montgomeryadvertiser.com

Sponsored by:
3.10.2009

Auburn Pro Day

Hey everyone. I'm headed out the door to Auburn's Pro Day festivities at the Athletic Complex momentarily. My goal is to provide frequent updates from the fields, post pictures and produce an afternoon video for your enjoyment.

We also have the Capital City Classic (Auburn v. Alabama baseball) going tonight, so I'll be blogging from there as well.

PRO DAY STUFF

Guys who have stood out so far:

*Merrill Johnson had a 40" vertical. That's an outstanding number. Jerraud Powers, by comparison, posted a 35". James Swinton led the way with a 42" jump.

*Tez Doolittle led the bench press drill. He pushed 225 pounds on 22 distinct presses. That's pretty impressive. Johnson and Brad Lester, believe it or not, finished second with 18 apiece. Former Auburn defensive lineman Pat Sims me "pound for pound, Brad Lester is the strongest guy at Auburn."

*Doolittle ran a 4.9 in the 40. He also jumped 39.5. He looks like a serious athlete now and I wouldn't be surprised to see him selected during the second half of the draft.

*It was a difficult day for Sen'Derrick Marks. He injured a hamstring at the NFL Combine and it's clear that the problem hasn't abated. He struggled through a serious of agility drills and finished only 14 reps on the bench press drill.

*Swinton put up a 4.3s during the 40-yard dash. Jerraud Powers was a few hundredths over 4.4. They don't post times on a board or anything, so I have to get my information third hand in a sense.

*Tristan Davis had the fastest 40 time: low 4.3s.

Here is Jerraud Powers, dressed in his NFL Combine jersey, attempting to improve on his first high jump.

Here is Tez Doolittle, looking remarkably cut and strong, making his first attempt at the broad jump. His best jump was in the 8-foot range.

Here is Merrill Johnson warming up before the bench press drill. It's not how much you can push; it's how many times you can push 215. Johnson hit it 17 times.

Here is Tez Doolittle. You can see ... his gut is almost enirely gone and his arms look like something out of a magazine. He has been quite impressive today.

Here is former quarterback Brandon Cox and Tyronne Green enjoying a laugh Tuesday. Cox, a 2007 Auburn graduate, was hanging around to provide support ... and pass to his former teammates during the outside drills.

Here is coach Gene Chizik talking with former players Pat Sims (center) and Pat Lee (right.)

Here's Pat Sims (left) and former Auburn player Marcus McNeill watching the proceedings. McNeill recently finished his third season with the San Diego Chargers. Sims is with the Cincinnati Bengals.

93 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Once.

Just trying out the new avatar...in Dean Jet's honor.

10:33 AM  
Blogger Will said...

JG, are you going to run the 40 like Rich Eisen does every yr?

10:34 AM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

Live Baseball Blogging!!! Woo hoo....I could care less about any event associated with the NFL draft, but I'll still read and appreciate the coverage.

10:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hoopie, I sure hope that picture has been photoshopped. That's an awful thing to teach someone that young - even if it is directed at UAT.

10:41 AM  
Blogger Will said...

I disagree. If there's one time a kid could get away with that, it's toward UAT.

FYI...I think I read a few yrs back that this pic was taken at a soccer game in England. It has been photoshopped by AU fans toward UAT, and vice versa. I have seen it with Oh St colors, Mich. colors, etc...

11:01 AM  
Blogger JgobravesHAG said...

Walt mcFadden

11:03 AM  
Blogger Harrison said...

It is definitely photoshopped

11:10 AM  
Blogger Will said...

Did you guys see where Justin Knox of UAT rec'd the SEC Scholar- Athlete of the Year award? (insert textbook scandal joke here)

11:11 AM  
Blogger Hornet said...

for you hoops junkies or anyone who's just bored at work....bigeast.org has free streaming of their basketball tournament

11:27 AM  
Blogger Nooj4AU(qualify tyrick!) said...

ok ill go ahead and say it....We WILL win 9 regular season games this season in football...only losses come from LSU OLE MISS and....either UT or Georgia.....we will beat BAMA by 21. right it down take a picture...remember i said it.

11:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

jhag, what did you think of Jet's speech to get you to go to Auburn? It almost brought a tear to my eye...

11:32 AM  
Blogger Monica said...

Good afternoon, Hotties. I have nothing to add. I just missed y'all.

11:56 AM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

live blogging baseball. i'm diggin it. JG, if you want to live blog AU-Tennessee baseball this weekend from Knoxville just holla. :)

12:02 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

We will beat Bama by 21?

As much as I'd love that, I'll believe it when I see it.

In my lifetime we've never come close to beating them by 21 that I can recall. It's almost always single digits unless we are taking the whipping. Sad but true.

12:25 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Not to sound like a complete imbecile, but what is Pro Day?

12:36 PM  
Blogger Tar Heel Tiger said...

last time we beat bama by more than 10 was 1969. (49-26)

12:37 PM  
Blogger Tar Heel Tiger said...

Jay GT- I'm enjoying your AU Pro Day coverage.

12:37 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Granted the final scores were closer than the game but in 2004 and 2005 those were AU domination with Bammer scoring some points in garbage time.

12:41 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

So it was 7 years before I was born the last time we beat them by more than double digits?

I remember 1987 winning 10-0, so I guess that's the largest winning margin in my lifetime.

12:43 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Luv, Pro Day is when all the players who are draftable workout for NFL scouts.

12:43 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

28-18 in 2005. But there was a 28-7 or 28-3 run in there.

12:44 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

2004 wasn't really a blow out. We were down 6-0 at the half, we just played a great 2nd half.

2005 was on the verge of being a complete route and once Prechae Rodriguez fumbled on a reverse when we were up 21-0 the offense died, and I think we're still waiting from that moment until today for it to come back to life.

12:44 PM  
Blogger Miller said...

To follow up on the vet talk and puppy talk from earlier...
Does anyone (preferably in AL) know of any Australian Shepherd breeders or someone expecting Aussie pups? I'm going to be looking for a puppy when we move in the next month or so.

12:45 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

C'mon RK a 21-6 with less than 5 to go in the 4th is a pretty good win. And I'm pretty sure 28-10 with about 5 to go, also pretty much in hand.

12:46 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

Any win is a good win.

I just want that game where we put them away and don't let them make it respectable. Just once I want the reverse of what happened this year where we beat them down and don't let them back up.

12:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks, Seanzie. Is it similar to the Columbine only the scouts come to your campus?

12:49 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Personally, by 1 or by 100 the end is result is the same. That's why when the bammerheads bring up 36-0 and act like it's a big accomplishment I always take time to remind them, that was the game score, you don't get more than 1 win just because it was 36-0. Silly Bammers.

12:49 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Not similar to the Columbine, because that was the ill-fated high school in Colorado. But it is very similar to the combine, yes.

12:50 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

Just got back from Pro Day ... didn't so well in the 40 (15 seconds) or the vertical leap (3 inches) ...

BUT I FREAKIN' DISINTEGRATED THE CHARTS ON HATIN' BAMA!!!!!!

I'd love to call the first pitch for tonight's game ... Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 -- toward UAT leadoff batter's whiskers, if you catch my drift. Wanna keep 'em on their toes.

12:52 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ROFLMAO!!!! OOPS!!!!

12:53 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I made myself look like an imbecile anyway!!

12:54 PM  
Blogger AUNugget said...

good day Hotties.

how jacked does Tez look in the picture?

thanks for the updates Jay G.

12:54 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

No worries, we've all done it. It just makes for a good story later.

12:54 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

I agree a win is a win, but I'd love just a good one game beat down.

12:55 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Well this year may be a good shot at said beat down, the UA has to replace many parts of their offense and apparently 50 percent of their defensive staff are linebackers...should be interesting.

