-In total 17 West Virginia players participated at the school's Pro Day earlier today. The 17 athletes participating were Jared Barber, Isaiah Bruce, Terrell Chestnut, John DePalma, KJ Dillon, Karl Joseph, Eric Kinsey, Nick Kwiatkoski, Marquis Lucas, Ed Muldrow, KJ Myers, Nick O'Toole, Shaq Petteway, Kyle Rose, Wendell Smallwood, Jordan Thompson and Daryl Worley.
-Here are all the results of the event:
-Anyway as most of the players finished their workouts, they took time to speak with media members. I was able to catch up with Joseph, Kwiatkoski, Barber, O'Toole, Petteway, Worley and Smallwood.
-Joseph talked to reporters for the first time since October when he suffered the ACL injury, which took the rest of his senior year away from him. Joseph told me that his rehab process started literally the day after his surgery. Joseph had the surgery on October 13th and he said Dr. James Andrews came into hospital room on the 14th to make him start doing leg lifts. Joseph did all of his rehab and training with the Andrews clinic in Pensacola, Florida.
-Because Joseph is still recovering from the ACL surgery, he hasn't been able to do everything that a typical prospect gets to during the pre-draft process. Joseph said the toughest part has been answering questions about it with different NFL teams, scouts, personnel and more. Joseph says what he's leaned on in order to sell himself as a prospect is his film. He also added that he has made it clear to everyone he speaks with that he'll be ready to participate for NFL training came come August.
-Overall, Joseph says dealing with the rehab and draft process at the same time has been stressful, but he says he has a lot of trust in his ability and work ethic to overcome whatever setback might come his way. As of today, Joseph still believes he's a likely first round draft selection.
-Joseph says he's met with a lot of NFL teams so far, but most recently he met with both the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings last week. He has five visits scheduled next week and a few more the rest of the week. Joseph says he's had a lot of traveling, but the more traveling he does the better off it'll be for him.
-For advice on how to handle the draft process, Joseph has spoken with both former West Virginia star receiver Kevin White as well as former Georgia running back Todd Gurley. If you remember Gurley suffered an ACL tear at the end of his final college season, just like Joseph. Since Joseph suffered his injury, he has talked to Gurley about how handle questions from teams, how to rehab and more. White has offered his wisdom to Joseph about selling himself to best of his ability to NFL teams.
-I'll have more on Joseph in a story.
-Kwiatkoski thought his Pro Day went really well. He didn't participate in any of the Combine-like drills because he was satisfied with the numbers he produced at the Combine in February. He thought his effort and performance in the position drills were really solid. He hopes what he showed in front of scouts lead to private workouts.
-Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was at the Pro Day and Kwiatkoski grew up a Steelers fan. The two had met before at the Senior Bowl, but Kwiatkoski says it's always neat to speak with Tomlin because he's a great coach and is always willing to talk to players.
-Regarding his draft status, Kwiatkoski says he's heard he could go anywhere from the second or third round to an undrafted free agent. Right now, he says most teams are eyeing him as a middle linebacker, but like the fact that he's versatile enough to bounce outside if need be. Kwiatkoski said that he believes playing in the Senior Bowl and performing well at the Combine really has helped his draft stock.
-Kwiatkoski's fellow college linebackers Barber and Petteway had an interesting day. Both guys were asked by scouts to work out as fullbacks in addition doing linebacker drills. Barber said when he weighed in a Broncos scout approached him about possibly playing fullback. Having not carried a ball since middle school, Barber said without hesitation, he told the scout no problem and thought it went well. Petteway said if an NFL teams wants him to play fullback, he'd be completely open to it.
-Petteway says once he returned to Morgantown from the Cactus Bowl, he began working with Mike Joseph on pro day drills. Petteway says his workouts were geared purposely to succeed on pro day and is now happy he can return to focusing on just being a football player and work out like a regular linebacker.
-O'Toole believes he'll have some private workouts with NFL teams come next week or the week after. He says him and his agent want to setup workouts and conversations with different special teams coordinators across the league. Today, O'Toole punted for the all scouts outside on West Virginia's practice field. Led by Broncos scout, O'Toole said the workout consisted of three punts left, three punts right, pooch punts and kicking.
-Worley has good reason to be happy about his future and decision to leave West Virginia early. Teams are lining up to meet and visit with Worley. Has has a number of visits lined up. He will travel to meet with the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
-At the end of pro day Worley also had long conversations with scouts from both the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.
-The reason Worley believes many teams are excited to meet is because he can play a few different positions. Last week, one team worked him out as a nickel back and another worked him out a traditional corner. Worley says other teams have asked him about playing safety, which he is open to. Worley says he sold to teams what he did as a freshman at West Virginia because he played five different positions in that 2013 season for the Mountaineers. He prefers to be a true corner, but says if he can on the field in other capacities, he is open to the idea of playing some other positions.
-Smallwood, who left early from West Virginia like Worley, is being put to task by all the different teams he has visited with. Smallwood says that all the scouts and coaches he works out for or meets with tell him no offense in the NFL will be as easy to learn as what he did at West Virginia under Dana Holgorsen. Smallwood says teams have wanted to see how fast he can pick up playbooks and then apply into on field workouts.
