Sixteen former LSU football players took the practice field Wednesday, suiting up in the purple and gold for the last time in their careers. As a team, they were one of the most successful classes in LSU history. But Wednesday was all about the individual. LSU held its annual Pro Day, giving seniors a chance to impress the gaggle of NFL scouts and team officials in attendance with a series of individual drills and athletic tests. Among the ranks of on-looking scouts were Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, Chiefs coach Herm Edwards, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and former Saints coach and current Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. The seniors began the day in the weight room where they were measured and weighed. All-American defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey weighed in at 297 pounds. “I feel like I move well at that weight,” Dorsey said. “For a tackle, that’s about where I should weigh. My body responds to it well.” Dorsey’s playing weight this past season was close to 308 pounds. The players participated in broad jump, vertical jump and bench press exercises. Offensive guard Will Arnold hoisted the most reps on a 225-pound bench press with 34. Linebacker Luke Sanders was the only other Tiger in the 30s with 31 lifts. Cornerback Chevis Jackson created a buzz among observers with a 40-inch vertical jump. The next closest leap was cornerback Jonathan Zenon with 37 inches. From there, the players and scouts shuffled onto the playing field where the main attraction was the 40-yard dash. Linebacker Ali Highsmith had struggled with his 40-yard dash time, running a 5.0 mark just a month ago at the NFL combine. Highsmith needed an improved time, and he got it running the 40-yard dash in 4.74 seconds. “If they’d have asked me to run it one more time, I probably would have run a 4.5,” Highsmith said. “I showed them I could go out there and prove what I can do whenever I need to.” But Highsmith’s 4.74 was not good enough to earn him the best time at the workout. That honor went to someone who hasn’t played for LSU since 2006. Steven Korte, a former fullback from Mandeville ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds to lead all times. Korte attempted to transfer from LSU to Southern Miss this past year but was denied for academic reasons. It appears that Korte will forgo any collegiate eligibility he has left and pursue professional football. Another ex-Tiger also participated in individual drills. Former LSU running back Ally Broussard showed scouts he’s still in shape posting an unofficial 4.75 time in the 40-yard dash. Broussard, who spent this past season playing for Missouri Southern State, reaped the bench press 21 times and had a vertical leap of 28 inches. After completing individual drills, the seniors split off into offensive and defensive squads to participate in drills that highlighted their specific skill sets. Quarterback Matt Flynn and wide receiver Early Doucet played throw-and-catch for most of the offensive set. Flynn, who is projected by many experts to be a late-round draft pick, said he looked at the workout as an opportunity to enjoy himself. “We’ve been in much more pressure-packed situations than this,” he said. “Out here it was just pitch and catch, and run and jump. It was fun.” Doucet turned in a strong performance, catching every ball that was thrown in his vicinity. The All-SEC performer also shined in the individual drills, running a 4.56 second 40-yard dash and posting a 34 1/2-inch mark in the vertical jump. Doucet said although he is pleased with his performance today, he would rather be judged by what he can do on the football field. “The 40 [yard dash] is not really what makes a football player,” he said. “I’m a lot faster than I actually timed out. Playing the game of football, you’re not going to just run a straight line all day. I play a lot faster than I time.” The seniors won’t have any more workouts until the NFL Draft, which takes place from April 26-27.
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