Several former Huskers hope to raise their stocks at Pro Day
When it comes to preparing for the NFL Draft, everybody's path can be a little different.
For former Nebraska players like Luke Gifford, Tanner Farmer and Jerald Foster, they find themselves in a unique position going into Thursday's Pro Day.
They are all players will probably find themselves in an NFL training camp come August, but they were not quite high enough on the board to get an NFL Combine invite.
That means their only shot to impress NFL scouts will be at NU's Pro Day on Thursday.
Instead of training out-of-state, Foster, Farmer and Gifford have chosen to train in Lincoln to prepare for Pro Day.
They have done their lifting with Husker strength coach Zach Duval, while they have chosen to do their speed work with former Nebraska assistant track coach Chris Slatt.
The Ohio native has made a name for himself, ever since he started working with former Husker and now Philadephia Eagle linebacker Nathan Gerry.
Slatt started working Gerry after he chose to give up high school baseball to run track at the end of his sophomore year in high school. When it was all said and done Gerry ran electronic times of 10.62 in the 100 and 21.52 (state record) in the 200 meters as a senior at Sioux Falls Washington.
Slatt himself was a standout track athlete at the University of South Dakota, where he qualified for the NCAA nationals and placed ninth twice in the long jump (24-8) - just missing out on being an All-American by one spot.
He eventually moved to Lincoln where he began training Gerry again, along with working under Gary Pepin as a volunteer assistant coach for three years. He now works exclusively on his own as a private speed coach in Lincoln.
"Slatt is extremely knowledgeable in his field of work when it comes to speed, acceleration, and explosiveness," Gerry told HuskerOnline. "He's hands down the best trainer I’ve been around. I’ve been with him for the past decade.
"He is great because he is hands-on and is able to demonstrate the drills and techniques, but he also cares a ton about his athletes which made people like myself want to work harder knowing someone like him cares about my progress and my development as a person and athlete. He puts his athletes first."
Slatt still trains Gerry during the NFL off-season. He also works regularly with Cincinnati Bengals tight end Cethan Carter, Detroit Lions wide receiver Brandon Reilly and American Alliance of Football linebacker Josh Banderas among others. On the high school side, Norris's Ashton Hausman (10.79 in the 100) and Lincoln North Star and Nebraska walk-on linebacker Luke Reimer (10.92) currently train with Slatt.
So when it came time for guys like Gifford, Foster and Farmer to prepare for Pro Day, Slatt was a natural fit for them.
Slatt said all three have made tremendous gains the past two months and he's excited to see the final numbers that come out on Thursday.
"They look really good," Slatt said of the three former Huskers working with him. "They're going to run a little bit better than projected, obviously, they've got to put it together on that day, but I've seen great gains. Luke (Gifford's) hips have opened up a ton. Jerald (Foster) is moving lighter, better than he was when we first started and Tanner (Farmer) is going to test out really well."
What's also going to help out guys like Gifford, Foster and Farmer on Thursday is running back Devine Ozigbo.
The Texas native was one of the bigger NFL Combine snubs, and NU's Pro Day will be the only Power Five one taking place on Thursday. Maine and New Mexico State are the only ones scheduled for Friday. Kansas State and Colorado State's are both on Wednesday, so a lot of scouts will make their way into Lincoln from there on Thursday.
A source with knowledge of the teams coming into Lincoln told HuskerOnline that nearly all 32 NFL teams could be in town on Thursday.
In comparison, last year the Huskers held their Pro Day on the same day as Oklahoma (Four 2018 draft picks), Wisconsin (Five draft picks), Arizona State (Three draft picks) and Virginia Tech (Five draft picks), which hurt the overall turnout in Lincoln.
NU's Pro Day is set to kick off shortly after 11 am on Thursday, and HuskerOnline will have full coverage of the event.
Former Husker wide receiver Stanley Morgan Jr. will also be in attendance but is not expected to test, or workout after a strong showing at the NFL Combine this past weekend in Indianapolis.