March 16, 2018
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech football held its annual Pro Day workouts on Friday at Bobby Dodd Stadium and the John and Mary Brock Football Facility.
Fourteen former Yellow Jackets performed in front of 31 coaches and scouts representing 23 different professional football organizations (21 from the National Football League and two from the Canadian Football League). The Jackets’ pro football hopefuls that participated included DB Lance Austin, DB Lawrence Austin, OL Freddie Burden, LB P.J. Davis, OL Shamire Devine, DB Step Durham, DL KeShun Freeman, RB J.J. Green, DB Corey Griffin, WR Ricky Jeune, DL Francis Kallon, LB Terrell Lewis, WR Antonio Messick and DL Antonio Simmons.
While likely not considered among the Jackets’ top pro football prospects coming into Friday, Simmons turned heads with an impressive showing, as the 252-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds and bench-pressed 225 pounds 30 times. The 40-yard dash time and the 225-pound reps were both the best marks posted by the 14 participants.
Jeune, who has been touted as perhaps Georgia Tech’s most likely selection in next month’s NFL Draft, also had a strong showing, as the 6-2 wideout recorded the highest vertical jump of the day at 36 inches, ran a 4.62 40-yard dash and easily hauled in passes from former Southern Miss quarterback Arsenio Favor on all five routes that he ran.
Other top marks of the day include five sub-4.6-second 40 times (Simmons — 4.52, Law. Austin — 4.55, Lan. Austin — 4.57, Green — 4.57, Griffin — 4.58), two vertical jumps of 35 inches or higher (Jeune — 36, Griffin — 35), four broad jumps of 10 feet or more (Freeman — 10-6, Griffin — 10-2, Law. Austin — 10-1 and Green 10-0) and three players that bench-pressed 225 pounds at least 20 times (Simmons — 30, Burden — 20 and Freeman — 20).
Three Yellow Jackets participated in Pro Day for the second time. Davis and Kallon both spent time in NFL camps last season (with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively) and Burden, who was only able to participate in the bench press last year after sustaining an ankle injury during the Yellow Jackets’ 33-18 win over Kentucky in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl. After playing linebacker at Tech and for the Jaguars, Davis came back to show off his skills as a fullback, specifically looking to impress Atlanta Falcons’ head coach Dan Quinn, who was in attendance and expressed interest in Davis as an offensive player last year.
Freeman, who played defensive end at Georgia Tech, also worked out as a fullback on Friday.
In head coach Paul Johnson’s first nine seasons at Georgia Tech (2008-17), 38 Yellow Jackets went on to play in the NFL. Last year, place kicker Harrison Butker was selected in the seventh round of the NFL Draft and, despite not being activated by the Kansas City Chiefs until the fourth game of the season, went on to set the franchise records for consecutive field goals made (23) and single-season field goals (38). Butker was a two-time AFC Special Teams Player of the Week and was the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month in October.
Butker, who was in attendance to support his former teammates on Friday, impressed NFL teams by making a 58-yard field goal during last year’s Pro Day event.
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Antonio Simmons crushed the bench press with 30 reps at 225 pounds. That would have been 8th-highest total at #NFLCombine this year. #GTProDay 💪 pic.twitter.com/7DD6KiqrwQ
— GeorgiaTech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) March 16, 2018
Ricky Jeune talked #GTProDay with @AndyDemetra after working out for #NFL scouts this morning 💪 pic.twitter.com/RHockaVchL
— GeorgiaTech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) March 16, 2018
KeShun Freeman recaps #GTProDay with @AndyDemetra #TogetherWeSwarm pic.twitter.com/IOnYnDoPEb
— GeorgiaTech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) March 16, 2018
.@buttkicker7 was in attendance at #GTProDay along with dozens of #NFL scouts. @AndyDemetra caught up with him as he prepares for his second season with the @Chiefs. #ProJackets pic.twitter.com/6PvLXlh1SH
— GeorgiaTech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) March 16, 2018
Had to remove ceiling tile to set up Shamire Devine vertical 😳 pic.twitter.com/nb2Z8JBvde
— GeorgiaTech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) March 16, 2018
Ricky Jeune running #GTProDay receiver drills 🙌 pic.twitter.com/j6lJs2w894
— GeorgiaTech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) March 16, 2018
KeShun Freeman 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 #GTProDay pic.twitter.com/n91xUP8Kla
— GT FB Recruiting (@GTFootball) March 16, 2018
#Falcons defensive assistant/defensive backs Charlie Jackson putting Georgia Tech CB Lawrence Austin through a drill. @ksugiuraajc https://t.co/x5tlF4CTA0 pic.twitter.com/U0F7MS9V9t
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) March 16, 2018
Georgia Tech DB Lance Austin breaking on a pass during their Pro day. https://t.co/x5tlF4CTA0 pic.twitter.com/ucGzCqcnFs
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) March 16, 2018
Ricky Jeune 40-yard dash pic.twitter.com/eJVybGhCjJ
— Ken Sugiura (@ksugiuraajc) March 16, 2018
KeShun Freeman linebacker drill pic.twitter.com/tLrgqz5wfw
— Ken Sugiura (@ksugiuraajc) March 16, 2018
Paul Johnson Press Conference (Audio)
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