Man vs. drill: Iowa football hosts annual Pro Day

May 2024 · 3 minute read

Jack Campbell, Seth Benson, Sam LaPorta, Riley Moss, Kaevon Merriweather and Lukas Van Ness were invited to participate in the NFL Combine. But not every Hawkeye received an invite to Indianapolis among those who declared for the draft. Seth Benson, Jack Plumb and John Waggoner participated in what’s referred to as “Pro Day.”

“It’s not football, it’s man vs. drill,” as tight end Sam LaPorta put it. “It’s very exciting at times, also a little bit anxious and nervous because we want to perform at the highest level. We trained super hard. We have been here and also for the last couple of months for this sort of ‘track meet.'”

Essentially, it’s a combine on home turf. The athletes get measured, talk to NFL scouts and participate in various drills that test their athletic ability, like the 40-yard dash and broad jump.

The Hawkeyes who participated in the combine attended Pro Day, even if they didn’t test for anything. Mainly because they don’t want to risk suffering an injury performing something they’ve already done. Because come the weekend of April 27, they hope to hear their names called on national television.

“Something I’ve worked my butt off for to get to this point,” All-American safety Kaevon Merriweather said. “Not too many people in the country get the opportunity to potentially be drafted or have the opportunity to be on an NFL roster.”

“It’s an opportunity that a lot of people aren’t going to have and I take advantage of them and not let this this time go to waste,” unanimous All-American Jack Campbell said. “It’s super, super busy — and I’ve got a lot of things going on. But at the same time just realizing what a blessing it is to be here and to just have all these opportunities that I’ve been granted to have is a dream come true.”

Right tackle Jack Plumb played in 45 games and started 14. His edge? He referenced the “Iowa Edge.”

“We call it the ‘Iowa Edge,'” Plumb said. “We’re different than every team and we’ve been turning guys in the NFL forever. It’s a great school to come to get ready for the NFL, and I think it shows year in and year out with how many guys we have in the NFL.”

And with any luck, a few more will join the 41 current Hawkeyes in the NFL.

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