Texas Southern Pro Day: 8 NFL Teams Attended, Solid Player Performances
HOUSTON - Texas Southern University hosted the team's annual NFL Pro Day at 9:00 AM on the field of Durley Stadium on Thursday, March 23. NFL teams sent scouts from the Texans, Raiders, Dolphins, Broncos, Panthers, Jaguars, and Colts.
March 23, 2023; Texas Southern running back Kevin Harris at TSU NFL Pro Day in Houston, TX; Credit: TSU Athletics
"We have more talent for them to evaluate this year," Coach Clarence McKinney told HBCU Legends. Last season, only the Houston Texans arrived at TSU to get a look at their star defensive end Michael Badejo. He's now playing for the San Diego Strike Force in the XFL.
The Texas Southern Tigers working out for the scouts at the TSU Pro Day were DE Demontario Anderson, LB Tarik Cooper, CB Cedrick Williams, OL Drake Centers, RB Kevin Harris, and S Derrick Tucker.
"It's a blessing," LB Tarik Cooper said to have a Pro Day at Texas Southern. "It's nothing but a joy to be out with my team. I ended my career at TSU, and I'm excited." Ralph Cooper asked what he would remember about the Pro Day event, "The brotherhood. It showed today as everybody supporting each other."
Cedrick Williams was "happy all of the pro team that came out, and we performed really well." He continued, "I performed well. There's stuff I still need to improve on. But the times today I got kind of surprised me." It should be because he and Kevin Harris torched the turf at Durley Stadium in front of the scouts.
Demontario Anderson, Cedrick Williams, and Kevin Harris had outstanding performances. Star linebacker Tarik Cooper dealt with a mild hamstring injury but still went through each drill. Offensive lineman Drake Centers impressed with a solid 40-yard dash for a player of his size.
Compare Demontario Anderson's Pro Day results from Draft HBCU Players' Gerald Huggins II:
- Height: 6'2.5"
- Weight: 240 pounds
- Bench: 24 reps
- 40 yd dash: 4.62
- Shuttle: 4.2 (1st among DEs at NFL Combine)
- Vertical Jump: 36.5 (Tied for 5th among DEs at NFL Combine)
- Broad Jump: 9'2"
- 3 Cones: 6.99 (2nd among DEs at NFL Combine)
Carolina Panthers scout Eli Montigue told Ralph Cooper he had visited several college teams with a potential prospect for the NFL team. The TSU players had a "great performance; these guys showed up in shape and definitely well prepared."
Of the times produced and measured performances of the TSU players, more professional scouts will be attending Texas Southern Pro Days in the future. Coach McKinney and his staff should applaud themselves for the development of their players. TSU is rising in the SWAC. Remember, a young man at quarterback named Andrew Body will have his Pro Day at TSU. I'm sure more than eight teams will be ready to evaluate him and his fellow teammates that day.