12:56 PM  
Blogger AUNugget said...

Seanzie,

i agree.

i get so tired of hearing 36-0 all the time now. i just tell the bammers take that number (36) and divide it by the number of times we beat them in a row, and that leaves you with the number of times we beat them in a row.

it seems to end most of those conversations.

12:57 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Hey Nugget that's not half bad. I'm writing that down.

12:58 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

I'm not so sure about this year yet. We have to prove that we can put points on the board. I'm sure the offense will be much improved, but much improved from last year would be 350 yards and 24 points per game.

1:00 PM  
Blogger WarEagleRK said...

As for pro-day is there a chance Tez Doolittle will get a late round look by a team? That would be a great story.

Also, on the negative, is there a chance Jerraud Powers will not get picked at all?

1:02 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Tez looks great. His stock has o be up up up.

1:03 PM  
Blogger AUant said...

Thanks for the coverage Jay! Did anyone happen to see Tubs lurking around to watch the Pro Day event?

1:06 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

It's good to see Brandon Cox hanging around, that kid was a warrior for AU and was definitely under appreciated.

1:12 PM  
Blogger FSJ said...

Tez's arms look like mine.

1:14 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Luv...a buddy sent the photoshopped "kid".

Don't worry..I'll replace the avatar after today's baseball game.

1:24 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Looks like Tez finally recovered enough to get in fighting shape. Come on NCAA..Give him a 7th season on the plains.

1:26 PM  
Blogger Wakeriderof87 said...

Tez's arms don't look like mine, but they are about the same size as my torso.

1:37 PM  
Blogger Wakeriderof87 said...

So if you're looking for a shock this weekend, look out for Auburn. At a time when just about every bubble team has been stringing together embarrassing losses, the Tigers were winning eight of their last nine games, including road wins at Mississippi State and Alabama and home wins over Tennessee and LSU. Auburn is ranked 64th in the RPI and went 5-7 on the road. If they win two games in the SEC tournament, things could get really interesting.

Thats an excerpt from Seth Davis' column on si.com

1:40 PM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

when i think of Tez 20 years from now i'll always think of him flirting/teasing with my wife at Fan Day last year. good times.

1:56 PM  
Blogger Will said...

When I think of Tez 20 yrs from now, I'll picture FSJ's arms.

2:05 PM  
Blogger AUMom said...

Jay GT, thanks for the hard work. Does the MA know how well you cover Auburn? We'd be happy to let them know if they ever slight you in any way.

I only know the MA exists because of this blog.

2:14 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

Not apropos to Pro Day, except that I consider myself a professional UAT Hater, but let me say if Finebaum is pounding away at the Tide in print, it means two things to me:

a. He has licked his finger and the wind is blowing.
b. He has been misled by his "sources" there and doesn't like it.

Finebaum is a master at determining where the news is heading and getting in front of it.

For now, it seems he would like to get Mal Moore's scalp, and perhaps Dave Hart's, too. When he's chasing that trail, it embarrasses UAT, but it doesn't address the systemic issues.

Slapping at Saban, well, that's pretty serious.

That can't be comforting for UAT Fan.

2:19 PM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

anyone ever used dropio for group collaboration? I'm currently using google groups, but really like the functionality of dropio.

2:24 PM  
Blogger FSJ said...

Actually I just meant that his arms extend from his torso...just like mine... Good grief...He's built like Zeus

;-)

2:28 PM  
Blogger digger4au said...

Findabutt has beenon Mal's case for a while. He is reporting this now because his buddy Cecil stonewalled him and then said he didn't know anything. This hurt his little feelings so he is lashing back through bammer.

2:28 PM  
Blogger FSJ said...

Jet:

Based soley on what I have read about the Textbook thing......

Assuming that there is nothing out there...I'd be shocked if football got anything beyond a slap on the wrist. (i.e. a scholarship or two)

Havey Glance's women's track team will get a spanking though.

