Pro Day gives hopeful Aztecs another chance to make a lasting impression
The group of athletes participating at Pro Day (Credit: Don De Mars/EVT Sports)
A collection of recent San Diego State and USD players had the opportunity to showcase their football and athletic talents for NFL scouts on Tuesday morning at Pro Day.
The group of Aztecs included CB Chris Johnson, who, despite participating at the NFL Combine last month, joined his former teammates on the field one last time. Johnson did not run the 40-yard dash, but did complete the shuttle run drill and participated in defensive back drills.
The full list of participants is as follows.
San Diego State
Seth Adams #19 – Tight End
Samuel Benjamin #90 – Defensive Line
Eric Butler Jr #6 – Safety
DJ Herman #45 – Linebacker
Chris Johnson #1 – Cornerback
Christian Jones #70 – Offensive Line
Bayo Kannike #71 – Offensive Line
Niles King #44 – Edge
Deshawn McCuin #17 – Safety
Bryce Phillips #0 – Defensive Back
Gabriel Plascencia #46 – Kicker
Ross Ulugalu-Maseuli #63 – Offensive Line
Mister Williams #41 – Linebacker
San Diego
Matt Colombo #5 – Running Back
Malachi Cooper #0 – Defensive Line
Mo Vanderwiel #41 – Linebacker
The day began indoors in the weight room, where the players were measured and tested before the group headed out to SDSU’s practice field for the drills.
Gabriel Plascencia put on a kicking clinic during his workout, which included two makes from 60+ yards. The second make came after the instructor running the workout yelled “timeout” to ice him right before he was about to begin a kick. After regrouping, Plascencia stepped up and booted the kick just over the crossbar.
All but three of the Aztecs (Johnson, Plascencia, and Ulugalu-Maseuli) ran the 40-yard dash. Safety Deshawn McCuin had the fastest time of the group (4.52).
Johnson’s best 40-yd time at the combine was 4.40, which propelled him higher up the boards among draft experts. Some even project him as a late first-round pick, although the consensus is a likely selection on Day 2.
“Every player wants to play in the NFL, but very few do what it takes, so credit to him to do what it takes to put himself in this position,” said SDSU defensive coordinator and CBs coach Demetrius Sumler.
Despite taking part in the combine, Johnson still wanted to be out there to help his teammates, according to Sumler.
“I think it brings a lot of juice (to his teammates),” said Sumler about Johnson’s presence on Tuesday. “He set the standard at the combine with what he did, and the guys came out and wanted to compete and put their best foot forward, and it relieved a little bit of the stress off those guys with (Johnson) being here, so it was awesome.”
Johnson’s defensive backfield mates also make a strong impression on scouts, not just with their athletic abilities in testing but in drills.
“I’m getting a lot of questions and texts (from NFL scouts) about those guys,” said Sumler about Eric Butler, Bryce Phillips, and McCuin. “They are going to have opportunities to make decisions that are best for them, but they are garnering a lot of interest.
Christian Jones, who spent all five years at SDSU, also looked to impress scouts with his agility for a big man and quick feet. Jones spent the past two months training at X3 Performance & Physical Therapy in Fort Myers, FL, with top offensive line prospects from Power 4 schools.
The NFL Draft will be held April 23 through 25 in Pittsburgh.
Avid sports fan and historian of basketball, baseball, football and soccer. UC San Diego and San Diego State alumni living in America’s Finest City. Diverse team following across multiple sports leagues, but Aztecs come first in college athletics.