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
BlackSmoke
March 19th, 2009
11:59 am
Fulton you are retarded!
Im glad MoMass ran a 4.5, that seems to be what he was shooting for. Asher ran a bit faster than I expected too!
SH
March 19th, 2009
12:00 pm
Kenneth Harris?
GeoffDawg
March 19th, 2009
12:01 pm
fulton – you’re a flippin idiot. The reasons have already been documented in other posts but I just wanted to get the idiot remark off my chest.
Tech Wrecked...AGAIN
March 19th, 2009
12:01 pm
EXACTLY modrod….E. Smith NEVER ran better than a 4.6
uga_b
March 19th, 2009
12:01 pm
I would draft a 2-time All American who has been touted as one of the best linemen since Orlando Pace, but that’s just me. I hope he does fall…all the way to the Falcons. If I thought me bad-mouthing him would do that, I’d do it.
dap01
March 19th, 2009
12:01 pm
Boston Williams: You write about substance, your whole thought lacks substance.
If you or the team that you pulled for had substance, you would be on that blog. Get a life.
Tom
March 19th, 2009
12:02 pm
Now makes sense that some teams are looking at GT’s Michael Johnson at TE….
6′7″, 266……and 40’s under 4.6 (DET scout timed him at 4.49!)
That’s sick.
uga_b
March 19th, 2009
12:02 pm
Chip, it seems like some of the 225-rep numbers were kind of average, could you tell what the players reactions were?
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:02 pm
MoMass just did a 4.20 on the shuttle. Asher tells me anything under 4.3 is good. . . . They’ll do three cones eventually and anything under 6.0 supposedly good on that. . . .
Ellerbe 4.19.
WK
March 19th, 2009
12:04 pm
Chip — Love the info so far. Keep it coming. Now this is what we all want to see from the ajc DAWG beat writer. Even better coverage so far than the rivals DAWG site.
CT
March 19th, 2009
12:06 pm
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.”
NOW THATS A TEAM MATE!
GA Tech Insider
March 19th, 2009
12:07 pm
Best of luck to all the Bulldogs at Pro Day.
matt
March 19th, 2009
12:07 pm
uhhh jammin, hate to say this but if you’ve watched a lot of moreno, you’ve seen him get caught from behind at full speed. fortunately i think everyone realize that most of a back’s yards aren’t coming from full speed open field situations.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:07 pm
MoMass 4.21 on second time.
DG
March 19th, 2009
12:08 pm
stafFORD should be warming up now and getting ready to throw in the next 10-15 min….hopefully. i need a nap so he needs to hurry up.
Ben
March 19th, 2009
12:09 pm
3 cones anything under 7 is good..i dont think its humanly possible to run under 6 flat on 3 cones.
Tom
March 19th, 2009
12:09 pm
Moreno is going to be a VERY GOOD NFL back.
Compared to P Harvin, I see Moreno as having more long-term durability….something the NFL demnads. Harvin may have shown more versatility in college, but I see Moreno as having a longer and more-productive pro career. He’s going to make an NFL club very happy.
SH
March 19th, 2009
12:09 pm
How is Kenneth Harris doing?
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:09 pm
One side note, Tripp Chandler is out here running the gamut, too. Originally we didn’t expect him to. I had been led to believe that, because of injuries, he wasn’t going to attempt the pros. But I’ll try to talk to him and what his plans and prospects are.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:11 pm
There is kind of a lull right now but the crowds are beginning to build. Everybody anxious to see Stafford throw. Massaquoi and the other receivers are getting taped up to run routes and catch. . . . Other players will be going through position drills at the same time. . . .
MoMass 11.3 in the 60 shuttle, whatever that is.
WK
March 19th, 2009
12:12 pm
Forget Knowshon’s 40 time. He will shine in the NFL. He always played faster than he is, just ask the LSU linebacker from last year.
Michael
March 19th, 2009
12:14 pm
If there ever was a 40 time that proved how that stat can be meaningless, Knowshon just did it. He broke enough long runs to prove he’s plenty darn fast.
John Waynesworld
March 19th, 2009
12:14 pm
Thanks Chip! This is excellent.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:15 pm
Oh, yeah, meant to mention that former Bulldog quarterback Blake Barnes is here. . . . Getting ready to start throwing right now. . . .
Reportedly Asher Allen tried to back out of cornerback drills because he said he tweaked him hamstring. A scout for the 49ers said “we’re here to interview you, not the other way around. Now get out there.” Allen did.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:18 pm
The scouts have all huddled up at the far end of the turf field closest to Lumpkin St. while the players and all the onlookers have surrounded the West end of the other field. I don’t know exactly what’s happening next but there’s definitely a buzz in the air about it.
John Waynesworld
March 19th, 2009
12:18 pm
1103 for MOMass. Pretty good for a WR.
DG
March 19th, 2009
12:19 pm
NTSFAS right there
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:25 pm
Just talked to Kenneth Harris. He had a 4.47, 4.48 and 4.49 on the 40s. He’s taped up and ready to go run routes and catch with Stafford. . . .
