No More Pro Days at WVU?

The NFL made its way to Morgantown on Monday.

There were representatives from 29 NFL teams at West Virginia's Pro Day on Monday, taking a closer look at wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, defensive lineman Dante Stills, and some of the other talent WVU has to offer. 

Both Ford-Wheaton and Stills put on a clinic at the NFL Combine in February, truly helping their draft stock by testing well and having good talks with teams in a one-on-one setting.

"It's a big day for several of our former players," said WVU head coach Neal Brown. "There's some good stories here. Bryce [Ford-Wheaton], Sam [James], Exree [Loe], and Dante [Stills], those guys been with them for four years. Proud of what Bryce and Dante did in Indianapolis. I thought they represented themselves, represented our program really, really well. Not only in the drill piece of it but the interview piece of it, in front of the media and with the teams."

This could be, however, the final Pro Day to ever take place at WVU. How so? New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark announced a couple of weeks ago that the conference will hold a league-wide Pro Day, which will allow NFL scouts, coaches, and GMs to see all the talent from the Big 12 in one location. 

"The first-of-its-kind Big 12 Pro Day will provide our student-athletes an opportunity to showcase their talent and skill as they turn their NFL dreams into reality," said Yormark. "Through this partnership with the NFL, Big 12 student-athletes will receive national media exposure across NFL Network and NFL Media platforms. We are thrilled to partner with the NFL to host this Pro Day, and we look forward to creating a special experience for our student-athletes.

"The Big 12 unified approach will provide world-class maximum exposure, mentorship, and development opportunities for potential future prospects pulling on the vast resources of these Big 12 institutions," said Troy Vincent, Sr., NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. "From state-of-the-art medical and talent evaluations to maximized media exposure and classroom professional development, these future leaders will experience a dignified, respectful, and comprehensive assessment."

"I think it's going to make it a marquee event," said Neal Brown. "Brett has brought some out-of-the-box ideas to our league. I think that can only help. He's going to help elevate the name brand of the Big 12. You're going to see it get copycatted. I have no doubt it's going to get copycatted."

The big question mark is whether or not schools from the Big 12 will be able to hold their own Pro Day in addition to what the league is adding next year. That's something Neal Brown is hoping to get more clarity on in the near future.

"I don't even know. I think the Big 12 deal is great. What I'm unclear of is everybody that is draft eligible, do they get invites. Or is it only going to be a certain number of guys from each school? I don't know the answer to that. I want everybody that's draft eligible to have an opportunity in front of pro scouts."

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