GSU’s Evan Bostic: “I’ve worked so hard to get to this point”

Former Georgia State football player Evan Bostic has been invited to the NFL Super Regional combine in Detroit.

Bostic was one of 500 hopefuls who participated at an NFL regional combine in the Falcons’ indoor facility in Flowery Branch last weekend. He impressed enough in the drills to be one of 14 players to receive an invitation to the event in Michigan, which will be held March 29-31.

If he performs well, Bostic could either get drafted or sign as an undrafted free agent with a team.

According to Darryl Ledbetter, who wrote the excellent story linked to above, more than 2,000 players have graduated from these regional combines to earn deals in the NFL (475), Canadian Football League (365) and indoor football leagues (1,505).

Bostic feared he almost missed the chance.

He kept his phone by his side all day Tuesday, only putting it down while he listened to some music between classes.

Sure enough, the phone was on vibrate so he didn’t notice when the call came through.

The message left simply said call us back.

He wondered why, if it was good news, they asked him to call back.

Perhaps he left something in Flowery Branch.

But when he called back he got the good news: his dream was alive.

“There’s a lot of emotions,” he said. “I’ve worked so hard to get to this point.”

Bostic, 6-2, 235 pounds, had 63 tackles in 2010 as an inside linebacker. Moved to defensive end last season, he had 10 tackles with two sacks and an interception. He said he gained a lot of experience playing against FBS opponents Alabama in 2010 and then at Houston last season.

Bostic said he  felt positive about his tryout.

He said Georgia State coach Bill Curry told him to relax during the regional combine and not worry about his times or distances. He wasn’t told all of his results. However, he learned his vertical jump was 35 inches and he finished the 20-yard shuttle in 4.27 seconds.  California’s Mychal Kendricks had the highest vertical jump (39.5) of linebackers at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. Bostic’s number would have placed him 14th. Nevada’s Brandon Marshall had the best time (4.09) in the 20-yard shuttle in Indianapolis. Bostic’s time would have placed him seventh.

Bostic will continue working out with a trainer as he tries to improve all of  his times and distances.

“I just got to keep on. I have a lot more to work for,” he said.

The other invitees from the Flowery Branch (Atlanta) regional:

Glenn Love, OLB, UCLA

Nigel Carr, OLB, Alabama State

Tyler Maples, WR, Furman

Ernest McCoy, OT, Texas Southern

Marvin Bohannon, CB, Winston-Salem State

Nicholas Rosamonda, S, North Greenville

Alonzo Winfield, s, Gardner-Webb

Dominique Davis, QB, East Carolina

Will Johnson TE, West Virginia

Jason Foster OG, Rhode Island

Micah Carter, OC, Concord

– Doug Roberson, AJC. Please follow me on twitter @ajcgsu