Brian Calhoun was understandably displeased with his performance at the NFL combine in Indianapolis last month.
So, he went out and did something about it, on his home turf.
After posting a surprisingly dismal 4.65 time in the 40-yard-dash on Feb. 25 in front of the entire NFL scouting world, the Badgers' front running NFL prospect quieted many doubters Wednesday by improving to a 4.38 time during the University of Wisconsin's Pro Day at the McClain Athletic Facility.
"I think it was pretty important for me," Calhoun said of his improved time. "Obviously, there were a lot of guys that jumped up the boards a little bit, like [UCLA's] Maurice Drew and [LSU's] Joseph Addai, so today was basically for me to catch up a little bit, maybe I could pull even with them after what I did at the combine."
Drew, who ran a 4.39 40-yarder, and Addai, with a 4.4 result, were two guys that have been heralded as potentially leapfrogging Calhoun in the draft, in light of their successes at the NFL combine. However, by showing that he can run the dash in a similar time, Calhoun may have returned his draft stock to where it was before — late first round to early second round.
"I think I did what I expected all along, that's why I'm not overanxious about it," Calhoun said. "I ran in the mid-4.3, high 4.3 [range] during the season, and that's what I wanted to do, that's what I thought I could do. I'm just fortunate that I had another chance to run it here."
The 5-foot-9 junior out of Oak Creek, Wis., downplayed any thoughts that he has been affected by the disappointing result since it occurred.
"My friends let me know about it, but I didn't read too much about it," Calhoun joked. "I've never doubted whether I could run or play, so it's not an issue for me."
As for the rest of Pro Day, Calhoun competed among fellow teammates Matt Bernstein, Brandon Williams, Jonathan Orr and others in different strength and fitness tests led by scouts and UW football coaches. The three-hour affair featured such drills as the 40-yard-dash, the high and long jumps, the 225-lb. bench press, obstacle courses, and various football skill events like catching, blocking and punt returning.
A crowd of about 250 was on hand to take in the action, including scouts from over 10 NFL franchises such as the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions.
"Our guys trained for a long time to get to this day," said new UW head coach Bret Bielema. "I see a lot of people here from the NFL; it's just an opportunity for the [Badger players] to showcase their skills. I think a lot of guys improved their stock."
One of those guys was Bernstein, the UW fullback who missed much of the 2005 college season with a sports hernia. The husky senior, who spent some time in January rehabilitating in California, said he felt good about his overall performance at Pro Day after healing from his injury.
"I dropped a point on my 40, I jumped four inches today, which was pretty good, and I had 25 bench reps instead of 22, so that helps a lot," Bernstein said.
Pro Day marked the final day for these Badgers of being officially tied to the school, and many of them may never again set foot on a football field with one another.
"[This day] was important, not only for me but for the other guys working out here," Calhoun said. "It was good just for everybody to get out there and do what they had to do and compete, and hopefully earn them a spot on an NFL roster next year."
The NFL Draft will take place on April 29-30 in New York City.
