Former Boise State football players make their case at Pro Day

Boise State held its Pro Day Thursday at the Caven Williams Sports Complex to give its former players a chance at glory in the NFL.
Pro Day’s are held across most collegiate football campuses and are designed to help former football standouts who weren’t invited to the NFL Combine to get some looks from NFL and Canadian scouts. The day is also for guys trying to sharpen their times in several events that measure an athletes skill level.
The job of a professional scout is very detail oriented and no rock can be left unturned, so it’s a great situation for them as well. Bottom line, if a player can make a play the scouts will find you, no matter what level you’ve been competing at.
Last year, former All-American and now New York Jets defensive back Kyle Wilson used Pro Day to vault him to the No. 29 overall pick in the late first-round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
“It’s an exciting time, these kids have worked so hard for the Bronco program,” BSU head coach Chris Petersen said. “It’s a chance for them to take the next step and get on the biggest stage in football.”
Over a dozen NFL teams had scouts on hand, with teams looking to potentially add some quality talent to their respected organizations. Scouts from the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a slew of other teams made themselves visible with their stop watches in hand.
A few of the household names for the Broncos were wide receivers Titus Young, Austin Pettis,  tight end Tommy Gallarda, running back Jeremy Avery, defensive linemen Ryan Winterswyk, nickel Winston Venable, defensive backs Brandyn Thompson and safety Jeron Johnson.
One would have a tough time believing three to five of those won’t be on an NFL roster come this fall.
Winterswyk, a two time first team All-Western Athletic Conference performer at the defensive end position, was asked to run routs at the tight end position. The potential conversion comes as no surprise, as former All-WAC linebacker Korey Hall now plays fullback for the Green Bay Packers.
After a rough outing at the NFL Combine, Titus Young used Pro Day to run 4.41 in his 40 yard dash, slightly faster than his 4.47, which could improve his draft stock.
The success the Broncos have been able to establish over the last decade has made Boise a common campground for scouts looking for players who know how to win. Facts are facts and the Broncos have been very successful in the win loss column.
“We’ve won a lot of ball games, and only lost a handful, not a lot of guys can say that about their careers,” former BSU wideout Austin Pettis said.
Pettis, who ran his 40-yard dash at the combine, did not run Thursday, favoring to stick with his 4.5 that he ran at the NFL Combine. Pettis will return back to Irvine, Calif., to continue training for the upcoming draft.