Football

Photo Gallery: Kentucky Football Pro Day

By Nation of Blue

Posted on Mar 13, 2015

Kentucky’s annual Pro Day was held Thursday. After talking with Coach Stoops and some of the players, the one thing that stood out was the importance of UK Football’s high performance program. Following Avery Williamson’s example, Bud Dupree and Za’Darius Smith chose to stay here at UK to train. Both credited high performance coach Erik Korem with helping them achieve their physical goals. Staying at home saved them financially and allowed them to feel more comfortable in a familiar environment. Another benefit of choosing to train at UK, Korem knows their bodies and knows how they respond, maximizing their time and effort.

The level of commitment to these players has to impress recruits. More importantly, it is hard to argue with the results:

2 months Wit a great diet, Uk High performance and @ErikKorem took my body to another level!! #BBN #WeAreUk #WhyNot pic.twitter.com/Gf59Yx5fZW

— Bud Dupree 2™ (@Bud_Dupree2) March 11, 2015

I attended Pro Day last year and the differences were quite noticeable. Walking over from the Nutter practice fields, I turned the corner to see NFL head coaches Marvin Lewis, Mike Tomlin and Mike Zimmer. It isn’t every day I get to walk over to the Fieldhouse with a few head coaches and a half dozen scouts and NFL personnel. As we entered the building, there was security and a check-in table. The formality was definitely a departure from last year’s more casual affair. The players stood out immediately, wearing matching athletic gear with neon yellow shorts. I’m sure they looked great on the SEC Network broadcast, another sign the program is getting more attention. Freddie Maggard and Dick Gabriel served as commentators while Tennessee Titan Avery Williamson added sideline reporting to his list of talents. The players ran through the usual skills and drills, only this year they performed in front of an unprecedented number of pros- defensive coordinators, an outside linebackers coach, defensive line coach and a total of 36 scouts representing 26 teams. Coach Stoops commented the day reminded him of experiences at places like Florida State. With national exposure, visiting NFL head coaches and an increasing talent level, it is clear the football program is turning a corner. I expect future Pro Days to shine the spotlight even brighter on Kentucky. Check out this photo gallery from all of the day’s events at Nutter Fieldhouse. *Photos: Regina Rickert. Click to enlarge.