Ariel Nava
Davis Webb was an impressive during a throwing workout Friday at Cal's Pro Day (photo by @ArielNavaPhoto)
BERKELEY – A cold and rainy day could not hold back former Cal football players looking to impress NFL teams Friday at Cal's annual Pro Day at California Memorial Stadium.
Davis Webb,
Chad Hansen and
Khalfani Muhammad turned in the most notable performances while
Patrick Worstell was one of the top Cal performers across the board.
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"It was a little bit difficult, but it rains sometimes," Webb said of the wet conditions. "I think all of those guys [from NFL teams] respected that. I know a lot of guys would have shut it down and not gone out there and thrown but that never crossed my mind. I wanted to go out there and compete."
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Webb combined to throw over 80 passes to Hansen, Muhammad, Worstell and Oakland Raiders' tight end Cooper Helfet during an impressive throwing session that lasted over an hour under the direction of Webb's quarterback coach Jim Zorn that drew rave reviews.
"As a football player, you're going to have to play in all of the conditions," Hansen said. "Honestly, I was sort of glad it was raining. It just shows that all of us can do more than just play in ideal conditions. I think that's what those scouts want to see. They want to see how you perform when things aren't going way, and I think we did a good job of that today."
"He's a perfectionist and as quarterback that's something you need," Hansen added about Webb. "His leadership is one of the best I've ever been around. The minute he walks in the locker room he commands respect with his presence and his personality."
(photo by @ArielNavaPhoto)
Despite the wet and windy weather conditions, Muhammad led the way with a strong time of 4.35 in the 40-yard dash that would have been the fastest by a running back and tied for the fourth-fastest overall at the NFL Combine. He also had a 4.27 in the 20-yard shuttle that also would have been the fastest by a running back at the combine, as well as a 38.5" vertical jump and 6.74 3 cone drill that would have been second among running backs, and a 10' 6" broad jump that would have been fourth at his position.
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"I couldn't control the weather so I knew I just had to come out here and handle the situations that I can," Muhammad said. "I've been practicing all year long. I've been clocking like 4.1's and 4.2's electronic so I knew I was going to run a fast time. Unfortunately it wasn't perfect weather, but I overcame that and still showcased what I can do."
(photo by @ArielNavaPhoto)
Hansen had a time of 4.45 in the 40-yard dash that shaved .08 off his combine time of 4.53 and was second to Muhammad's mark, while Worstell ran a 4.49 that was the third-best of the day. Worstell also registered the top mark in the 3 cone drill at 6.67 and put forth strong showings in the vertical jump (35"), broad jump (10' 3") and 20-yard shuttle (4.28).
(photo by @ArielNavaPhoto)
(photo by @ArielNavaPhoto)
"You want to feel like you gave it your all, and I do feel like I gave it my all," Worstell said. "Hopefully the scouts liked what they saw. Hopefully I surprised some people. That's what I always go for."
Khari Vanderbilt equaled Muhammad's 10' 6" broad jump while he also had a 37" vertical that was second to Muhammad while Cedric Dozier (4.58 40-yard dash, 35.5" vertical) and Damariay Drew (4.62 40-yard dash, 35" vertical, 6.99 3 cone) also had notable numbers.
Other former Cal football student-athletes that participated in Pro Day included Jonathan Johnson, Zach Kline, Kyle Kragen,
Steven Moore,
Bradley Northnagel, Jacob Wark, Joel Willis and
DeVante Wilson.
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"It's surreal for anyone going through this process because this is definitely a dream and a goal that you have ever since you were a little kid," Hansen said.
The 2017 NFL Draft will be held April 27-29 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. Cal has had 27 first-round picks including 11 in the last 17 drafts and two No. 1 overall selections in quarterbacks Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams, 2016) and Steve Bartkowski (Atlanta Falcons, 1975).
"NFL teams tell me I'm first-round talent so I'm going to trust those guys because they're the ones making the pics," Webb said. "I've had numerous double-digit teams tell me I'm a first-round guy. I'm going to keep working for it and see what happens on draft night. It's out of my control so I can't really worry about it."
(photo by @ArielNavaPhoto)
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