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Clay shows faster speed at UW's pro timing day
Former University of Wisconsin tailback John Clay certainly looked good when he pulled off his sweats prior to taking part in the annual UW pro timing day inside the McClain Center on Wednesday.
Clay has shed more than 30 pounds since the end of the last football season and his body looked muscular and firm. He wore black-and-gray spandex shorts and a form-fitting, red sleeveless shirt.
After weighing in at 233 pounds, Clay was asked the last time he was at that weight.
"Had to be high school, my junior, senior year," the Racine Park product said. "It's the lightest I've been since I came to college. I feel more explosive, faster. I got my quick muscles back and I feel real good."
Clay needed those "quick muscles" after running disappointing 40-yard dash times of 4.77 seconds and 4.84 seconds at the scouting combine in Indianapolis less than two weeks earlier.
A large contingent of NFL scouts and coaches — representing 31 of the 32 teams, apparently only missing the Cincinnati Bengals — were on hand to evaluate UW's draft-eligible players. In the case of Clay, who left after his junior year, they mostly wanted to see if he could run any faster on his home turf.
Clay ran the 40 twice and his official time range, according to UW strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, was between 4.73 and 4.77.
"In John's case, he was able to come and run a solid time for what guys consider a big back, which he is," Herbert said. "I think all of the guys I talked to felt good about what he did."
Coaches and scouts time players on their own, then confer afterward, so times can vary. Clay was pleased with his results, saying he believed he shaved one-tenth off his combine time. He said the best clocking he heard was "low 4.6."
"I felt like I made some progress from the combine at Indianapolis," Clay said.
Still, it remains an uphill battle for Clay prior to the draft, which will be held April 28-30.
In addition to the slow 40 times — 4.6 would have been a reasonable time for Clay — he has to prove to NFL teams he can be an every-down back. He didn't help his cause by dropping four passes in a row during the workout.
"Here at Wisconsin, I was just a first- and second-down back," said Clay, who rushed for 3,413 yards in his three-year career and was the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.
In meetings with NFL coaches at the combine, Clay said he was asked frequently to go to the erase board and diagram blocking schemes for picking up blitzes.
"That was a big question mark because they only see me first and second down, just carrying the ball," Clay said of understanding blocking schemes. "Making sure I can block and also catch."
The top UW prospects did not do much at the workout. Defensive end J.J. Watt, who tested among the top players at his position in almost every category at the combine, only took part in position drills.
"I'm very proud of how relentless I am and how hard I work," Watt said. "But at the same time, that doesn't discount any of my talents or any of the athleticism I have. Just because I'm a big Wisconsin kid, doesn't mean I'm not athletic."
Offensive tackle Gabe Carimi ran the 20-yard shuttle, slightly aggravating a sprained ankle he suffered at the Senior Bowl in January. He also took part in offensive lineman drills.
Watt is projected to go as high as the top 10 picks and Carimi is also expected to go in the first round. The Badgers haven't had two first-round picks since 2001, when cornerback Jamar Fletcher was taken at No. 26 by the Miami Dolphins and Michael Bennett went at No. 27 to the Minnesota Vikings.
"Our coaches know how to develop players," Watt said of the 14 UW players who took part in the workout. "Our strength program is very good. They believe in us and we believe in the program, so they put out great players, because we work hard. That's what we do.
"We're not very flashy guys, we're not guys that are going to run a 4.2 40, but we're going to go out there and we're going to work our tails off to get what we want."
Both Super Bowl teams were well represented. The Green Bay Packers sent general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy. The Pittsburgh Steelers sent three people, including coach Mike Tomlin.
Thompson played it typically close to the vest when asked if Clay had done enough to change perceptions from the combine.
"I wouldn't presume to know what those perceptions are," Thompson said. "John Clay is a very good football player. I'll leave it at that."
Clay, who works with a personal trainer, said the weight came off easily and credited it mostly to a healthier diet. He's the second former UW running back to leave early and lose considerable weight before the draft, something P.J. Hill also did.
UW coach Bret Bielema wasn't upset that Clay didn't lose the weight sooner. Clay had offseason surgery on both ankles prior to last season and had less than two months to get ready for camp. Bielema thought Clay was close to his current weight for the Champs Sports Bowl against Miami (Fla.) in 2009.
"When he's in the position he's in right now," Bielema said, regarding Clay's weight, "there are very few backs I've seen be able to handle a game as well as he has."
