Georgia’s Pro Day attracts NFL Who’s Who
Editor’s Note: Chip Towers provided updates throughout UGA’s Pro Day and all of them are listed below. Some of the notables: RB Knowshon Moreno turned in a 4.63 in the 40-yard dash while DB Asher Allen turned in a blazing 4.33. QB Matthew Stafford ended the day with several impressive throws. DB C.J. Byrd, LB Dannell Ellerbe and WR Mohamed Massaqoui helped themselves with fast times in the 40.
Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno will be on the field again for Georgia today. Check that: They’ll be on Georgia’s fields but it will be for themselves.
Representatives of all 32 NFL teams — and in some cases three or four from each team — will be on hand as the Bulldogs’ two offensive stars from this past season, along with 12 other UGA players, show off their wares for NFL scouts.
Georgia coach Mark Richt said it may be the Bulldogs’ biggest Pro Day since he and his staff came to Athens. Strength and conditioning director Dave Van Halanger, who organizes and oversees the event, wasn’t so sure. He remembers the first year, when Georgia had Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud and Kendrell Bell, as being a well-attended event. And certainly there was a lot of buzz when David Pollack and David Greene and Thomas Davis came out in 2004.
But in Stafford and Moreno the Bulldogs have produced two players that could be early first-round picks. And in the case of Stafford, VERY early. Some have projected him as the No. 1 overall pick.
The main reason for the incredible turnout is Stafford chose not to throw at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis last month. He chose to throw to his own recivers — Mohamed Massaquoi, Demiko Goodman and Kenneth Harris — on his own fields. And the beneficiaries of that decision, including Stafford and Moreno, are Georgia and the 12 other players hoping to get their name called during the NFL draft.
“Matthew’s decision to throw here and not there, that was up to him. . . . I don’t get into the middle of that decision,” coach Mark Richt said. “But the fact that Matthew is doing it here is a big deal because he will attract a big crowd. Even if those guys weren’t here we’d have a solid Pro Day. But with both those guys being here it’s going to be a bigger crowd than we normally get.”
Because Stafford is being considered for the top spot, more actual NFL coaches and executives are expected to be in town rather than just scouts.
Said Richt: “I can’t predict who’s coming but I’m sure there are going to be some big-name coaches, head coaches and position coaches. I would think GMs will be here. I think you’ll see a great representation of the NFL coming to our campus, which is super.”
Richt is encouraging the current Bulldogs to come out and watch their former teammates for motivation if nothing else.
“It’s a job interview for the dream of their lifetime,” Richt said. “So I told our guys to come watch their teammates interview for a job in the NFL. I want that to motivate them. I them to be excited about it.”
Other UGA players showing off for the scouts Thursday: Receivers Mohamed Massaquoi, Kenneth Harris and Demiko Goodman; cornerbacks Asher Allen and Ramarcus Brown; fullback Brannan Southerland; linebacker Dannell Ellerbe; defensive tackle Corvey Irvin; defensive ends Jeremy Lomax and Jarius Wynn; safety CJ Byrd; and punter Brian Mimbs.
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292 comments Add your comment
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
11:28 am
Moreno an unofficial 4.6. Not what he wanted. . . . Massaquoi a 4.49.
John Waynesworld
March 19th, 2009
11:29 am
Run Forest Run!
Fulton
March 19th, 2009
11:29 am
Look back over the decades. How many ‘quality’ players has UGA put in the NFL? Other than Herschel Walker, Hines Ward & Champ Bailey, who else really comes to mind? Gook luck to Stafford & Moreno but I’m not drinking the kool-aid just yet…
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
11:30 am
Damon Evans out and about, milling amongst the crowd. . . . They’ve started over now. Asher just ran again.
PTC DAWG
March 19th, 2009
11:30 am
Thanks to the rival fans once again. Your idiocy/jealousy is confirmed.
matt
March 19th, 2009
11:32 am
I don’t suppose any of this is being broadcast online? anyone have any idea where clips will be available, besides nfl.com?
ummm
March 19th, 2009
11:32 am
Why are the times so different between what you’re reporting and what another blogger who is there is reporting? I mean way different. For example, you had Knowshon at 4.6, the other blogger on another site had him at 4.4. Are you waiting for “official” times, or is there that big a difference in the stopwatches? Thanks for the updates Chip, keep ‘em coming!
Josh Brown
March 19th, 2009
11:34 am
Good thing moreno has some lateral quickness and strength, because his 40 times are not helping him at all
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:34 am
good points, gdawg. gotta agree with the cutler assessment which is why i don’t think mayhew will break the bank to get him. his motto has been ‘right player, right price’ and i don’t want cutler here if he’s gonna break the bank. i too also question his attitude and his arrogance. i’m also sure that his agent is not exactly blame free either. he’s in cutler’s ear filling his already over sized head up with a whole bunch of nonsense about what he’s entitled to and whatnot. i want cutler here but only if he sucks it up like a man and quits pouting about the whole situation and he doesn’t break the bank for us….time will tell if that’ll happen though.
