NORFOLK, Va. - With NFL scouts watching, former Old Dominion football players put their skills on display Friday morning with the hopes of landing a spot on an NFL roster.
"Had to take a moment and just look around and just enjoy it, and just live in the moment because this is a childhood dream I've been chasing for 20 years," former Old Dominion linebacker Jordan Young said. "I just want to go out there and give it my all."
"Finally get to this point where all this hard work has come to fruition," former Old Dominion offensive lineman Isaac Weaver. "We finally get to showcase what we've been training for."
Eight Monarchs took part in ODU's Pro Day, where nine NFL teams were represented: the Commanders, Jets, Titans, Giants, Texans, Packer, Chargers, Saints and Colts.
Between preparing for Pro Day and putting their talents on display in front of scouts, football started to feel a lot more like a business to the players.
"You think about it every once in a while while you're in college, but then once it really hits you, it's like alright, now it's really time to get to business," former Old Dominion safety Joe Joe Headen said.
"You go from working out with a team and it's all about, now we're gonna really come together as a group," Weaver said about the transition from college. "Now all of a sudden you're kinda, you're on your own and you're more or less fending for yourself."
"You're kinda like a pro," Young added. "I mean, your source of income's not the same, you're just trynna find out where your money's coming from, where your next meal's gonna come from, so you kinda always gotta be thinking ahead."
"It's not easy to be a pro at anything, so just to have the chance to be able to play professional ball is a blessing," Headen said.
While that dream of becoming a pro football player is not yet realized, the Monarchs feel their Pro Day performances are a step in the right direction.
"I think I did well. I feel like I moved well, I was really happy with how I jumped," Weaver said. "I hope it was enough to impress some teams."
"I feel like I gave everything I had and I feel like it couldn't have gone better,"
"I feel like I helped myself today," Headen said. "It was fun just being able to show what I got.
"It doesn't stop now. This was just one milestone to get to, so go back home, keep training and hopefully get a call to an organization."
