One of the scouts that attended Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s football pro day activities said that two players who just finished their senior seasons have a chance to land on an NFL roster.
A year ago, three Golden Lions signed free-agent contracts, but neither saw playing time during the regular season. One of them, wide receiver Raymond Webber, likely would have made it had it not been for a knee injury in the preseason.
Scouts from the St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks visited UAPB on Tuesday and saw about 20 seniors — all but two of them from UAPB — work out.
Judy Simmons Henry, a Little Rock-based agent for Stephen Jones, said the former Golden Lion running back drew high praises Tuesday. Scouts would not release official results of the workouts, but UAPB offensive line coach Bruce Johnson, who coordinated the pro day, estimated that Jones had a vertical leap of 35 inches, a 4.62-second 40-yard dash and 4.3- to 4.4-second shuttle.
“Everybody was interested in Stephen,” Henry said. “They were high on their performance.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Jones led the Lions with 12 touchdowns and was second on the team in rushing yards with 460 in nine games, helping UAPB finish 6-5 for its first winning season since 2006.
“I wasn’t totally satisfied with the football season, but you gotta go with what you have,” Jones said. “This is what other guys everywhere else, an opportunity (to make the NFL).”
His backfield mate, Adrian Moore, had a 31-inch vertical leap and ran a 4.5 40. Moore, a former White Hall standout, led the team in rushing yards with 680.
The pro day was for seniors only. Former Pine Bluff High and Missouri State defensive end Terrence Washington and Henderson State tight end Sean McGrath, an honorable mention All-American, worked out along with the graduating Lions.
During a juniors-only workout last week, left tackle Terron Armstead ran 4.6 seconds in the 40, Johnson said.
Steve Kazer, the Rams scout who conducted most of the pro day activities, declined to name any specific prospects that impressed him, citing NFL rules, but said “a couple” of participants have a chance to play in the league.
“Overall, there’s a guy or two each year that develops well here,” he said. “I’ve known coach (Monte) Coleman for a long time, and he usually has guys that develop well.”
Former UAPB offensive lineman Colton Jones said the Rams asked about him playing center. Jones, who was a right guard at UAPB, bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times, second only to fellow offensive lineman Stephen McElwee’s 29.
“I feel like I was a little underrated coming out of my senior year,” Jones said. “I’m trying to show scouts that I have talent.”
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Dates all that are missing
Coleman confirmed Tuesday that UAPB, indeed, will play at Tennessee State on Sept. 29 for one of its two nonconference games this coming season. When Tennessee State released its schedule last month, it included the matchup, but UAPB said at the time the game hadn’t been finalized.
Coleman said he’s trying to finalize game dates for the 2012 season before a schedule is finally released, as he searches for a bye week. He also said UAPB will play Langston (Okla.) of the NAIA again, leaving the Lions without their usual trip to the Gateway Classic in St. Louis. Football Championship Subdivision teams can play only 11 regular-season games, and UAPB has nine SWAC games to play.