2:30 PM  
Blogger digger4au said...

I have read some pretty bad stuff on other forums and if any of it is right watch out bammerooski

2:31 PM  
Blogger JgobravesHAG said...

Doolittle going from almost not getting a year or eligibility to drafted? what round any idea?

2:33 PM  
Blogger bigdaddy334 said...

Who going to the game tonight?

2:36 PM  
Blogger JgobravesHAG said...

I just saw Jet's post now...neat stuff Jet, your a great recruiter..preciate it!

2:38 PM  
Blogger Denny Crum said...

Not wanting to compare bamers to fine Auburn men, but look at Tez compared to the fat tub of goo, Andre Smith.

Tez deserves a shot in the pros. He is the epitome of what one can accomplish with hard work and perserverence.

2:42 PM  
Blogger JgobravesHAG said...

Good Jr day story

Martez Easland 6 foot 1 230 pound running back runs a 4.6

Saturday Eastland visited Auburn. It was one of the biggest days of his life. Not only did Eastland visit Auburn, he also met his dad for the first time. His dad, former Auburn defensive tackle Donnie Humphrey, has been battling drug and legal issues his whole life. Humphrey said that he is working on turning his life around and he wanted to be a part of his sons life. Humphrey met Eastland at Auburn and spend the whole day with him on his visit.

"Things went good with me and my dad," Eastland said. "We did a lot of catching up. It was a real big moment in my life."

"It just felt great talking to him for the first time."

Eastland had 211 carries for 1,520 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior. He also caught 16 passes for 200 yards and two more TD's.

"Auburn is the school I want to go to if they offer me," Eastland said.

2:42 PM  
Blogger ehyou said...

Seeing Brandon Cox brings back memories of.....well.....just never mind.

2:44 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

I posted a few new pictures.

2:44 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Tez thinks he can go in the 4th or 5th round.

2:44 PM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

How important is this Gump election? Just texted my brother to remind him to vote, and he said that it would be a landslide for Strange, so he wasn't gonna bother.

2:46 PM  
Blogger JgobravesHAG said...

Did Chizik coach Pat Sims?

Check out the grip Chiziks got on Sims if you click on the enlarged pic.

2:47 PM  
Blogger chip chip said...

There is not a (majority of) fanbase out there that deserves the DEATH PENALTY more than UAT. Maybe they would have time to re-evaluate their lives at some point during the time off.

I just don't see how the NCAA could ever catch some of the high school coaches in Alabama who are big bammers whose wife gets a great deal on a Mercedes, or a relative that gets a brown bag full of $100s etc. for them to steer top recruits to UAT. I absolutely do not think the university or $aban would be directly involved in such behavior, but I also do not think $aban would have a problem with it if it gets him the recruits and he was far enough removed from it to maintain plausible deniability. Their boosters have proven in the past they will pay top dollar for blue chippers and high school coaches (generally) don't make much money. The temptation has got to be there...

On the other hand, who would we all hate on if they were gone?

I'm very glad to see some of the folks that never got a chance under Tubs finally seeing the light of day with the NFL watching. I hope the best for them all.

2:54 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

Jhag, thanks for posting the story. It sounds like this isn't going to be a particularly strong draft for Auburn, which is a good thing and a bad thing. It's not great for PR but it means we didn't have a whole lot of attrition.

2:54 PM  
Blogger Denny Crum said...

Seeing Brandon Cox now, I am sure alot of us would have liked to see Brandon this year. In fact, I know I sure missed him. Let's see, never lost to bamer, beat Florida twice, clutch 4th down throw against Ga, the list goes on. Brandon was a winner. Played with more pain that we know, and played behind some real dogs on the offensive line that got him hurt early on in his career.

2:56 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

This will not be a strong draft for Auburn. The two scouts I spoke with privately said this was the thinnest Auburn group they had seen in a while.

2:58 PM  
Blogger Denny Crum said...

