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Banner day Notre Dame's Faine passes Pro Day tests with flying colorsPosted: Wednesday March 26, 2003 1:55 AM
This is the fourth in a series as SI.com follows Notre Dame center Jeff Faine in the weeks leading up to the 2003 NFL Draft in April. By David Clark, SI.com Jeff Faine's Pro Day wasn't just great. It may have been exceptional enough to vault him into the first round of the NFL Draft. "I had a great workout," Faine said. "I did what I thought I could do, what I've been doing the last few years. ... If this doesn't get me into the first round, it just wasn't meant to be. I just put up numbers, at the top of the list in almost every category." Not only did the numbers exceed Faine's expectations, they may have erased doubts. "I've been hearing around the rumor mill that some people didn't think I was as good an athlete as I probably should be. But I put up some unbelieveable numbers and proved [them wrong]. ... It was something I knew I could do." Faine's Pro Day experience included the most fundamental Combine drills. Faine ran the 40 in 4.9 flat and the 10 in 1.65. He had a 4.28 in the pro shuttle, a 7.16 in the three-cone, a vertical jump of 36 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet. "I got a sweep of the best numbers. There's really nothing else I could do. If this doesn't [make me a first-rounder], then nothing really will, I guess. I put up some great numbers and I was proud of those numbers." Scouts emphasized 10-yard time and the pro shuttle, also paying close attention to the vertical and broad jumps for indications of explosive burst. "It's great for any lineman to have great lateral movement. It shows I can compete with the best of the best." In addition, scouts and coaches had a chance to see Faine in action. "We went through some basic football drills. We got after it pretty good. The offensive coaches were putting us through situations to see if we could move and play the way we've been playing on film." Faine was joined at Pro Day by fellow Irish offensive linemen Sean Mahan, Brennan Curtin and Jordan Black as well as wide receiver Arnaz Battle, cornerback Shane Walton, defensive end Ryan Roberts, long snapper John Crowther and punter Joey Hildbold. Safety Ron Israel, a Notre Dame senior during the 2001-02 season who was cut by the Redskins last fall, also returned. Although teammates -- in Faine's words -- "had a decent day," he quipped that they "weren't as excited about it as me." Faine competed in front of about 55 people, including many of the same personnel with whom he met at the Combine. "Everybody was pretty much saying, 'Great workout.' They were pleased -- impressed even -- with how I performed. "It wasn't anything out of the ordinary for me. It's great to be able to prove what I'm able to do." In anticipation of Pro Day, Faine's Spring Break workout in Pittsburgh wasn't overly rigorous. "I just focused on preparing my body for the workout, putting myself in peak [condition]. ... I didn't work with Tunch [Ilkin] because it gets pretty aggressive with Tunch. We pretty much almost fight. I just wanted to stay healthy." Mission accomplished. Faine says his knee felt great during Pro Day and he didn't have any problems with it whatsoever. "It's definitely back to 100 percent. My ankle's feeling great too ... right at the right time." Faine will continue to work out with coaches and will travel to NFL cities in the coming weeks. "I'll be doing that circuit for a little while, grinding it out and just waiting for the draft." |
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