hope it won’t be the last time. “I wish we could all get together on an NFL team together and maybe have some memories,” Adams said.