Swoopes impresses at UT Pro Day
Quarterback ... I mean tight end Tyrone Swoopes was on hand Tuesday, along with 15 other NFL prospects partaking in the Texas Longhorns Pro Day.
Those that follow Longhorns Football know that Swoopes earned all of his success under center as the team's quarterback. Visions of the 6’4, 247-pounder coming out in the "18-Wheeler" package and running over opposing players may come to mind. It is that exact level of strength and athleticism that Swoopes will take to his new position and hopefully a new chapter in his football career as he makes the transition to tight end, and hopes to catch on with one of the 32 teams in this year's NFL Draft.
We already know that D’Onta Foreman had a Pro-Day that dreams are made of, improving his draft stock for all 32 teams in attendance, but Swoopes did his share of shining when he had his opportunities.
Let's take a quick look at Swoopes' Pro-Day performance...
-19 reps on bench press. A solid performance that would have placed him just outside of the top 10 at this year's NFL Combine.
-35-inch vertical jump. He's an athlete, that's for sure. This number would have put him in the top 5 at this year's NFL Combine
-4.65 40-yard dash. For a man this size, that's an impressive number. This time would have ranked him the in top 10 at this year's NFL Combine.
He's big. He's Strong. He's fast. We've seen him run over defenders like an 18-Wheeler, we've seen him run away from defenders after utilizing a little finesse to make them miss, but can he catch the ball? He's not worried.
“Catching the ball is always something that I've been able to do, catch a football,” Swoopes tells TexasSports.com. “So it really wasn't that big of a transition for me and I think that's my strongest thing right now.”
Can you imagine that? A 6’4, 247-pound man who runs a 4.65 40-yard dash and boasts a 35-inch vertical jump says his strongest skill is his ability to catch the ball. That should be a scary thought for future NFL defenders.
“I think you just have to believe in yourself, because I think that I've said it before that if you don't believe in what you do, then nobody else will believe in what you do.” - Tyrone Swoops
According to ESPN, teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Seattle Seahawks are interested in Swoopes. Here's hoping he can stay in Texas!
