Chad Newell has played in front of 26,000 people within the hostile confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium, last fall helping the Montana State Bobcats to a win on the rival Grizzlies’ home field. He has been the torch bearer for the Bobcats as the team runs out of the tunnel into Bobcat Stadium, some 18,000 fans cheering MSU into battle.
None of the pregame nerves he experienced in his career came close to the nerves he felt before his final performance at Bobcat Stadium on Tuesday morning. With scouts from the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions on hand, Newell and seven other local prospects, including former Bobcats J.P. Flynn, John Walker, Fletcher Collins and Jessie Clark participated in MSU’s Pro Day in anticipation for next month’s NFL Draft.
“Nerve-wracking was probably the best way to put it,” Newell said following the two-hour workout on a rainy Bozeman spring morning in Bobcat Stadium. “I was more nervous today than playing in front of 25,000 people at Washington-Grizzly. It’s an odd thing because all eyes are on you. But it’s definitely nice to see all that time and work pay off at the end of the day.”
Former Montana State offensive lineman JP Flynn runs his 40 on MSU’s Pro Day/ by Colter Nuanez
Flynn, a two-time All-American offensive guard and four-time All-Big Sky Conference selection, was the main draw for the NFL scouts. The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder said he had been in contact previously with all five teams who sent scouts to the event. Flynn has spent the last nine weeks training at the renown Landow Performance Center in the Denver area alongside premier talent like Stanford star Christian McCaffrey.
“It was good to just get it over with,” Flynn said. “I love competing, I’ve always been a competitor but it’s nice to have it over with. There’s so much build up and work that goes into this day, you are finally just able to breathe, the weight is off your shoulders, you can finally get back into football shape, working out how you know how to work out.”
Newell, a 6-foot-1, 215-pounder who earned All-Big Sky honors as a fullback, a running back and a special teams ace during his Bobcat career, put forth a solid showing that displayed his agility and ability to change direction. He had standout numbers in the vertical jump (37.5 inches), the 3-cone L-drill (6.76 seconds), the 20-yard shuttle (4.15 seconds) and the 60-yard shuttle.
Former MSU running back Chad Newell doing ball drills
Newell’s vertical would’ve tied McCaffrey for second at the NFL Combine, while his short shuttle would’ve been the best time, his 3-cone second only to McCaffrey’s 6.57, and his long shuttle would’ve been third to McCaffrey and Wyoming standout running back Brian Hill.
Newell also expressed satisfaction with his bench press number, a mark he moved from nine to 17 repetitions at 225 pounds over the last three months of training with former Bobcat defensive end Dane Fletcher, himself a six-year NFL veteran.
“I have always had high goals for myself and I know I can contribute offensively to an NFL team by playing fullback, H-back, blocking kind of in the capacity I did early in my MSU career,” Newell said. “And I think I can contribute on (special) teams. That’s an obvious one. I want to do all I can to add value to myself in every way possible.”
Flynn posted impressive numbers in the vertical (30.5 inches) and broad jumps (104 inches) considering his mass. His vertical would’ve been in the top three at the combine while his broad jump would’ve been an average mark. He said he was disappointed in his best 40 time (5.12 seconds) because he felt he could break five seconds with his best sprint.
J.P. Flynn, second from right, arrives at Bobcat Stadium for Pro Day
The Bettendorf, Iowa native has been known for his agility and lateral movement during his 43 games as a starter at MSU. He showed that athleticism with a 3-cone drill that would’ve been the third-fastest at the combine and a short shuttle that would’ve ranked in the top 10.
“I thought I put up some good numbers,” Flynn said. “I was disappointed in the 40. But overall, I showed that I was an athletic, 310-pound football player. That was the goal and I think I showed that.
“It’s weird because it’s not really football. Loren (Landow) did a good job of bring in current and former NFL players. Tyler Columbus came and talked to us, Mark Schlereth. We got to work some one-on-ones with Derek Wolfe and some of the players down there. It was good to get that pro player perspective from some of the greats.”
Walker, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound cornerback who quickly earned a reputation as one of the league’s most aggressive players in press coverage, hoped to turn some heads. His day started out with an impressive 15 reps in the bench press despite his small stature. He put up good marks in the vertical (34) and the broad jump (123 inches). He ran a pair of 4.5-second 40s, right in the average range for NFL combine cornerbacks this season.
Former Montana State CB John Walker bench pressing 225 pounds one of 15 times
But Walker strained his left knee lifting weights last week and he struggled with the start and stop drills like the shuttles and the 3-cone drill. He did not record a time in the short shuttle. His other times would’ve been in the bottom third of cornerbacks at last month’s combine. The Washington D.C. native who spent four years at Colorado before playing one season at Montana State hopes his attitude and his instinctual play shows through on film to NFL scouts.
“Overall, I think I did solid,” Walker said. “I think I can improve when my knee is all the way good. But overall, I did solid. The only thing I did bad was when I slipped.”
“I was mostly ready to get it over with. It’s not like real football to me. You have some people who test good but can’t play. Some people who can play good but can’t test. It’s all mental, a lot of things in your mind. It’s not like natural instincts. Playing in a game, you just react. Out here, you just think about it.”