Former University of Wisconsin tailback John Clay certainly looked good when he pulled off his sweats prior to taking part in the annual UW pro timing day inside the McClain Center on Wednesday.
Clay has shed more than 30 pounds since the end of the last football season and his body looked muscular and firm. He wore black-and-gray spandex shorts and a form-fitting, red sleeveless shirt.
After weighing in at 233 pounds, Clay was asked the last time he was at that weight.
"Had to be high school, my junior, senior year," the Racine Park product said. "It's the lightest I've been since I came to college. I feel more explosive, faster. I got my quick muscles back and I feel real good."
Clay needed those "quick muscles" after running disappointing 40-yard dash times of 4.77 seconds and 4.84 seconds at the scouting combine in Indianapolis less than two weeks earlier.
A large contingent of NFL scouts and coaches — representing 31 of the 32 teams, apparently only missing the Cincinnati Bengals — were on hand to evaluate UW's draft-eligible players. In the case of Clay, who left after his junior year, they mostly wanted to see if he could run any faster on his home turf.
Clay ran the 40 twice and his official time range, according to UW strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert, was between 4.73 and 4.77.
"In John's case, he was able to come and run a solid time for what guys consider a big back, which he is," Herbert said. "I think all of the guys I talked to felt good about what he did."
Coaches and scouts time players on their own, then confer afterward, so times can vary. Clay was pleased with his results, saying he believed he shaved one-tenth off his combine time. He said the best clocking he heard was "low 4.6."
"I felt like I made some progress from the combine at Indianapolis," Clay said.
Still, it remains an uphill battle for Clay prior to the draft, which will be held April 28-30.
In addition to the slow 40 times — 4.6 would have been a reasonable time for Clay — he has to prove to NFL teams he can be an every-down back. He didn't help his cause by dropping four passes in a row during the workout.
"Here at Wisconsin, I was just a first- and second-down back," said Clay, who rushed for 3,413 yards in his three-year career and was the Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2009.
In meetings with NFL coaches at the combine, Clay said he was asked frequently to go to the erase board and diagram blocking schemes for picking up blitzes.
"That was a big question mark because they only see me first and second down, just carrying the ball," Clay said of understanding blocking schemes. "Making sure I can block and also catch."
The top UW prospects did not do much at the workout. Defensive end J.J. Watt, who tested among the top players at his position in almost every category at the combine, only took part in position drills.
"I'm very proud of how relentless I am and how hard I work," Watt said. "But at the same time, that doesn't discount any of my talents or any of the athleticism I have. Just because I'm a big Wisconsin kid, doesn't mean I'm not athletic."
Offensive tackle Gabe Carimi ran the 20-yard shuttle, slightly aggravating a sprained ankle he suffered at the Senior Bowl in January. He also took part in offensive lineman drills.
Watt is projected to go as high as the top 10 picks and Carimi is also expected to go in the first round. The Badgers haven't had two first-round picks since 2001, when cornerback Jamar Fletcher was taken at No. 26 by the Miami Dolphins and Michael Bennett went at No. 27 to the Minnesota Vikings.
"Our coaches know how to develop players," Watt said of the 14 UW players who took part in the workout. "Our strength program is very good. They believe in us and we believe in the program, so they put out great players, because we work hard. That's what we do.
"We're not very flashy guys, we're not guys that are going to run a 4.2 40, but we're going to go out there and we're going to work our tails off to get what we want."
Both Super Bowl teams were well represented. The Green Bay Packers sent general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy. The Pittsburgh Steelers sent three people, including coach Mike Tomlin.
Thompson played it typically close to the vest when asked if Clay had done enough to change perceptions from the combine.
"I wouldn't presume to know what those perceptions are," Thompson said. "John Clay is a very good football player. I'll leave it at that."
Clay, who works with a personal trainer, said the weight came off easily and credited it mostly to a healthier diet. He's the second former UW running back to leave early and lose considerable weight before the draft, something P.J. Hill also did.
UW coach Bret Bielema wasn't upset that Clay didn't lose the weight sooner. Clay had offseason surgery on both ankles prior to last season and had less than two months to get ready for camp. Bielema thought Clay was close to his current weight for the Champs Sports Bowl against Miami (Fla.) in 2009.
"When he's in the position he's in right now," Bielema said, regarding Clay's weight, "there are very few backs I've seen be able to handle a game as well as he has."
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