At last month’s University of Wisconsin Pro Timing Day, Jeff Mack had his last chance to impress a bevy of National Football League scouts. For the most part, Mack was pleased with his performance.
“My plan was to get through it, and try to run as good of time as I possibly could, and I believe I did that,” Mack said. “There’s always room for improvement, but you know, as of today, I feel I did all right. I feel like I accomplished most of my goals.”
Mack’s numbers seem to stack up well against his fellow potential draftees at inside linebacker. The average numbers of those at the 2004 NFL combined in Indianapolis were 6-foot-2 and 3/8, 241 pounds, and a time of 4.72 in the 40-yard dash. Mack’s numbers from his workout in Madison almost mirror his peers’: 6-foot-0, 241, and a time clocked somewhere in the 4.7s.
One test Mack didn’t perform as well on was the 225-pound bench press, which he lifted 16 times. That number is slightly low for a middle linebacker of his size. Mack’s agent, Ken Sarnoff, says that while his client’s “measurables” may not be out of this world, the former Badger has something that no scout can time.
“He had good workouts, and the one muscle they don’t measure here is heart,” Sarnoff said. “I had a kid by the name of Ahmad Merritt who played at the University of Wisconsin and had nine catches his senior year, now he’s going into his third season with the Chicago Bears. You just never know, and that’s the one thing that all the testing in the world does not measure. Jeff Mack has more heart than any football player I’ve ever been around.”
UW’s Pro Day also gave Mack the opportunity to speak with representatives from many NFL teams. The Madison native said he heard some positive things.
“I got pretty good feedback,” Mack said, “but they’re nice guys, so they could just be really nice to me. But, hey, some of the feedback I got, it seemed like it was pretty good. But, hey, just pray for the best.”
The Sporting News, in their draft preview magazine, ranks Mack as the 22nd best inside linebacker available. At this spot Mack projects as a possible late-round pick, but more than likely will have to sign with a team as an undrafted free agent and fight his way onto the roster in training camp. Sarnoff likes his client’s chances.
“I think leading the team in tackles speaks for itself,” Sarnoff said. “People know he’s a smart football player who makes plays. He’s not the prettiest football player in the world and he might not be the highest on people’s boards, but he’s the type of guy who takes on a running back and takes him down. In the fourth quarter, that’s what wins football games and I think people know that.”
And while Mack is elated to be getting a shot at living out his dream, he’s prepared for life after football.
“I’ll be in mortgage financing,” Mack said. “I work at M & I Bank now, and in mortgage financing. It’s a great opportunity.”
Mack says he is not sure if he will seek out playing any sort of professional football other than the NFL, or just give up playing the game.
“It’s probably NFL or work at M & I,” Mack said. “Hey listen, football’s a tough sport, and your body can only take so much of it. I don’t want to be 40 years old still trying to make it to the NFL. I’ve got to settle down, I like stability. I can’t be moving from here to there too much. I’m a lazy guy. If the opportunity happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, I have alternatives and, hey, football was great while I played it.”
Overall, Mack is satisfied heading into this weekend’s draft.
“Hey, the draft, it’s a tough process, and it’s a process that’s kind of, you know, it’s up in the air. It’s just how a team feels about you, or how much notoriety you get from your film, and from today. So you know, hey, it’s kind of let the cards fall where they may.”