Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – On a rather frosty March mid-week morning, a large contingent of former Virginia Tech football players showed up for job interviews at the Hokies' weight room and also the Indoor Practice Facility.
The Virginia Tech football program held its annual "Pro Day" on Wednesday morning, as a combination of scouts and personnel executives from all 32 NFL teams coalesced in Blacksburg in search of future employees. Eighteen former Tech players worked out for the scouts in what many described as a job interview – arguably the biggest one of their lives.
"It's been fun," offensive lineman Wyatt Teller said of a process that started shortly after the Hokies' loss to Oklahoma State in the Camping World Bowl. "It's like, 'What would you do for a million dollars in a couple of years?' Well, you'd do just about anything. It's a fun experience.
"I wouldn't say I've been nervous. I'm not really the type of guy who gets butterflies in the stomach or anything like that. The only time I did that was the first game I ever started, which was a Thursday night in Lane. It was just going out and doing what I do. It's the same thing with any other job. It's an interview, and you're going to try to put your best foot forward."
The morning consisted of the scouts measuring heights and weighing Tech's players, while also testing the group in the vertical jump, broad jump and bench press in the Hokies' weight room. Then the proceedings moved to the practice facility, where players ran the 40-yard dash, participated in shuttle drills and took part in various position drills.
PRO DAY - PHASE 1 ??
— VT Football (@VT_Football) March 14, 2018
32 teams on hand to check out our guys in the weight room, on the broad jump and vertical, including @Steelers HC Mike Tomlin. #Hokies ?? pic.twitter.com/D6WfSBd3q2
The headliner of the morning – and the reason why NFL personnel from all 32 teams attended – was linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, whose play this past fall enabled him to earn All-America honors and whose performance at the NFL Scouting Combine a few weeks ago drew rave reviews.
Edmunds, who decided to forgo his final season at Tech and make himself available for the NFL Draft, ran a 4.54-second 40 at the Combine, while recording 19 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press and registering a broad jump of 117 inches. All that, of course, while checking in at 6-foot-5 and weighing 253 pounds.
As a result of his performance at the Combine, Edmunds elected not to repeat any of those strength and conditioning tests. Instead, he only performed linebacker-specific drills.
"I just wanted to come out and display some of my talents," Edmunds said afterward. "Display what I've been working on, and show these coaches, show these scouts and everyone that came out, my abilities.
"It's all been good. It's a process that you don't get back in life, so you've got to enjoy every bit of it. That's exactly what I've been doing. The good thing about it is that I get to do it with my brother [Terrell]. That makes it 10 times better."
Many, if not nearly all, draft prognosticators – several with NFL experience – project Edmunds as a first-round pick. The first-team All-ACC choice led the Hokies in tackles with 109 and tackles for a loss with 14 this past fall, while also finishing tied for the lead in sacks with 5.5.
Some even project him as a top-15 pick. He figures to be the first Tech linebacker ever to be selected in the first round, though Mike Johnson went in the first round of the 1984 supplemental draft.
Edmunds said he hasn't been paying attention to any of the mock drafts or what others are saying and writing about him, though being a first-round pick is every collegiate player's dream.
"It hasn't been that hard," he said. "I'm the type of guy, I'm kind of laid back. I don't let that kind of stuff get in my head. Just control what I can control and be the best player that I can be."
Not surprising, his upbringing plays a role in that. His father, Ferrell, played in the NFL for years and twice went to the Pro Bowl, so he knows what it takes to be successful in the NFL, and mom Cookie was a former track standout, so she knows about being successful in athletics.
Both Ferrell and Cookie Edmunds were in attendance Wednesday, staying in the background and keeping track of their sons from a distance. Ferrell caught up with some former familiar faces, and Cookie jotted notes in a three-ringed binder – mostly phone numbers of NFL scouts/personnel executives.
And if Tremaine and Terrell – who also received a lot of attention Wednesday – need any more advice, they only need to seek out older brother Trey, who just finished his rookie season with the New Orleans Saints.
"They've helped me out a lot," Tremaine said. "I can talk to them about anything. Trey just went through it last year. Obviously, my dad went through it. Any type of questions that I have, I can easily ask them. You know, just get advice from them. They've been a big help in my life."
Other players receiving significant attention were Teller, defensive tackle Tim Settle, and cornerback Greg Stroman.
Settle came away pleased with what transpired Wednesday. He checked in at 323 pounds – his lightest weight in a long time – and also improved his 40 time from the Combine, running a 5.20.
TECH'S TOP PRO DAY RESULTS
Vertical jump: 36.5 inches (James Clark, Deon Newsome)
40: 4.50 (James Clark)
Bench Press: 24 (Eric Gallo)
Broad Jump: 10 ft., 3 in. (James Clark)
Hand: 10'3" (Terrell Edmunds)
Wingspan: 83'4" (Wyatt Teller, Tremaine Edmunds)
"My whole goal today was to come in and dominate everything, increase my numbers," Settle said. "I did that. I'm satisfied. I'm happy with my performance. I felt like I worked hard and gave it all I could. A little more comfortable and little less tense on my home ground. I definitely felt great working out today."
Opinions vary on Settle, though his stock appears to be rising. His quickness at 320-plus pounds make him an intriguing option. Plus, he's young – he turns 21 on July 11.
"I know that I'm young. That's a lot of teams' concern," Settle said. "I don't think weight is a concern any more, with me weighing in at 323 today. I worked hard for that.
"Teams have definitely shown a lot of interest, just seeing that I have a lot of potential at the next level. Just not over a short time, but over a long time. Me being young and me being able to play long and me being a force in a couple of years … they see it. For me to hear that from them, that keeps motivating me. That just puts gas in the tank."
Stroman, Terrell Edmunds and Brandon Facyson all stuck with their Combine testing numbers and thus did not run the 40. But they participated in position drills, and scouts gave Stroman a little extra work by having him field punts. Stroman's versatility as a returner certainly helps his draft stock.
Now, the torture begins for all of them – waiting for the NFL Draft, which takes place April 26-28 in Arlington, Texas. They plan to maintain their conditioning and keep their phones close to their sides. Some of them expect to work out individually with teams, if so requested.
In short, the interview process is nearly over for this bunch. Now they stand by to see if they're among the 256 people around the country being hired by the NFL. Though only six weeks away, the wait will feel much longer, for sure.