MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After lugging 298 pounds through the 40-yard dash, Tyler Orlosky pumped the brakes and shrugged, not too interested in what the electronic timers revealed.
Then he shook hands with an elderly security guard nearby and joked, “You could’ve caught me.”
While centers don’t tend to make or break their draft stock with sprints, West Virginia’s All-Big 12 lineman approached his 40 performance with an extra dose of nonchalance. He ran 5.32, matching defensive lineman Christian Brown for the slowest time among the 17 Mountaineers at pro day.
“I ran what I thought — slow,” said Orlosky, before making light of why offensive linemen run the 40 at all. “You want to show that you’re somewhat athletic. If we don’t fall down, it’s a win for us.”
Orlosky remained upright and, indeed, remains among the top center prospects in the draft. Most mocks project him in the third- to fourth-round range.
Whenever he’s selected, Orlosky plans to be watching from his home in Cleveland, “sitting in my basement, probably by myself.”
He’s not one to roam too far from comfortable environs. Orlosky conducted his pre-draft workouts in Morgantown with WVU strength coach Mike Joseph, which runs counter to many NFL prospects seeking out trainers across the country.
“Most guys aren’t Polish and frugal with their money,” Orlosky said. “I’m cheap with my money, and I have everything here, so why go somewhere else? I’ve seen that Mike Joseph and his staff do a good job and they’ve known you for five years.”
Skype Howard seeks camp invite
Skyler Howard, having trained in Fort Worth, returned to Morgantown for pro day “and one more chance to get on the field with my brothers.”
He also hoped to convince an NFL team to give him a training camp invitation.
He measured 5-foot-11 on Friday, ran the 40 in 4.64 and looked crisp throwing to teammates like Daikiel Shorts, Shelton Gibson, Rushel Shell and Devonte Mathis.
While non-existent on mock draft boards, Howard views this as his next proving ground, the same way he progressed from FCS walk-on to 7,300-yard passer at West Virginia.
“I’m pretty sure a few months ago people weren’t taking me seriously about going to the NFL, but for me it’s restarting the process,” he said.
“Every school I’ve been to, every team I’ve been on, I’ve not started at the top. I’ve been second-string, third-string, fourth-string, scout team. But if my foot’s in the door, it’s over.”
While this exposure might help him land a spot in the CFL or Arena League, Howard said he’s still dreaming bigger.
“I think that’s part of the process after this one, but I’m full-in on the NFL right now,” he said. “I’m going to be in someone’s camp, and once I get my foot in the door it’s over.”
Douglas runs 4.57
Second-team All-American cornerback Rasul Douglas shaved two-hundredths of a second off his combine 40 time and generally thought he helped his draft situation.
He claimed to be a good fit for any team seeking a cornerback, regardless of its defensive philosophy.
“It doesn’t matter, because I can play any system,” he said. “I’ve played zone before and then I came here and all we did was play man and zero.”
Other notables
Nose tackle Darrien Howard ran a 4.97, impressive for a 300-pounder. At 6-foot, he’s shorter than the elite defensive linemen though that athleticism might make him an interesting free-agent pickup. … Running back Rushel Shell ran 4.65 and Daikiel Shorts a 4.57. … Among the Mountaineers defensive backs, Maurice Fleming and Antonio Crawford each ran 4.51, followed by Jarrod Harper (4.56), Nana Kyeremeh (4.57), Khairi Sharif (4.64) and Jeremy Tyler (4.70 ).