-Smallwood wouldn't reveal which teams he has visits to in the next few weeks, but says he's really enjoyed the process of meeting different coaches. Since the process began, Smallwood said he met Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin and Eagles running back coach Duce Staley. As a kid Smallwood grew up idolizing Staley since the Eagles were his favorite team.
-Here are all the results of the event:
-Anyway as most of the players finished their workouts, they took time to speak with media members. I was able to catch up with Joseph, Kwiatkoski, Barber, O'Toole, Petteway, Worley and Smallwood.
-Joseph talked to reporters for the first time since October when he suffered the ACL injury, which took the rest of his senior year away from him. Joseph told me that his rehab process started literally the day after his surgery. Joseph had the surgery on October 13th and he said Dr. James Andrews came into hospital room on the 14th to make him start doing leg lifts. Joseph did all of his rehab and training with the Andrews clinic in Pensacola, Florida.
-Because Joseph is still recovering from the ACL surgery, he hasn't been able to do everything that a typical prospect gets to during the pre-draft process. Joseph said the toughest part has been answering questions about it with different NFL teams, scouts, personnel and more. Joseph says what he's leaned on in order to sell himself as a prospect is his film. He also added that he has made it clear to everyone he speaks with that he'll be ready to participate for NFL training came come August.
-Overall, Joseph says dealing with the rehab and draft process at the same time has been stressful, but he says he has a lot of trust in his ability and work ethic to overcome whatever setback might come his way. As of today, Joseph still believes he's a likely first round draft selection.
-Joseph says he's met with a lot of NFL teams so far, but most recently he met with both the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings last week. He has five visits scheduled next week and a few more the rest of the week. Joseph says he's had a lot of traveling, but the more traveling he does the better off it'll be for him.
-For advice on how to handle the draft process, Joseph has spoken with both former West Virginia star receiver Kevin White as well as former Georgia running back Todd Gurley. If you remember Gurley suffered an ACL tear at the end of his final college season, just like Joseph. Since Joseph suffered his injury, he has talked to Gurley about how handle questions from teams, how to rehab and more. White has offered his wisdom to Joseph about selling himself to best of his ability to NFL teams.
-I'll have more on Joseph in a story.
-Kwiatkoski thought his Pro Day went really well. He didn't participate in any of the Combine-like drills because he was satisfied with the numbers he produced at the Combine in February. He thought his effort and performance in the position drills were really solid. He hopes what he showed in front of scouts lead to private workouts.
-Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was at the Pro Day and Kwiatkoski grew up a Steelers fan. The two had met before at the Senior Bowl, but Kwiatkoski says it's always neat to speak with Tomlin because he's a great coach and is always willing to talk to players.
-Regarding his draft status, Kwiatkoski says he's heard he could go anywhere from the second or third round to an undrafted free agent. Right now, he says most teams are eyeing him as a middle linebacker, but like the fact that he's versatile enough to bounce outside if need be. Kwiatkoski said that he believes playing in the Senior Bowl and performing well at the Combine really has helped his draft stock.
-Kwiatkoski's fellow college linebackers Barber and Petteway had an interesting day. Both guys were asked by scouts to work out as fullbacks in addition doing linebacker drills. Barber said when he weighed in a Broncos scout approached him about possibly playing fullback. Having not carried a ball since middle school, Barber said without hesitation, he told the scout no problem and thought it went well. Petteway said if an NFL teams wants him to play fullback, he'd be completely open to it.
-Petteway says once he returned to Morgantown from the Cactus Bowl, he began working with Mike Joseph on pro day drills. Petteway says his workouts were geared purposely to succeed on pro day and is now happy he can return to focusing on just being a football player and work out like a regular linebacker.
-O'Toole believes he'll have some private workouts with NFL teams come next week or the week after. He says him and his agent want to setup workouts and conversations with different special teams coordinators across the league. Today, O'Toole punted for the all scouts outside on West Virginia's practice field. Led by Broncos scout, O'Toole said the workout consisted of three punts left, three punts right, pooch punts and kicking.
-Worley has good reason to be happy about his future and decision to leave West Virginia early. Teams are lining up to meet and visit with Worley. Has has a number of visits lined up. He will travel to meet with the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
-At the end of pro day Worley also had long conversations with scouts from both the Denver Broncos and New York Giants.
-The reason Worley believes many teams are excited to meet is because he can play a few different positions. Last week, one team worked him out as a nickel back and another worked him out a traditional corner. Worley says other teams have asked him about playing safety, which he is open to. Worley says he sold to teams what he did as a freshman at West Virginia because he played five different positions in that 2013 season for the Mountaineers. He prefers to be a true corner, but says if he can on the field in other capacities, he is open to the idea of playing some other positions.
-Smallwood, who left early from West Virginia like Worley, is being put to task by all the different teams he has visited with. Smallwood says that all the scouts and coaches he works out for or meets with tell him no offense in the NFL will be as easy to learn as what he did at West Virginia under Dana Holgorsen. Smallwood says teams have wanted to see how fast he can pick up playbooks and then apply into on field workouts.
-Smallwood wouldn't reveal which teams he has visits to in the next few weeks, but says he's really enjoyed the process of meeting different coaches. Since the process began, Smallwood said he met Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin and Eagles running back coach Duce Staley. As a kid Smallwood grew up idolizing Staley since the Eagles were his favorite team.
