Following Florida’s Pro Day, it is customary for us at Hail Florida Hail—along with many others—to highlight who improved and who harmed their chances of being considered for the NFL. In general, the Gators performed well enough at the NFL Combine and hoped to build on that momentum at their Pro Day on Saturday.
In contrast, what happened in Gainesville seems to merely corroborate what many supporters had suspected for years during the Billy Napier era.
Florida has a weak performance at Pro Day
The 40-yard dash, the main event, was one to be forgotten. Devin Moore ran in 4. 59 seconds while recovering from his injuries. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4. 50, which is slower. Michael Caraway Jr. ran 4. 57 seconds.
After that, we proceed to the bench press, where Jake Slaughter executed 22 reps at 225 pounds. That’s an elite comparison to the majority of people. Slaughter would have placed second to last when compared to the offensive linemen who performed the event at the NFL Combine. At the Combine, Clemson RB Adam Randall repped 26 times. George Gumbs Jr. also completed 22 repetitions.
However, this at least brings them into close proximity to the other candidates for the draft. What transpired with Damieon George Jr. on the bench press is then added. George completed 12 repetitions of 225 pounds, bearing in mind that his weight was 356 pounds.
12.
At your neighborhood gym, there are men who weigh 200 pounds and can lift 225 pounds 12 times as of right now.
Is George wounded? Perhaps, perhaps not, but at the very least, it puts an end to a field that supporters believed was a significant flaw during the Billy Napier Era—the weight room.
The Gators never gave the impression of being the stronger team during the Napier Era, and as injuries mounted at a far higher rate than the rest of the SEC, fans began to wonder what was actually happening in the weight room. Although insiders frequently attempted to argue that the weight room was in good condition, these figures, together with the remarks made by Jon Sumrall upon assuming leadership, point to the contrary.
Pittsburgh hosts the NFL Draft between April 23 and April 25.