Lions in 2012
March 19th, 2009
11:34 am
Barry Sanders was never known as a top speed guy. He was lightening quick, but had to work on his top speed. He was caught from behind quite a bit. In his last two seasons he worked with the parachute to increase his top speed. I had season tickets from 1989-1996 and will never forget watching that man run the ball. We will never see anything like that again.
Halsey
March 19th, 2009
11:35 am
Fulton, the fact that you didn’t even mention the likes of Terrell Davis, Richard Seymour, Marcus Stroud, Rodney Hampton, etc makes your opinion irrelevent. People that actually know a little about football know that UGA is among the top colleges in the country for putting talent into the NFL.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
11:35 am
Asher just smoked a 4.33. He’s happy!
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:36 am
hey ptc, if i want your opinion i’ll beat it out of you, punk.
aj
March 19th, 2009
11:36 am
Hey Fulton,
Try Richard Seymore,Ben watson,Jermine Phillips,Robert Geathers, thomas davis,Jermine Wiggins, ECT… i could keep going but i think you get the point
Vandy
March 19th, 2009
11:36 am
**fulton**….Randy McMichael, Terell Davis, Garrison Hearst, Leonard Pope, Ben Watson, Veron Haynes…just a few more off the top of my head.
Match
March 19th, 2009
11:36 am
I don’t get why the same folks (SI’s Don Banks for one) who insisted the Falcons had to start rebuilding with Matt Ryan now say Detroit should pass on Stafford. As a Falcons fan, I love Red Ryan. But I don’t see that Stafford is a worse prospect. UGA underacheived last season, but that was a team-wide situation, not a Stafford problem.
kinggene
March 19th, 2009
11:37 am
richard seymour, fran tarkington, marcus stroud, the list is to long: fulton buck up
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
11:37 am
Remarcus Brown tweaked his left hamstring. . . . Not sure if he ever got to run or not but as one of the Dogs’ fastest players his speed was going to be his ticket. Hopefully it’s not too bad.
Lions in 2012
March 19th, 2009
11:38 am
I think cutler is getting a bad rap. I don’t think he is as big of a crybaby as what is being portrayed. Look at the top story on espn. His agent listed the detailed meetings between cutler and the broncos. I think the broncos lied to him and ticked him off.
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:38 am
still though, it’s impressive and ironic that our current GM actually can say that he ran down barry sanders from behind twice [maybe more]. as for never seeing an RB like him again….not so sure about that. his son has quietly been creeping up on the radar and wouldn’t that be just awesome if we were able to draft him several years from now?
matt
March 19th, 2009
11:39 am
I’m gonna be a big lions fan watching staff toss it to calvin. The lions need a franchise face just like the falcs did last year, and Matt’s the guy.
Knowshon doesn’t have top end speed. We all knew that, watching him get run down from behind by that defensive back this year. To my eyes, he lost a step this last season, maybe from adding the muscle. His shiftiness will more than make up for it. If there’s a better back in the draft, it’s a sleeper … definitely not beanie.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
11:39 am
Knowshon’s second run was a 4.63. . . . I think we’re finding out what everybody already knew — Moreno is not blazing fast but his moves and vision make him a great back. . . . Fact is it’ll probably cost him a few spots because the NFL way is to find a way to devalue someone. But I still think he’ll be a great NFL back.
Huh?
March 19th, 2009
11:40 am
So Moreno won’t be breaking any track & field records. Big deal. If these scouts are smart they won’t put much weight on his 40 time. I’m not one of those that thinks it is totally irrelevant but in Moreno’s case it just may be. There is no test that can measure what this guy brings to the table.
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:40 am
that’s cutler’s issue with the JM at this point. he didn’t mind the trade talk, but JM told him that it never happened, basically lying to his face. i’d be pissed off about it too if i couldn’t trust my new coach, but damn, i dunno what’d i’d do if i were cutler. def wouldn’t be pouting and sulking about it IN PUBLIC, i know that much.
Dawg Fud
March 19th, 2009
11:43 am
Chip – you are doing a great job. thanks!
Supes
March 19th, 2009
11:43 am
Someone will get one hell of near the end of 1st round in the draft.
Asher Allen’s stock just went up, possibly as high as round 3.
Chip, any word there if the Falcons are taking a good look at Brannon Southerland as far as maybe drafting him in the later rounds? He’ll be worth spending a pick on as a FB in development, Ovie is out of here in a couple of years.
John Waynesworld
March 19th, 2009
11:43 am
The Lions should give up their Number 1 and their 2010 Number 1 and Drew Stanton for Cutler. Then they can use their Number 20 pick on some big beefy left tackle.
LN
March 19th, 2009
11:45 am
How about everyone else’s 2nd 40? CJ, Demeko, MoMass?
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
11:45 am
Dannell Ellerbe ran a 4.64 on his first run, 4.84 on his second run. Pretty good. . .
