It’s almost spring. The flowers are supposed to be blooming. The scarves and sweaters should be going back into the closets and baseball games should be played on sunny afternoons. But none of that is happening. The trees are without leaves and the sweaters are still on students’ backs as they make their way across campus.The temperatures may not be rising, but the draft stock of the former LSU football players is. The NFL Scouting Combine took place last weekend, and 12 LSU players — the most of any school — did little to hurt their chances of climbing up the draft boards of NFL teams. Aside from a few follies, the group performed well in Indianapolis, which shouldn’t be surprising considering how combines and pro days have treated former LSU football players in the past.Former LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson lifted his way up the board and was the Kansas City Chiefs’ No. 3 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. LSU’s athletes perform well in workout sessions, and this year was no different.The drills at the combine are designed to test athletes’ abilities as they pertain to in-game situations. The 40-yard dash is designed to test a player’s speed from a cold start. A few LSU players were among to top performers in this year’s combine.Former LSU running back Trindon Holliday unsurprisingly ran the second-fastest time at the combine clocking a 4.34. Holliday, a one-time national champion in the 100-meter dash, was expected to perform well in the this drill but impressed scouts with his overall athleticism as he posted impressive numbers in the vertical jump. Heading into the combine, one of the major knocks against Holliday was his size, and questions were posed as to whether that would prevent him from being taken in the draft.He stands at 5 feet, 5 inches and weighs 158 pounds, but like his former teammates, his workouts have moved him into the later rounds of the drafts on some boards and in some mocks.The combine was also graced with solid performances from hybrid players Harry Coleman and Rahim Alem. Both were among the top performers in the 40-yard dash, and Coleman had one of the top performances in the 60-yard shuttle run.The knock on both players is they lack either the size for one position or the speed for another. But these guys are both hard workers, and as the draft nears closer and their performances in these drills improve, it will be interesting to see how they move up NFL teams’ draft boards.The combine was also intriguing as all eyes were on arguably one of the greatest college football players ever: former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.Tebow is in a similar predicament with Coleman and Alem. But he had himself a weekend. He was one of the top quarterbacks to perform in each drill, which seemed to surprise scouts, considering his less than stellar performance in the Senior Bowl. The only thing surprising about Tebow’s combine performance is how surprised everyone is by how well he performed. Tebow was one of the most physical players on the field throughout his college years and one the hardest workers off it. The University of Florida even put a plaque outside of its football facility commemorating a speech he gave in which he said he would work harder than anyone else after his Gators fell to Ole Miss in 2008.Tebow’s impressive workouts aren’t hurting his chances at being drafted, much like the LSU crop of prospects.There wasn’t much talk about the LSU players in the draft heading into the combine, but it shouldn’t be too long before they begin generating a buzz. The combine generates buzz for a player more than anything, but it doesn’t always translate to on field production — what the combine is supposed to measure.
Amos Morale is a 22-year-old history senior from Houston. Follow him on Twitter @TDR_amosmorale3.
 
__
Contact Amos Morale at [email protected]