Five Azusa Pacific football players prepared to take their skills to the next level by participating in APU’s Pro Day in front of 30 pro football scouts
Several Azusa Pacific football players had a chance to showcase their talent on Tuesday morning, when NFL scouts came down to the Dillon Recreational Field on East Campus for APU football’s annual pro day.
APU hosted a combined pro day with the University of Hawaii football team. Senior quarterback Andrew Elffers, senior offensive lineman Joe Kupcikevicius, junior wide receiver Ronnie Holley and senior defensive backs Chis Hollis Jr. and Darryl Smith all participated for the Cougars.
APU’s pro day is one of the few events where the football team can showcase their talents to NFL eyes. Only four NCAA Division II football players were invited to the NFL Combine in early March.
However, head football coach Victor Santa Cruz believes that the level of competition shouldn’t be that important if players are talented enough to compete at that level.
“Talent is talent,” Santa Cruz said. “The NFL has enough stories to know that Division I [football] doesn’t mean you’re that high of a caliber of player.”
Santa Cruz believes that APU gives his players a unique ability to reach the next level, regardless of what division they play in.
“What I love about Azusa Pacific is that you’re in Los Angeles, and you’re going to get that stage to show what you can do,” Santa Cruz said.
The @NFL invades the Zu! @apufootball Pro Day 2018 #APintheNFL #HaveitAllatAP pic.twitter.com/rLzEzsjLeA
— Victor Santa Cruz (@vscwintoday) March 20, 2018
Three years ago, former APU running back Terrell Watson, performed in front of NFL scouts at the APU pro day. Watson wasn’t selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, but would go on to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent.
The former Division II All American has bounced around the NFL since then but signed a contract with the New York Giants earlier this year. Watson remains as the only APU football player currently active in the NFL.
As for this year’s pro day, APU and Hawaii football players would participate in a variety of drills including the vertical jump, broad jump, bench press and 40-yard dash. Elffers had a strong start jumping 34 ½ inches in the vertical.
Comparing that to this past year’s NFL Combine, Elffers had the highest vertical jump from any quarterback that performed at the Combine. The fifth-year senior from Arcadia, Calif. threw for 23 touchdowns and rushed for another eight in his 2017 campaign.
“I’ve trained this whole offseason with Division I guys, and I don’t feel any step behind them at all,” Elffers said. “From the scout’s perspective, today they can analyze the talents and gifts that I have, and then I want that opportunity to maximize it.”
Cougar defensive backs Chris Hollis Jr. and Darryl Smith each had 31 inches in the vertical jump. When it came to the bench press, Hollis led the way with 16 reps for the Cougars.
Smith and Elffers both scored 9-feet-5-inches on the broad jump. Smith was pleased with his performance but understands the process still ahead.
“Next week I’m going to get back in the gym and stay in shape, and whenever I get that call it will be time to seize the moment,” Smith said.
Overall there were 30 professional teams in attendance; two Canadian Football League teams and 28 NFL teams, which also included the defending Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Elffers got a chance toward the end of the event to throw the ball to APU and Hawaii receivers, and got a chance to talk to a couple NFL teams.
“I talked with the [Atlanta] Falcons and [Green Bay] Packers, and they seemed to be pretty impressed with me today,” Elffers said. “If the NFL doesn’t work out, on April 24-28 I have a rookie minicamp with the BC [British Columbia] Lions of the CFL.”
The Cougars haven’t had a player drafted in NFL since former Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye was taken in the second round of the 1987 draft, but more and more scouts have come to APU’s pro day over the past few years. Either way, Santa Cruz is pleased with the people his players have grown to be.
“This part here we get to showcase it all; it’s just like a proud dad moment,” Santa Cruz said. “I think this is why we love coaching here so much, because you get to develop a guy way beyond the game.”