Temple held its annual Pro Day Wednesday, with nine former players competing in drills for NFL scouts representing 13 teams across the league.
Wide receivers Jose Barbon and Adonicas Sanders, offensive lineman Adam Klein and Isaac Moore, defensive lineman Xach Gill, cornerback Cameron Ruiz, safety Jalen Ware, punter Mackenzie Morgan and former Temple defensive lineman Will Rodgers, a class of 2022 graduate, all participated in workouts.
The day consisted of official measurements, including bench press and vertical; speed testing, including the 40-yard dash and broad jump; and offensive and defensive position drills.
Barbon, who caught 72 passes for 918 yards and two touchdowns this past season, posted a 40-yard dash time of 4.47 seconds, broad jumped 10 feet, 8 inches and posted a vertical of 34 inches. Sanders (4.55), Ruiz (4.55) and Ware (4.56) all clocked 40 times in the 4.5-second range.
Klein,who played guard, center and tackle during his Temple career, measured in Wednesday at 6-foot-3 and 294 pounds, broad jumped 8 feet, 8 inches, did 19 bench press reps of 225 pounds and posted a vertical jump of 29 inches.
Afterwards, the players spoke to the media, and you can view that video here:
Below are excerpts from the conversations.
Ruiz on the significance of the Pro Day for him after fracturing his pelvis in 2021:
“I feel like I showed that I could bounce back from a crazy, traumatic injury that doesn’t happen to a lot of people. I’m proud of what I’ve overcome, and I’m happy with my performance… It was hard. In 2021, I was a starter and started 11 games but missed one for my injury. This season, I had to cut back and become a role player, but I didn’t care any less about the team. I embraced my role. It was different, but I still love the guys on the team. I want the best for us, so I took advantage of every opportunity I had.”
Moore on what’s next in his draft process following Pro Day:
“Stay in touch with my agent. Workout; I want to start running gassers so I can get in football shape again. And weightlifting. Just keep going.”
Klein on overcoming nervousness throughout the day and the pressure of scouts watching:
“I think it’s a little of both [nervous and exciting]. It’s good to get those nerves out, and once I did the vertical and the bench press, the nerves went away, and it was more about having fun. You try to be as loose as possible because the last thing you want to do is be tight, and you’re not going to do your best if you’re not feeling like yourself. I think that’s the biggest thing. You have a lot of eyes on you, but as football players, that’s what we like. It’s like playing in a big stadium with a lot of eyes and big crowds. I’m a big fan of that.”
Barbon on his decision to leave Temple despite having one year of eligibility left:
“I actually almost came back for my sixth year. I had talked it over with my parents several times. [Head coach Stan] Drayton and [wide receivers coach Jafar] Williams, too…I just thought it was time. I thought I had all the tools to come out, so I did.”
Gill on NFL interest, workouts and meetings with pro teams:
“I went to the Tropical Bowl back in January, and the Giants, Jaguars, and Lions all interviewed me following one of the practices. Those are the three teams I’ve been in contact with most. … They kinda know what you’re going to say going into [the meeting]. You just have to be yourself for the most part. They don’t ask you a whole lot.”
