Tigers perform for NFL scouts

Not all will be drafted on April 23, the first day of the draft and first three rounds, or even on the 24th, when the draft concludes with rounds four through seven.

Players ran a gamut of drills displaying their athletic ability, which started with the 40-yard dash, then on to the vertical leap, broad jump, three cone drill, short ladder and long ladder. The day concluded with position drills, all with the purpose of impressing at least one scout.

"It's hard to have pressure doing athletic stuff," said fullback Robert Douglas desperately trying to catch his breath. "Especially going into a classroom for a test, but coming out here and doing something I've been doing since I was 10 -- it's kind of different to just get pressure."

However Douglas may be the first to tell you, without the excitement of pro day his numbers may not have been as impressive.

"The numbers I put up before (with the team) probably weren't adrenaline based," he said.

While times and measurements weren't readily available, Douglas had some impressive unofficial results.

He jumped 10-foot-4 1¼2 inches in the broad, timed a 4.63 40-yard dash and shot up 39 inches in the vertical leap, all with quarterback Danny Wimprine supporting him with cheers of "C'mon Robo."

"If you want something bad enough, something inside of you got to come out and you just got to perform when it's time to perform," said Douglas.

The only part of Douglas' workout that didn't go beyond what was planned was his bench press of 19 repetitions of 225 pounds.Any NFL team that drafts Douglas will get a versatile player, ready to do what it takes.

When asked what impression he would like to leave with scouts, Douglas said what teams want to hear.

He said he hoped a scout left saying "He's a hard worker, does what he's supposed to do, I want him on my team."

Douglas' agent Brian Parker said these workouts don't count as much as some may believe.

"I would say game tape and how you played on the field is 90 percent of it," said Parker. "They certainly want to test your athletic ability in these drills, but it's mainly how you perform on the field."

Douglas spent 2 1¼2 years as LB for the Tigers tallying 37 unassisted tackles, 16 assisted, a fumble recovery, two sacks and five tackles for loss. In 2003 he switched to fullback and finished his career with 65 yards and two touchdowns, with 62 of the yards coming as a senior.

Danny Wimprine, another of Parker's clients -- along with Albert Means -- finished his Tigers career with 10,215 yards passing, 81 touchdowns, 49 interceptions and 55 percent completion percentage.Means, a transfer from Alabama, was a run stopper in college who could get penetration. Anchoring the defensive line for the Tigers, Means had career statistics of seven sacks, 141 tackles and 14 tackles for loss.

Wimprine missed a few passes in his throwing exhibition but looked good.

"I just want to make a team, make a squad and do what I can do best," said Wimprine. "Right now I'm just trying to get in the door."Wimprine scored unofficial measurements of a 9-foot broad jump and a 34-inch vertical leap. His 40-yard dash time was unavailable.

Means had an 8-foot-8-inch broad jump, 271¼2-inch vertical leap and a little over five seconds in his 40-yard dash.

Parker said in the case of Wimprine, numbers don't tell the story.

"He possesses characteristics you really can't teach, leadership ability, he's a proven winner on the field and I think his play speaks for itself," he said.

"The draft is such an inexact science and with free agency going on right now I don't even know if the teams know who they're going to draft yet, so it's really hard to pinpoint who has the most to lose or gain."

Jason Johnson did not participate in drills due to a left hamstring injury.