Notre Dame football players return for NFL pro day
SOUTH BEND, Ind – Former Notre Dame players back on campus for their NFL pro day
12 players from Notre Dame back in familiar territory for their final showcase before the NFL draft on April 27th in Kansas City.
The pro day had a few players we haven’t seen in a while, such as Avery Davis who tore his ACL, before the start of the 2022 season and Bo Bauer, who tore his ACL in practice, 5 weeks into the season.
Considering the severity of an ACL tear, Bauer and Davis were a surprise for today’s pro day.
Due to their injuries, Davis didn’t run routes but he did participate in the 40-yard dash with a time of 4.57
“I’m happy with what I did today only six and a half months post-surgery so, that's kind of impressive in my book,” said Davis.
Bauer who played linebacker and was part of the special teams unit pumped, out 30 reps on the bench press.
Due to his injury, instead of his normal defensive drills he wanted to make his game more versatile, by showcasing his ability to longsnap for NFL scouts.
“I'm trying to be a swiss army knife. I'll do whatever. I'll be your best four-phase special teams player but I’m showing I’m trying to long snap I will help fill another roster spot there. I'm just trying to maximize my value,” Bauer added.
We also got a chance to see the likes of Tariq Bracey, Brandon Joseph, Chris Smith, and the Ademilola (Jayson and Justin) twins.
But the star of the show on the defensive side was Notre Dame’s all-time sack leader, Isaiah Foskey.
“I feel like every team asked me how much I love football, but it shows like on the field like I run to the ball all the time. I want to get to the ball every single play. That just showed my passion for the game and my hard work throughout,” Foskey mentioned.
Foskey had all eyes on him during the defensive drills – showcasing why he’s projected to be off the board in the first three rounds of the NFL draft.
While Foskey waits to hear his name called, he’ll be watching the projected first round pick and former teammate Michael Mayer.
“To be honest with you, I’ve probably talked with every single team. So, the conversation it's almost like throw some tape up there. Explain me through this route,” Mayer said.
After becoming what sounds like a household name after his performance at the NFL combine, Mayer came back for today’s pro day and to everyone’s surprise, new field general and Wake Forest transfer quarterback Sam Hartman, delivered the ball to the Kentucky native, in front of NFL scouts.
“Threw with him twice this week. So, you know, don't a couple of times. Sometimes it's not easy to have the best connection but Sam’s a great quarterback. He's gonna do great things here.,” Mayer mentioned.
“For me, it's about showing these teams. How I think about the game of football, how I played with him football and how intellectually my smarts helped me in the game of football, Mayer added.