Jayhawks Shine at 2015 KU Pro Day

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LAWRENCE, Kan. — It was a busy day around Kansas football’s Anderson Family Football Complex and the adjacent practice fields as KU held its annual Pro Day Wednesday. In all, 29 of the 32 NFL teams were represented as 15 former Kansas football players ran through the gamut of tests and skill work. 

The day’s activities began in the weight room of the Anderson Family Football Complex as the 15 Jayhawks and 15 players from other various schools around the state of Kansas went through weights and measures to start the day. After getting heights, weights, hand measurements and wing spans in the books, the real testing began.
 Victor Simmons got up on his vertical leap. First up was the broad jump, with three Jayhawks leaping to 11-0 or better. Dexter McDonald and Victor Simmons each led the way with a mark of 11-2, while Tony Pierson registered a mark of 11-0. Nigel King was not far off with his mark of 10-9, while Nick Harwell and Jimmay Mundine recorded 10-3 and 10-1, respectively.
 
In the vertical leap it was again Simmons and McDonald leading the way as Simmons recorded the top mark of 41.0, while McDonald had a 40.5. McDonald possibly came away with a higher mark, but it could not be confirmed as he reached higher than the measurement was set for at the time. King was again right behind the leaders with a 39.5, while Mundine finished with a 38.0 and Pierson and Cassius Sendish each registered 37.0.
 
Next up all eyes were on the bench press. Ngalu Fusimalohi was the top Jayhawk finisher with 22 reps on the 225-lb bar. Keon Stowers looked to be well on his way to a bold mark before suffering a pectoral muscle injury after completing 18 reps. Mundine finished with 20 reps, while Ben Heeney had 19 and Simmons tallied 18 reps.
 
Everyone relocated to the practice fields for the remainder of the testing. The first skill tested on the practice field was the 40-yard dash. Each player ran two times, one with the wind and one against the wind. McDonald finished with the best mark of the morning, clocking in at 4.37. Harwell was credited with a 4.40 and Pierson was right with him at 4.41. King posted a 4.46, Sendish a 4.50 and Michael Reynolds a 4.53. JaCorey Shepherd, who did not run at the NFL Combine due to an injury, tried to get a 40-yard dash time in Wednesday, but was again hampered and did register in official time.
 
Harwell posted the top Jayhawk time in both the 20-yard shuttle (4.22) and the 3-cone drill (6.65), while Sendish was the top finisher in the 60-yard shuttle (11.07).
 
“I had a pretty good day,” said Harwell of his KU Pro Day experience. “I ran a faster 40 than the scouts expected and I actually did more on the bench press than I thought I would do. I had a pretty solid vertical job and 10-3 on the broad jump wasn’t bad so I think I did pretty well.
 
“I was more nervous in the days leading up to today than I was today. I was out there with guys I have played with and spent hours in the summer dying with in the heat. I felt really comfortable after I saw all of my teammates, friends and basically brothers out here with me.”
 
All of the Jayhawks will continue to prepare for the future as the 2015 NFL Draft is just over a month away. The current crop of Jayhawks will return to the practice fields for their second practice of the 2015 spring season Thursday afternoon.

 
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