MoMass a 4.5 flat on second run. He got a 4.48 earlier, he just told me. He’s real happy. . . .
Asher Allen was thrilled with his 4.33. Says he hated leaving Georgia but had to do what he had to do. Thinks the Dogs will like Branden Smith and thinks Brandon Boykin and Sanders Commings might turns some heads. . . .
Getting ready to do some shuttle runs.
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:45 am
as of right now, i highly doubt/hope stafFORD won’t be the first pick in the draft.
dude
March 19th, 2009
11:46 am
Fulton needs to understand that the only college team to have three super bowl MVP’s is Georgia. Jake Scott (undefeated ‘72 dolphins), Terrell Davis, & Hines Ward.
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:46 am
ellen, read the rest of the comments before you ask dumb questions.
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:46 am
i think/hope stanton gets his shot this year. he def deserves it.
SouthGaDawg
March 19th, 2009
11:47 am
FULTON, are you nuts? where would i start. edwards – new england, seymour – new england, ben watson – new england …. i havent even gotten out of NE …………. wait a minute, youre just another jealous yellow jackets. sorry.
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:49 am
chip – who’s all there from the lions? schwartz/mayhew?
modrod
March 19th, 2009
11:49 am
40 times are overated. What do you think Emmitt Smiths was? Isn’t he the alltime leading rusher in the NFL. What good is being fast if you cannot shake loose to get into the clear. Any team that drafts Knowshon is getting a stud. His attitude and work ethic will make up whatever lack of speed he has.
gdawginkalamazoo
March 19th, 2009
11:51 am
I can’t rememer a QB that Detroit has drafted in the past two decades that has the potential of Stafford. I never was impressed with Harrington in the least bit. Especially since that Times SQ poster. Scott Mitchell I had never heard of till the Lions drafted him. Anybody I am missing here? Millen, great player and analyst, lousy GM that has run the team into the ground. Where is Wayne Fontes when you need him?
Fulton, question: Which college has produced the most Super Bowl MVP’s? Don’t bother looking it up the answer is UGA. If you look a tad bit deeper you will find plenty of QUALITY NFL players that have donned the red and black.
John Waynesworld
March 19th, 2009
11:51 am
Stafford would be great in Denver with those receivers.
Mitch
March 19th, 2009
11:53 am
Georgia is a solid program. Being from Michigan when I play NCAA Football on my PS3, I always choose Georgia
Bulldog Ellis
March 19th, 2009
11:53 am
Maybe a matching necklace with that ring?sad
SH
March 19th, 2009
11:54 am
What about Harris 40 time?
John Waynesworld
March 19th, 2009
11:55 am
I remember Wayne Fontes. All the players liked him and he looked like everybody’s favorite uncle. Won a few games too.
RichieDawg
March 19th, 2009
11:55 am
Knowshon reminds of Emmit Smith. Doesn’t have blazing breakaway speed but has great vision and can make a cut into the hole at full speed with a lot of power. He will be a great NFL back.
Baddab
March 19th, 2009
11:56 am
Jimmy Orr, Fran Tarkenton, Bill Stanfill, Jake Scott, Theron Sapp, Kevin Butler, Frank Sinkwich, too many to list.
uga_b
March 19th, 2009
11:56 am
I think I tend to agree with TMQ when it comes to 40 times. Football plays aren’t always made based on hundredths of a second. Jerry Rice wasn’t straight line fast, but no one was better maintaining speed through their breaks. Knowshon will be fine.
I also laugh when people say someone’s stock is dropping. Dropping from where? Where someone predicted them. Truth is: where you are picked is what your stock is. I may think I can sell something for more than its worth, but if I can’t, it’s because its not worth it.
It’s why I believe all the Andre Smith stuff is a smoke screen.
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:56 am
mitchell wasn’t drafted by detroit. miami drafted him and then we signed him as a FA in 1994.
uga_b
March 19th, 2009
11:57 am
I think Emmitt ran a 4.6 as well. Jerry Rice was 4.7.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
11:57 am
Sorry for the lull. Not much happening at the moment. . . . Wrapping up the 40s, Demiko got a 4.46, so that’s a lot better. . . . Just talking to Rodney Garner and Geno Atkins for a while. . . .
Talking about Moreno, Asher Allen said the scouts might as well pay no attention to his 40 times. “I don’t care what the watch says, if there’s 40 yards between him and the goal line, Knowshon’s going to get there first, I can promise you,” Asher said. “I can tell you from personal experience. And NFL folks understand that. He’s as fast as he needs to be but you ain’t gonna bring him down.”
DG
March 19th, 2009
11:59 am
andre smith might be a beast, but he’s also got some serious red flags….buyer be very aware.
dawgjammin
March 19th, 2009
11:59 am
There is a big difference between “track” speed and “game” speed in full pads. I think we all know that Knowshon has “game” speed. I don’t ever recall someone chasing him down from behind in a straight line sprint. If LSU’s secondary can’t chase him down in a straight sprint, not many NFL DB’s will be able to either….