By Will Vandervort
Though DeAndre Hopkins had no need to speak to the media following Thursday’s Pro Day in Clemson, others welcomed the opportunity to get some press following the four-and-half job interview at Clemson’s Indoor Practice Facility.
“I could use the exposure,” former Clemson wide receiver Jaron Brown said after agreeing to talk to the media who came to Prod Day.
Brown was one of 12 former Tigers to participate in Thursday’s Pro Day, which hosted NFL Personnel from 31 of the 32 NFL Franchises. The only team not to have a representative was the Chicago Bears.
The list of former Clemson players who worked out for the NFL teams, besides Hopkins and Brown, were place kicker Spencer Benton, defensive back Xavier Brewer, tight end Brandon Ford, center Dalton Freeman, defensive end Malliciah Goodman, safety Rashard Hall, safety Jonathan Meeks, linebacker Jonathan Willard, linebacker Corico Wright and safety Carlton Lewis.
“It was a big job interview,” Ford said. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I didn’t get invited to the combine, but Pro Day is always there so I just had to do the same thing I would have had to do at the combine if I went.
“I felt like I had a pretty good day. I felt like I ran fast. Did good quality reps on the bench press and I jumped the highest, and I looked good in the position drills.”
Ford ran a 4.73 in the 40-yard dash and had a 4.67 time in the pro agility drill and recorded a 9.10 in the broad jump. The tight end recorded a 37-inch vertical and had only one dropped pass in position drills.
“It’s like a game,” said Ford, who weighed in at 245 pounds. “When you play in big games, like against FSU and South Carolina, there are a lot of scouts there. You may not know it at the time, but they are there. They want to see what guys can do against the best guys that are out there.
“Today, I knew there was going to be a lot of guys because Clemson always has a good pro day and has a lot of people here so one thing I tried to do was get myself ready and be ready to go.”
Brown was definitely ready to go. The former Clemson wide receiver ran a 4.4 in the 40, had a 6.82 in the L-drill and recorded a 10.4 in the broad jump, the three best performances of any former Tiger.
“I really wanted to come out and showcase my talents for the scouts, and I felt like I did a pretty good job,” he said.
Brown, who weighed in at 204 pounds, also did a very nice job in his position drill, which included a one-handed grab on a pass that was thrown behind him while running a post route. It was the catch of the day, and made a lot of scouts take notice.
“We are fortunate because we have some guys here that attract some of the big time scouts,” Brown said. “We were able to have a good crowd in here and we are real fortunate.”
In other words, it was a successful job interview.