I believe it Jay G. Sometimes, though, players are better off with a free agent contract versus getting drafted very late.

3:02 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

The good news for these guys is the NFL guys are always looking for bargain players. So even if they don't get drafted they will all get looked at by someone before it's all said and done.

3:04 PM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

I can't find the link on their page yet, but WSFA-12 is supposedly live streaming the Capital City Classic baseball game between Auburn and Alabama tonight.

3:04 PM  
Blogger chip chip said...

I still believe Nall and Knox were behind the majority of the offensive troubles the last few years.

Marcus McNeil would have been an All-American if I had coached him...

I am also grateful to the former players for taking time out of their lives to return to AU to support their former teammates and university. It says a lot about AU and them. Any NFL schmuck would like to take a vacation to Miami for their pro day just to party on South Beach and be seen. Auburn-Opelika is not exactly a place you go unless you have a reason...

Thanks Pat, Pat, Brandon, Marcus and any others that returned for their support.

3:05 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

Definitely, Denny.

Unrelated, whoda thunk that Rasheem Barrett and Alabama State's Chief Kickingstallionsims would be on the front page of ESPN.com?

3:07 PM  
Blogger Seanzie said...

So we go from not being mentioned at all, anywhere in the ESPN NCAAM coverage to Pat Forde's pick to win the SEC tournament. Wow.

3:13 PM  
Blogger Scott M. Brannan said...

great pics JG. Tez does look pretty lean. he's been busting it.

i had no idea B-Lester was such a beast in the weight room. it makes me must less impressed with my chest workout at lunch today. bummer.

it's good seeing Marcus McNeill back on the Plains. one of my favorite all-time AU players.

B.Cox, he beat Bama 3 times as a starter. he'll always have my utmost respect. WDE.

3:13 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

To be honest, the photo just happened to be of Rasheem ... they were trying to find a photo of the incredibly named Chief Kickingstallionsims, starting center for the Alabama State University Hornets.

But, yes, Forde did pick us to win the SEC tournament. Of course, he was off the Lebo bandwagon a few weeks ago.

I remain off the Lebo bandwagon. He needs to go.

3:14 PM  
Blogger ehyou said...

The link isn't up yet on WSFA's site, but I believe this is where it will be at game time. I've watched some AL high school FB here before.

3:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Do you have any info from pro day on Tristan Davis?

3:54 PM  
Blogger Jet said...

Lunardi has 29 teams fighting for nine spots.

One went bye-bye today ... Georgetown lost in the first round of the Big East tournament, 64-59, to St. John's.

So it's 28 for 9.

3:58 PM  
Blogger AUfan said...

Great job on the workouts today(and the pics.) Swinton sounds like a great athlete, but average(at best) football player. I hope Marks doesn't start tumbling down due to his problems. Game film of a healthy S Marks from 06 and 07 should tell teams what they need to know. He was as good a D-lineman as AU has had in recent memory.

4:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

this is from al.com:

Name Ht. Wt. 40-yd Vert. Broad Jump Bench

Tristan Davis 5-9 212 4.38 31.0 9-9 18

Tez Doolittle 6-2 285 4.92 29.5 8-8 22

Chris Evans 5-11 222 4.95 29.5 9-2 14

Steve Gandy 6-0 218 4.65 31.5 9-6 14

Tyronne Green 6-2 308 N/A 28.5 8-6 N/A

Ryan Hastie 5-11 239 4.85 34.5 9-5 17

Merrill Johnson 5-11 206 4.60 40.0 10-5.5 17

Brad Lester 5-9 190 4.48 38.5 10-4 18

Sen'Derrick Marks 6-1 301 N/A N/A 9-6 16

Charles Olatunji 6-1 194 4.62 37.5 11-1.5 14

Jerraud Powers 5-9 187 4.44 35.0 10-3 N/A

Robert Shiver 6-1 233 4.74 30.5 9-9 13

Rodgeriqus Smith 6-0 200 4.63 33.0 10-3 6

James Swinton 5-11 174 4.39 42.0 10-11 8

Cooper Wallace 6-3 254 N/A N/A N/A N/A

4:07 PM  
Blogger tigerfan44 said...

