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Pro Day notebook: Huskers show out in NFL audition

With representatives from 29 NFL teams on hand for Nebraska’s annual Pro Day on Thursday, Tanner Farmer knew it was his chance to open some eyes.

The former Husker offensive lineman definitely made a strong impression, literally.

After measuring in and 6-foot-3 and 3/8 and 315 pounds, Farmer stole the show by throwing up a whopping 39 reps on the bench press. That total was not only the best by far of any Husker; it would have tied for first place at this year’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis (Weber State’s Iosua Opeta also had 39).

Farmer also recorded a broad jump of 9 feet, 10 inches, which would have been the best mark by an offensive lineman at the Combine. His vertical jump of 32.5 inches would’ve been good for fifth, and his 40-yard dash time of 5.0 would have been sixth at his position.

“It’s huge,” Farmer said of testing well at Pro Day. “A lot of teams may overlook you just for whatever reason; maybe because of our record, politics, whatever. Even if I thought I deserved to be able to go the Combine, a lot people thought I didn’t, so I didn’t get to go.

“Today I was able to showcase that I deserved to be looked at and I deserved to have a chance at this next level.”

What made Farmer’s bench press total even more impressive was that it came just over a month after he injured his pectoral muscle during a training session. That injury kept him from benching again until just last week.

Prior to his injury, Farmer said his goal was to break the NFL Combine bench record of 49 reps, set by Sitiveni Paea of Oregon State back in 2011. Even with the injury, Farmer said he still fell short of his goal going in.

“I was hoping for 40,” Farmer said. “Didn’t quite get it.”

With Pro Day now in the books, Farmer and the rest of the graduated Huskers will now turn their attention to scheduling individual workouts with NFL teams leading up to the draft in April.

Farmer, who said he's being looked at mainly as a center at the next level, is hoping his impressive day will catch the attention of a few front offices.

“I thought I had a really good day,” Farmer said. “Everything was starting to come together today.”

- Robin Washut

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Ozigbo looks past Combine snub, makes most of NFL showcase

Arguably the most glaring omission from the NFL Combine as far as Nebraska’s draft prospects were concerned was Devine Ozigbo.

After a breakout senior season in which he led the Huskers with 1,082 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns to earn third-team All-Big Ten honors, Ozigbo earned plenty of praise at the East-West Shrine Game.

But even after all that, Ozigbo was not among the 28 running backs invited to Indianapolis.

“The Combine was a weird situation,” Ozigbo said. “I’d heard there were a good amount of teams that wanted me there and I just didn’t make the cut with all the other guys that were there.

“I definitely wanted to go prove myself (at Pro Day) and just show what I could do at this point and hope that they like what they saw.”

The main thing Ozigbo wanted to show was that he had the speed to go along with his 5-11 6/8, 222-pound frame. He posted unofficial 40 times in the high 4.5s and low 4.6s, which weren’t quite as good as he’d hoped.

“It’s definitely not the number I was striving for, but I gave it my best,” Ozigbo said.

The Sachse, Texas, native also recorded 19 reps on the bench press, which would’ve tied for 15th at the Combine. His 37-inch vertical would have tied for fourth, and his 10-4 broad jump would’ve tied for sixth.

Ozigbo, who has been training at XPE Sports in Boca Raton, Fla., said the NFL teams he and his agent had been in contact with so far said they liked his combination of size, footwork, and ability to catch out of the backfield.

He’s hoping his performance at Pro Day answered any remaining questions those teams might have had about his speed and athleticism, but right now he had no clue where he stood as a potential draft prospect.

“I was talking to Scott (Frost) earlier, and he said it’s kind of like throwing a dart in the dark,” Ozigbo said. “It all just depends on how it goes when the day comes. So I’m just kind of waiting. I’m happy everything’s positive and there’s no negatives. I’m just going to go with the flow and show everybody that I can do it.”

- Robin Washut

Morgan's strong NFL Combine gave him the day off on Thursday

After a strong showing at the NFL Combine on Saturday, Nebraska wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. got the day off on Thursday.

Morgan Jr. was clocked at 4.53 seconds in the 40 at the Combine, 38 ½ inches in the vertical, 10-5 in the broad jump, 14 reps in the bench press and 4.12 seconds in the pro-agility.

“It just took some relief off my legs,” Morgan Jr. said of not having to workout at Pro Day. “I told my legs I didn’t have to do too much today, so it was good.”

After his strong showing at the Combine, Morgan Jr. said he’s already lined up his first private workout.

“I actually have a private workout with the Saints set up for April,” Morgan Jr. said. “I’m hoping to get some more of those, but that’s my first one right now. I just found that out yesterday.”

- Sean Callahan

Gifford puts up impressive numbers

Just like Farmer, Nebraska linebacker Luke Gifford chose to do his Pro Day training in Lincoln with local speed coach Chris Slatt.

Gifford ran his 40 between the mid-4.5 to low-4.6 range, to go along with a 35-inch vertical jump, a 4.01-second shuttle and a 10-2 mark in the broad jump.

Gifford weighed in at a solid 243 pounds, over 10 pounds heavier than what he played at this past season.

“It was big,” Gifford said deciding to train locally in Lincoln. “We worked with Chris Slatt, and Slatt is a genius with what he does. We appreciate him a lot, and it worked out really well. There’re good things about going away, and there’s also good things about staying home. I think all three of us guys that stayed here at home are happy with our decision.”

Thursday also marked the end of a nine-year run for Gifford and Jerald Foster playing together on the same team. The two have been at Nebraska the last five years, and before that at Lincoln Southeast for four seasons.

Since Lincoln Public Schools was on a snow day Thursday, Knights head coach Ryan Gottula was in attendance to watch his two former players one last time.

“If we don’t end up on the same team, it will be the first in a long time,” Gifford said reflecting on his nine-year run with Foster. “At this point I wouldn’t say it couldn’t happen. It would be pretty cool. It’s been a fun ride. We’ve played four years of high school and five years of college. I’m not going to know what to do without him if we don’t end up together.”

- Sean Callahan

Young's fast 40 time was the surprise of Pro Day

Of all the results that came out of Nebraska’s Pro Day on Thursday, maybe the most surprising was the fast 40-yard dash time put up by linebacker Dedrick Young, who ran considerably faster than all three of NU’s safeties that worked out.

The Arizona native was clocked in the mid-4.4’s on both of his 40’s, to go along with a 36-inch mark in the vertical.

“I ran 4.5 electronically all throughout my training,” Young said. “So the time was not a surprise for me. It was about what I expected.”

-Sean Callahan

Other Pro Day notes

***29 of the 32 NFL teams were represented in Lincoln for Thursday’s Pro Day.

***Former Husker QB Ryker Fyfe threw to receivers during Thursday’s Pro Day.

***Besides the 13 Husker seniors at Thursday’s Pro Day, Nebraska-Kearney wide receiver Trey Lansman and defensive back Malik Webb both took part in the event. Ever since Chadron State’s Danny Woodhead took part at Nebraska’s in 2008, it’s become a tradition to let state college athletes participate in NU’s Pro Day.

***Foster said if could do one of the testing events over again, it would be the bench press. He said he got 22 reps, but the fact that Gifford got 23 "kind of pissed me off a little bit."

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