FB Brannan Sutherland didn’t test any of the earlier stuff. He’s sticking with his numbers from the combine. . . .
Right now they’re going to position drills so there aren’t any times to report. Defensive line and linebackers going right now. . . .
Going to be a while on Stafford I’m afraid. The crowd is definitely growing in anticipation. Pretty much the entire current Bulldogs team is out here now.
DG
March 19th, 2009
12:26 pm
nap time then
StSimonsDAWG
March 19th, 2009
12:28 pm
Great Job Chip!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deangelo Falls
March 19th, 2009
12:32 pm
Called the 4.33 on Asher. Was a bit off on Knowshon though lol. Was CJ Byrd at the combine? If not he’s definitely turning some heads.
Football
March 19th, 2009
12:34 pm
Chip, I’m quite disappointed in you being that you are a AJC writer and you continue to misspell Ramarcus Brown’s name! It’s not Remarcus, it’s Ramarcus!!! You are just another UGA wanna be fan/AJC sports writer. Which team to you follow? Follow GATOR football and write articles on them! You will surely have much more to write about and please the thousand plus GATOR fans in the metro. By the way, how many more top notch recruiting classes will it take before UGAY wins another national championship in football? Write about that!!
GATOR NATION 4 LIFE
YoungDawg
March 19th, 2009
12:35 pm
Great job Chip!!! Blake Barnes?!? The last season he was at UGA during warm-ups his arm was weaker than the walk on 4th stringer!
matt
March 19th, 2009
12:37 pm
Really, gator? Really? I’m embarrassed for you.
Manny
March 19th, 2009
12:37 pm
Knowshon isn’t fast. He’s not that big, either. But Knowshon is a football player. He has great vision and is smart on the field. Plus, he can make you miss.
Look for his cone speed. And watch film.
alllionsfans
March 19th, 2009
12:39 pm
Chip, any idea which Lions officials are there? We are desperate for info back here in michigan
BCinthezoo
March 19th, 2009
12:40 pm
gdawg – The Lions didn’t draft Mitchell, he was aquired from Miami. No offense to the Bulldog faithful but the “potential” that Stafford has is shadowed by concerns with his accuracy and mental ability to adjust to the speed of the NFL. He is not a “can’t miss” QB. If Bradford and McCoy came out this year, Stafford would be the forth QB taken even behind Sanchez. The Lions are not ready for their franchise QB and should wait until the much better class that will be next year.
Huh?
March 19th, 2009
12:43 pm
Translation of BCinthezoo’s post: “I know nothing about college football and haven’t the slightest clue what the hell I am talking about.”
Let me know if you need any more help buddy.
FOOTBALL GUY
March 19th, 2009
12:43 pm
you know nothing about football Sanchez ahead of Stattford no one in the know agrees with that not even his on college coach,
FOOTBALL GUY
March 19th, 2009
12:45 pm
oh boy the way that was for BCinthezoo your a idiot.
FOOTBALL GUY
March 19th, 2009
12:46 pm
oh by the way that was for BCinthezoo your an idiot.
Mitch
March 19th, 2009
12:46 pm
I always find it funny that someone says “Stafford and his mental abilities” LMAO. And how do you know?
ugarulz44
March 19th, 2009
12:47 pm
Football
“Which team to you follow?”
WOW, before you knock someone for misspelling a name like Ramarcus Brown, you might want to learn how to write coherent sentences.
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
March 19th, 2009
12:48 pm
knowshon be going to canada – he be VERRRRRY SLOW
Wally
March 19th, 2009
12:49 pm
I wish Stafford well. I just hope he isn’t making a mistake.
alllionsfans
March 19th, 2009
12:49 pm
nevermind my previous comment. I saw it was already answered just read over it.
Chip Towers
March 19th, 2009
12:51 pm
Again, sorry for the lull but nothing to report. Was down on the sidelines talking to Coach Richt while the players going thru position drills. They’re just now starting running back drills and Knowshon is running now with a ball tucked in his bulging arms. It’s here that you see that he’s a special human being. . . .
Behind the group on the other field Stafford is now warming up throwing to Tripp Chandler, Kenneth Harris, Demiko Goodman, MoMass and former Georgia TE Coleman Watson.
Joe
March 19th, 2009
12:52 pm
Knowshon ran a slower 40 than a 260lb DT from MSU. Hes a dawg all right.
Joe
March 19th, 2009
12:54 pm
chip…for his sake I hope those bulging arms really do help.
WalkerMuhDawg
March 19th, 2009
12:54 pm
The big name QB’s coming out next year are all system QB’s working out of the spread or at least not a pro-style set like Georgia uses. Stafford would still be number 1 and probably a more entrenched #1 than he is this year after a very successful senior year. Tebow, btw, will NOT play QB in the NFL and if that is the case he’s already said he’ll take his ball and go home. His dad has whined to the NFL that that is the case.