Draft Diaries – 3/2/2015

The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine is in the books. Texas A&M running back Trey Williams and Stephen F. Austin running back Gus Johnson were participants at the Combine. They are now looking forward to their Pro Days this month. This edition of the Draft Diary will take a look back at some of their experiences in Indianapolis.

Trey Williams went to the Combine with a mission of showing how explosive he can be. He ran a 4.49 in the 40 yard dash and put up 18 reps on the bench. Williams said that that he drew a lot of interest from NFL teams. “I had some interviews and they went great. Teams asked me to draw up some plays on the board.”

Williams said that teams were intrigued by the versatility that he brings to the table. Many are looking at him as a running back that can line up in the slot and be a key returner as well. Williams’ time in the 40 yard dash was the third fastest among running backs at the Combine. He said that he felt good about his time and will run again at his Pro Day on March 4^th. His goal is to get it down even further.

The best part of the Combine for Williams was all of the gear that he got. He jokingly said that everything else was torture. He had to get up at 4am the first day that he was in Indy. Williams said that he also liked catching up with some of the guys that he already knew such as Shaq Thompson, Duke Johnson and Mike Davis. His roommate at the Combine was Jeremy Langford.

The Pro Day at Texas A&M is going to present another opportunity for Williams to show that he has the ability to be an explosive, do-it-all back. He is training for the Pro Day at The Athletic Lab in Houston. “We are working on running back drills. I am working on catching a lot of footballs. We are also working on getting a better start in the 40 yard dash.”

Gus Johnson was also at the Combine. At 5-10, 218 pounds, he is a bigger running back than Williams. He showed how strong he is by putting up 26 reps on the bench, which was among the top totals by a running back. Johnson said that it felt good to be one of the strongest running backs there and that it was what he was looking to prove.

Like Williams, the grind of the Combine was more than he expected. “The Combine was a great experience. We had to go all day. It was nonstop, no breaks. We just had to get it all in.” The medical testing was a breeze for him. He said that he hasn’t had any surgeries or major injuries and that allowed him to be cleared easily.

Johnson’s roommate was Notre Dame wide receiver Devaris Daniels. His favorite part of the Combine was the comradery of the running back group. He liked how they pushed each other throughout the workouts. “There was no hostility. No one had the mindset that they were better than the other. We all just tried to show what we could do.”

There were five teams that talked to Johnson at the Combine. He said that the first team to talk to him was the Dallas Cowboys. Growing up, he was an Emmitt Smith fan so that had a special meaning to him. He said that teams asked him a lot of personal questions to get to know him better.

Johnson will have his Pro Day on March 31^st at Stephen F. Austin. He has also trained at The Athletic Lab in Houston. The goal for him is to run a better time in the 40 yard dash. He ran a 4.7 at the Combine. “I am hoping to run a better time in a place where it feels more comfortable. It will be just like running another TD.”

Be sure to stay tuned for the next Draft Diary entries after Trey Williams and Gus Johnson’s Pro Days on March 4^th and March 31^st.

Questions? Comments?

Email: turron@footballgameplan.com

Twitter: @TDavenport_NFL

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