Auburn football: Walt McFadden makes most of his pro day

AUBURN, Ala. — Walt McFadden was bummed he didn’t get an invitation to last month’s NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, the premier offseason showcase for potential draft picks.

But friends and family kept his spirits up as he continued to work out, telling him he would have a chance to show off his abilities at Auburn’s pro day.

“I feel like I was just an underdog,” he said. “Hey, it’s just a matter of time for me to overcome it.”

McFadden got his chance Tuesday, one of 13 former Auburn football players and athletes to go through pro day workouts for 38 scouts from the NFL and CFL.

With running back Ben Tate choosing not to participate in almost everything after putting up strong combine numbers, McFadden and defensive end Antonio Coleman were the headliners of the day, which included measurable workout drills in the John H. Watson Fieldhouse before a period of positional work outside.

McFadden, a second-team All-SEC pick last year, had one of the best days, measuring bigger than most expected (5-foot-11, 181 pounds) and running 40 times of 4.40 and 4.39 seconds. Those times would have been the fastest among cornerbacks at last month’s combine.

“I think I had a good day,” said McFadden, whose only drawback was five reps at 225 pounds on the bench press. “A lot of scouts came up to me saying a lot of great things.”

McFadden has worked out in South Florida since the end of the season. That helped him hook up with famed agent Drew Rosenhaus, who also represents Walt’s older brother, Bryant, a cornerback for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals.

“He kind of kept it in the family,” Walt said. “At first, I wasn’t going to go with Rosenhaus because I believe he was just trying to take me because of Bryant, but he kind of talked to me and walked me through the steps, and, as I thought about it, he was recruiting me before he even met Bryant. So I kind of beat Bryant to the punch.”

McFadden has heard that he could got anywhere from the early-third to the late-fifth round in next month’s NFL draft.

“It depends on how my workout was,” he said. “I think I did a pretty good job. And as long as I weighed over 180 pounds and showed I have a little strength to myself, I’m going to be OK.”

Coleman, who led the SEC in sacks and tackles for a loss last year, hoped to show more of his skills after a quad strain limited what he could do at the combine last month.

Weighing 248 pounds, 13 lighter than his playing weight last year, Coleman did a variety of agility-based positional drills for scouts who are looking at him as a defensive end, his primary position in college, and outside linebacker, where he would play in a 3-4 scheme that is gaining popularity in the NFL.

Despite the quad injury, he ran a 4.72 and 4.78 in the 40-yard dash and had a high jump of 33.5 inches.

“It bothered me a lot,” Coleman said. “I had a sleeve on it. I also had something under that.

“It’s a big thing when you’re out here running doing all these movements. It’s painful, but I’ve played through pain before.”

Coleman didn’t have a gauge of where he might be drafted, although experts say he could go as high as the third round and as low as the sixth.

“I’m just looking for an opportunity,” Coleman said. “Whatever opportunity presents itself — first, fourth, seventh — all I need is an opportunity. I know I’m a hard worker, and I know I’ll make the team.”