The dream of making it to the National Football League is on the horizon for about a dozen former Ole Miss Rebels. As they took to the field inside The Manning Center Tuesday, the former football players showcased their skills in front of NFL scouts for Ole Miss Pro Day.
It was time to shine for these NFL hopefuls as first pick for the draft will be announced Thursday, April 26.
Running back Jordan Wilkins came into the day determined to improve on his March 2 performance at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. With a sub-par performance after suffering a hamstring injury that affected his speed in the 40-yard dash, Wilkins wasn’t pleased with his 4.71 clock time.
“It was just my hamstring,” Wilkins said. “Three weeks before the combine, I was doing a flying 20 and pulled my left hamstring, and I was not 100 percent when I got [to the combine] and I knew I could not run my 40 for anything. [This time], I was taking it slow and making sure I was healthy for Pro Day.”
Wilkins ran a 4.51 40-yard dash in front of NFL scouts today. He hit 10 feet, 3 inches on his broad jump and 37 inches on his vertical jump.
“I felt great. Being healthy makes a huge difference,” Wilkins said. “I just wanted to come out and compete and have fun with it. At the combine, my numbers weren’t where I like them to be. I think today made a big difference.”
Wilkins hopes to improve his “versatility and being able to break tackles and working on pass protections, being able to get all the yards that are there … just being a dominant player all over the game.”
Adam Brown is the sports editor of HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at adam.brown@hottytoddy.com.
