By Dave McMahon
Special to PrepChamps.com
Travis Evans, like many of the players at the PrepChamps Elite Combine presented by Reebok held in Jacksonville, Fla., liked the idea of attending a high school football combine that mimics the routine that prospects go through at the NFL combine.
So when he left the combine, held June 21 at Titus Sports Academy, in a tie for the best time in the Pro Agility drill at 4.28 seconds, Evans was obviously thrilled.
“I just got lucky,” said Evans, a four-year starter at running back at Williston (Fla.) High School who rushed for more than 1,200 yards last season. “That was my first time doing that drill, so I had no idea what to expect.”
Evans, a captain at Williston, expects his performance against other elite athletes in Jacksonville to boost his name recognition.
“It was fun to see everyone out there competing. I had a real good time there. Everyone else there is working hard, so that makes you want to work even harder. That made it fun,” Evans said.
Evans, who was joined on the trip from his hometown southwest of Gainesville by 317-pound Williston teammate Jordan White, also handily posted the best measurement in the broad jump with a leap of 9 feet, 5 inches.
A four-year starter at Williston, Evans saw his recruiting stock pick up in a big way following his junior season. “It started right after the season ended,” Evans said. “I got some mail with my name on it, and I thought somebody was just putting my name on all these envelopes and giving them to me.”
So far, those envelopes have come from places like Georgia, Maryland, Stanford, Duke, Georgia Tech, Florida A&M, Illinois and Indiana.
As for Evans’ time of 4.65 seconds in the 40? He’s got the shoes to answer for that.
“I wish I would have brought some lighter shoes,” Evans laughed. “I ran a 4.48 once a school.”
By the end, the combine got Evans ready to get things going.
“We’re looking really good this year,” Evans said. “I can’t wait for the season to start. I’m ready to smile.”
Another Florida player who was smiling based on his performance at the Jacksonville combine was Deion Ellis, who plays safety at Wolfson High School in Jacksonville.
Ellis picked a perfect time to show off his athleticism. He had been nursing a hamstring injury until recently, but he obviously put any questions about that to rest when he catapulted to the top of the combine in the 40-yard dash and took second in the L-Drill. His time of 4.43 seconds in the 40 was 5/100ths of a second faster than the second-place time. And his L-Drill time of 7.00 was just 9/100ths of a second behind first place.
“I’m fully healed, and it felt great to be able to show what I can do,” Ellis said. “It showed me that hard work and dedication pays off. My coaches really got me prepared, and it worked. The combine will really help with recruiting, I believe. It shows my athleticism, and I think recruiters will look into it. I’ve been talking to some college coaches, but I’m waiting for that first offer.”
Ellis found himself getting comfortable with the routine that the combine offered.
“I really liked how they set it up just like it’s an NFL combine,” Ellis said. “Hopefully sometime in the future I can see a real in the NFL, and it might be helpful.”
Having seen how hard work paid off with his impressive showing at the combine, Ellis, too, is ready for the first snap of the season.
“I plan to make all-everything this season. I’m going to be on top of my game,” he said. “I’ve kind of been learning in my first couple of years, but now I know what I need to do.”
Demetrio Edwards, a senior strong safety and running back at Trinity Christian Academy in Deltona, Fla., came away with some all-around numbers that ranked among the tops at the Jacksonville combine.
Edwards’ L-Drill time of 6.91 seconds was better than anyone else’s, and his 40-yard dash time of 4.48 seconds was the second-best.
“I practice the L-Drill every day. They said I was moving,” he said.
Finally, his Pro-Agility time of 4.31 was good for third place.
“I think it went perfect,” Edwards said. “It was cool that it was indoor so you didn’t have the wind. And to have everything on video – that was cool.”
Posting such strong numbers at the combine should go a long way in boosting Edwards’ visibility.
“It should help a lot,” Edwards said. “This is the most important year for me yet. This year I just plan to make plays, hype up the team and get the team ready to perform on the field.”
Incoming sophomore Derrick Mitchell was one of the youngest participants at the combine. He was also one of the most imposing.
The 6-foot-4 1/2, 237-pound defensive end plans to make plays of his own at Wolfson High School in Jacksonville this fall, and to do that, he knows what he’ll have to do.
“I think my performance at the combine was good. I still need to improve my speed and get stronger,” Mitchell said. “It was my first combine, and I was kind of nervous to see how I was going to do. A lot of my teammates were there and they helped me know what to expect.”
Mitchell’s vertical leap of 27 ½ inches gave him something to be proud of. Only Jordan White of Williston (100 inches) had a longer reach than Mitchell’s 98 ½.
“I’ll be back, and I’ll be faster and stronger,” Mitchell said.
John Howard III, a junior outside linebacker at Wolfson, also left the combine excited. He had just posted a personal-best of 4.69 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
Howard, who played in every game as a sophomore and landed a couple of starting assignments, also plans to improve his scores.
“I need to work on my bench. I’ll be working harder on that. I’d say my head and my speed are my two strengths right now,” Howard said. “I know how to read plays and I know the offenses. I’m going to be up in there this year.”
Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
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