Let’s break down the 2021 Illinois State Pro Day and the NFL Draft prospects that took part in the event. Stay tuned for updates and buzz from the pro day circuit — bookmark us to stay up with all the latest!
Illinois State Pro Day 2021 | Christian Uphoff impresses
On March 18, more than 20 teams were on hand for the workout at Illinois State. It was a pro day that had a contentious ending. Despite freezing rain, cold temperatures, and the availability of an indoor track, players were forced to workout outside and had their pro day cut short. Â
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Safety Christian Uphoff is a late-round prospect who took part in the Senior Bowl. He timed in the upper 4.5s in the 40 and 7.01s in the three-cone drill. During recent pro day workouts at the EXOS training facility, Uphoff timed as fast as 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash and completed 23 reps on the bench. He was able to participate in position drills and looked good.
Illinois State Pro Day 2021 | Other Redbirds prospects and odd circumstances around the event
Quarterback Brady Davis also tested and took part in position drills. Yet, his workout was abruptly halted by Illinois State coaches. Despite having almost a dozen passes remaining on his script, Illinois State coaches stopped the workout and forced players off the field.
Why? No specific reason was given why players were not allowed to run indoors or finish their position drills. However, multiple sources tell me Illinois State coaches are peeved Uphoff, Davis, and others had the audacity to skip the spring football season and prepare for a potential career in the NFL.
Related | NFL Pro Days 2021: List of all college pro days ahead of NFL Draft
Drew Himmelman is an Illinois State offensive tackle who will get late-round consideration. He did not participate in the workout as he’s with the team this spring.
Not allowing the players to take advantage of facilities and not allowing them to finish their workout is not only a disservice to Uphoff, Davis, and others, but also the representatives of almost two dozen NFL teams who made the trip to Normal, Illinois for the pro day.
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