Stinger offensive lineman Maurice Simba made university history Tuesday when he became the first ever Concordia student to hold a NFL Pro Day.
Scouts from the New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns were on hand at the event held at Catalogna Soccerplexe in Lachine, Que.
“It was a good experience for Maurice,” said Stingers head coach Brad Collinson. “No one at Concordia has ever done this before. He gave his all and fulfilled a goal. Now we wait and see.”
The combine included measuring height, weight, reach, hand size and arm length. Then there were physical tests: bench press, vertical jump, 40-yard dash, broad jump and pro agility and three-cone drills. Basically, it’s an audition for the professional football teams.
Simba, who checks in at six-foot-eight, 340 pounds, attracts attention for his size. At the combine he wanted to prove he had the athleticism to go along with it.
“Personally, I’m very satisfied with my results today,” Simba said in a media scrum afterwards. “I gave it everything I could. I hope by doing this that I can give back to Concordia and the City of Montreal, give them visibility and that people will realize we have good football players here and look at them as well.”
The NFL draft will be held April 25-27. Simba could be a late round draft pick or may go undrafted and be offered a free agent contract or a rookie camp invitation.
He will certainly be selected in the CFL draft on May 2. The Canadian teams have followed his career closely over his four years at Concordia. The Montreal Alouettes also sent a scout to evaluate Simba at the Pro Day.
Only two Stingers have stuck in the NFL. Cornerback Mark Montreuil was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round, 237th overall, in 1995. He went on to play three years in the NFL.
Linebacker Cory Greenwood signed a free agent contract in 2010 and went on to play three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.
