Concordia players show off skills

Published 10:07 pm Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Well after completing another successful season, eight Concordia College-Selma football stars were out to prove they were still in mid season form Monday.

Scouts representing the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans were at Memorial Stadium putting the players through mental and physical tests to see if they had what it takes to play in the National Football League.

Hornet head coach Shepherd Skanes said the players were put through a battery of tests, which included the 40-yard dash, weight lifting, measurements and the Wonderlic Test.

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“They’ll be able to get out in front of people and show their skills,” he said. “It’s just like a little mini-combine.”

Skanes said several Concordia players have received interest from the NFL in the past, but the newest group did not have the required paperwork to keep them fresh in the minds of professional teams.

“It’s been a while since we were able to have people out here like this,” he said. “The last group we had that the NFL was interested in was in 2006. They’ve been interested in a lot of guys individually, but they already had paperwork on them. After last year’s group went out, now they needed to get new paperwork.”

Through the years, Skanes said he has built strong relationships with NFL representatives. Monday’s activities only served to strengthen those bonds.

“It’s all about building familiarity,” he said. “A lot of these guys that come in, I know them. By me being in the American Coaches Association you get a chance to meet a lot of people and introduce yourself and tell them about your program, what you are doing, and what you are trying to get established down here.”