Antwan Crutcher and Cameron McLeod highlight players who competed in front of NFL scouts.
In preparation for April’s NFL Draft in Chicago, Illinois, Walter Fieldhouse played host to the annual Ohio Football Pro Day on Tuesday.
In the past few years, teams have been drawn in by prospects such as wide receiver LaVon Brazill, offensive lineman Eric Herman and cornerback Travis Carrie. Coming into the Pro Day on Tuesday, none of the Bobcat prospects were projected to be drafted by NFL teams.
There were just four scouts in attendance this year, down from last year’s 18. The teams included the New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants.
In past years, however, Pro Day has helped players such as now-Detroit Lions tight end Jordan Thompson and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Donte Foster land jobs in the NFL.
Defensive tackle Antwan Crutcher was the fixture of the event, as his production and ability to stay on the field has drawn interest in him. Crutcher has been a mainstay on the Ohio defensive front for the past three seasons, appearing in 37 of the Bobcats’ 38 games during that span.
“It was a blessing to come back home and be able to work out in front of your friends, family and NFL coaches,” Crutcher said. “Not everyone gets that opportunity.”
Besides Crutcher, scouts also wanted to see fellow defensive tackle Cameron McLeod, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 282 pounds. He intrigued scouts because of his potential at that size. McLeod spent his first two seasons at Jones County Junior College before transferring in to play for the Bobcats.
For the defensive tackle duo that played the last two years together, it gave them the chance to compete together one last time on the field.
“It was fun,” McLeod said. “The main thing that I was looking forward to was coming out and being able to compete with the guys.”
During the workout, both McLeod and Crutcher sustained leg injuries that limited what they could do on the field. Crutcher elected not to attempt the three-cone drill after tweaking his left leg in his second 40-yard dash. He then returned later to compete in the on-field drills portion, which was what the scouts wanted to see from both Crutcher and McCloud.
“They told me that they loved my on-field drills; they were impressed and that we would talk later,” Crutcher said.
Former Ohio running back Beau Blankenship also returned in efforts to try and find another shot at the league. Last season, Blankenship was with the Jaguars before being waived in July. After running a 4.47 second 40-yard dash at Oklahoma’s Pro Day last season, Blankenship bettered his efforts this season as he said he posted 4.41 and 4.44 seconds times.
“To me I just wanted to give this my all before I could completely move on,” Blankenship said. “I just wanted to make sure I didn’t have any regrets in 10 years and wished I would have tried it again. That’s really what this was for me. If it’s going to happen it’s going to happen.”
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