Collins, a 6-foot-2, 218-pounder, reported back to Bozeman after spending nine weeks training with Ford Sports Performance in Bellevue near his native Seattle. Collins looked the most chiseled of the prospects from MSU and showed striking athleticism in almost every drill.
The former walk-on notched a 38.5 inch vertical that would’ve been the top mark among linebackers at the NFL combine. His time of 4.57 in the 40 would’ve been second, his 122-inch broad jump would’ve been top 10, his 3-cone drill (6.79) would’ve been second, his short shuttle (4.27) would’ve been in the top eight, and his long shuttle (11.31) would’ve been third.
Fletcher Collins
All times were hand-timed as opposed to the laser timing system used at the combine.
“I feel like I did a pretty good job today,” Collins said. “I went out there, just tried to have fun, cut it loose. I wanted my hard work to come out in my numbers and I think they did.
“That was nine weeks of work in one work out. All you can do is hope for the best and do your best.”
Clark, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound defensive end, put up standout numbers in the short shuttle (4.50 seconds) and the 3-cone (7.01).
“I’m just happy to do the best I could and blessed to make it through the whole workout with no injuries,” Clark told Walker after finishing the workout.
Former Montana Tech standouts Nolan Saraceni and Gunnar Kaiser along with an unidentified former Montana Western player participated in the pro day as well.
Former Montana Tech running back Nolan Saraceni
Saraceni, a running back from Billings Senior who was a grade behind Newell and played in the same backfield in high school, had one of the best performances of the day. The two-time Frontier Conference Player of the Year had a 36-inch vertical, pumped out 20 reps on the bench, ran a pair of sub-4.5s in the 40, ran the fastest short shuttle of the day at 3.81 seconds and broke seven seconds in the 3-cone drill.
Kayser, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound safety who earned Frontier Conference Defensive MVP honors as a senior, also showed good athleticism for his 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame.
All of the former Bobcats talked about using the next weeks leading up to the opening of the NFL Draft on April 28 to stay in shape and stay focused. Having one last chance to perform at Bobcat Stadium made the training all worth it, Flynn said, no matter what his NFL future may hold.
“I love that stadium,” Flynn said. “I was so excited to compete there one last time. That place will hold a very special place in my heart until the day I die. I owe the town of Bozeman, the community here, the state of Montana everything because they have given me the best opportunity I could ask for.”
Photos by Colter Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
Montana State Pro Day numbers — March 14, 2017
| Name | Vertical | Broad jump | Bench press | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | 3-cone
L-Drill |
60-yard shuttle |
| Chad Newell – RB | 37.5” | 9’-8” | 17 reps | 4.64, 4.72 | 4.15 | 6.76 | 11.31 |
| JP Flynn – OL
|
30.5” | 8’-8” | 21 reps | 5.12 | 4.72 | 7.41 | NA |
| Fletcher Collins – LB | 38.5” | 10’-2” | 14 reps | 4.57, 4.56 | 4.27 | 6.79 | 11.32 |
| Jessie Clark – DE | 30” | 9’-5” | 15 | 4.81, 4.93 | 4.50 | 7.01 | 12.09 |
| John Walker – CB | 34” | 10’-3” | 15 | 4.51,
4.58 |
NA | 7.01 | 11.50 |
| Nolan Saraceni – MT Tech- RB | 36” | 9’-02” | 20 | 4.48
4.46 |
3.81 | 6.81 | 11.20 |
| Gunnar Kayser – MT Tech- Safety | NA | 10’-01” | 16 | 4.64, 4.61 | 3.91 | 6.92 | 11.45 |
MONTANA GRIZZLIES Pro Day Numbers – March 13, 2017
| Name | Vertical | Broad jump | Bench Press | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | 3-cone L-Drill | 60-yard shuttle |
| Joey Counts- RB | 44” | 9’-6” | 27 reps | 4.48 | 4.41 | 7.31 | 11.94 |
| Brady Gustafson – QB | 34” | 9’-0” | DNP | 4.9 | 4.45 | 7.09 | 12.01 |
| Ryan Johnson – DE | 30.5” | 8’-11” | 16 reps | 5.12 | 4.71 | 7.51 | 12.86 |
| Caleb Kidder – DE | 33” | 8’-9” | 30 reps | 4.72 | 4.18 | 6.91 | 12.10 |
| JR Nelson – CB | 38” | 9’-8” | DNP | 4.47 | 4.21 | 7.00 | 11.27 |
| John Nguyen – RB | 37.5” | 8’-11” | 24 reps | 4.73 | 4.43 | 7.17 | 12.20 |
| TJ Reynard – CB | 34” | 9’-6” | 11 reps | 4.64 | 4.58 | 7.04 | 11.84 |
| Yamen Sanders – Safety | 42” | 10’-4” | 24 reps | 4.56 | 4.44 | 7.35 | 11.73 |
| Jackson Thiebes – OL | 26.5” | 8’-4” | 17 reps | 5.39 | 4.91 | 7.78 | DNP |
| Jake Konen – LB – Carroll | 37” | 10’-0 | 21 reps | 4.81 | 4.6 | 7.75 | 12.52 |