Jay,do you think Sims stock has gone down as much as doolittle's has gone up

4:11 PM  
Blogger AUfan said...

Steve Gandy worked out today? I thought he gave up football due to health conditions. Have I got him confused with another player?

4:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

On Steve:

He did quit bc of too many concussions but he was missing it too much and decided it was worth the risk.

4:21 PM  
Blogger Peter Frankenschmidt said...

From the AJC


Jeffrey of St. Matthews, S.C., signed with South Carolina last month after an intense recruiting battle with Southern Cal and Tennessee.

According to ESPN’s Chris Low, “Kiffin told Jeffrey that if he chose the Gamecocks, he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like all the other players from that state who had gone to South Carolina.”

4:24 PM  
Blogger AUfan said...

Chip427, thanks for the Gandy update. I hope things work out well for him whatever his football future may be.

4:26 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Video almost ready ...

4:59 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Jeez. I hate getting scooped on my own blog, but I guess that's where we are ...

5:02 PM  
Blogger Jay G. Tate said...

Also, I love how New Dude is the one to start it. Ugh. I need that FAQ ...

5:05 PM  
Blogger Kathy said...

Jay GT, did Antonio Coleman stop by to watch? I'm so glad he is returning next year.

5:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, JG, if that comment was directed to me. I happen to be friends with a few people so I have some inside info.

11:31 AM  

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home


follow me on Twitter

• THE RING OF FIRE •
INAUGURAL CLASS
Phormerly Phred
Scottie B. in Tennessee
crudup
Hoopie
Ron Mexico
hip-hopanonymous
AUnMobilz
Sullivan013
Scott from Tucson
scottatl
jhag **FRANCHISE PLAYER**

CLASS OF 2008
Peter Frankenschmidt
Mr. Sensible
WarEagleRK

CLASS OF 2009
eddie4au
FakeSteveJobs (aka FSJ)
AUBigCat
michael
Steve from Columbia (aka SteveFC)
kristina
Jet

WHERE EAGLES SOAR
AUFan365 was Larry Bailey, 1948-2010

FEELING THE HEAT
WarEagleGirl
TarHeelTiger
Kathy
D. Miller
Dear Leader
j-z
Norm
digger4au
Harrison
LuvAU1968
cincytiger
mytommyd (is supposed to be mrtommyd)
ehyoutiger
wtc
IV
wakeriderof87
Sean
Scott Chocolate
NoVaTiger
Taylor
BinOBA
wes
Aeronaut
chip chip
Spongeworthy
Loganville Tiger
E-Bro
Ephemeral
au1n04
FearlessFreep
coosa
bear82
wartiger
patdyeswildturkey
atlantatiger
JD the Biscuitator
shesaid
depressedAUfan
dnatl

NOTABLE NEWCOMERS
Cousin Humpers = Bammers (aka CH=B)
dan dan the AU fan
bellefay1
API
Jay 'W. not Tate'
missinit
Craig Miller
AU1292
MLF
Comm'r of Flesh Wounds
Stupup74
61northak
Jimmy
bigdaddy334
Secondaid
Andrew
SCoats
astatguy
Jason Crawford
paulmain
Lowcountry Tiger
BigEZ
Will
WDCWE

MY PEEPS
Wifey
cpf
GritzNGravy
roundtable
Josh_Moon
MrsFrontRim & FrontRim
ChuckCrim
troyznoiz

FIRST DOCUMENTED POSTER
Buck

BANHAMMERED
Hamburglar
ROLLTIDEROLL
hairydawg
DavidOku
Jay_G (an impostor)
WarEagleogDotCom

Powered by Blogger

Subscribe to
Posts [Atom]

Advertisement