BLACKSBURG, Va. – It’s that time of year again--Virginia Tech’s annual Pro-Day. On Monday the event drew more than a dozen NFL scouts to Blacksburg to take a look at 11 former Hokies that have aspirations to play at the next level.
Teams in attendance included Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and the Carolina Panthers just to name a few. Players participated in events including the broad jump, 40-yard dash and shuttle drills.
Among those participating on Monday was defensive back Chamarri Connor. The Jacksonville, Florida native drew attention at the NFL Combine where he ran a dash time of 4.51 and a vertical jump of 40.5 feet. While Connor skipped out on a few drills Monday including the 40-yard dash, he and his teammates were grateful for the chance to perform in front of NFL scouts.
“I didn’t really want to change anything I just had to do things I didn’t do at the combine and redo my position drills and do whatever other drills the scouts wanted to see,” Connor said afterwards.
Running back Jalen Holston also appreciated his display of talent in front of NFL eyes.
“It was a great day for me,” Holston said. “I put up great numbers and did things a lot better than I expected despite the weather. I was able to manage it and just prevail through.”
Holston said he’s been training in Norcross, Georgia this offseason where he’s focusing on improving his mind and his approach to the game. While his focus is centered on NFL aspirations, Holston has the luxury of knowing if that doesn’t work out that he still will be on the field. He was drafted by the New Jersey Generals, one of eight teams in the United States Football League (USFL).
“It’s an amazing experience. I was able to talk to the New Jersey general manager and let him know that right now, my focus is on the NFL. But, I’m very honored to know that if that doesn’t work I do have somewhere to go.”
The same is true for offensive lineman Silas Dzansi.
“That’s definitely a great backup for myself,” Dzansi said. “I was kind of surprised when I saw my face on Twitter for the Memphis Showboats.”
Dzansi felt confident about his performances on Monday as well--despite suffering a minor tweak to his groin. He said he feels refreshed, lighter on his feet and down about 20 pounds since working with House of Athlete this offseason.
“I wanted to get back down to 320 so it feels a lot better on my body,” said Dzansi.
Standout linebacker Dax Hollifield was on hand Monday also and had a few goals he felt he accomplished.
“I wanted to come in light, pass the eye test,” Hollifield said. “I was working with the DBs trying to show people I can move in coverage and stuff like that. My broad jump and my vertical were really good.”
Others that participated in the Pro-Day was: Jadan Blue, Jaylen Griffin, Johnny Jordan, Brion Murray, Connor Blumrick, Tyjuan Garbutt and Ty Eller.
The 2023 NFL Draft will run from April 27-29 from Kansas City, Missouri.