COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Pro Day is like a job interview for future NFL hopefuls.
Friday, 14 Maryland Terrapins football players auditioned for their dream job at the Jones Hill House on the campus of the University of Maryland.
66 scouts were in College Park representing 31 of the 32 NFL Teams, the Denver Broncos were the only team not in attendance.
In the words of head coach Mike Locksley, Friday's turnout is proof high-level athletes can come to Maryland and excel.
"A lot of these guys, I sat in their living rooms, and I sold the vision of what I thought Maryland football could and would do for them, and I think today is a culmination of that vision and seeing it really come to life," says Locksley.
Participating in Pro Day were players like wide reciever Tai Felton, whose 96 catches this past season became a program record.
"Over here at Maryland, it's developmental. Coach Locksley is going to get you right. You just stay down, stay with the grind, believe in yourself, trust the process and the coaches they're going to put you where you wanna be," says Felton.
Various athletes stood out at Pro Day, like linebacker Reuben Hyppolite, clocking a 4.3, running the 40-yard dash.
"It was great to be out here to perform in a setting like this with all these teams here. Like I said, I expected this. I was very diligent in my work and in my process of getting ready for it," says Hyppolite.
Another popular name was defensive back Dante Trader Jr., who was also a member of the lacrosse team at Maryland.
"You dream of things like this. You dream of going to the combine, you dream of competing with your brothers at the local and Pro Day. You gotta take the good and the bad with this experience through it all, you know this is a long four or five months and a long four years in this process to get film, to get training to go through ups and downs. So you just gotta cover this time with grace," says Trader Jr.
One of the youngest players at Pro Day was Jordan Phillips. The red-shirt sophomore defensive tackle was full of confidence
"The thing that's so special about me is that I've played in multiple schemes; vertical, read and react. I've played anything from the zero all the way outside the five. So, you could put me anywhere on the field, I'm gonna dominate and I'm gonna dominate whoever's in front of me, and I feel that's what's special about me," says Phillips.
This year's NFL draft begins on Thursday April 24 in Green Bay Wisconsin.
