Army football players showcase talents before NFL scouts at pro day
WEST POINT – On the biggest showcase day of his football life, Kwabena Bonsu still had to go to class: sociology of the family.
Bonsu’s schedule was cleared the rest of the day and the Army senior defensive lineman arrived at Michie Stadium around 11 a.m. In a couple hours, he would be appearing before more than two dozen NFL scouts - getting measured, timed and evaluated over two hours - hoping to make a positive impression with the chance he could fulfill a childhood dream and hook on with a pro team.
But there was still 2 ½ hours to go before Army’s Pro Day got underway. He received physical therapy but that did nothing to calm the nerves or slow down his beating heart.
“I felt like a caged dog all day, just waiting for something to happen,’’ Bonsu said.
All but five NFL teams sent scouts, armed with stop watches and clipboards and most wearing their team affiliation. Following the early testing, a throng of nearly 75 people – including six Army players plus seven others – made their way to Foley Athletic Center. It was eerily quiet – almost church-like – as players were put through more drills.
The standing broad jump. The 40-yard dash. Lateral movement drills. Running curl routes. T-shirt clad athletes rushing and punching their way through huge tackling dummies. Nearby, Army head coach Jeff Monken watched in silence, as did members of his coaching staff and Army teammates in support of Bonsu, Andre Carter, Marquel Broughton, Braheam Murphy, Isaiah Morris and Maurice Bellan.
The stop watches were put away after 90 minutes and position drills were conducted with the lead scouts, defensive players inside and a quarterback and handful of sure-handed players on Howze Field outside.
When it was over, Bonsu felt relief and satisfaction that he got his opportunity to showcase himself. Of course, every scout kept a close eye on Army’s All-America linebacker Carter, who is projected to be an early round selection in April’s NFL Draft, thus drawing more pro scouts than a typical Pro Day at some schools.
“I'm happy that he's getting all this attention,’’ Bonsu said, “and I'm also happy that he's able to bring it down here so the rest of us can just get in front of some scouts and just showing what we got.’’
Broughton echoed the sentiment.
“I’m thankful for Andre,’’ said Broughton, who served as team captain the past two years. “He brought all these teams out here and it gave me an opportunity to play in front of them.’’
Despite playing in front of 40,000 fans at places like Michigan and Oklahoma, Bonsu said appearing before more than two dozen scouts was more nerve racking.
“I was a little nervous to start,’’ Bonsu said, “but after we started getting going I started calming down, I started finding my groove and I got a lot more comfortable.’’
As for Bonsu’s own report card: “I feel like I did the best that I could. … I feel like I put the best product I could out there on the field and I'm happy with the results.’’ Like Bonsu, Broughton was pleased with his efforts.
“It’s been my dream since I was 6 years old,’’ Broughton said, hoping to fulfil the aspirations set by his late father.
Carter has been drawing attention and all-star praise since his junior season of 2021, when he posted 15 ½ sacks. His play warranted an invitation to the 2023 Senior Bowl and recent NFL Scouting Combine. Back on his home turf, Carter was pleased with his outing on Thursday.
“I did alright,’’ said the understated Carter. “I know some things I did well that I wanted to … didn’t get some (other) stuff.
“God’s got a plan so I’ve just got to follow that,’’ he added.
Carter said his combine experience made it easier to understand the Pro Day routines. He also said he was glad to share the occasion with his teammates.
“It’s awesome,’’ Carter said. “We've been grinding for the past four years … to finally cap it off with one last event together was a great experience.’’
Army opens spring camp on Wednesday. The NFL Draft will be held April 27-29 in Kansas City. When the draft is complete, that’s when NFL teams start calling free agents and inviting players to mini camps and summer training camp – Army sent a handful of 2022 graduates to camps.
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army football pro day: Players showcase talents before NFL scouts
